DISTANCE: 80 miles (129km)
TIME: A full day
START: Waikiki
END: USS Arizona Memorial
POINTS TO NOTE: This route is great for beach-lovers of all ages, and includes a stop for Disney fans who want to see Mickey in Hawai‘i. If you’re more interested in history than beaches, head straight to the USS Arizona, then tack on the Bishop Museum (for more information, click here). You’ll be traveling against the flow of traffic, but try to avoid returning around 5pm on a workday as there can be queues coming back into Honolulu.
West O‘ahu is truly a place of local people, with limited resorts – only Ko Olina has thrived where others have failed – it’s untouched and authentic. The beaches go for miles, the homes are humble, and the people are straightforward and kind. West side residents have a reputation for being tougher on tourists, however, you’ll find that anyone you greet with kindness and respect in Hawai‘i will be welcoming and helpful.
Disney breakfast at Aulani
From Waikiki, drive to the H1 and go west. On a weekday, you may encounter traffic for the first couple of miles on the highway, but it will end just past downtown. H1 takes a jaunt over to the airport – stay to the left (on H201) and do not take the airport/H-1 exit. H201 reconnects with H1 later and is the faster route.
Stick to H1 all the way to the end, where you see the resorts of Ko Olina 1 [map]. Exit for Ko Olina, and follow the road in past the guard shack to the Aulani Resort 2 [map], on your right. At Makahiki restaurant, see 1, breakfast includes visits from Disney characters that will delight Disney fans of all ages. After the meal, tour the grounds, but don’t try to swim – the resort is notoriously stingy with its pool and will not even allow friends of hotel guests to swim with them.
Entertainment at Makahiki restaurant
Disney Enterprises
Yokohama Bay
Leave the resort area, and continue west as H1 turns into Farrington Highway. Travel through the small west-side towns of Nakakuli, Waianae and Makaha, until the road ends at Yokohama Bay 3 [map]. Park your car here, and if you’re up for a hike, you can reach Kaena Point 4 [map], some 2.5 miles (4km) out along a dirt coastal road (for more information, click here). A snorkel here is recommended. The shore break is strong, but usually quite small, and it’s best to swim in front of the lifeguard stand. Dive close to the sand – this beach is full of hidden treasures in the form of cone shells, miters and even sometimes sunrise shells.
Ka’ena Point, looking toward Yokohama Bay
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications
Makaha Beach
After your swim at Yokohama, head back along the coast to Makaha Beach 5 [map], a famous surf spot known around the world. Look for a lifeguard stand on the ocean side, just past the high-rise condominium Mahaka Shores. This is a great swimming hole and beachcombing location.
Electric Beach
Snorkeling enthusiasts will find yet another swim stop across from the power plant just past Nanakuli. Signs read Kahe Point Beach Park 6 [map] (www.livingoceanscuba.com), but locals call it Electric Beach. If you’ve had enough for one day, but want to see this incredible reef, consider the boat snorkeling and lunch tour. They usually get a visit from the spinner dolphins, too.
Onboard the USS Bowfin
Tim Thompson/Apa Publications
Waikele outlets
The Waikele Premium Outlets 7 [map], located just off the highway to the mountain side from the Waikele exit, have more than 50 outlet stores, including Coach, Off 5th and Barneys New York. If you stop in, find the red-and-white Leonard’s Bakery malasada truck, see 2, next to Old Navy.
Battleship USS Missouri
Tim Thompson/Apa Publications
USS Arizona Memorial
The USS Arizona Memorial 8 [map] (www.nps.gov/valr/index.htm) is Hawai‘i’s biggest attraction – and a somber, educational experience for all. Buy your tickets in advance online to avoid long waits. Expect lots of sun, a quick boat ride in Pearl Harbor, and remember to leave your purse and bags in the car, as they will not be allowed in for security reasons. If time allows, consider checking out the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park (see box).
World War II in Hawai‘i
In December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changed everything in Hawai‘i. The military presence grew greatly as the then territory became the hub for America in the war. Over 1,000 sailors died on the USS Arizona that day, when a series of Japanese torpedoes and aerial bombs sank the battleship in less than 10 minutes. The remains of many are still entombed in the hull visible from the memorial, a somber reminder of the great loss.
Next door to the Arizona visitor center is the privately- owned USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park (www.bowfin.org), home to a genuine diesel-electric World War II submarine. The Bowfin was credited with sinking 44 ships during its nine patrols. The museum traces submarine history from 1914 to the nuclear submarine age.
A shuttle links the USS Bowfin Museum to the Battleship Missouri, docked off Ford Island. It was aboard the Missouri, on September 2, 1945, that General Douglas MacArthur officially accepted the surrender of the Japanese military, signing the armistice that ended World War II.
Food and Drink
1 Makahiki
92-1185 Ali’inui Drive, Kapolei; tel: 808-674 6330; https://resorts.disney.go.com/aulani-hawaii-resort/dining; daily 7–11am and 5–9pm; $$$–$$$$
Aulani’s Makahiki is pricey, but all about the Disney experience. Recommended for breakfast, when characters meet and greet visitors. Food is a very family-friendly buffet. Reservations highly recommended, validated valet parking.
2 Leonard’s Bakery
933 Kapahulu Avenue, Honolulu; tel: 808-737 5591; www.leonardshawaii.com; Sun−Thu 5.30am−10pm, Fri−5.30am−11pm; $
Leonard’s has a traveling truck dishing up delicious malasadas that is almost always located at Waikele Premium Outlets next to Old Navy. If you miss it there, taste these deep-fried, sugar-coated Portuguese doughnuts at Leonard’s Bakery in Waikiki.