Oahu: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

DDariamiata_breath · Oct 31, 2009Read

It was nearing lunchtime, so for the umpteenth time, we stopped at McDonald's, where we decided to go see the rock with a hole in it—the historical name of which no one remembered. Now I know it's Laie Point. Our next stop was one of the beaches on the North Shore (the northern coast of Oahu island), where there's a great fifteen-meter cliff you're supposed to jump off. I didn't jump, but I watched :)))) On the North Shore (that's exactly how it's pronounced as one word), we swam a lot, and the guys even went snorkeling (though, in my opinion, there's nothing interesting there in that regard). Then we played under the shower and drove on. We drove for a long time in a direction unknown to me (most likely circling the island from the west side) until beautiful yellow fields appeared. It turned out to be the world's largest Dole pineapple plantations. Did you know that 80% of pineapples are grown in Hawaii?? That's why we decided we couldn't leave without them and sent Sashka to steal some "from the patch." While he was choosing, I took photos with a rainbow, which is officially the symbol of the Aloha State. It's no wonder Hawaii is also called the "over the rainbow" state. Our final stop was the remote Ewa Beach, where we watched the sunset and ate pineapples. That's how one of the brightest days of my 2.5 months in Hawaii ended. At night, we returned to one of the beaches, lounged on the sand, and walked along the shore, but no one took photos of that.... ;)

DDariamiata_breath · Oct 31, 2009Read

There is less than a week left before my departure, and I still don't have any decent photos. And I live on one of the most beautiful islands in the world... The guys and I decided to fix that - this morning Denis and Anya grabbed a car, and the eight of us set off to drive around the whole island. It all started with us arriving at Koko Head Park, which is named after the volcano you can see behind us. Without stopping at Hanauma Bay (a lagoon formed by another volcano, where various beautiful fish and giant Galapagos turtles now live), we moved on. The lava flows of the Koko volcano formed folds that look so picturesque today that the TV series Lost and the movie Pearl Harbor were filmed there. We climbed around there for about half an hour until we reached a giant "natural" pier that stretches into the ocean. Next, we drove past several beautiful beaches with white sand, turquoise ocean, and blue sky - just like in the movies)))) To be honest, after 2 months you get used to this scenery =) But it's one thing to be on the beaches of Waikiki, where Japanese tourists sunbathe side by side like seals... and quite another to be on the long, deserted sandy beaches of the East Shore (the eastern part of Oahu).

DDariamiata_breath · Oct 27, 2009Read

Aloha is the first thing everyone hears when arriving in Hawaii. A mix of eternal positivity, sunshine, and traditional hospitality. I lived in a more urbanized part of the archipelago, which many locals complained about. On the island of Kauai, it's normal to drive while smoking a joint, playing the guitar, with your heel out the window and steering with just one knee. On our Oahu, it was harder to encounter that, but still possible, as Hawaiians are impulsive people and, as they say, wear their hearts on their sleeves. I had wanted to visit a Hawaiian art gallery for a long time, and on August 3rd, Ulyana and I finally made it there. The impressions, again, were the most positive. Also, Hawaiians have their own language, so here I will provide some sayings that can be used as comments for the paintings... I would have gladly bought them all, but they cost much more than I could afford))) A good surfer will not get wet. True enough =) In the end...we will take care of only what we love; We will love only what we understand; We will understand only what we are taught. Love is like fog -- there is no mountain on which it does not rest. And they also have their own music that warms the soul)) it is played on a simple little guitar, the Ukulele. Hawaii is an ideal place for downshifters. Here you forget about everything. We often thought about the fact that we were on a small piece of land in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, thousands of kilometers from our country, from the main continents. And all around is just water-water-water =)

DDariamiata_breath · Oct 25, 2009Read

Actually, yes... This summer I'm flying to Honolulu to work for 2 months. And then to relax. For those who don't know, Honolulu is the main city of the state of Hawaii, USA. I'll be flying there with 7 layovers, the total flight time will be about 23 hours, with layovers - 46 hours. But it's worth it! Some people go to the Black Sea, some stretch their legs on a Turkish beach, some are gathering dust in Moscow... but I'm working hard in Hawaii))) just a wonderful start =) Why do people choose a summer like this?? Probably because it's a chance to prove to themselves and others that they can survive in extreme conditions, earn money starting from scratch, and just want to have a great time. My flight is in exactly 16 days, I have one backpack as carry-on, and 3 exams ahead. It wasn't all that simple. Ironically, the TV series LOST was filmed on the beaches of the Hawaiian archipelago, mostly on the island of Oahu, where I'm heading in 11 days. The irony is that it seems my whole trip will be under the motto "staying alive". This is because, firstly, I still don't have a ticket from New York to Honolulu (the capital of Hawaii). It's not there because of the managers of my Moscow agency, who are now facing big questions. Secondly, it turned out today that I don't have a job offer either. A job offer is a written invitation from an employer, which is practically a 100% guarantee that upon arrival I will have a place to live and a place to earn money. During the confrontation with the CEO about my tickets, it turned out that I was given an invalid (or rather expired) job offer. So now no one is waiting for me. That is, there was a job, but due to the late flight and all sorts of mishaps, there is a 90% probability that I will be turned away. For the last few months, I've been obsessed with Hawaii. In principle, of course, one could postpone everything or go to Texas to mop floors (that's the vacancy that always remains available =), but can you really refuse this???? Buying tickets. Having lost faith that the manager would buy me tickets to Honolulu (for which, by the way, I handed over the money), I took this matter into my own hands. Considering that there were less than two weeks left before the flight, finding a balance between price and convenience turned out to be very difficult. Student flights are the most convenient in the world and cost less than all the others. Today I booked a flight to Honolulu (from New York), but the confirmation hasn't arrived yet, so it's too early to rejoice. My route is funny (telling from Moscow). Moscow --> London --> Chicago --> New York; --> another airport in New York --> Chicago again --> Kahului (I have no idea what that is)))) --> Kahului Kona --> Honolulu. So I have the opportunity to lose my luggage 9 times))) Therefore, I have one backpack with me, which includes 1. My favorite shoes; 2. My 2 favorite t-shirts; 3. Underwear and all sorts of little things; 4. Medicines. + everything I'm wearing))) For reference, there are a lot of flight booking sites that I tried to use. Here is the top 3. 1. Studentuniverse.com - my absolute favorite. Its only problem is that about a day after booking, they send you an email saying everything is canceled. The reasons are different and among them are a canceled flight, all tickets are sold out, or they don't like my credit card. In the end, I gave up on it. 2. Kayak.com - the most convenient interface, it was easiest for me to search through it, and in general, it is famous for its cheapness. But there was nothing suitable for my destination there. 3. Expedia.com - became my last hope. That's where I'm waiting for confirmation now that my ticket will be fine. )) There, today they also promised me a free breakfast at the Hard Rock Cafe upon arrival)) by the way, I plan to start looking for a job from there too)))). More on that next time =) ATTENTION ! After you find the cheapest and most convenient ticket for you on any of these sites, open the airline