Meet the Kaka family, founders of Oʻahu’s Pearl Harbor Tours, a company that takes visitors to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial, as well as around the island’s popular attractions. With roots in the tour industry, father George Kaka and son Conway Kaka take their mission seriously: sharing a personal island experience with every […]
When I was 9, I almost drowned at Waimea Bay on O‘ahu’s North Shore. My dad, a seasoned waterman, knew there was a swell on the way, but the bay looked flat and picturesque that morning as I floated in the shorebreak on my bodyboard. But from there, things changed fast: A rip current dragged
In November 2018, Hawaiʻi Forest & Trail expanded to Oʻahu, with three tours that did what the Hawaiʻi Island-based tour company did best: connect people to Hawaiʻi’s natural beauty. SEE ALSO: Tour Company Hawaiʻi Forest & Trail Expands to Oʻahu But this year it’s adding one more thing we people love about the Islands: food.
I have a 3-year-old who doesn’t stop moving. Ever. So I’m always searching for activities on Oʻahu—where we live—that will occupy him long enough where I can sit for at least five minutes, maybe even check my Instagram. Here are 11 of our favorites: 1. The Honolulu Zoo, Waikīkī Photo: Catherine Toth Fox Photo: Catherine
My friend and I sit on wooden Adirondack chairs, basking in the sun and talking about the next few days of our Maui getaway. It’s her first time on the Valley Isle and we have a lot planned: Visiting Haleakala, cruising Upcountry, seeing the culturally significant Kukaemoku (Iao Needle). Plus, she has a foodie’s hit
You want to escape the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, celebrate a special occasion with a group of friends or have a date with that special someone. But you don’t want a pricey all-day excursion. A sunset cocktail cruise on the Majestic by Atlantis Cruises may be a solution. At just $89 per person,
At dusk on a cloudless day on the Kohala Coast on the northern tip of Hawaii Island, I pull into a small cove hidden by some houses in the residential neighborhood of Puakp. A couple of local families picnic on the shore, the ocean slowly turning an inky blue as it gently laps against the
It may not be cold outside and most places in the islands will never have a white Christmas, but here in Hawaii, we celebrate Christmas with plenty of cheer. Honolulu’s signature monthlong annual holiday celebration, Honolulu City Lights, is the place to go in December if you’re on Oahu. It’s where you can walk through
Whether you want to spend a morning, afternoon or full day doing something good, these five volunteer opportunities not only help Hawaii but can also enrich your vacation. 1. Clean the coastlines, various islands View this post on Instagram A post shared by Surfrider Oʻahu Chapter (@surfrideroahu) If you’re looking for a beach
It doesn’t matter where I’m visiting—Kenosha, Wisconsin or Kyoto, Japan—I seek out independent bookstores. I love browsing the shelves, running my fingers along tattered spines or finding something unexpected in the not-always-organized rows of books. And you can learn a lot about the place you’re visiting from these locally own shops, too, which often showcase staff
*This story was updated in January 2026. I had never hugged a tree before. But there I was, on a recent Saturday morning at Lyon Arboretum in Mānoa Valley on Oʻahu, doing just that—well, actually, stroking a tree’s weathered trunk and marveling at how tall and straight it was. There was something calming and gratifying
For decades, the North Shore has been the proving ground for surfers to test their mettle in powerful Hawaiian surf as well as their competitive prowess amongst their peers. Competitions only take two to four days—but Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate, so each contest has a built-in waiting period, spanning from four days to two
