Every year humpback whales make the journey to the Hawaiian islands for the warm water and food. People from out of state and the locals go to the islands of Maui and the east side of Oahu to see these amazing creatures. Well if you want to see these whales you need to get to Hawaii soon as they will soon be leaving. Every year when the whales are here I try to go see the whales because they really are an amazing site. This year I went down to the east side of Oahu and was able to see a mother and calf swimming together. They didn’t jump out of the water like you see in videos but they did breach quite a few times. If you have never seen a humpback whale in the wild you need to come down to Hawaii to see them. They are endangered animals but hopefully they will continue to increase so futre generations can enjoy these beautiful animals. Below is a video someone took of some humpback whales. If you want to see them up close there are boat tours that take you out and can get you really close to them.
Oahu Activity – Germaines Luau
This past weekend I drove out to Ko’ Olina on the island of Oahu to check out Germaines Luau. Ko’ Olina is on the west side of the island and is now home to Disney’s new resort which just opened last year. It is really a beautiful place and if you are looking to travel to Hawaii and avoid the city life, this is a great place to stay. One of the best things to do out there is checking out Germaines Luau which has been around for many of years. It is a very authentic Hawaiian luau with dancing, music and great food. One of the highlights of the luau is when they take the pig they cooked in the ground out. It is really and when you taste the pig it makes you want to cook all your meals in the ground. Not only are they known for great food but also for great entrainment. They have hula and fire dancers with great music. If you are planning to visit Oahu and are looking for something to do I highly recommend checking it out. If you are staying in Waikiki you can expect at least a hour drive to get here so make sure you prepare for that. Below is a video someone else took of the luau so you can see how great it is.
North Shore Waves
The last couple of weekends the waves on the North Shore of Oahu have been pretty epic. There were reports that the waves were to get between 20 to 25 feet which are pretty big. This time of the year the North Shore gets a lot of big waves and a lot of people go to check them out which causes some pretty major traffic jams. Here is a video of some of the waves from the North Shore. As you can see for yourself these are some pretty big waves.
Hawaii Shark Tours
I recently was visiting the North Shore on the island of Oahu and at the harbor I noticed a bunch of people standing around a boat. I thought it was maybe some sort of cruise but when I got closer to the boat I saw a very big cage attached to the end of the boat and realized it was a shark tour. In Hawaii there has been a lot of controversy around these shark tours because people don’t want them to take place. Me personally I think it sounds like a pretty cool activity. My wife wants to go but unfortunately I haven’t gotten the courage yet to go through with it. These sharks are no joke and there have actually been some sightings of Great White Sharks and you’ve all seen the movie Jaws and know how this story ends. Below is a video of some people on the shark tour and to be quite honest it does look like fun and an activity a lot of people are trying out.
Kualoa Ranch
One of my favorite places to visit on the island of Oahu is Kualoa Ranch. If you are staying in Waikiki, Kualoa Ranch is about a 45 minute drive and is close to the North Shore. When you hear the word ranch most people think of horses and cow, well you are half right. Kualoa Ranch offers horse back riding but it’s not your average horseback ride. They walk you along the ridge and the views are majestic. You get great views of the mountains as well as the ocean. I recently went on this horseback ride and have to admit it is well worth it. (BTW if you are afraid of horses you don’t need to worry as these are some of the most calm horses I’ve ever been around) If you are not into horseback riding they also have ATV’s. They are a lot of fun and once again you get great views of the ocean and mountains. Another cool thing you can do at the Kualoa Ranch is the movie ride. This is a guided tour of the ranch where they show you where scene’s from famous movies and TV shows were shot. Just some examples are Lost, Jurassic Park, Soul Surfer and many more. Kualoa Ranch is famous for having movies and TV shows shot there for its views and secludedness. If you are planning to visit the island of Oahu I highly recommend checking it out as it is a great place for the entire family.
Hawaii Activity Spotlight: Polynesia Cultural Center
One of the most popular places to visit on the island of Oahu is the Polynesia Cultural Center. Located near the north side of the island, it is a great place to learn more about Hawaii’s culture. If you are staying in Waikiki it can take up to one hour to get here but once you get there it is well worth it. They are open during the early part of the day where you can do different types of activities that help you learn more about the Hawaiian culture. At night they have a luau with all the fixings from hula dancers to the local food. Recently they just added a night show that is one the same level as a show in Vegas called Ha. If you are in Hawaii and have the time I highly recommend checking out Polynesia Cultural Center. Below is a video so you can get a feel of what it is like there.
Hanauma Bay Snorkeling
One of the top activities on the island of Oahu is heading to the east side and checking out Hanauma Bay. This bay is famous for snorkeling due to the fact that there are so many exotic fish right at your finger tips. I went there this past weekend and once again had a blast. One of my favorite things to do is snorkel and the fact that I don’t have to chase the fish and instead the fish come to me makes Hanauma Bay one of my favorite places to visit. Here is a video someone took snorkeling at Hanauma Bay.
Hawaii Winter Activities
With it being Thanksgiving this week and Christmas just around the corner it can only mean one thing, Winter is upon us. The Winter season is one of Hawaii’s most busiest for travel as everyone tries to get away from the snow and get to our beaches. During the Winter time Hawaii does offer some great activities that you and your family can enjoy while visiting. One must do if you come to the island of Oahu is visit the North Shore. During the Winter time the waves are at it’s largest and it is quite amazing how big they get. I highly recommend you not going in the water unless you are an expert as it can get extremely dangerous and people have lost their lives out there. Another great Winter activity is to do some hiking. The days during the winter are a lot cooler and don’t have as much humidity so it’s easier to go hiking. One place that you have to check out is Diamond Head. The hike usually takes about one hour to complete and at times can be very steep but if you’re able to it is well worth it. When you get to the top of Diamond Head the views are amazing. You can see all of Waikiki as well as other parts of Oahu. For more activities you can try out this Winter if you are planning a trip to Hawaii, check out our site for more ideas and info.
Hawaii Actvities APEC Confernce Members Did
So as we’ve talked about already, this past weekend was the APEC conference which had President Obama, the Russian President, the Chinese President and a lot of other world leaders who came to Hawaii to discuss a lot of different topics. A lot of my friends from the mainland were wondering if any of the attendees got a chance to experience Hawaii and do some of the activities we have to offer. While there schedules were kept very hush hush for security reasons and due to the fact they were here to work and hopefully get some things accomplished they didn’t get to do much. However, Obama, who was raised in Hawaii, did make sure they experienced a little bit of the Hawaiian culture. One night after the meetings he hosted a luau at the Hale Koa Hotel in Waikiki. Obama made sure to keep it authentic with great Hawaiian food and entertainment. He had hula dancers, fire dancers and local singers all performing. They did have some video from this luau and it looked like all the world leaders were having a blast. The Hale Koa Hotel usually doesn’t throw luau’s unless it’s for a special occasion but the next time you’re in Hawaii I recommend checking out some of the other places that have luaus so you to can experience the Hawaiian culture with great food and entertainment.
APEC Conference in Hawaii
The next week or so in Hawaii is going to be a really crazy time due to the APEC conference. A lot of the world leaders, including Obama, and other powerful people will all be converging to the island of Oahu for a huge convention filled with meetings of the global economy and other topics will basically shut down most of Waikiki. Due to security reasons a lot of the parks on Oahu, most of Waikiki and some of Ko Olina will be closed off for the conference. A lot of the residents in Hawaii are pretty upset due to the inconvenience and if you have a trip planned to Hawaii in the next couple of weeks expect some delays. Another thing that you can expect from the APEC conference are a lot of protesters. They’ve been having some meetings already at the University of Hawaii and each meeting has had a protest. If you’re coming to Hawaii I highly recommend coming up with a plan to avoid any problem areas so you can fully enjoy your trip to Hawaii.
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