The island of Oahu from Hawaii is the kind of place where it seems that you never meet a visitor who has only been there once. Visiting people, they visit again. Oahu has been baked in your travel routines soon.
In the process, those who love it are – a large number, taking into account total air arrivals on the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu reached 5.6 million people in 2023 – are each familiar with a slightly different version of the island. There are people for whom the North Shore and his large Surflunches of Foodtrucks are the draw. Or Waikiki for shopping. Or Pearl Harbor for sober reflections. Or something else completely.
What my family and I repeatedly return for are the walks and the stellar food, for which Honolulu is one of the best cities on earth.
Here are my four favorite combinations.
Ka’iwa Ridge and Bozu Japanese Restaurant
The Ka’iwa Ridge rises above the Wailea district of Kailua, on the east coast of Oahu. You can find the Trailhead on Kaelepulu Drive opposite the Mid-Pacific Country Club. It is not a long walk. You have to reach the top and return within an hour. And the height change is moderate. But it is steep and smooth in places, so you can notice that you use the gave ropes.
Along the way you rank on the lip of the ridge line, you get a higher and higher view of Lanikai Beach and the Mokulua Islands. At the end of your climb you come to two colorful graffitied pill boxes from the Second World War on which social media influencers can be set for selfies. Ignore them. Let the cleansing morning sun and sea breeze be your reward.
Or maybe the meal will be later that day. Bring you to Bozu Japanese Restaurant In the modest McCully Shopping Center Strip Mall just north of the Ala Wai channel in Waikiki. With all the typical shouts and crash from a busy Izakaya, Bozu serves everything from Yakitori to Sushi to noodles. But you can’t go wrong with the weekly specials. We ate Briny Whelk and Ark Clam Sashimi, crispy chicken skin with ponzu, monk fish liver, pork jover and beef tongue of the Amiyaki-Grill, plus two of the best Tsukune chop balls that my own Tsukune-meatball player has ever eaten. (About $ 70 for two for a very complete lunch.)
Makapu’u lighthouse and mud chicken water
We walked to the Makapu’u Lighthouse The next day. It is easier than Ka’iwa Ridge, although it will probably take twice as long and you will climb a little higher. But the path is wide and hardened. You see people pushing children in prams and others in golf carts. The path winds from the parking lot near the Kalanianaole Highway on and around the rocky southeastern tip of Oahu to where the Makapu’u is found. The lighthouse is located on the rocks below and apparently has the largest lens of every lighthouse in the United States. Here the sea is deep cobalt blue and it will be worth the climb to have the final sensation of that country, the entire Pacific Ocean that seems to scroll outside for you and over the lip of the horizon.
The dinner along Waialae Avenue is just west on the north side of the H-1 highway that hits Honolulu. This neighborhood has a number of food destinations that you do not want to miss, including brunch at the KOTOHEAD CAFE and the Pipeline bakeshopWhere you can try Malasadas (a Portuguese donut that is hugely popular in Hawaii) and their small glazed ‘cake bombs’. We went to Mud Hen Water That evening, a typical New Age Aloha species, with Korean, Japanese, European and local flavors all mixed. Don’t allow yourself from the table before you try the shatteringly fresh fried Ulu (bread fruits), the Lu’au stuffed porchetta and the chicken long rice croquettes with Japanese curry (about $ 90 for two).
‘Aiea Loop and the Liliha Bakery
If you save the intensity, you can try the ‘Aiea -Lus next. At the very top ‘Aiea heights, the loop is part of the Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area. The path itself is considered moderately hard, with a narrow track that rises and falls, where the ridge line above Halawa Valley is traced. This walk takes you deep into the lush vegetation of the central Oahu Highlands, where the screaming of birds in the brush and the wind will contribute to the feeling that you are far from city life through the long grasses. Where the thick tree valve briefly breaks, viewpoints and photo -a beautiful view of Oahu’s South Shore.
The full loop takes about three hours, with about twice the height of Makapu’u Lighthouse or the Lanikai Pillbox walk. Depending on when you go, there can be much less foot traffic than the other two. Don’t forget water. Consider hiking shoes. And keep this walk for a dry day, since parts of the loop trail bring you high above jungle orgores and the track can be slippery.
After that you can feel that you are closer to a “real” version of Oahu than possible in the city. This is a tourist feeling, but you can allow it under the circumstances. A great restaurant that matches your temporary local status would be the lunch desk Liliha Bakery. The famous place was opened in 1950 and seems to have changed very little since then. The Coco Puffs and Poi Mochi Donuts are the stuff of Honolulu legend. The savory menu is just as good: Aloha dinner food at the top of the quality scale. There is the full slate dinner breakfast, but with sides of spam and teriyaki chicken sticks. Then there is oxtail soup, Saimin -Noodels, beef curry in Japanese style, plus a loco moco plate – a hamburger in rice with gravy and a baked egg – that I would personally fly long distances to eat (less than $ 20 per person for lunch).
Kuli’ou’ou Ridge, Maguro Brothers and Fujiya Hawaii
If you turn up your game Kuli’ou’ou Ridge. This walk is moderate to difficult. Four hours is probably a good time to budget. Expect to climb over 1,640 feet, which is about the equivalent of around 200 stairs.
Follow Kuli’ou’ou Road all the way to Kalaau Place, at the top of which you will find the well -marked trailhead. From the top of the valley you can walk a steep switch path that will eventually take you to the top of the Koolau -Nok and then lead to the Kouli’ou’ou -top. This is a popular walk, and under the more difficult ones. So there will be many friendly people to compare notes with your progress, including those who come down who can report on how much climbing awaits us.
Kuli’ou’ou Ridge is a beautiful trail for the diversity of the natural life it reveals. As you climb the first turnout, you go through Haole Koa and Guava stands, but at a certain height they will make way for Ironwood and Pines. Part of the switch section of the path is rocky, but by the time you reach about 1000 feet, where the pines start, there will be a thick, soft bed of needles on the path, give the sound and contribute to a feeling of peaceful removal.
As soon as you reach the ridge line, put the route straight and then go to the Kali’ou’ou -top. There is a picnic resting place here. You will thank yourself for taking a protein bar. The path rises from here along a steep staircase. It only concerns a kilometer to the top; The last push takes you to one of the best Outlook points on the island. Waimanalo and the Mokulua islands are in the north. And all the way to the southwest you will have a great view of the Koko head crater.
Maybe after this you are just hungry enough to want something right away. So here are two essential Honolulu food hits that combine to make a great lunch. Go to the Maunakea Marketplace in Chinatown, close to Maunakea Street between the Streets Hotel and Pauahi. Stand in every line needed to pick up a heaps of poke rice bowl Maguro Brothers. They serve Maguro (the valued bluefin tuna) fresh daily and in a series of flavorings: Shoyu and onion, wasabi and avocado. They also serve other new options, including Madako Octopus with Limu Zeewier and Kingzalm with spicy Mayo (lunch from $ 13 to $ 16 per person). For dessert, invest the time to cross the city (a 20-minute ride to the east on King Street) to taste a brilliant Mochi selection at Fujiya Hawaii. These sweetened adhesive rice waffles are filled with fruit and fillings and sprinkled in the sugar of pastry bakers. A refreshing treat on a warm day, directly from the Fujiya fryers ($ 10 to $ 12 for half a dozen Mochi). And this is also useful to buy your Japanese rice crackers from Senbei to take home as a gift.
After that, at least an almost perfect Oahu day is complete for me. Until tomorrow that is. Or my next visit.
Timothy Taylor is a travel and food writer in Vancouver. His newest book is the novel “The Rise and Fall of Magic Wolf.”
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