Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa Ranch was one of my favorite things we did in Hawaii.  We were able to find a Groupon that made it very affordable.  Their current prices and offerings are on their website: http://www.kualoa.com/.  We chose to do the 1-hr ATV tour, the movie sites tour, the catamaran ride, and Secret Beach.  We loved all of it.  At Secret Beach, they have paddle boards, canoes, hammocks, and pretty much anything else you'd want at a beach.  It had been a dream of mine to sit in a hammock on the beach, so I was pleased.  The movie sites tour was really fun, and I loved how our tour guide snuck a dinosaur into a picture of us with the tree from Jurassic Park.  He was a really fun tour guide.  The catamaran ride was beautiful, and we got to see breathtaking views of Kaneohe Bay.  The ATV tour was fun, and just the right amount of time, because my hands were starting to get tired by the end.  If you get a chance to visit Kualoa Ranch and can fit it in your budget, I highly recommend it.

Sea Life Park

Sea Life Park was one of my favorite things to do when we lived in Hawaii.  It was very close to our house so I could just pop in for the 12:30 Dolphin Cove show thanks to our season passes.  You can see their current hours and prices on their website: http://sealifeparkhawaii.com/.  They have three big shows, each of which are fun.  One is dolphins, one is seals, and one is a mix of several kinds of animals.  My favorite is of course the dolphin show.  They also have displays of many kinds of sea animals and birds.  They offer animal encounters for an extra fee.  I was lucky enough to be spoiled by my husband on our anniversary when he booked me a dolphin adventure.  I had done one at Sea World many years ago, but this one was more fun because you got to get in the water with the dolphins and even take a ride on them.  Of course this park doesn't really compare to Sea World, in both size and in how nice it is, but it makes for a fun day and I really enjoyed it. 

Waikiki Aquarium

The Waikiki Aquarium is located right along the waterfront in Waikiki.  It is walking distance from most hotels.  You can find up-to-date information about their pricing and hours on their website: http://www.waikikiaquarium.org/.  I really enjoyed this aquarium.  It seems to be better kept up than most tourist attractions in Waikiki.  They have seals, corals, and so many kinds of fish and other critters.  I think the aquarium is worth a visit, unless you are one of those people who hate fish, and then I have to wonder what you are doing vacationing at the ocean.

Polynesian Cultural Center

The Polynesian Cultural Center is one of Oahu's biggest attractions, and it's no wonder why.  You can learn a lot about Polynesian history and culture by visiting here, but in a fun way!  There are so many things to do here.  I'd suggest watching as many of the shows for the different islands as you can, and filling in the rest of the time with all of the extra activities they have.  From leaf weaving to cooking, canoeing to dancing, you will never be bored.  After the park closes for the day, they have an optional dinner and night show.  The dinner is nothing special, so don't get too excited about that.  The night show is fun, but the plot doesn't really make sense.  So go if you'd like to see fire dancers and people doing the hula, but don't expect an amazing story to go along with it.  The PCC is definitely a do-not-miss activity!

The night show, Breath of Ha

This is where the cheap dinner is held