Electric Beach

Electric Beach has fantastic snorkeling.  You have to swim out a ways to get to the place where the hot water from the electrical plant nearby lets out.  The fish love the warmer water and flock there, which makes snorkeling really fun.  Electric Beach is just past Ko Olina when you see the electrical power plant on your right and the beach on your left.

 Check out Colette's video of our snorkel at Electric Beach! http://vimeo.com/92032989

Waihe'e Falls

This is a relatively short but very rewarding hike.  It is very similar to Manoa Falls but way less busy.  It is in Kaneohe though, so it's further away from most hotels.  The trail is scenic and the waterfall at the end is tall and beautiful.  It's a great choice if you want to see an impressive waterfall.

Maunawili Falls Hike

This was one of my favorite hikes on the island.  It is about 3 miles round-trip through beautiful jungle, with an amazing waterfall and pool that you can jump into at the end.  This trail can get really muddy at times.  I actually thought it was fun when it was muddy.  You should bring towels with you to leave in the car for the ride home so you don't make a mess of the car.  There is not anywhere to wash off at the end.  If you can only do one hike, consider this one.  It is fun and rewarding, plus if you wear your swimming suit you can jump in the pool.

Ko Olina Lagoons

The Ko Olina Lagoons are beautiful and good for snorkeling year round, thanks to the lagoons being protected from the open ocean.  There are four man-made lagoons that you can choose from.  My favorite is lagoon #2, Honu Lagoon.  The least busy one is probably #4 though, because it is past the hotels.  The lagoons are picture-perfect, with manicured lawns and beautiful palm trees surrounding the beach.  I see turtles here very often.  The water is the perfect depth, not shallow enough that you'll hit your knees and you can actually dive, but not too deep that you can't reach and see the bottom easily.  The Ko Olina Marriott Beach Club is my favorite hotel on the island, so if you get a chance to stay there, you definitely should!

Paradise Cove

Paradise Cove is the natural cove near the Ko Olina Lagoons.  If you drive towards the lagoons and park in the parking lot that says Public Beach Access before you hit the hotels you will be in the right place.  There are a ridiculous number of turtles here.  We found one that we named Stumpy because he was missing his front left flipper.  Poor guy.  This is a fun place to go if you want to somewhat avoid the hotel crowds at the Lagoons.

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