The salty air and cool, ocean breeze shower your senses as the palm trees protect you from the rays of the sun. Sand delicately cradles your body as you look around and take in everything this beautiful island has to offer. However, frequently going to the beach on a trip to Hawaii may get repetitive and the search for something new will begin. One may wonder though, "What exactly are the best things to do besides the beach?" Here are my top five must-visit attractions if you take a trip to Honolulu:
1. Macadamia Nut Farm
The amazing Macadamia Nut Farm located near the North shore of Waikiki is truly an amazing experience. Once you arrive, you get the opportunity to crack a raw macadamia nut straight out of its shell to eat. The flavor has a light salty and sweet combination that sits amazingly well on the taste buds. After that awesome experience, you are then able to sample many of the various flavors of macadamia they offer at this farm. With great options from caramel glaze to honey roasted and cinnamon, you can't go wrong.
2. Dole Pineapple Factory
The Dole Pineapple Factory is not as interactive as the Macadamia Farm, but it's a wonderful experience all its own. Learning the history of the company and its founder James Dole is truly interesting. For example, there was a point in time where the Dole Company was providing 75% of the world's pineapple supply! It was fascinating to learn this when I went because I had never known the percentage was that high. In addition to the eye-opening history, the factory offers a special pineapple ice cream that will have you in pineapple bliss.
3. Diamondhead Luau
A luau is one of those events that is considered a "must-do" for many people visiting Hawaii, but the Diamondhead is truly a fantastic first luau for a person to experience. The Diamondhead Luau is located near the beautiful Waikiki beach and its beautiful ocean was a backdrop for this event. It starts off with many interactive events such as Lei making and creating headbands out of reeds. After about 20-30 minutes of these activities they serve dinner. The food is great and trying the unique purple sweet potato and other native Hawaiian dishes is a nice treat. Then the luau ends with a magnificent show, which I won’t go into too much detail about but it is truly a spectacular event to witness.
4. Snorkeling with Sea Turtles
Getting the opportunity to snorkel with the magnificent sea turtles was everything I could have hoped for and more. Just being able to see them up close was amazing because they are fascinating creatures with personalities and they are completely comfortable with people, which made the experience that much better. Due to some conservation laws passed in Hawaii to protect the turtles, people are not allowed to touch them as our hands contain bacteria that can kill the turtles. However, just being able to swim next to them and appreciate their beauty will leave one in awe and is something I will not forget.
5. USS Arizona Memorial
Lastly, the USS Arizona Memorial located at Pearl Harbor was both a humbling and interesting experience for me. It was humbling because being in the same place where so many soldiers lost their lives greatly opened my eyes to the risk that our nation's soldiers face each day. I will be forever grateful to those who put their lives on the line to keep our nation safe.
You are also able to see all the inner workings of the ships and learn the roles each person had while on duty, and learn about how astonishing the planning the Japanese army created for this attack. I was taken back by how intense the dispute was between the U.S. and Japan.
Hawaii is everything the way many people describe it; this gorgeous island has so much to explore and so many wonderful sights to see. The people are so kind and it is extremely hard to be unhappy in such a beautiful place.
