Oahu offers the perfect introduction to Hawaii’s charms for first-time visitors

There’s an iconic image that encapsulates Hawaii – you know the one, the red-orange-purple of a sunset sky reflected in the ocean, black palms silhouetted in front, fronds like feathers. It’s printed on everything from postcards to button-front shirts, and so ubiquitous that even though I’ve never been to Hawaii, landing here feels both familiar and far out all at once.

My boyfriend and I stand on our balcony at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, awe-struck and pointing to what will become that very image in an hour or two.

“We’re in Hawaii,” we keep saying to each other, as if we can’t quite believe it.

Then we scrambled into our suits and ran across the street to Kuhio Beach Park for a swim.

Oahu is a great place to start if you, like us, have never been to Hawaii. The most visited – and populated – of the islands, the “Gathering Place” is home to stunning landscapes, the state capital (Honolulu), Pearl Harbor, North Shore and iconic Waikiki Beach, just to name a few.

What I’m saying is: there’s something for everyone here, and we did our best to cover some of it.

Waikiki Beach

With a killer view of Diamond Head State Monument, the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa is a massive, full-service beachfront complex designed for events, families and folks who like to do and be where the action is.

The resort houses multiple shops and restaurants and was recently revitalized to include an impressive outdoor deck featuring two pools, an activities turf, a restaurant, bar and fire pits – all of it overlooking Queens, the most famous surf break on Waikiki.

You can take a hula lesson or a yoga class, grab breakfast, then head across the street for a surf lesson. Bring a bag so you can sample one of several spots along Kalākaua Avenue before hopping a catamaran to snorkel at Turtle Canyon. Make an Island Vintage Shave Ice – lilikoi, boba and mochi, oh, my! – your afternoon delight, then take a sunset painting class.

Kalanianaʻole Highway

A local friend of mine picked us up for a drive on the Kalanianaʻole Highway, so we could marvel at Oahu’s southeast shorelines (wear your suit for a dip at the Halona Blowhole Lookout) before getting out to walk the Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail, bottles of Shaka Tea clutched in our hands.

She told us to steer clear of Sandy’s Beach because of the undertow (we did), and to try Diamond Head Market & Grill (sadly, we did not), and that there were certain places she didn’t want me to write about (too many tourists already). Then she dropped us at the Kaimana Beach Hotel for lunch at the Hau Tree Lanai Restaurant, because this was one place we absolutely had to try, and it was close enough for us to walk back to our hotel.

Sipping an e komo mai – a stellar mocktail made from pineapple, guava, lilikoi, orgeat syrup, lime and iced tea – I marveled not just at the menu, but also the laid-back vibe of the boutique hotel. This place is just right for couples like us, I thought. It’s something we later confirmed by returning for a swim in the calm, uncrowded waters of Kaimana Beach.

We had every intention of wandering Waikiki to gauge the nightlife, but we ended up bearing witness to the wildness from our balcony instead – and even from 30 stories up, we could tell it was going off. Which was good enough for us.

Four Seasons Oahu

Leaving Waikiki for the small community of Ko Olina on the island’s leeward (west) coast meant a very costly 45-minute cab ride (see below for tips), but once we arrived, we could see it was worth it.

The sprawling Four Seasons Resort property is self-contained and lushly landscaped, located between the Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute and Aulani Disney Resort & Spa. Our room had an incredible ocean view, just water and wild coastline for miles. From the patio, we watched white water break over black volcanic rock and – wait! – what is that on the sand? Monk seals, sunning themselves! We wanted to grab a snorkel and go.

But first: food. Namely, ginger and scallion broiled Kona Kampachi (Hawaiian yellowtail) from James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Mina’s Fish House, served al fresco in front of the resort’s man-made lagoon.

The next day, we started lagoon hopping – paddle boarding first, then snorkeling through Lanikuhonua and on to Paradise Cove, where I finally got to swim with the fishes! All about us were striped Moorish idols, skinny trumpetfish and a lone turtle, sticking its head out of the water like a telescope.

Then it was time to sample the Four Seasons activities programming: Inspired by the ancient Polynesian traditions of wayfinding, #FSWAYFINDERS features in-depth workshops, including resin painting with local artisan Christian Bendo and the ancient cultural practice of lauhala weaving with Pi’iali’i Lawson. We lost ourselves for a few hours of wood burning with Christian and then sat for a sound bath with Pi’iali’i, who is also a gifted intuitive healer.

I sipped coffee on our deck the last morning of our stay, staring out at the ocean. “The only thing that would make this better,” I said, “is if we saw whales right now.”

No sooner were the words out of my mouth when the white belly of a breaching humpback whale appeared in the distance.

The Four Seasons promo materials say, “Whatever the perfect vacation looks like to you, we’ve got it here – mai ka la hiki a ka la kau – from sunrise to sunset.” I have to say, I wholeheartedly agree.

We can’t wait to come back.

If you go: Oahu travel tips

• Fly Hawaiian. Based out of Honolulu, rates are affordable and you’ll be immersed in island culture the moment you board.
• Use the Kaptyn car service to get to and from the airport. You can schedule your pick-up and drop-off in a fancy, chauffeur-driven and fully loaded Tesla Y. They’ll monitor the progress of your return flight for any changes, and you won’t have to slog through the shuttle to the rideshare lot.
• Rush hour traffic is insane (surge pricing had Uber clocking in at an astronomical $225 to drive 20 miles), and renting a car can be difficult due to limited availability and high prices. Instead, grab a shuttle service like Go Waikiki Shuttle and Tour to get to and from the airport AND take you on a curated, scenic drive of the island. Want to hike Diamond Head? Grab a cab for shorter excursions – they’re sitting outside the hotel.
• Get your Groupon. Start looking for deals before you leave. You’ll score on hiking tours, snorkeling, surf lessons and more. Before buying, make sure you’ll be able to redeem them during your dates on the island.