Eastside & Westside, O'ahu

The east side of O’ahu is quite possibly my favorite areas of Hawai’i.  Of course, I have a inclination toward my love for the windward side since I was born and raised in Kailua, but nevertheless anyone can agree that it is a beautiful place.  Spanning from Waimanalo to Ka’a’awa, the windward side boasts peaceful beaches, endless hiking trails in the Ko’olaupoko mountains, refreshingly frequent rain, and most importantly, an escape from the hustle of the city.  

The west side of Oahu is, in a way, quite similar to the east side of O'ahu. The farther west you travel from Honolulu, you will notice smaller buildings and taller mountains, less big businesses and more mom & pop stores, less tourists and more locals... you get the idea. In terms of weather, the leeward side of the island is a little hotter and drier but it is a pretty good trade for the most amazing sunset on some of the most gorgeous and isolated beaches.

Here are some photos of our some of our favorite east side-west side destinations:


Makapu'u Beach

I love the cliffs surrounding this beach. They provide great hiking trails, like Makapu'u Lighthouse trail which leads to one of my favorite views of the east side, as well as a popular take off point for parachuters and hang-gliders.  

Makapu'u is also the most popular beach for body surfing on the east side.

Lanikai Pillboxes

Although the Lanikai neighborhood and the Pillbox hike is usually crowded, its a great hike for kids and dogs, so we always make a trip to the top. I think I've done this hike about 20 times...

The Mokulua Islands (also known as the Twin Islands) serve as an icon for Kailua. Although we didn't do the hike at sunrise, you should know that the sunrise from Lanikai Beach over the twin islands is breathtaking.  

Pokai Bay

We had an all day get together at Pokai with some of our closest friends to celebrate our return home and Macs birthday.  

Like I said, the sunsets on the west side are like no other. And to be honest this sunset was just average... so you can imagine the sunset on a perfect day.

Yokohama Bay

This beach is the furthest west beach accessible. Although it's a really far drive, it's worth the gas for the high number of shells and the low number of people.

So there you have it. Oahu from east to west, sunrise to sunset, coast to coast. Driving all the way to the opposite end of the island tends to makes me tear up a little when I see the price of gas in Hawai'i, but in the end it is always worth it!