The south shore of Hawaii extends from Kalihi/Chinatown on the mid-south side of the island through Honolulu and Waikiki to Hawaii Kai on the south-eastern tip (I’m not sure that these are “official” lines in the sand (ha!), but this is generally the section people are talking about when they say “south shore”). This is the area of the island that has the most people and tourists, but there are so many gems too. Alternatively, if you are staying on the south shore, make sure you get OUT and experience the other sides of the island! Below is an overview of some south shore hot spots as you move west to east.
Chinatown – I have a soft spot for seedy Chinatown because it’s where I spent the most time falling in love with Hawaii from my tiny apartment with our hand-me-down furniture and sliver of ocean view. There are a bunch of great places to eat in Chinatown, simple produce markets, the block parties for big holidays are wild, it’s the best area to get flowers/leis, it hosts weekly “First Friday” art walks and events, and it’s home to my husband’s all-time favorite bar with his all-time favorite bartenders: Murphy’s (Irish bar with shuffleboard and a big St. Patty’s celebration…fun place, but for some reason my friends were uber obsessed. I prefer a Waikiki beach bar with an ocean view and overpriced drinks any day of the week!).
A little outside of Chinatown are a few delicious places to eat that you should definitely check out. The first is called La Mariana and is it is one of the last true tiki bars / restaurants. It is in such a random industrial part of town, you will second guess where you are going about 10 times, but you will be AMAZED when you walk in. The next gem is Nico’s. Again, this will look like it is in the randomest place, but it’s actually on a beautiful harbor and their poke is 100% – some of the freshest on the island. Mitch’s is a very small but very famous (kinda secret?) sushi place for legit nigiri (get outta here, rolls!). Liliha Bakery is famous for the best cream puffs (try the green tea ones!) but their breakfasts and pancakes are pretty bomb too. These are all places a bit off the normal tourist path, which makes them doubly delicious IMO.
Honolulu – Most tourists don’t spend much time in actual Honolulu – this is where most locals work. But there are some incredibly gorgeous areas here. Iolani Palace is beautiful to walk around and they offer tours for history buffs out there. HiSAM (Hawaii State Art Museum) and Foster Botanical Garden are two spots that offer a lush oasis amidst the big city. Aloha Tower has some restaurants right on the water (but was also recently converted to the HPU campus, so I’m not sure what still exists there). For a sweet sunset spot high above Honolulu, drive up to Tantalus and bring a bottle of wine – it feels like you can see the whole island. I think it’s getting more popular now, which is a bummer, because we used to be the only people there. Check it out on a Friday to get a cool view of Waikiki’s fireworks.
Kaka’ako – Kaka’ako is soooo cool. Way cooler than I was when I lived in Hawaii. When I left, it was just becoming developed and now it is booming with new places to eat, drink, live, etc. I don’t have a lot to report here since everything is new. Lemme know. I remember there were a couple of new breweries around this area that were pretty fun. Kaka’ako Waterfront Park was one of my other favorite places to run and catch a sunrise or to see a concert. Very local, sometimes lots of homeless, but zero tourists, so a win in my book.
WARD – Ward is another area undergoing major transitions. This is where the main movie theater is located (which used to have an amazing rooftop view and taco night – random, I know). This area also has great free “yoga in the park” each week. My other favorite place in the Ward area is called Paina Cafe – I loooooooooove their poke bowls! It isn’t scenic and it’s in a strip-mall type area, but they are the BEST bowls. There is another Paina Cafe in Koko Head Marina too (see below). Get the “paina bowl” (“paina” means “party”) with spicy ahi. Apparently Paina Cafe is the originator of the poke bowl – I believe it.
Ala Moana – The main draw in this area is the HUGE open air mall, which people love for shopping and food. It’s also across from Ala Moana Beach Park, which is one of my favorite local spots to run and to watch sunset. It’s a very local beach and a very central place for events, sports, etc. Don’t go there for the beach alone or you’ll be disappointed, but check it out for a free yoga class, a run, or just to watch all the bridal photo shoots (I think I once saw 20 during a run). The Modern is a fancy hotel in this area that has a really fun lobby bar, dance area, pool deck, and delicious restaurants. I still dream of their frozen cucumber mojitos….
Waikiki – Waikiki is SUPER touristy and SUPER crowded, but it’s fun – and a must do – to spend some time here. During the day, this area is famous for its iconic beach, shopping (if you are into that – some tourists fly over from Japan just to shop for a day!), as well as surfing. It’s one of the best – if not THE best – places to learn to surf…no coral underfoot to fall on and gentle rolling waves. There are tons of “beach boy” stands where you can get a lesson or rent a board / paddle board. The hotels along Waikiki are outstanding, and if you are lucky enough to stay there (or happen to have acquired a set of their beach towels…), you can spend the day at one of their amazing infinity pools.
People hate on Waikiki because it’s so crowded / expensive, but it is quite beautiful and whoever planned the city is a genius, because it really seems to always be sunny if the rest of the island is cloudy. My personal favorite time of the day to spend in Waikiki is during happy hour / sunset. The tiki lights come on and there are so many beautiful places to grab a drink and food. There’s also free hula and movies on the beach at certain times of the week – check it out!
My favorite places to eat / drink on the main strip (Kalakaua Avenue) are:
- Duke’s (It is touristy but i love it so much. Tiki lights, fish tacos, and fruity drinks right on the beach. Don’t go into the full dining room – the views aren’t as good and the food is more fancy. Sit on the patio (put you name in down there – most people don’t know about this) or sit around the bar area where seating is first-come-first-served. Check it out on Sunday Funday for quite the spectacle. And get the blackened fish tacos!)
- Doraku Sushi (get the white dragon roll!)
- Rumfire (my favorite sunset spot…go for happy hour for better value or late night for a dance party)
- Arnolds (tiki dive bar, kinda has a cult following)
- Yard House (yes, a chain, but their chicken tortilla soup is what dreams are made of)
- Moana Surfrider (gorgeous hotel on the beach and they have the most famous mai tai…for $18! – yikes! But it is delicious)
- House Without a Key (beautiful hula and music nightly)
- Hale Koa (the military hotel with a good beach bar – one of the cheaper options)
- Roy’s (good for a fancy dinner, famous for molten chocolate lava cake)
- Lulu’s (fun tiki theme overlooking the ocean; has shuffleboard so always a win in my book)
- Hula Grill (had a pretty bomb brunch and bottomless drinks back in the day)
- Sky Waikiki (my favorite rooftop bar with insane views)
- Sansei Sushi (has karaoke and good sushi deals if you don’t mind eating late)
- Honestly, all of the bars along the water have sick views and overpriced drinks, but that just seems part of the deal.
- And there are probably a million more new places. You really can’t go wrong. Except for eating at Cheesecake Factory. Why is there always an insane line here?! I’m not even going to link it for you.
One of my FAVORITE things to do in Waikiki is to go on a booze cruise. It is seriously the best deal you can get. $30, all you can drink, and awesome views. I would pay $30 for the boat ride alone…the booze is a bonus. My favorite is the Na Hoku (big red and yellow striped one) – choose their last cruise for sweet sunset views (and sometimes whales/dolphins!).
Another idea: check out the Friday night fireworks. The Hilton Hawaiian Village puts on a fireworks show every Friday night and it’s bigger than a lot of people’s 4th of July celebrations. Go watch it on the beach. It’s touristy, but also kinda magical.
For a random and fun night out on the town, rent one of the private karaoke rooms with friends (and bottle service!) for a fun time. There are a ton of bars to try in Waikiki (some shadier than others) – too many to list. I’m sure you’ll find your own spot.
KAIMUKI – Right outside of Waikiki on Waialae Ave are a bunch of other places to eat. Uncle Bo’s is not scenic like the places on Kalakua Ave, but the food is delicious. Leonards is a must-stop for malasadas. There are a bunch of places you can get a traditional Hawaiian plate lunch around here, but honestly you’ll have more delicious local food from more non-tourist places like Sugoi’s, Helena’s, Young’s Fish Market, and Highway Inn. There are so many other good places to eat in Kaimuki – check out google / yelp for a ton of ideas.
DIAMOND HEAD – Hiking Diamond Head is probably one of the most touristy things you can do in Hawaii, but I love it so much. There are a million (sloooooow) tourists to navigate around, so take it in stride. I hesitate to call this a “hike” as it’s a paved path. But you’ll still sweat a little bit. When you emerge from the first big tunnel, go around to the left if the line up the stairs to the right is insane. When you are done, check out the farmer’s market at Kapiolani Community College right across the street on Saturday morning for some delicious things to eat and $5 red ginger bouquets. Also, my two favorite acai bowl places are right near here and right next door to one another – Bogarts and Da Cove Health Bar. Try them both. My friends and I still have debates about who makes the better bowl (I am team Bogarts, FTW).
Manoa – this is where the University of Hawaii is. It’s a gorgeous place to live but it always felt like it was cloudy / rainy to me. Lots of food options. Their famous hike is Manoa Falls but I can give you about 10 other waterfall hikes that are better. Lots of people do this one because it’s close in to the city and easy to get to, but it’s just a trickle of water. Hawaii has much, much better.
Hawaii Kai – Koko Marina has a few great food options. Kona Brewing Company has delicious food, sweet harbor views, and you can get an “almond joy” where they mix their Coconut Porter with their Bikini Blonde – trust me, it’s delightful (and it’s not on the menu so you gotta ask for it). Island View Coffehouse has acai bowls with an incredible view. Kokonuts is a famous shave ice place, Teddy’s Bigger Burgers is a yummy Hawaiian burger chain, and Greek Marina Restaurant is another solid option. Haunama Bay is super touristy but you should go just once to snorkel…and it’s now based on reservation so it is MUCH less crowded than it used to be! The blow hole is overrated (I repeat: DO NOT GO) and full of tour buses, the “from here to eternity” beach is ok…kinda eh compared to all the other amazing beaches but I guess you gotta try it once, and Sandy Beach is body-boarding paradise (but I know a bunch of people who’ve broken bones here too, so it’s legit).
There are a TON of hikes that you access from the south of the island that give you insane views of the entire south and east sides of the island. However, my favorite hike in the whole world is located right at the south eastern tip of the island and it’s called Koko Head. I guess it’s more of a workout than a hike. Many locals climb Koko Head as their daily exercise – it is an old railroad track that goes straight up to the top of a mountain. It only takes about 20 minutes (if you are going for speed; could be an hour taking your time) and you will SWEAT, but you cannot beat that view. I love to do it for sunrise or sunset. Look out for the old man who does it 3 times in a row and will lap you. Equal parts frustrating and inspiring. And if you see someone booking it up behind you, GTFO out of the way and don’t be that annoying person holding up a chain of people. And if the open-air track part scares you, you can walk around to the right to skip it. Don’t attempt this hike without water.
My absolute FAVORITE drive on the island is along Kalanianaole Highway as you pass Koko Head on your left and then Haunama Bay on your right…your car will head up a hill and then BOOM, amazing cliff and water views as you wind your way from the south side of the island and transition to driving up the east coast. It takes my breath away every. single. time.
Jelly Side Up 