When we went to Oahu we stayed in downtown Honolulu for a few days before heading up the coast. There are tons of great restaurants and places to shop there. We went for a fantastic ride on a catamaran and saw our first green sea turtles and humpback whales! If you can visit Hawaii while the whales are there in season, I would highly recommend it. They’re so amazing to see. You can see a wonderful panoramic of Diamond Head while exploring Waikiki Beach and visit a statue of “The Duke”. Hanauma Bay is close by and a must for snorkeling. Driving is a nightmare though, so walking, if possible, is the way to get around. While the more local, laid back setting was what we were looking for on vacation it was a lot of fun getting to explore the city.