As far back as I can remember, three of the things that have always made me the most happy are palm trees, sunshine and water as far as the eye can see. You can imagine, with these things bringing me joy, I love to travel to warm, tropical places. I’ve been lucky and fortunate enough to travel the country, and the world really, in my three decades on this Earth, to see many of those beautiful, tropical places. But, one place I had always longed to go that had yet to be checked off my travel bucket list, was Hawaii. I know, it’s a state, how could I not have gotten there yet? But, finally, at the end of 2021, I ventured across the Pacific to the land of Aloha (which mean love, as well as both hello and goodbye). I knew the minute the chain of islands (the most remote ones in the world – did you know that?) came into view from the airplane, I was about to enter a heavenly place! One with plenty of warmth, lots and lots of palm trees, endless sunshine and of course, water as far as the eye can see. I was beyond excited for the Hawaiian adventure that laid ahead of me!

Since Hawaii is quite far from my home in Chicago, I wanted to make the long trek there completely worth my while. If I was heading to the islands, I wanted to see as many of them as I could. I knew time was needed, and I decided two weeks would be ideal. Ample time to see multiple islands, have adventures and relax. Of course I would have gladly stayed longer, but with travel, you have to take every second you can get it, and just soak it in.

Step one on my tour of the Hawaiian islands – Oahu. While most people think of Oahu only as the big city of Honolulu, there is so much more to be seen. It was the perfect island to introduce myself to what Hawaii had in-store for me…beautiful scenery, lots of culture, delicious food, and plenty of fun.

I stayed in Honolulu and definitely think it’s the best home base for anyone visiting Oahu. On top of their famous beaches, with views of Diamond Head volcano, there is so much to do in Honolulu, and when you stay downtown, you can get everywhere easily. But, I definitely didn’t limit my time on Oahu to just Honolulu. Even with a short amount of time (3 days) I wanted to see as much as I could! In the next several posts on Sarah In Style, I will share the places you must see while on Oahu, and how to easily see them all, plus I will talk about  where to stay while you’re visiting and how to pick your accommodations. For now, I leave you with these enticing photos, to help you dream about a beautiful place, that hopefully you’ll have the chance to see firsthand soon.

If you do plan to visit Hawaii soon, you need to be aware of the Covid precautions the islands are taking. You have to be vaccinated to visit, or show proof of a negative Covid test. You also have to register your visit, and you will have to follow rules like wearing masks, and showing vaccinations/negative tests at restaurants. The rules may change by the time you go, so be absolutely sure you check the Safe Travels Hawaii site for updates.

Be sure to check out my other Oahu posts for more info on this beautiful island: Where to Stay in Honolulu & Best Oahu Tours: The Oahu Grand Circle Island Tour. And be sure to check out Part 2 of this adventure, and the Top 5 Must See Places in Kaua’i.

Signed with Style,