Makapuʻu Lookout is located on the southeastern side of Oahu along the Kalaniana'ole Highway. It's…read morenext to the Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail and is only a short walk from the small parking lot. From the lookout you'll see panoramic views of the coastline and the Pacific Ocean. From December to May, this spot and the general area as a whole are popular spots for humpback whale watching. It's also a popular spot for sunrise as this side is where the sun rises from. You will be able to get a lot of the same views as the lighthouse trial here without needing to go on the hike.

Makapu'u Lookout was one of my favorite stopping points for photos - the ocean had beautiful…read moreblues/turquoise and great views of the mountains. This was such a great spot to enjoy the ocean breeze, marvel at the expansiveness of the ocean, and to take in the scenery. There is parking available. +great views +parking available

Landmark in Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. I was driving my friends from New Jersey around the island. We stopped at Halona Blowhole, where I checked my Yelp app for other nearby Landmarks. Japanese Fishing Shrine (Umi Mamori Jizo) seemed like an interesting stop, so we looked for it. Located next to Eternity Beach, before the Halona Blowhole parking lot, on the way from Hawaii Kai, we parked on the shoulder of the road. It's a bit dangerous, so I wouldn't recommend this. However, one of my passengers has walking difficulties, and I wanted to park as close as possible for her. We struggled with going up and down the stone stairs, but it was worth it. The views of the ocean and Eternity Beach below are breathtaking! On the base of the Shrine are carvings - maybe it's the name of the person who drowned here many years ago? It's supposed to be a memorial for fishermen who lost their lives due to the strong, unpredictable waves along the beach. There's English, too: "Japanese Casting Club". When I used Google, I found out that there's an annual ceremony on the second Sunday in November, conducted by a Vietnamese Buddhist church. The Shrine was built in the 1940's. There's a carving of Jizo (Buddhist guardian) in the stone to protect fishermen. There were fruit and flower offerings, a solar-powered flower, and a flower lei at the shrine on 1-21-24. Rest In Peace...

We had a great time with Lui. His knowledge of the history of the events of December 7 are…read moreexcellent. His knowledge of the history of the USS Missouri are interesting and engaging. We were loathe to hire a service to take us to Pearl Harbor, but I can say that in hindsight, it was a great experience. We had eight total people on our tour. I never felt rushed or as if I was going to miss something. This was my first time to Hawaii and I wanted to do all the "touristy" things. I can say, unequivocally, that our day with Lui and the Keawe adventures rates right at the top of our experience on Oahu. I actually felt sorry for the tourists on those huge buses. I also want to thank Lui for listening to my few stories...not sure he bought them...but they were true. Great guide. Great time.

My wife son and I took the pearl harbor group tour. It was an incredible experience to be able to…read moresee these historic ships, and to learn about the bravery and tragedy on that 12/7/41. What help made it such a tremendous experience is out fantastic tour guide Lui. He was not only very knowledgeable about what led up to and including the actions on the day of the attack, but he was able to bring him own knowledge and personal experience into the tour to help explain at a level that couldn't be done with just any tour. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone and everyone who asks.

Off the beaten path, sits an ancient treasure, the Ulupo Heiau Historic Site. A massive rock…read morefoundation is the remnant of a sacred rock temple/platform that would have been important to Hawaiian chiefs for hundreds of years. Faded plaques near the site tell pieces of the story. The construction of the temple was supposedly by mythical people named "menehunes", who could build such temples overnight. The original temple would have measured a massive 140 x 170 feet and had walls 30 feet high. Construction is mind boggling, indeed. My math figures that over a million rocks were carried to the site. The Heiau was most likely used to oversee agricultural fields and fish ponds below by the chief or kahuna. Kailua (the town below) was once an agricultural capital on Oahu. In later years, the Heiau may have been used to oversee war efforts. The address is the parking lot of a YMCA. Go around the building to find the site. There is no admission, just a request to not remove any of the sacred stones. There are no amenities. The site could stand renovation of plaques. There are several benches under large shade trees to sit and think about Hawaiian ancestors that would have used the site. Worth a short visit if near Kailua. I was moved by the wondrous effort to build such a site.

This was really interesting to see and, since it's hidden behind a YMCA, it is not something one…read morewould just stumble upon. I couldn't believe how big it was! The signs explaining the history were helpful in getting to know more about the structure itself and about Hawaii as a whole.

We booked a tour of the island during our quick visit to Honolulu. Halona Blowhole Lookout was one…read moreof the first stops. Our group only stayed on the lookout. We had about 10-15 minutes to explore and take our photos and videos. Unfortunately, not enough time to walk down to the sandy beach area. The view is amazing and we got to see the blowhole in action. It's quite peaceful despite the groups of people coming in and out of the parking lot. If I ever get a chance to return to Honolulu, I would definitely hike down and get in the water!

Got to visit and see in action the ONE OF ONLY 3 MAJOR blowholes in the world!…read more Such a cool viewing spot on the east side of Oahu next to Eternity Beach. Definitely a must see!

Cyndy's Bottom Line: A park dedicated to Muriel Mcfarlane Flanders…read more *The park located on the makai side of the outer slope of Le'ahi aka Diamond Head crater. *The park is dedicated to Muriel Mcfarlane Flanders (1909-2003), a native Hawaiian philanthropist. *Muriel Mcfarlane Flanders composed the song "Beautiful Le'ahi" which shows her personal connection to the historic landmark where her grandparents once had their home. There is more info on the landmark sign which includes the lyrics to the entire song. *There is interesting historical information about the outer slopes of Diamond Head.

Beautiful! A misty day is THE TIME to visit! It lets you see the swirling winds (using the mist)…read moreas they come up the ridge line. Its is really cool! (No really, you'll need a jacket.) The views are incredible! The park is quite beautiful! (Tip: Understand the historical significance of the warring Hawaiian tribes and thus park before you come to see it.)

We had family visiting from the mainland and since their hotel wasn't ready and they never went to…read morePali decided to take them there which they really enjoyed also because they are watching the Hawaii series with Jason Mamoa. The Park is well kept and they have parking meters self pay for visitors, if you're kamaina or military no parking fee. No restrooms

Reminder to self if you every get lost and start to notice you are going in circles, DO NOT PANIC!…read more The smarter thing to do is to leave a trail of bread crumbs. Lol. Thank goodness I was with a group when I first visited the Kaniakapupu Ruins. We were feeling a little adventurous so headed to the ruins from the Lulumalu hike parking area. We ventured off into the thick thick bamboo forest. The route we took initially had a path to follow then it eventually disappears. When we got there, the site was well worth the journey of getting lost. The ruins are breathtaking in its own way. This was once the summer palace for royalty so when you visit appreciate the beauty, respect this historic site, and don't take anything from the site. Kaniakapupu Ruins is one of Oahu's best kept secrets and should be enjoyed by all.

I have been here several times, its easy to miss which I think is a good thing. Don't want it to…read moreturn into Diamond head. Don't disturb this historical landmark. Don't climb anything or walk on the low walls either. Everything is old and aged and cover with moss in wet, steamy nuuanu. Lot of people leave offerings such as leis and fruit at the plaque. You first see the main structure of a large room. maybe 20 x 20 and there will be several other structures around the site such as foundation walls, paths and some completely collapsed piles of rubble. I heard several different stories that it was used for kinda staycation parties and festivals and also as a point of retreat in invasions. the area is lush, beautiful and serene. it'll often be wet and drizzly and you'll see a rainbow over the front garden as one of the only places light penetrates strongly is above the main structure. The trail is short, first left after the split log on the main trail in the bamboo forest. You can continue down the main trail but there have been issue with people straying on to private property where one owner has a waterfalls in their yard and some had large dogs as i heard. There are other path and some water pipes in the area but those trails seem to be overgrown and some have collapsed trees and is quite dangerous as it is not designated for hiking but for maintenance. It's a bit more safe just to go to Lulumahu falls instead of wandering too much in this area. I guess DLNR has jurisdiction over this area and you are able to apply for a permit to visit. Without one you risk being charged with criminal trespass. They don't so much bother locals so much but I've seen them come to this area and Lulumahu falls identify rental cars, hold everyone there while they issue every single person a ticket. They'll sit there, park and wait till people exit the trail to issue a ticket. I mean hey. Probably just filled their monthly quota in one sitting.

For sure there's lots to see in Waikiki on the beach but here's a landmark that gets overlooked a…read morelot for other things around here. It has a lot of history for the locals. The Stones Of Life have some kind of mystical powers. A lot of this may just be stories, but have become a part of the culture. These represent Hawaii's longtime history of a place for healing and inclusion, among other things. Cool pieces of local history and worth going for a look on the way to something else. It's got a pretty interesting story. There's four stones, each representing a spirit who brought healing powers to Hawaii in ancient times. Fun to discover something pretty simple with so much history. The Hawaiian name for these is Nā Pōhaku Ola Kapaemāhū A Kapuni. A pretty significant aspect of local culture. These spirits were named Kahalo, Kapaemahu, Kapuni, and Kinohi. It was only in 1997 that these stones were placed here. They were taken from other places where they had been placed close to their favorite bathing areas according to the information on the plaque. Local officials thought it would be a good idea to put all these together in one area. This would also help preservation efforts and increase interest. Good place to find some history on the beach and learn about local history. It's located on Kalakaua close to the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue. This is one of the more culturally significant things about Waikiki.

These might literally just be a bunch of stones that you end up disregarding because it's by…read moreWaikiki Beach and the restrooms. However, they have historical significance. The four stones are said to hold the power (mana) of four Tahitian healers from Raiatea. These healers traveled throughout the islands administering their miraculous cures. When it was time to go back to their homeland, they gave their names and spiritual power to these four stones. You might think they're just stones, but they are meant to represent the spirit and heritage of the Hawaiian people.

Found this not as popular lookout spot at Diamond Head. It doesn't have as good of views as other…read morespots around it. Kāhala Lookout mainly looks in the other direction towards the east coast of O'ahu. Basic looking. This is okay for before going to other places. An easy to get to place once you're at the Diamond Head entrance. It's not quite all the way on top of the monument. This is before getting to the tunnel. Good place to view the neighborhood. That's where the famous Kāhala Hotel & Resort is, as well as the first maker of Hawaiian shirts. Seems as if the view isn't that good. There's not as much to see as at the top of Diamond Head and its more famous lookout. Get here much of the same way as when going to Diamond Head. It's located just before the tunnel. This is kind of like a pit stop on the way to the too or wherever.

You heard about the Diamond head lookout being a short 2 mile hike so you decided to head over. You…read moreget through the tunnel and find out you're getting turned away because you didn't know you need to reserve a time slot to hike Diamond Head. Well Lahala Lookout is your consolation prize, you don't have to go back out that tunnel with your head held down in shame, this decent little lookout is right across from the tunnel. Maybe you don't want to pay $10 for parking & $5 for the Diamond Head hike, good news this lookout is free. Besides the limited parking right next to the lookout not sure where else nearby you can park for free, but we stayed by the beach resorts near the Sheraton and it was a little over a 2 mile walk to get here. Afterwards we took one of the buses that go down Diamond Head RD (I believe it was his 21) back to the resorts. $3 a ride, or $7 for a day pass on the bus.