Aoki's

Aoki's Shave Ice is some of the best on the North Shore. This North Shore shave ice is very soft although not quite as soft as Waiola, so if you like a bit rougher shave ice, Aoki's is the place to go. The shave ice at Aoki's is very good quality and they have a lot of really good flavors and combinations you can chose from, including vanilla ice cream with 3 flavors. The size their is also a little bigger than a Waiola small so it is a great place for kids. I promise Aoki's won't let you down!

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Monkey Pod

Monkey Pod is a one of a kind restaurant in Ko Olina. One of the best items on their menu is their fish and chips. It is freshly caught fish battered then fried. It is very flavorful and delicious! Monkey Pod is a pretty casual restaurant, but it's not as laid back as Zippy's. This restaurant serves food such as pizzas, salads, and much more. This place is a great place for kids and family. I highly recommend Monkey Pod as a place to go when visiting Oahu. 

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Taniokas

In Hawaii, there are two thing that there are a lot of; beaches and food. A great local place to pick up food is Taniokas. There is only one Taniokas on the island so it is always a little crowded around lunch time. To beat the crowds, I recommend going at about 10 am or 2 pm. At Taniokas, they have items such as beef stew, mochiko chicken, and lumpia. They also have island favorites poke, and musubi. Taniokas provides a variety of snacks like candy, chips and butter mochi. All in all, this place has great customers service and great food. Now go and try one of the best local places on the island of Oahu!

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Aiea Bowl

If you are looking for something to do besides going to the beach, I reccomend bowling. Bowling is good for pretty much any age 5 and over and the best place to do it on Oahu is Aiea Bowl. At Aiea Bowl, they have great food such as hamburger steak, loco moco, salads, and much more. The dining area is right next to the bowling alley so you can watch the action while dining. There is also a bar and an "arcade"(a bunch of claw machines and a couple gun games.) Aiea Bowl is the perfect place to hang out with the family if you are a bit tired of the beach. Go try Aiea Bowl and see what you think!

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Waikiki Beach

Waikiki is one of the bet places on the island to boogie board. They have good sized waves that range from about 3-6 feet. These waves are perfect for kids to boogie board. One of the most popular places to boogie board at Waikiki is the part right in front of the parking lot of the Honolulu Zoo. When there, you will see a 10 foot wall that seperates the beach into two parts. On your left side you will see the spot where all the boogie boarders are and on the right side you will see the part that is very calm and mostly geared toward toddlers. Another attraction at Waikiki is the wall that seperates the two parts of the beach. When there you can jump of that wall into the water. If you are just visiting and have never been to Waikiki before, I reccomend jumping of the part that has sand underneath it. Waikiki also has booths where you take a lesson and rent a board. Don't miss the action at Waikiki!

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USS Missouri

One of the best ways to understand the attack at Pearl Harbor is going to Pearl Harbor! When there you can see one of the best battleships of all time; the USS Missouri. On the Missouri, you can explore the battleship in a tour group, with an iPod touch tour, or just walking around. When on board you can discover their bunks, the mess hall, and all about how the Japanese signed the surrender papers that ended World War II on that very ship! There are other ships and things to do at Pearl Harbor, but one of the best is the USS Missouri.

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Waimea Bay

The one place everyone goes to when visiting Hawaii is the beach. Some beaches are more for surfing and boogie boarding and some are for smaller kids. At Waimea Bay, there can be waves in the winter, but usually not in the summer. However, one attraction at Waimea Bay does not change at all during the year. This attraction is a rock. This rock in particular is about 20 feet tall at the lowest point you can jump off of and 30-40 feet tall at its highest point. Anyone can jump of this rock though I recommend not bringing anyone younger than six. My last word of advice is to try and get a good action picture of you jumping off!

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Oahu Plantation Village

One of the most interesting and historic places I have been to on Oahu is a plantation village. At first, I thought it might be a little boring and you would learn about all the plants and sugar cane. But, it was quite the opposite. First off, my tour guide was extremely friendly and nice and she seemed to know what she was talking about. And second, you don't really learn about plants; you learn about the people who moved here from Japan, China, Portugal, etc.. The restored houses are also really cool because you can see what they had and how they lived. There is also a doctors office and market there (model ones). I haven't tried this yet, but the thing the Oahu Plantation Village is famous for is it's haunted house. It ranks in the top 20 scariest haunted houses in the WORLD. You have to be ten and older to do this activity, but if you love horror movies and scares come and try it out!

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Leonards Malasadas: The Portugese Donut

On vacation and at home, there is always that nagging question, "When am I going to eat?" Well in Hawaii, there are lots of wonderful places to eat such as Zippys, where they have a delicious bakery and very good comfort food, shave ice, and then there is the one thing that could be breakfast, snack, or dessert; a donut. Now this is not just any donut, this is a malasada! I personally think that Leonards has the best malasadas in Hawaii. At Leonards, they make their malasadas to order so you get a fresh malasada. Malasadas have an eggy texture similar to a fluffy waffle, and it is a crispy golden brown out the outside with sugar on it. Believe me when I say that it is better than a regular donut. I highly reccomend trying this tasty treat. 

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Zippys

On vacation you usually don't want to cook, so you go to restaurants. Sometimes you want to go to formal restaurants and sometimes you just want lay back and go somewhere casual. If you want something casual, then I suggest Zippys. You might already know about it, but it is an absolute must do before you leave Hawaii. Zippys is famous for their fried chicken and chili, but they also have many other great foods (Zippys has like a Hawaiian plus American style food). The famous person that has been there and loves Zippys is the one and only Barack Obama! The best thing about Zippys is that there is one about every 2 blocks! (I am only exaggerating a little).  Go try out Zippys and I guarantee you will like it! If you go, it would be awesome if you could comment your experience below! Thanks!

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Aloha Boardshop & Surf Garage

One of the most enjoyable things about going to Hawaii is the beach. Even if you don't enjoy the water, you can always set up an umbrella and towel and nap and read a good book. Naturally, teenagers love to surf. And to get the right equipment, they have to go to the right shop. For people more interested in buying a surfboard, Surf Garage because they have a nice variety of surfboards. Surf Garage also has some pretty cool skateboards (3-wheeled skateboards, skateboards with shocks on the trucks, etc.). For people looking for all kinds of beach gear, I reccomend Aloha Boardshop. Aloha Boardshop has everything from surfbords to rashguards to skateboards. Try going to both and see what you think.

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Waiola Shave Ice: The Best on the Island

When you are planning or going to Hawaii you think about the palm trees, hula dancers, and of course, the beach. But once in a while, the thought of shave ice comes to mind (shave ice = snow cones). Waiola Shave Ice has some of the best shave ice on the island. The sizes are not to big nor to small and the ice is very soft unlike some other shave ice places. Are you a big Hawaii Five-0 fan? Then this is just one more reason to visit Waiola Shave Ice (the one on Mokihana St.). At Waiola, they have a fake menu on the wall for when Hawaii Five-0 used their place as a set. Pretty cool!
                                             
                                     
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