The North Shore, which is about an hour’s drive from Waikk, offers a variety of lodging choices, including apartment rentals and the upscale Turtle Bay Resort. Visit the quaint surf community of Haleiwa Town by car for some retail therapy, authentic local cuisine, and rainbow-flavored shave ice to chill off. To explore the Polynesian Cultural Center and the former plantation town of Kahuku, continue driving to La’ie.

On Oahu’s North Shore, you can catch the perfect wave, if such a thing exists. This legendary surf destination attracts the best surfers in the world with its enormous, perfect winter waves, but beginners should keep to the smaller, kinder waves in the summer. The North Shore’s beaches, which span more than 11 kms, serve as the venue for some of the greatest surfing events in the world.  Waimea Bay, ‘Ehukai Beach (Banzai Pipeline), and Sunset Beach are fantastic locations for sunbathing and strolling along the shore.