Last spring, I spent a week on O’ahu with our friends Cristina and Lee Hudson, who have a house on Lanikai Beach, about a half hour outside of Honolulu. As Cristina has been coming here her whole life, we fell into her rhythm—living like locals for the week, eating at home, not rushing anywhere, and taking long walks on the beach. We did make it to Shangri La (Doris Duke’s amazing oceanfront estate/Islamic art museum), but we tried to embrace the slow and avoid the tendency to do everything on our list. While there, I collected a lot of intel, but more importantly, met so many local creatives and frequent visitors who are passionate about the island—and I’m so excited to share their suggestions with you here. —Yolanda
Cristina Hudson
Cristina is the co-owner with her husband, Lee, of Hudson Ranch and Vineyards in Napa Valley, where she also opened the beloved Hudson Greens & Goods in Napa’s Oxbow Market. She began visiting Kailua as a teenager and fell in love with Hawai’i. In her adult years, she spent most of her vacation time on the north shore of Kaua’i, but returned to buy a house on her beloved Lanikai Beach 5 years ago, and is happy to report the aloha spirit is alive and well on the islands.
The farmers markets on O’ahu are very good, and in addition to fantastic local fruits and vegetables, most offer locally made jewelry, clothing, jams, etc… My favorite is the Kailua Farmers Market, held every Sunday from 8am-12 at 640 Ulukahiki Street.
I tend to gravitate to the windward side of the island (towns of Kailua and Lanikai), and recommend the following as a fun day trip: Stop by Hibachi to pick up the island’s best poke bowls and drinks, then head to the Kailua Beach Park. From there, you can walk to Lanikai Beach, where there is little to no parking, but the best swimming on the island—it’s like a swimming pool. I love watching the Lanikai Outrigger Club practicing off this beach. You can also rent kayaks near Kailua Beach and kayak to the Mokulua Islands; it’s an easy trip if the winds aren’t too whipped up. Close to the beach park is Kalapawai Market for easy, tasty provisions and hamburgers hot off the grill. If you are into kite-surfing, this is the place to be on the days when the winds are strong. Finish the day at Buzz’s Steak House, with their legendary mai tais (limit 2 per person) and simple grilled local fish. They are also open for lunch, if you prefer a hot lunch.
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