You’ve booked your airline ticket, found the perfect place to stay, and now you want to make sure your trip to the island of Oahu has all the romantic highlights you’ve envisioned.
Not too hard with the naturally beautiful backdrop and picturesque sunsets, but a little extra planning never hurts!
Here are my top picks for things that will really make your next trip to Hawaii extra romantic!
Sunset Cruise
I feel like a beautiful beachside vacation should include a sunset cruise if at all possible! My favorites are catamaran cruises. They have a causal and relaxed feel that I just love.
While in Oahu recently we went on an outstanding sunset catamaran cruise by Makani Catamaran. It was a two-hour cruise, from 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Totally perfect. They take you just far enough, so you can enjoy the Honolulu and Waikiki skyline from the distance.
Added bonus, the cruise included a little spread of Hawaiian food, buffet-style. We had planned to go out to eat after the cruise, but the food was better than we were expecting!
And of course, we did grab an ice cream from Lappert’s on the way back to our room!
If you like a cocktail, your cruise ticket includes one free drink and they have a full bar on the boat. And while plenty of people enjoyed something from the bar, it was by no means a booze cruise.
I just mention it, because if that is what you are looking for, there are plenty of catamaran trips that cater to that vibe. This wasn’t one of them.
Dinner at Beachhouse
Love, love, love this restaurant. First, the Beachhouse at the Westin Moana on Waikiki is almost completely outdoors and on the beachfront. Make sure to book on OpenTable or call a few weeks ahead and reserve a table overlooking the water. The view is spectacular!
Second, the charm of the place goes beyond just its oceanfront property. There is large whimsical banyan tree that grows in the middle of the patio.
The restaurant reminds me of something you’d see in New Orleans, but it is distinctly Hawaiian at the same time.
The night we went there was live music and our waiter was amazing.
And of course, the food was awesome!
To start, we had ahi poke. For dinner I had the red snapper and my husband had steak.
And then came dessert. Do not skip dessert.
It was this beautiful, multilevel tree sculpture with a wide variety of small desserts on each branch. I’m still thinking about it!
After dinner, make sure to take some time and relax on the front porch of the restaurant. It has a line of rocking chairs that are perfect after enjoying a wonderful meal. The porch looks out on the main Waikiki strip, Kalakaua Avenue, so it’s also great for people watching!
Hike Diamond Head
I know what you’re thinking if you’ve done this before- that’s painful, not romantic.
Hear me out.
Supporting each other as you make your way up Diamond Head is actually really romantic when you think about it. It’s not an easy hike, and having your partner by your side is a really wonderful way to have this “once in a lifetime experience”.
Because, come on- how many people want to hike Diamond Head more than once??!!
And if you are wondering if you can make it to the top- we saw people of various body types and weights, in sandals to hiking boots, and ages from babies in backpacks to seniors on an excursion from their cruise.
But beyond the challenge of the hike, plus several very steep flights of stairs, the view from the top truly is breathtaking! You’ll be glad you did it.
And of course on the way down, you can plot where you should go to lunch, now that you’ve burnt all those calories.
Side Note- Do this hike early in the day. Like before 10 a.m. It takes a while and it can get very hot and humid!!
Just Be Together
When you’re planning all the amazing things you want to do in Hawaii make sure to plan plenty of time to not do anything.
So many times when we go on vacation we want to maximize our experience by booking too many tours and over scheduling. If you tend to do that, maybe make an effort to back off a bit.
This trip, my husband and I made a point to only do activities that were a couple of hours. Some days we didn’t have anything planned and just walked around or hung out in the pool. I think this was one of the most relaxing trips for that very reason.
It may sound cheesy, but just being together is the most romantic adventure of them all!
