I had the privilege of visiting Waikiki, Hawaii for two weeks. We rented a condo at the Waikiki Banyan) and a car from Priceline (at $14 per day). The family has settled in nicely and we have been visiting our obligatory tourist attractions (especially Waikiki beach).
Anyone who knows Waikiki also knows that this beach is a swim, surf and boogie board beach. If you are looking for snorkeling, there are some spots but the snorkeling is not that great. Fortunately, there are plenty of other places on Oahu.
We wanted to get out of the city and find a beach elsewhere, so we loaded up our Priceline rental car with a bunch of beach gear (boogie boards, food, plenty to drink, snorkels and masks, etc). We headed west of Honolulu. We didn’t have a destination in mind. We knew we would find something but we didn’t know what. It didn’t matter, there are so many great beaches along the shoreline.
After driving for about a half hour, the kids started to get a little restless. We came to a resort area called Ko Olina. This is a destination resort area. There isn’t much other than the resorts and the resort amenities (golf course, beaches, swimming pools and bars). There are a handful of resorts including a Marriott and a Disney vacation resort. There is also a marina.
RELATED: Reveal your Priceline Hawaii hotel by checking out the Hawaii Priceline Hotels List.
Back in the 90’s when Ko Olina was being developed, the government required them to build 4 lagoons and to allow public access to these lagoons. This was a great opportunity for us, so we pulled in.
First, let me tell you that the resort area itself is absolutely beautiful. Everything was very well cared for and the grounds were very well manicured.
The first 3 lagoons had very limited parking, but the 4th lagoon at Ko Olina had about 100 spaces. This is where we parked, and we were about 30 feet away from the lagoon.
The lagoons are man-made obviously but they are absolutely stunning. Separating the lagoon from the parking lot is a well kept grass area lined with palm trees. Having a young family, the grass area was the perfect spot to set up our blanket and call our ‘base’ for the day. We picked a great spot under a palm tree.
The lagoon itself was absolutely stunning. It was roughly 50 meters wide and maybe 40 meters deep. The water from the ocean rushes in an out of the lagoon, but by the time it reaches the shore, it is very soft and gentle. Ideal for my kids aged 4, 4 and 7.
We had some snorkels and masks and ventured out to the man-made rocky area. To our surprise, the snorkeling here was actually quite good. I saw probably about a dozen different types of fish and other sea creatures. Sorry, but I don’t know the name of any of them (although I recognize a few from the movie Finding Nemo).
We brought sandwiches for lunch and, having kids, we cut the crust off. I’m not sure if this is allowed or not, but we fed the fish the bread crust. This was without a doubt one of the highlights of our trip. Literally hundreds of fish gathered around and ate bread crust from our finger tips. The kids had a blast
Upon arrival at the Ko Olina lagoons, I lathered up with SPF 50 sunscreen. This was not sufficient, presumably because I was snorkeling with my back to the sun for quite a while. Yes, I was burned. It was a mild burn but a burn just the same. Lesson learned. If you’re snorkeling, keep repeatedly lathering up the sunscreen.
Overall, what a fantastic day! We jumped in the car without a destination in mind, found an absolutely beautiful resort area with lagoons, and to top it off, the snorkelling was excellent (for a novice).
Hawaii Accommodations Via Blind Booking Sites
Accommodations in Hawaii are typically quite expensive. A great way to book accommodations in Hawaii is via blind booking sites like Hotwire and Priceline. Hotels with excess inventory sell off their rooms to Hotwire and Priceline, and you don’t know the name of the hotel until after you purchase. This way, Hotels can fill excess inventory without diluting their brand. Fortunately, there is a way to reveal your hotel name though the Priceline and Hotwire hotel lists on this website. These are lists of hotels known to be on blind bidding sites and will give you a pretty good idea of what hotel you are likely to get.
