Morning walks around Waikiki aren't complete without stopping at Olive & Oliver in The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club. This dreamy coffee shop is almost too good to be brew. The cafe sits right next to the lobby, pool and awesome boutique store where you can sip your latte while shopping for unique souvenirs to bring back home. To top everything off, their coffee cups are adorned with patterns of pineapples & palm trees. 

What To Try: Lavender Vanilla Latte 

A definite bucket list goal of mine has been to watch the sunrise from Lanikai Beach. Inside Tip: Show Mother Nature some love and wake up bright and early to get the best glimpse of the sun peeking over the horizon. We left Waikiki at 5am and got to Kailua right on time with only a couple of minutes to spare, and boy, was it worth it. There was not a single person on the beach. 

Located right next to Lanikai Beach is the Pillbox Trail. After we watched the sunrise, we started our hike (which is not for beginners by the way). As we were hiking up the mountain and approached the top it started pouring rain. The rain was magical and refreshing (Hawaiians actually have 200 words to describe rain because it's such a common occurrence.) We were then greeted by the most vibrant colors I've seen to date. Hello, double Rainbow!

Insider's Tip: Set your alarms. This spot is also another great place to watch the sunrise, if you are up for a hike at 5am.

Hale'iwa Bowls on the North Shore of Oahu makes authentic Acai bowls you can't find anywhere else. If you don't look carefully, you'll drive right past this small walk-up hut which is a local hotspot. 

What To Try: Hapa Bowl with strawberries, blueberries and bee pollen (if you are feeling a little crazy).

“Wanna have a drink?” is an easy four words to utter. Where to find that drink is always a tad trickier. Waikiki's newest hotel, The Laylow, is by far one of the most beautiful hotels I've been to and it also happens to have a killer happy hour. Head up the escalators from the street, and find yourself immersed in a mid-century modern jungle oasis. I'm going to be honest, I sat down here for a good 20 minutes mezmerized by the scenery. 

Nothing gets me more excited than crystal clear water and turtles. Shark's Cove on the North Shore is one of the best snorkel and swim spots on the island.

Insider's Tip: Head there early in the morning to beat the crowds and have a better chance of seeing turtles.

Oahu's North Shore is famous for it's surf breaks, so no visit is complete without a visit to Pipeline. This scenic shoreline is also dubbed The Banzai Pipeline because the waves can tower over 50ft tall during the winter months. Head here for a wild show during the cooler season or wait for the waters to simmer down in the summer (when mere mortals can actually dip a toe in.) We opted for the laid-back summertime experience and spent a good portion of the day dreamily plopped in beach chairs soaking up the sun. 

The best adventures I've had were unplanned, spur-of-the-moment decisions. In one such instance, we were stuck in traffic on the only main road that goes through the North Shore so we decided to pull off into a small neighborhood. Our destination, Papa'iloa Beach, is located right behind these houses, but I was too distracted by all of these palm trees to even notice it.

Fun Fact: Drum-roll please. This beach was also one of the filming locations for the popular television show Lost. 

What's a trip to Hawaii without some good 'ol fashioned down time? 

Steps: 
   1) Get a hammock - Here's mine 
   2) Find 2 palm trees
   3) Grab a piña colada
   4) Relax

Probably Definitely the most touristy thing you can do on the island, but it's well worth it. Not only do you get a great view of the island from 1000ft in the air, but you also get to enjoy a nice boat ride through the crystal clear waters of Oahu.