As you plan your Oahu vacation, I hope you’ll have some time to drive around Central Oahu as it has some unique scenery. Central Oahu is rich farmland nestled between the Waianae and the Koolau mountain ranges.
Just a simple drive through the area in between Haleiwa and Honolulu offers interesting views of pineapple, coffee, and sugar cane fields. In addition, there are a couple of spots worth a brief visit. Those two stops are:
Kukaniloko Hawaiian Birthing Stones – These historic stones and the surrounding area were set aside as a sacred place for chiefs and chiefesses to give birth. See my article for directions and details on visiting this peaceful and spiritual place.- Dole Plantation – Let me preface this suggestion by first letting you know that the Dole Plantation is definitely a tourist trap, but a tourist trap you’ll most likely enjoy. At Dole Plantation, you’ll find a pineapple-shaped maze, a narrated train ride, and a garden tour – all for a fee. My favorite part is is free. It’s the pineapple garden featuring many varieties of pineapples and several pineapple information placards. In addition, there’s a great gift
shop and cafe where you can purchase all sorts of pineapple treats. My favorite treat is the DoleWhip which is a refreshing frozen pineapple delight. The Dole Plantation offers a little bit of every thing to suit all ages. It’s open every day from 9:30am to 5:00pm with the exception of Christmas Day. The visitors center is located at 64-1550 Kamehameha Highway (Hwy 99).
Central Oahu is located about 40 minutes away from Waikiki Beach. From Waikiki Beach, central Oahu is located on your way to Haleiwa and Oahu’s famous North Shore beaches.
See more of our photos from central Oahu. Have you been to Central Oahu? Did you stop at either the Kukaniloko Birthing Stones or Dole Plantation? What did you think? In your opinion, was it worth the visit or not?
Sheila Beal
3 comments
I’ve been enjoying reading through your blog. Even though I live on Oahu and blog about it I like to see what others enjoy about the islands. I did notice that you wanted people to send photos but could not figure out how to do it.
I’d like to suggest that people visit our Bishop Museum here on Oahu. It is a world class museum and has recently been restored back to the way it looked when it opened in 1898. People are astounded at its beauty. If you’d like I could send you photos or you can see some of it on my blog. But I’d like to share the photos with you if you’d like. I’m a docent at the museum and would love for others to discover it.
Karen- I’m happy to hear that you’ve enjoyed reading Go Visit Hawaii. Thank you.
I think a visitor’s perspective can add a different view and flavor to our own backyards sometimes. I have lived in North Carolina most of my life and still I learn things about my own state from what visitors write.
I have wanted to visit Bishop Museum for a long, long time. For various logistics reasons, I’ve never been able to make it there when it’s open.
Would you be interested in writing a guest post about Bishop Museum, what makes it special, and tips for visiting?
If you prefer, you can contact me via:
govisithawaii AT gmail DOT com
I’d love to send you something about the museum. It might be one of my older post or I will try and put something together this week with photos. How do I do that as I’ve never been able to put photos to a comment. Give me instructions and I will work on it.
I tried to email at the address you gave me but it did not work.
Karen