Your family friendly guide to Hawaii from a seasoned regular — Jarrad Bell
We took our latest drop of caps to shoot and capture the beauty of our favourite island, Oahu.
The campaign photographer Jarrad Bell — @jarradbell couldn't help but wear our latest drop of caps around the island himself and as a regular visitor to the Hawaiian islands, he has shared with us his favourite places to visit when he is on the island of Oahu.
If you have been thinking of visiting Hawaii, here is your ultimate guide plus some hot tips for those people travelling with kids in tow!
Jarrad enjoying a smoothie from Sunrise Shack in his Archie Walnut cap
Eats: North Shore
-
Sunrise Shack — Breakfast for sure, smoothies, breakfast bowls, açai, etc and bullet coffee. There's a few locations, all are amazing but the sunset beach location is the OG and by far the best to visit. Avo toast with a bullet coffee or blue smoothie is my go to!
-
Surf & Salsa — Amazing burritos and tacos that are massive! You kinda have to opt for the Cali burrito with chicken if you can't make up your mind. Pair it back with a classic coke in a glass bottle and I'm in heaven.
-
Turtle Bay Resort — Pretty much the only spot on the North Shore where you can have a cocktail served to you and watch the sun go down. 10 out of 10 sunsets.
-
Roy's Beach Club at Turtle Bay Resort — This is a little more formal but its cocktails and food are amazing. My suggestion is the spicy mai tai alongside any of their sushi dishes.
-
Cholos — A town staple, margaritas as big as your head and burritos swimming in cheese. Staff are usually locals and bring the vibe.
-
Banzai Bowls — The OG açai bowl shop. It's at the start of Haleiwa town and is def a breaky/lunch option.
-
Ry's Poke Shack — In my opinion and most of the locals, this is the best pike on the island and not just because Netflix did a feature on him. He sells out, he knows his regulars by name and while your there, local after local swings through for Ry's fresh poke. My suggestion here is the poke nachos, you can't beat it.
- Snow Cones at Matusumoto Shave Ice — I dunno what it is or how they do it, but the shaved ice on the North Shore just hits different. Throw in some mochi and bobs ya uncle. Try all of them! You can't go wrong!
Eats: Waikiki
-
ARVO — It's an Australian style coffee shop. There's two locations, one at the Surfjack Hotel which is a fairly small menu but the other loction has a full menu and the avo toast is elite!
-
Furusato Sushi — Go for lunch as this place is so busy and you'll end up waiting some time for a table at night, but it's worth the wait if you can hold out! The sushi is fresh and bloody amazing!
- Doraku Sushi — This is a dinner spot for sure. The menu is pretty wide and everything is amazing. The deluxe maki rolls here never disappoint.
Listen to:
-
Country & Western playlist — The North Shore may be beachside but the locals also live country side. The road into North Shore is lined with ranches and filled with horses and cattle's.
- Aloha loving — A bunch of tunes you can put on around the pool, down the beach or just chill to. Great background music.
Read:
- Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
See/do North Shore:
-
Head into Haleiwa — This small country town is super cute. It's all about snow cones and Hawaii nic nacs here, there are a few boutique shops like Guava Store and 808 that have a really curated selection of goods.
-
Waimea Bay — If the surfs big this is a spectacle. The shore break is huge! But if it's flat, this is an amazing spot to spend a few hour swimming and jumping off the rocks.
-
Pipeline — Also a must stop if the surf is good, just to feel the energy on the beach. There's also a hemp pizza bloke in the carpark, apparently it's amazing! I've never had it because he's always sold out or closed, I've been chasing him 3 trips now!
-
Go the long way! — The east side of the island is a beautiful drive through small coastal towns and is much nicer than sitting in Honolulu Hawaii traffic. Stop for swims, food and just take it all in on your way around the island.
- Sharks Cove — Heaps and heaps of fish; high tide is the best time here, the pool fills up. Great for snorkelling.
Jarrad relaxing with his family and drinking a cocktail in the new Ranger Black cap
Stay: Waikiki
We've travelled to Oahu a few times now, quite often we stay at Moana Surfrider. It's an amazing hotel on the beach, unfortunately it's peak season here, so it was a bit out of our budget. So this time, we opted for Wayfinder. It's a few streets back, but what a vibe.
Rooms were super comfy and tastefully Hawaiian, like cool Hawaii, not try hard. The pool is huge with plenty of sun beds, theres a rad coffee shop below, along with a restaurant and pool bar. I would definitely stay here again. It's about a 2 minute walk up to Waikiki beach, where you can rent a surfboard and head straight out front. On calm days, it's filled with turtles and the water is crystal clear, it's also a great people watching spot!
Stay: North Shore
Turtle Bay — There's not many options unless you are staying for longer than 30 days. Unfortunately the hotels got together with the government and banned short term rentals like Airbnb. Turtle Bay is expensive but beautiful. We always leave feeling relaxed, also great for kids!
Follow Jarrad and his families adventures on his Instagram page — @jarradbell
About the author