DIY O'ahu Bus Tour
Are you planning on visiting Oahu and want to explore more than Honolulu and Waikiki but are on a budget? We found ourselves in the same situation and ended up making a DIY route using the local Oahu transit system, called TheBus, to explore the far north and far east of Oahu. This one day journey cost us $7.50 in bus fare and took us from our Waikiki hotel to Dole Plantation, Sharks Cove, Foodland Pupukea and Waiahole Poi Factory.
 |
| View of the vast Sharks' Cove |
From Waikiki/Honolulu you want to take the 52 bus which heads north. Doing so, you’ll hit the first main destination, the Dole Plantation!
Dole Plantation:
The Dole Plantation is located in a very rural part of Oahu. It is home to a Pineapple Express Train Tour, Plantation Garden and the Pineapple Garden Maze. It was no surprise why this pineapple attraction brings in over a million visitors a year. It felt like a small-scale amusement park dedicated to the rich history of Oahu and Dole’s founder, James Drummond Dole.
We purchased the ‘Train, Maze & Garden’ package, which was a modest price of $27.
The Pineapple Express Train Ride is a 20 minute pre-recorded narration through a plantation. The narration was very informative and was a great fit to the sights we saw. There is no stopping or getting off on this route.
The Pineapple Garden Maze won the 2008 Guinness World Records as the World’s Largest Maze. You are challenged to find 8 spots in this maze and it was indeed quite the challenge. Be sure to have bug repellent on you during this as there were bugs galore in this large, immersive maze. A few bites were worth it though!
The Plantation Garden has eight mini-gardens with a nice variety of crops and trees. Excellent spot for great photos.
There was also a shop right at the entrance where you can purchase souvenirs, snacks and specialty Dole products. The Dole Soft serve with pineapple topping is a must try. They even have free pineapple and chocolate tastings.
 |
| Front of Dole Plantation |
Leaving the Dole Plantation, return to the bus stop you got off at to continue north on the 52 bus. When you reach Kamehameha Hwy + Lokoea Place you will need to transfer to the 60 bus. No worries if you’re feeling lost, the drivers are super helpful and are happy to help you out.
 |
| Bus stop from the Dole Plantation heading to Sharks' Cove |
Sharks Cove:
The next stop on our DIY tour was Sharks Cove. Sharks Cove is a famous beach in Pupukea, north-east of the Dole Plantation. Sharks Cove has beautiful blue waters; calm from the walls of the surrounding rocks and cliffs. The calm and shallow waters makes it ideal for snorkeling and seeing the many fish. Be sure to wear something protective on your feet as it is a very rocky coastal area. There are public washrooms and change rooms on this beach which is a bonus. If you’re looking for food options there are many delicious food trucks just across the street from Sharks’ Cove, but as we’re on a budget we opted to get lunch from the local grocery store, Foodland, across the street.
 |
| Bus stop from Sharks' Cove |
Foodland Pupukea:
Foodland is a supermarket chain in Hawaii; with your typical departments for produce and grocery needs. What stood out to us were the Hawaiian specialties such as their Poke options - we loved their salmon and ahi poke. The staff were helpful at providing suggestions on the best Poke and even let us sample a few options before buying.
 |
| Delicious Poke from Foodland Pupukea! |
After finishing up in Pupukea, we started to head back towards Waikiki. While using public transit does take longer, it lets you travel in a stress free environment and the slow travel allows you to really take in the views. Seeing the beautiful coastal landscape was breathtaking, and made us hungry for one last stop, the ever popular Waiahole Poi Factory.
 |
| Heading towards Waiahole Poi Factory from Foodland |
Waiahole Poi Factory:
Waiahole Poi Factory is a place we’ve seen recommended by many and we found out why! We had a combo plate consisting of kalua pig and laulau with a perfect dessert to finish it - ‘Sweet Lady of Waiahole’. Having good authentic food was a priority when traveling and this place checked that box off deliciously.
 |
| Our delicious combo platter of kalua pig and laulau |
Often when you look at video recommendations you’ll notice everyone is using their own cars to get to these popular locations. At first we thought we needed to as well, but discovered that getting around Oahu is easy if you do a bit of research and planning with their local transit system. This is for sure something you can do too!
Comments
Post a Comment