We booked a Jeep tour of the North Shore for our first day in Hawaii and it was THE BEST decision!
Our guide, Matt, picked us up from the hotel at 9am and his love for the island was both immediately obvious, and so infectious! (Not that it's difficult to fall in love with Oahu)
We started by going for a quick lap through Waikiki, where he gave us some local hot-tips, then we headed for Diamond Head to watch some stunning surf spots.
On the way to the North Shore, we stopped by the Dole Plantation where we picked up some fresh pineapple, and pineapple whip. (When I say "we picked up" I mean, Matt stood in line for us, while we checked out the plantation. #Hero) Side note: If you haven't tried Pineapple Whip, do yourself a favour. It is next level!
The next few hours all merged in to one because a)it didn't feel like we were out for almost 6 hours, and b) Matt bypassed all the boring stuff and took us to places he knew we'd love. And he was spot on! Haleiwa, Waimea, Waimea Valley, Pipeline, Turtle Bay: all ah-maze-ing!
After this tour, we knew all the best places to go for a surf, a feed, or just to chill, which meant we didn't have to waste time hunting for all the good spots.
If your going to Oahu (and especially if you don't have time to waste on average tours), definitely lock in a tour with Hawaii Jeep Tours, and ask for Matt if you want to feel like ohana.