Oahu, Hawaii — Sheraton Waikiki, North Shore, and the Place That Made Us Want to Move Here

There are destinations you visit and enjoy. And then there are destinations that do something different — they get under your skin, make you look up property prices, and leave you genuinely wondering what it would take to just stay. Hawaii did that to us. Here’s our guide to Oahu, built around a week we didn’t want to end.

🏨 Sheraton Waikiki — High Floor, Diamond Head Views

We stayed at the Sheraton Waikiki, on the 23rd floor, and the views were exactly what you hope for from a Waikiki high-rise — Diamond Head to the left, the Pacific stretching out in front of you, surfers in the water below at every hour of the day. The kind of view you stand at the window looking at before bed and again first thing in the morning.

The Sheraton’s location is excellent — right on the beach, central to everything in Waikiki, with the infinity pool facing the ocean. The pool is genuinely one of the best hotel pool setups we’ve experienced — it blurs directly into the sea horizon, and in the late afternoon with the light turning golden, it’s difficult to leave.

📋 Sheraton Waikiki — Quick Facts
Location: 2255 Kalakaua Avenue, Waikiki — directly on the beach
Rooms: 1,636 rooms and suites
Pool: RumFire infinity pool (one of Waikiki’s best)
Beach: Direct beachfront access
Tip: Request a high floor with Diamond Head view — worth specifying at booking
👉 Official Website | Check availability on Booking.com

🌅 The Feeling That Makes You Want to Stay Forever

Hawaii has a quality that’s hard to explain until you’re there. It’s not just the beaches, or the weather, or the food — it’s the combination of all of it with something in the atmosphere. The people seem genuinely happy. The pace is different. Sunsets happen every evening over the ocean and nobody treats them as ordinary. Strangers smile at each other on the street.

Standing at Diamond Head Park watching surfers in the water below, with the warm wind coming off the Pacific and the sky doing things that don’t happen anywhere else — we both had the same thought at the same time. We want to live here. It’s a thought Hawaii apparently puts in everyone’s head. It’s not a coincidence.

🦐 Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck — Haleiwa, North Shore

The drive up to Oahu’s North Shore is worth doing for the scenery alone — the landscape changes completely as you leave Honolulu, the ocean turns a deeper shade of blue, and the road runs right along the coast. But the destination that draws most people to Haleiwa is Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck, which has been serving garlic shrimp from the same battered, graffiti-covered truck since 1993.

The setup is exactly what the photos show — outdoor picnic tables, a queue that moves slowly, a truck covered in thousands of signatures from visitors over the decades. The shrimp scampi is the classic order: a dozen shrimp marinated in a secret sauce, buried in garlic butter and caramelised garlic chunks, served with two scoops of rice. It’s messy, fragrant, and completely worth the drive.

📋 Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck
Location: 66-472 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, Oahu
Hours: Daily 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Must order: Shrimp Scampi, “NO REFUNDS” Hot & Spicy Shrimp
Tip: Go early — queues build quickly at lunchtime
👉 Google Map

🥗 Poké Bar (Dice & Mix) — Waikiki

For a quick, excellent lunch in Waikiki, Poké Bar delivers. Build-your-own poké bowls — choose your base, your protein, your toppings — at prices that are reasonable by Waikiki standards. The fish is fresh, the combinations are creative, and it’s the kind of meal that feels both indulgent and virtuous at the same time. Exactly what you want after a morning in the sun.

📋 Poké Bar Dice & Mix
Location: Waikiki, Honolulu
Known for: Build-your-own poké bowls with fresh ahi tuna
👉 Google Maps

☕ Island Vintage Coffee — Açaí Bowl Worth Queuing For

Island Vintage Coffee is a Waikiki institution, and the açaí bowl is the reason most people come. Thick, generous, topped with fresh fruit, granola, and honey — it’s one of those dishes that photos don’t do justice to. The coffee is also excellent. A good morning stop before heading to the beach or out to the North Shore.

📋 Island Vintage Coffee
Location: Royal Hawaiian Center, 2201 Kalakaua Ave, Waikiki
Must order: Açaí bowl, Kona coffee
Tip: Queues form early — arrive before 9am or after 11am
👉 Google Maps

🍚 Choi’s Garden — Korean Food in Honolulu

When you need a break from Hawaiian food (or just want something deeply satisfying), Choi’s Garden delivers excellent Korean cuisine in Honolulu. The dolsot bibimbap and the Korean BBQ sets are the standouts — the banchan spread that comes alongside is generous and well-made. A reliable choice for a Korean meal that doesn’t compromise on quality.

📋 Choi’s Garden
Location: Honolulu, Oahu
Known for: Korean cuisine, dolsot bibimbap, Korean BBQ
👉 Google Maps

✅ Tips for Oahu

Rent a car for at least one day — the North Shore drive is essential and public transport doesn’t do it justice
Request a high floor at the Sheraton — the Diamond Head views dramatically improve above the 20th floor
Go to Giovanni’s early — the queue is manageable before noon and brutal after
Watch the sunset from the beach every evening — it’s different every time and never gets ordinary
Island Vintage Coffee açaí bowls: arrive before 9am or you’re waiting
Waikiki is walkable — most of the best food is within 15 minutes on foot from the main hotels

✅ Final Thoughts

Hawaii is the only place we’ve ever visited and immediately started thinking about living there. The combination of natural beauty, food, weather, and atmosphere creates something that’s hard to find elsewhere. The Sheraton Waikiki puts you in the best possible position to experience all of it — high above the beach, infinity pool facing the Pacific, Diamond Head in the window.

We’ll be back. Everyone who goes says that. It’s not a cliché — it’s just true.