Oahu Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Snorkel, Surf from Waikiki to the North Shore

Family vacation Oahu

We took our three kids to Oahu last week. We didn't want to spend the whole week at Ko Olina so expanded our horizons with the Trailblazer book. Having good directions to all the beaches on this island sure maximized our time and opened our eyes to places that introduced us to the locals and where they have all the fun. This guide is worth reading.

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A terrific score

Oahu at our feet. We would have been lost without this guidebook. It was very user friendly and we were able to wander everywhere always knowing we were going in the right direction. These authors write excellent directions and obviously love the island.

If you're considering going further than Honolulu and Waikiki, this guide will take you there and you won't miss a thing.

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A guide loaded with itinerary ideas

If you know where to go, you can find paradise on Oahu. If you get off the freeway and on the two lane roads you'd be amazed to find island life so laid back. We stuck like glue to the directions inside and every day there was a new surprise. Hiking: you've got to have this guide cause it's so carefully laid out, organized and links to where you happen to be. We always were led to something interesting within just a few miles of the main activity we chose for the day (like Chinaman's Hat where there's a park, beach, ranch and tropical garden all within a few miles. Maps: it has all that we needed. Oahu Trailblazer gave us lots of options from playing in the Waikiki surf to watching gliders soar over our heads as we hiked up a trail on the north shore.

Our friends couldn't believe we got so much in during our week there.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Total coverage of Oahu

A super cool guide that took the anxiety out of arriving - this was our first visit to Oahu. We knew the beaches we wanted to hit weeks before getting there. Lanikai was first on the list after Waikiki. The water was unbelievably blue, perfect for kayaking. Where they excel is directions, very detailed. They even include driving maps so you don't lose the way. Endless hiking options too.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Oahu Trailblazer recommendation

We are happy customers. When the book arrived we got really excited about going. The photos jumped off the pages. These trailblazers have every mile covered, even Wainae where most tourists don't know about. We chose to stay in Waikiki and spent three days walking all over, our nose in these pages. Our surfing lessons, sunset on Waikiki Beach, there's nothing like it!

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The Best Outdoor Activity Guidebook to Oahu

There are four activity guidebooks in this wonderful series: Oahu Trailblazer, Hawaii the Big Island Trailblazer, Kauai Trailblazer, and Maui Trailblazer (there is also a great planning guide to all the islands called No Worries Hawaii). I have been reviewing guidebooks for many years (and, in fact, wrote several well-received guides to travel guides in the pre-Internet era) and I can say without reservation that these four books are the best available for Hawaii. The authors, Jerry and Janine Sprout, have been roaming the Hawaiian islands for decades and taking a lot of useful notes and beautiful photos along the way. All of this translates into a wonderful, informative read (I've read them all cover to cover) even if you're only an armchair traveler dreaming of a vacation in the land of aloha. You¿ll learn a lot about these magical, magnificent places in addition to the activities that best meet your needs. No matter which island you pick, each book is similarly organized and equally well done. And the black-and-white photos are a joy. (If you're not sure where you're headed, their planning guide, No Worries Hawaii, can help you decide which island to head for and what part of that island makes the most sense). Important tip: Be sure to read the ¿How to Use This Book¿ section to learn how to get the most out these great resource books. And don¿t miss the ¿Best Of¿ section, which is divided into lots of useful categories from waterfall walks, big views, and sunset beaches to town strolls, gardens, and perfect places with little walking¿there is something here for everyone. There are also good maps to orient you. Driving and parking directions are excellent¿no small trick in a place where the only sign to tell you you¿ve arrived may be a small mile marker along the highway. You¿ll definitely want to learn two new, directional words, which are very helpful in a land surrounded by water: makai¿meaning ¿toward the ocean,¿ and mauka¿meaning ¿inland or toward the mountains.¿ Read carefully, follow along and the Sprouts will get you to some places few tourists ever go. Each walk or hike provides parking instructions, round-trip distances, elevation gained, and other practical information. Hiking/walking directions are also very well done. In general, you won¿t need a topographical map, but for more serious hikes some folks may feel more comfortable with one. Other activities at each location, such as surfing, biking, snorkeling, are carefully described as well. Practical information on every possible subject includes great driving tours, the best stuff for kids, climate, important resource numbers, and cryptic but very well chosen lists of the best food and lodging choices in each area. Whatever all-purpose guide you choose, don¿t visit the islands without the appropriate Trailblazer guide in hand. It will make all the difference.

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Indepth Oahu guide

I found this book exciting and full of information that you don't normally get. To really see Oahu you have to dig in and explore the small side roads using their driving directions. One such place was Queen Emma's Summer Palace which is way off the tourist track. You'll miss it if you don't know the exact pali highway turnoff. We hiked the Judd Trail that is closeby which made a nice two-fer.

Preparation and organizing is always important to us so we know what we're in store for. These Trailblazer authors made it so easy to pick and choose the adventure for the day. I recommend you take it along.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A five star guide for the whole island

We enjoyed using this book. For surfers and snorkelers and hikers it's a gotta have. We spent our entire vacation discovering some of the most obscure beautiful beaches that locals keep a secret and hiking trails that tour companies keep a secret. The authors laid out a nice mix of outdoor adventures + history walks around downtown and Waikiki. It sure loaded up our camera with gorgeous images and gave us a much needed break from the stressed out world back home. I gave the Oahu Trailblazer five stars in all the categories because it deserves it. BTW, it gets 5 stars for accuracy too. They've even included basic maps inside.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The only way to see the entire island

We got our money's worth on our trip to Oahu. This is a vacation we had been waiting for all year and planning it was alot of fun with the Oahu Trailblazer. After two days of Waikiki and Honolulu glam we rented a car and circled up to Kailua and points north staying at Turtle Bay. There we really relaxed, hiked and surfed. The guide turned us on to adventure after adventure and after 7 days there still remained more to see. It has large maps, photos of every beach, hidden waterfalls and turn by turn directions to easy as well as strenuous walks. This island is busy, jumping with action and beautiful. This guide came highly recommended by friends and we are in total agreement that it's a gem.

One week Oahu, one week Maui

I Googled our escape and for all the right reasons decided on the Trailblazer series because they concentrate on outdoor sports. Their expertise doling out all the hotspots and local lore were unparalleled. The milemarker guiding system was a lifesaver and we even went to the north of the island where the beaches were heavenly. It was hard to put the camera down. Their maps were very helpful and they didn't scrimp on photos. High recommendation on this one as well as their Maui guide.

covers all the adventure possibilities

We went searching for the perfect beach after spending our first on Waikiki. We brought along 2 other guidebooks and this is the one that got to the heart of what we were on the lookout for. The photos give you a taste of what's in store. Tuning into their directions that are on the same page gets you right to the location. If you're thinking of driving around on Oahu, you'll need this guide. A real timesaver, real accurate and upbeat. An adventuresports multitasker.

Favourite Guidebooks

We have traveled to two islands, both times with these Trailblazer guides. Why we like them: the way they're organized. It makes driving so easy. They get you to where you want to go the most direct way, better and more accurately than our GPS. At first we thought we could learn about Oahu on the internet but all those leads eventually ended up in advertising for accommodations or activity tours.

We used the Oahu Trailblazer last month. It is credible and straighforward and the sites it took us to were breathtaking. Some were 10 minute jaunts and some took half a day. One hike took us to an old abandoned highway high above the windward side, the view was fabulous.

Many of the trails on Oahu are not really marked as you're driving along. You definitely need to know about them just like the locals. Turn by turn the Trailblazers got us right where we needed to be and park. The North Shore beaches are worth the trip. They're all marked on maps in the book.

Their Maui and Kauai guides were fantastic resources too. Quality products.

The other side of Oahu

Since our plane made a transfer here we decided to stay for three nights before heading over to Kauai. Reading this guide laid out all there was to do so we could sketch out a fast itinerary. More fun that we ever expected. There were some beautiful white sand beaches that amazed us. Be sure to make Lanikai Beach one of your stops, magazine cover worthy. Directions inside for a hike to a crest that is off the usual radar and made coming to Oahu worth the extra effort since our main agenda was seeing Kauai.

Best Oahu Guidebook

I'm a teacher and when information is well organized in a book like this I am impressed. With it, our family got a total education before we left home. The island has so much history.

Oahu Trailblazer is loaded with advice and skads of free activities. It's a hiking guide, a snorkeling guide, a sightseeng guide all in one. We liked the way it walked us through the streets of Honolulu with its Iolani Palace and Chinatown. It opened our eyes to new places we had never seen on two previous visits. If you are curious to explore beyond Waikiki, I'd recommend picking through all the jewels this one offers.

Ten Stars - Recommended - Perfect Fit

We honeymooned on Oahu. This gives you great up to date references and great photographs, maps, directions. We drove around the island and it was easy to make stops at the beaches as we went through the pages. It was like going on a tour but getting out and walking around for as long as we wanted.

Great reading on the flight over.

Outstanding

You'll need the maps and exact directions to all the beaches and snorkeling areas on Oahu so this is the one guidebook that we favored. We wanted an adventure vacation and that's what this book is built on. It's organized in a unique layout that makes everything easy to find. We like spontaneity, getting up early and exploring on our own time, so this guide suited us perfectly.

Our Best Friend on Oahu

I am so happy that we found this new Oahu Trailblazer! I ended up reading practically the whole thing on the flight over (and perusing al the photos!) and we were ready to roll once we got to our hotel. We are self-starters and explore a lot, but I can honestly say we would have missed a ton of good stuff if we didn't have this book. And for all the well-know places (Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, Polynesian Cultura Center, Hanauma Bay) we got details and advice that made us feel like insiders, not tourists. We brought along several books (liked Fodors for restaurants) but this one was definitely our faithful co-pilot. It is well-written and orgainized: it does not shout at you or deliver sales pitches or smarmy criticism. If you're headed to Oahu, this is money well spent. BTW: We also took the author's advice and bought the thick mapbook to navigate. The directions and descriptions in Oahu Trailblazer are spot on, but it helps to navigated Oahu's weird roads if you have a good supplemental map.

Destination Oahu

This was a spectacular trip to Oahu, all of it. We got full value because we studied all the maps and read it cover to cover before leaving. My wife is the organizer and I'm happy that she tagged all the pages of must sees as well as the maps. There's even a walking tour of Honolulu. Getting beyond Waikiki was well worth it.

This guide is a real deal

We wouldn't have been brave enough to drive out of Honolulu and see all this island's sites without being guided by the Trailblazer. This guide includes maps plus all the navigational directions for maneuvering the high speed freeways. Liberal use of photos.

THe beaches: great recommendations The hikes: directions plus photos, plus orientation maps. In the end we felt we got a total look at this complex gorgeous island. Waikiki, Chinatown, Pearl Harbor, Kailua and Lanikai, we didn't miss a thing. Like having a personal friend on Oahu show you around.

Cool, lots of layers

The stuff inside filled our itinerary right up. Lots of energy in this guide. We saw so much and took plenty of beach breaks. We hit all the highlights as well as the non- postcardy stops. Oahu Trailblazer kept us on track and stretched our gas allowance.