WEST
THE COASTAL RETREAT
The wesT coast is so unlike the other corners of Oahu that it feels like a different island altogether. Mountains give way to timid hills and valleys that disappear into the ocean, while roads wind through corridors of sugarcane fields swaying in the wind. A drive along the dry, sunburnt Leeward Coast is a good idea but to really unlock its wild charms, going off the land and into the warm waves is mandatory.
Wild Side Specialty Tours’ (sailhawaii. com) Best of the West boat excursion skirts along the rustic coastline, giving you bewitching views of the 70-metre-high Mauna Lahilahi – often referred to as “the world’s smallest mountain”. More importantly, it offers the chance to snorkel with dolphins, come face to face with green sea turtles and, if the stars align, watch enormous, majestic humpback whales breaching the surface.
No trip to this part of Oahu is complete without a visit to sacred Kaena Point, the westernmost tip of the island, where, they say, the souls of ancient Hawaiians jumped off into the Pacific Ocean to reunite with those of their ancestors. The only way to get here is to walk through Kaena Point State Park. While the eight-kilometre ocean-hugging round trip is moderately challenging, it’s arduous on a blistering day so visit in the morning or, better still, late afternoon in time for a glorious sunset.
Stay
Featuring a string of man-made lagoons and more than two kilometres of beachside pathways, the ocean-facing resort enclave of Ko Olina is also home to a clutch of holiday retreats. Chief among them is the Four Seasons (hotel.qantas. com.au/fourseasonsoahu), its airy lobby circling around a soaring atrium. Ocean-View Rooms feature banana-leaf wall coverings (a nod to Hawaii’s great outdoors) and spacious ensuites with twin sinks, while Mountain-View Rooms peer over the Waianae Range. There’s a 24-hour gym, five tennis courts, three pools and gardens dotted with spa treatment rooms.
Eat
There’s a range of dining options at the Four Seasons – from the relaxed Waterman Bar & Grill to the beachside Fish House – but the most coveted is Noe (noeitalian. com), hailed as the hottest new fine-diner on Oahu. Chef Ryo Takatsuka’s Amalfi-inspired fare ranges from crumbed veal laced with a champagne-lemon dressing to Burgundy-braised beef balls in a decadent marinara. The menu is supported by a cast of 800 wines, including vintage Dom Pérignon and Tuscan sangiovese. Enjoy dining inside the stately restaurant or take a table outside under trees strung with hanging lanterns.