After the lush greenery of Waimea Valley, we were ready to hit up the beach. Our condo was a few blocks walk from Waikiki Beach which is filled with tourists and beachgoers. We really wanted a more secluded, serene beach scene so we did a little research and decided to check out Lanikai Beach in the town of Kailua on the windward coast of Oahu. It’s a small beach – about half a mile; and consistently ranked one of the best beaches in the world. In fact, we loved it so much we went back the next day, too.

TIPS: If you are planning to visit Lanikai Beach, please be aware that there are no restrooms, showers, or lifeguards on duty. Also, the parking is strictly neighborhood parking only. There are no public parking lots. We parked in the neighborhood without a problem, however, we were there on weekdays not the weekend.

Speaking of magical feelings, this was the view walking to the beach from the road.

20 seconds of us walking toward the beach via SnapChat

Lanikai is ideal for toddlers because of the tiny waves and the super soft white sand! Although she is a Southern California girl, K has only been to the beach a handful of times (I know, I know). She was a little intimidated by the ocean, so she opted to stay on the shore and blow bubbles and play with sand toys in the beginning, but slowly got braver and braver. 

Day Two

We opted to stop for a bite to eat at the Kailua Whole Foods in town. I wanted some familiar healthy food, because we had been stuffing ourselves silly with tons of Hawaiian food and my stomach couldn’t take much more. After a quick lunch, we ventured to Lanikai again. 

As you can see, K was much more comfortable with the ocean by our second day. 

I could probably post dozens of photos, but I’ll stop here. Lanikai was truly the highlight of our trip and we can’t stop dreaming about its sheer natural beauty and calm waters. There were quite a few happy moments on that beach that I will treasure for a very long time! 

Up Next: A Couple of Oahu’s Kid-Friendly Attractions!