Aside from visiting many great hotels in Hawaii, I was able to get out and enjoy many of the sites throughout Oahu. One of my favorite places in Oahu was Turtle Beach. Turtle Beach should not be confused with Turtle Bay, the hotel-resort located further north on the North Shore. Turtle Beach is a very small beach on Highway 83 (Kamehaneha Hwy) just a couple of miles passed the towns of Waialua and Haleiwa. If you’re driving along the highway you can’t miss it (watch for several cars parked on either side of the road).
Turtle Beach should not be confused with Turtle Bay, the hotel-resort located further north on the North Shore.
Turtle Beach is not a great beach for swimming or surfing, but as the name implies, there are plenty of turtles here. When we arrived, we saw several turtles swimming in the waves, and they would occassionally pop their heads up for air. This was pretty cool.
Further down the beach on the northern most part is where several turtles (I am told 28 regulars) come up to the beach to bask in the sun. When I was there, there were no fewer than 6 green sea turtles on the beach. These turtles were, to my surprise, absolutely massive. Probably 36″ in length or longer, and weighing a couple hundred pounds.
The sea turtles are a protected species and I understand that humans are not allowed to come within 6″ of them. There is actually an organization of volunteers who put a rope around the turtles to ensure tourists don’t get to close. Some say this ruins the experience but I think this is a good thing. But what you are allowed to do is snorkel with them while maintaining that 6″ distance. I jumped in the water and what a site to see. At one point, a turtle passed right under me, only inches from my face.
If you are staying at Turtle Bay or, as most people, in the Waikiki area, Turtle Beach is well worth a visit. From our hotel at the Waikiki Banyan, the drive to Turtle Beach was exactly 1 hour. On the way home, it took a little longer but we got stuck in typical Honolulu traffic.
Enjoy these photos of the turtles and the area.
Saving Money on Hawaii Hotels
Resort Fees: As you may know, most hotels in Waikiki and throughout Hawaii all charge a resort fee. Once only a few dollars per night, resort fees now exceed $25 per night at many hotels and resorts. To find out how much resort fees are charge at your hotel, check out ResortFeeChecker. It’s better to know ahead of time than to be surprised with a bill for a few hundred dollars you were not expecting.
Priceline Hotels: One of the cheapest ways to book a hotel room is to use Priceline’s bidding system, Name Your Own Price. However, there are some risks involved when booking hotels on Priceline. Namely, you don’t know the name of your hotel until after you make your purchase. A great way to find out the name of your hotel is to use the Priceline Hawaii list of hotels. This will give you a pretty good idea of what hotels come up frequently and therefore what hotels you’re likely to get
Hotwire: An alternative to Priceline, Hotwire also keeps the name of the hotel secret until after you buy. Use the Hotwire Hawaii lists to figure out what hotel you may get on Hotwire.