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MY PARENTS picked Hawaii for our 2024 holiday trip. Simple, I thought. It’s nearby, everyone speaks English, and the warm weather means no overpacking or wrestling with winter clothes at baggage check.

When I started planning our Hawaii itinerary, one key challenge stood out: my parents are older and frail. Oahu has limitless options for outdoor activities, but I knew my elderly parents wouldn’t enjoy anything too strenuous. Even in their younger years, they were not into hiking or fitness for fun. They were hardworking immigrants, so they spent their prime juggling multiple jobs, leaving little time for leisure or hobbies.

Another challenge was sticking to a budget. The Hawaii trip was my gift to my parents, so all costs were on me — but my wallet does not puke money on demand. I needed to strike a balance between low-cost beach lounging and exploring the island’s sights.

If you’re planning a trip to Oahu with aging parents or just looking for ideas on what to do in Hawaii, here are some sights and activities my parents and I enjoyed:

➤ Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden
➤ Kahaluu Lookout
➤ Kualoa Ranch (Movie Sites Tour)
➤ Byodo-in Temple
➤ Kailua Beach
➤ Sunset Cruise
➤ Waikiki Aquarium
➤ More Beaches: Kaimana, Fort DeRussy, Kahanamoku, Waikiki
➤ Aloha Sign
➤ International Market Place
➤ Luau

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📍Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden

Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden is about a 40-minute drive from Waikiki, but the best part is it’s free to enter. With a rental car, it was easy to explore different sections of the garden at our own pace.

My parents had fun pointing out trees and birds and naming them in our native language. Despite being fluent, I often had no clue what they were talking about.

📍Kahaluu Lookout

With some time to spare, we stopped by Kahaluu Lookout to relax and take in the view of the blue waters. It was nice, though not as breathtaking as I’d expected. I grew up in a coastal town in the Philippines, so views like this feel more “typical” to me.

📍Kualoa Ranch

Visiting the Kualoa Ranch was my dad’s second favorite part of the trip. The ranch offers many activities, including a cruise, an e-bike tour, and a zipline tour. I chose the activity that’s most friendly to my older parents: the movie sites tour.

The truck we rode in had open windows, allowing us to absorb the beauty of the ranch as we bumped along the rugged roads. We made stops at a World War II bunker and a field dotted with giant fake fossils. Apparently this was where they filmed parts of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World. Our guide also pointed out locations where scenes from movies like Jumanji and 50 First Dates were shot. It was fun.

📍Byodo-in Temple

The Byodo-in Temple is a small Buddhist temple located in the Valley of the Temples. It is a replica, and the original can be found in Uji, Japan.

We visited the temple at around 4pm on a weekday, so it was not crowded. We took off our shoes and went inside the temple. My mom also lit some incense and prayed in front of Amida Buddha.

📍Kailua Beach

We stayed at a condo in Waikiki, but the best beach we visited was the Kailua Beach on the east side of the island. It sits next to the famous Lanikai Beach, which is known for its stunning sunrise views, but Kailua offers a quieter experience. It is less crowded, has public restrooms, and also offers a beautiful view of the sunrise.

I dipped my feet in the waters too, but I mostly stayed on the sand, keeping an eye on our belongings and snapping photos of my parents enjoying the moment.

📍Sunset Cruise

We got lucky with Hawaii Nautical, the cruise company I picked at random, because there were only six passengers who signed up for our timeslot, including my parents and I. The boat normally hosted up to 80 people per trip, so the captain joked that we were on a semi-private tour.

The cruise package included dinner and access to an open bar. The captain caught wind of a whale sighting too, so he steered us toward the area where other boats had gathered. We watched in awe as whales flipped their fins and spouted water from their blowholes.

As the sun set, we witnessed the horizon bathe in hues of orange while the water shimmered in gold and the day melted into dusk. It was my favorite moment.

📍Waikiki Aquarium

Waikiki Aquarium is a small aquarium by Kaimana Beach. It took us less than an hour to explore the entire place, but I think some areas were closed for renovation when we visited.

It was alright, and I didn’t expect much. It’s just that my parents had never been to an aquarium, so I figured this was worth visiting.

📍More beaches: Kaimana, Fort DeRussy, Kahanamoku, Waikiki

Staying in Waikiki gave us access to many beaches, and my parents were perfectly content simply sitting on the shore or finding a shady bench under a tree. We spent hours relaxing by the water, wandering through nearby shops and hotel lobbies, and watching the sun peek out from and slip behind the clouds.

📍Aloha Sign

My parents saw a photo of the Aloha Sign on Facebook, so I brought them here. It’s searchable on Google Maps, though you have to enter through the ABC Store by Kalakaua Avenue and Ohua Avenue. Just walk straight through the store and this should be easy-peasy to find.

📍International Market Place

Among all the shops at Kalakaua Avenue, a popular shopping strip in Waikiki, we spent the most time at a mall called International Market Place. It’s an upscale mall with fancy restaurants on the top floor. There’s also giant trees inside the mall, which I really liked.

📍Luau

When I explained to my parents what a luau is, I compared it to a fiesta in the Philippines — a feast with food, music, and dancing. Traditionally, luaus were community celebrations for victories and special occasions, similar to how Filipinos have fiestas to celebrate a town’s patron saint. These days, however, luaus have become more commercialized, offering tourists a chance to experience traditional Hawaiian culture for a price.

My mom and I went to a luau (my dad couldn’t go because he got sick). My mom loved it. The hosts welcomed us with fresh flower leis, the food was okay, and the show was kind of informative. The luau we went to was not known for being “authentic”, but I still found it entertaining.

There were other places in my Oahu itinerary that we weren’t able to visit because my dad started coughing his lungs out (he’s okay now). There’s the Dole Plantation, the Swap Meet at the Aloha Stadium, and the Waimea Waterfalls, among others.

I ended up taking some time to explore on my own too and even met with an old friend who’s now living in Waikiki. He suggested I return for a hiking and camping adventure — he’s become more outdoorsy since moving to the island and even has his own camping gear, tent and all. Ah man, I can’t wait to go back.