★ Michael's Pick
Dole Plantation
Central Oahu
Why it’s a Pick: the classic central-Oahu family stop — train, maze, and gardens, plus the Dole Whip that made this place a pilgrimage.
See the guide →Michael's Picks
The ten places that carry Michael's Pick badge — the snorkeling, the history, the views, the hidden spots.
Ten places, one badge
Every guide on this site is a place Michael has been — but ten of them carry his gold Michael's Pick badge. This page collects them: each card shows the place's own photo and the reason it earned the badge, in the words of its guide. Tap any card for the full guide.
★ Michael's Pick
★ Michael's Pick
Hanauma Bay
East Honolulu
Why it’s a Pick: the best beginner snorkeling on Oahu — if you work the reservation right.
See the guide →
★ Michael's Pick
Ka'ena Point
Leeward
Why it’s a Pick: Oahu’s westernmost tip — a sanctuary where monk seals and seabirds live year-round, earned on a five-mile round trip with no shade and no water.
See the guide →
★ Michael's Pick
Laniakea (Turtle Beach)
North Shore
Why it’s a Pick: the one place on the island where green sea turtles haul out and bask on the sand, all year round.
See the guide →
★ Michael's Pick
Lanikai Beach
Windward
Why it’s a Pick: powder-soft sand and calm turquoise water under the Mokulua islands — the postcard, in person.
See the guide →
★ Michael's Pick
Mermaid Caves
Waianae Coast
Why it’s a Pick: when conditions are right, the water inside the caves glows turquoise — pure magic, and unlike anywhere else on the island.
See the guide →
★ Michael's Pick
Pearl Harbor
Central Oahu
Why it’s a Pick: the one that stays with you — if you do only one thing on Oahu, stand over the Arizona.
See the guide →
★ Michael's Pick
Polynesian Cultural Center
Windward
Why it’s a Pick: six island villages by day and the best evening show on Oahu by night — a full day, not an afternoon stop.
See the guide →
★ Michael's Pick
Shark's Cove
North Shore
Why it’s a Pick: in summer this is the North Shore’s best snorkeling — tide pools packed with fish in a protected marine conservation district.
See the guide →
★ Michael's Pick
Waikiki Beach
Waikiki
Why it’s a Pick: the most famous sand on the island — come at sunrise, when the sun rises over Diamond Head and the crowds haven’t, and it’s the best free show on Oahu.
See the guide →