Living Ocean Tours – Snorkelling, Lookouts and More

It’s finally time to recap the last two days of our January trip—five months later… oops! 😅 Since I wasn’t the trip planner (more on that in a sec), and we packed so much into the nearly four weeks we were away. I had to go back, retrace my steps, and piece it all together. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss any of the details. Most days, we managed to squeeze in more than one amazing place. And we didn’t slow down at the end either—with snorkelling (we went with Living Ocean Tours and they were brilliant), a visit to the Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout, dinner at the iconic Duke’s, and a surprise stop at Hanauma Bay.

Turns out, I was exactly like that person from those funny Instagram reels — you know, the one who just shows up because someone else did all the organising. If we had a script, it would go something like:

“Hi, I’m my cousin J. I organised the flights, booked the accommodation, sorted the car hire, planned the road trip, booked the snorkelling adventure, secured our movie tour, mapped out hikes, and figured out which amazing places we’d visit—every single day.”

“Hi, I’m Ruth.”

So today, I’m covering our snorkelling trip, dinner at Duke’s, the Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout, and that surprise visit to Hanauma Bay. Let’s go!

Snorkelling with Living Ocean Tours

This was only the second time I’d ever been snorkelling. The first was on my honeymoon, where I stayed safely near the edge of a beach on Lord Howe Island, with both feet firmly planted in the sand.

Before this trip, I’d never actually been out snorkelling in the open ocean. So yes, I was a little bit terrified. But since we’d booked it before leaving Sydney, I had time to mentally prepare. I listened to plenty of guided audio that helped me move past the fear and enjoy the experience. Instead of worrying about you know, things like drowning, getting lost in the ocean, or being eaten by a shark.

Why Living Ocean Tours Was a Win

Living Ocean Tours was absolutely fantastic! The crew were friendly, welcoming, and clearly passionate about marine life. The boat was clean and well-maintained, with a restroom on board. There was also plenty of space to relax, and good shade for when the sun was too much. All the gear was in top shape, and they even provided snacks and drinks!

Everything was laid out and ready to go when we boarded—clean, clearly labelled snorkel gear, and crew helping everyone get fitted. Nothing makes my heart sing more than when I see a setup this perfectly organised—haha!

Our Deluxe Waikiki Snorkeling and Wildlife Cruise

We did their Deluxe Waikiki Snorkeling and Wildlife Cruise, which took us out from Kewalo Basin, cruising along the coast of Waikiki toward Diamond Head.

We stopped at a stunning coral reef (nicknamed Turtle Canyon), where we spent over an hour in the water. It was such an incredible experience to see schools of colourful fish and vibrant coral. We also spotted a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle.

And because we were there during winter, we were lucky enough to see a humpback whale!

One of the crew members even brought up an octopus for us to see up close.

Thoughtful Extras That Made a Big Difference

Living Ocean Tours also did all those thoughtful little things that made such a big difference. Like providing anti-fog spray for the goggles and offering a whole range of floating devices. I stuck to the bright yellow banana float that wrapped around under my arms as if my life depended on it. Because it really and truly did!

For the super adventurous souls, there was a very fast, fun slide — my cousins who went on it told me all about it later. As well as pink mats (lily pads) to lounge on.

Living Ocean Tours also run whale-watching cruises and sunset sails—and I’d choose them again in a heartbeat. I can’t recommend them enough!

Duke’s

I’m pretty sure we were all riding on a huge high after getting off the boat—what a spectacular day! And it wasn’t over yet. We walked along Waikiki and ended up at Duke’s, which was absolutely buzzing with so many people.

We had drinks and shared some chips and guacamole while we waited for our table.

Before long, we were called and sat outside, enjoying the band playing fun cover songs in the background.

The sun started to set, so I went out onto the beach, right at the edge of the restaurant, to take it all in. It was one of those soft, golden Hawaiian sunsets you see in a movie—except it was real, and we were in it.

I stayed until the buildings along the shore began to twinkle.

The tiki torches were lit, and I made my way back to the table for dessert.

Our Last Day

We began our last day at Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout on a very windy, cold, and foggy day. From there, we saw panoramic views mainly of Oahu’s windward (eastern) side—hence the strong wind! As well as lush valleys, cliffs, and the Kaneohe Bay area.

All over Oahu, we saw cats and chickens just roaming around–so interesting and unlike anything I’ve ever seen over here. A lot of the time, the poor cats only had one eye—maybe the chickens were responsible… who knows? They were right there to greet us at Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout. Ha!

Hanauma Bay

Hanauma Bay was on our list of maybe places to visit. We’d heard it was stunning for snorkelling, but since we already had our tour booked with Living Ocean Tours, we didn’t think we’d actually make it there. It’s a protected nature preserve and only allows a limited number of visitors each day—plus, it’s ticketed, so you usually need to book well in advance.

Still, we thought we’d go and chance it—just in case. We didn’t expect to be able to walk up and get a ticket… but we did! So we jumped on the tram and made our way down to the bay, feeling pretty lucky!

Cousin E and I decided to sit on the beach while the rest of the cousins went snorkelling. I’d had the most amazing time the day before, so I was more than happy to sit this one out and relax on the beach. The view was beautiful, and once the clouds lifted, we were treated to a spectacular blue sky.

Snorkel Rental Tip — Don’t Be Late!

The cousins finished snorkelling after a couple of hours and headed back to the kiosk to return their hired gear, just as it was shutting for the day.

Part of the hiring process involves handing over some ID, which you only get back once you return the equipment. The cousins had handed over their passports, so I’m not sure what we would’ve done if they hadn’t made it back just as the shutters were coming down. We were flying home the next day on an early flight—yikes!

It was a pretty big detail we completely missed!

Heads-up if you’re visiting: the snorkel rental kiosk at Hanauma Bay usually closes around 3 p.m., even though the preserve itself doesn’t close until 4 p.m. We’d assumed the kiosk would stay open just as long—but nope! Visitors are encouraged to start packing up by 3:30 to leave the preserve, and if you get to the kiosk after 3 p.m., there’s no way to return your gear or collect your ID until the next day. So make sure you give yourself plenty of time!

It’s a Wrap!

And that’s a wrap on our Cousin Connect 2025 Adventure! We flew out of Honolulu early Monday morning.

And due to the magic of the time zone jump, we touched down in Sydney on Tuesday evening.

I was happy to be home for about two minutes before the post-holiday blues hit hard. I missed the excitement of waking up to new adventures nearly every morning for almost four weeks, and more than anything, I missed my cousins. Our two families had gotten so used to hanging out together every day!

The whole trip was absolutely incredible, and I loved every second of it. We all did! And if you’re wondering what it’s like travelling as a bigger crew, that post is coming soon. Here’s a hint: We’d do it all again tomorrow because it was that much fun!

Thanks for coming along on our Cousin Connect 2025 Adventure! Want to relive the whole trip? Here are my other recaps:

• Cousin Connect 2025: Our Adventure Begins
• A Day of Surprises, Including the LA Fires
• Disneyland
• Universal Studios
• Death Valley and Valley of Fire State Park
• Hiking The Narrows
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Arizona and Utah
• The Grand Canyon and Desert View Watchtower
• The Grand Canyon to Las Vegas
• Hawaii –  Dole Plantation 
• Visiting Aulani Disney Resort
• Kualoa Ranch
• A Visit to The Byodo-In Temple