Hello,

I'm planning a trip the first week of January to Oahu. We will be renting a car one weekday and driving around the island. We're interested in Pearl Harbor and the North Shore. Most of the info I've found online recommends driving around the island counter-clockwise. However, since I would like to visit Pearl Harbor in the morning and then continue to the North Shore and then head back down the island on the windward side, I will be going the clockwise direction. Any reason I shouldn't take this route? Will I still be able to see the ocean driving down the windward side if I look out the driver side? How will the traffic be? Thanks.

I can't imagine why you can't drive clockwise. Please do everyone on the road a favor and don't look out the drivers side to see the ocean while you are driving. There are lots of places to pull over and look.

Depending on when you go to Pearl Harbor, they may be concerned about driving with the sun in your eyes.

YMMV, but I found the traffic to be manageable with the exception of H1. I've driven in worse traffic but not very often. It may have just been a bad day, but I found driving in downtown Honolulu easier than H1.

Have a good trip.

Mike Honeycutt

If you are driving to Pearl Harbor in the morning, the sun will be to your back. As for driving clockwise....there's no earth-shaking reason not to do it that way.

If you are driving clockwise on Oahu then the ocean will ALWAYS be on your left and even though you'll be in the "inside" lane you'll be able to see it.

You'd want to see sunset over the ocean, wouldn't you? Then you'd want to be either at a North Shore beach or up towards Waianae. Of course, you could wind up back at Waikiki for sunset, I guess - not sure what you plan is.

You might want to think about going to Pearl Harbor a different day (not your car rental day) There is so much beauty on the North Shore, and places to stop (Dole Plantation, Polynesian Cultural Center and the great beaches to sit and watch the surfers) that just the North Shore can be a whole day... It is easy enough to get to Pearl Harbor using public transportation....say on a different day. Just an idea.

I would recommend spending 1 day going up to the North Shore through the middle of the island so you can stop at the Pineapple Plantation. There is plenty to do and see on the North Shore that you could easily spend a day there. Then spend another day circling the eastern side of the island so you aren't rushed and can make stops.

Enjoy!

From Pearl Harbor, get on H-1 East to Likelike. Take it to Kaneohe. And go counterclockwise.

You are much better off going counterclockwise. Almost all of your turns will be to the right, so it will be easy getting off & back on the highway. You are not looking through other cars to see the ocean.

Any time you save by going clockwise from Pearl Harbor will be lost & then some because of waiting to make left turns to the beach & left turns back onto the highway. Because people have to wait to make left turns off the highway, sometimes traffic gets backed up if you are going clockwise. It doesn't get backed up as much going counterclockwise.