Lanikai comes from the Hawaiian language, which means "heavenly ocean" (or sea). This beach is located on the East Side of Oahu, fairly close to Kailua Beach Park. Lanikai Beach is ranked as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world! I must say myself, it is my favorite beach in Oahu. The water is still, clear as pool water, great place to snorkel, and you can also paddleboat out to the Mokalua Islands.
Because it is a residential area, there are no signs stating where the entrance to the beach is. There is honestly no signs that say 'Lanikai Beach'. However, there are alley's between the residential homes that will take you directly to the beach. In Hawaii, if your home in on the beach, your backyard is open to the public. So if you would like to have a beach home one day in Hawaii, your backyard belongs to everyone. Gotta spread the Aloha guys. :)
There are some days the water can be a bit mercy, that is caused by rainfall. Usually when it rains the day before the water won't be as clear as most days. But it is still beautiful, the water still feels amazing, and the current... well there really isn't one.
If you are renting a car, google maps or Maps is available and will take you there. All you have to do is find parking and avoid parking where it says "No Parking" because you will get towed. You can also take public transportation AKA The Bus. There is a bus that will take you directly to Lanikai Beach. Usually the bus drivers that take you out there are pretty nice, just ask politely where you need to get off and they will tell you. There is also an app called 'Da Bus' that will tell you the times and routes of all the buses in Oahu. If you have an iPhone, on your maps, type in the location, hit Get Directions, you will see the map and the route you need to follow. At the bottom you will see "Drive, Walk, Transit, Ride". Click on transit and it will give you the buses you can take to your destination along with what time they will be arriving. If you want to Uber or Lyft they are also available in Oahu, not sure how much the cost is, but the bus is only $5 for an all day pass which isn't bad at all.
Remember, there is a lot of life out in Hawaii. All islands, doesn't matter which one you go to. If you are taking food or snacks please throw away your trash. Animals don't deserve to suffer because you couldn't throw your trash away. Please be a responsible human, for you wouldn't like someone to litter in your home. The Golden Rule applies to everyone including all life on our planet.
Hope this post was helpful. You guys have a great weekend and an awesome day! Aloha everyone!
-Amy 🌺