Aloha from Paradise! Last year a friend and I traveled to Hawaii on Christmas and I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun we had. There’s a total of 8 main islands that make up the state of Hawaii. 6 of the 8 islands are welcome to tourists. We spent 4 nights in Oahu and 1 night in Maui.
At first this was not my first choice for vacation but I’m really glad I came around to the idea. What I loved most about Honolulu was the perfect balance between city and nature. On one side you could spend time on Waikiki beach – a heavily populated area with all sorts of restaurants, high end boutiques and lively late-night hotspots. On the other side, if you drive a little further from all the hustle and bustle you’ll discover sacred waterfalls, the greenest cascading mountains, lush jungles, an abundance of culture and history. There were moments I felt like I transported back to the Jurassic time period. The experience was amazing and the scenery takes your breath away.
How could I ever forget soo many great memories from beach hopping , island hopping, connecting with locals at the bar and partying it up, karaokeing top down on the road to Hana, driving above the clouds at 30k feet and hiking dormant volcanoes, narrowly missing our flight back to Honolulu from Maui, photo shoots on black sand, exploring hidden coves, cursed out by a security guard for taking photos at hoomaluhia garden, laying out on the beach after dark, our friendly and patient Uber driver who drove us around to multiple places educating us about Hawaiian culture, gas station stops for junk food and cheap wine, loss of cell service, toasting to life at the 4 seasons. If you’ve never been, I hope this inspires you to someday visit Hawaii and create a story of your own to one day share.
List of places we went to along with places I wrote down
(asterisks = places we went to)
HONOLULU
Waimanalo Beach * –
Ho’omaluhia Garden * – botanical garden
Hanauma Bay * – Formed within a volcanic cone, marine ecosystem
Byodo-In Temple * – Buddhist temple
Makapu’u Beach – Great view of the beach from above at the Makapu’u Lookout
Kailua Beach – 7 min from Lanikai, ranks as the second most beautiful out of all the Oahu Beaches
Lanikai Beach * – one of the prettiest beaches in Oahu, Lanikai means “heaven ocean” in the Hawaiian language
Sandy Beach – known for its excellent bodyboarding and bodysurfing opportunities
Halona Cove & Blow Hole * – visitors can see ocean water shoot 30 feet into the air from a lava tube, created thousands of years ago when molten lava tubes were formed from volcanic eruptions
Tiki’s Grill & Bar – oceanside spot for Hawaiian fare, cocktails & live music
Mai Tai Bar * – beachfront bar, festive, umbrella cocktails, appetizers & music, Kalakaua Ave
The Study – chic cocktail lounge, grown & sexy vibe, upscale, live music
Sky Waikiki – 19 story rooftop bar & restaurant
Addiction Nightclub * – Chic, upscale club
Nextdoor or District Nightclub * – both are popular dance clubs, I do not remember which one we went to I was a drunk mess lol but I believe it was one of these two after researching
Nu’uanu Pali Lookout – Historical landmark from 1795 featuring panoramic lookout with coastal cliff & mountain peak views
Paiko Coffee Shop – Floral boutique with locally sourced plants, flowers & botanical workshops, plus a gift shop & café
Pearl Harbor – naval base and headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, In U.S. history the name recalls the surprise Japanese air attack on December 7, 1941, that temporarily crippled the U.S. Fleet and resulted in the United States’ entry into World War II
Manoa Falls – 150-foot waterfall located along the Manoa Falls Trail, filming locations of Jurassic Park and the television show LOST, 1/2hr hike, 1.6/1.7 miles
MAUI
Haleakala National Park* – takes a few hours to get to but beautiful scenery the entire drive, home to the dormant Haleakalā Volcano and endangered Hawaiian geese, Haleakala National Park is home to Maui’s highest peak. Rising 10,023 (3,005 m) feet above sea level, Haleakala means “house of the sun” and is where demigod Maui lassoed the sun, slowing its passage so people had more time to dry kapa (cloth) and grow food. The dormant volcano’s “crater” is actually a valley carved by erosion
Black Sand beach* – Wai’ānapanapa, which means glistening waters, its the famous black sand beach and has stunning coastal views
Makena Beach* – also known as BIG beach, one of Maui’s signature beaches, Wide long beach with plenty of space, The sand turns pinkish orange at sunset
Little Beach* – is a clothing-optional beach in Makena State Park, Secluded stretch of sand, surrounded by gnarled trees, for swimming & body boarding
Wailea Beach – Wailea means “the water of Lea”, the goddess of canoe makers, great for activities such as sunbathing, swimming & snorkeling
HumuHumu* – seasonal Polynesian & Hawaiian cuisine, beachfront bar, upscale
Ferraro’s Bar E Ristorante* – inside the four seasons, contemporary Italian dishes using fresh local Maui ingredients, oceanside, live music, perfect for special occasions
Waimoku Falls – at the end of pipiwai trail , above 7 sacred pools, 1.8 mile trail, 400ft waterfall at the end of the 4-mile round-trip Pipiwai Trail in the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park in East Maui
Bamboo Forest Hike – also along the pipiwai trail, encloses a stream with 4 waterfalls, It is found on the Hana Highway (mile marker 6.5)
Other Places and Activities of Interest
Helicopter tour of the island
Quick plane ride to another island – early and late flight time options
Diamond Head Crater Hike – one of the easier hikes in Honolulu
Koko Crater Trail – abandoned railroad track
Attend a Luau
Wailua Falls – located on Kauai island
Hawaii 2018
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