Aloha Honolulu

In August of 2017, I got invited to spend my best friend's birthday in Hawaii so of course I said "yes!" We wanted to explore as much of the island as we could so here are some of my Oahu highlights that I think everyone should see while visiting the island!

MANOA FALLS

First day in Honolulu we hiked Manoa Falls bright and early! This trail is roughly 1.6 miles, fairly easy to moderate trail. The entire hike you are surrounded by lush surroundings, green as far as the eyes can see. The photo below is one that took on the way back from the falls, this is what the views are like the whole way there and back, so beautiful! They have landmarks along the trail to explain the different plant life, flowers, birds, etc.

You come to the end of the trail once you reach Manoa Falls. In front of you is a 150 ft cascading waterfall with a shallow pool. It's a little difficult to get to the waterfall, especially if you want a good picture you'll have to climb some rocks but it is definitely worth it!

KOKO HEAD TRAIL

If you love hiking as much as I do, this next hiking trail might challenge that! Koko Head trail was a monster and I'm not exaggerating! We woke up early and got to the trail around 7am because we heard it takes a while to complete. It is the real-life stair master, challenging you to climb over 1,000 steps to reach the top! The trail used to be an old railway during WWII so when you are hiking up the steps, you are really hiking up old rail road tracks. The trail starts off really easy then it gradually becomes harder and steeper. At one point I felt like I was at a 90 degree angle, using everything in me to climb this mountain! We took a lot of breaks, probably after each 80-100 stairs we climbed, catching our breath and taking in the scenic views along the way. Eventually you reach the top and it is worth that crazy hike! At the top, you have 360 panoramic views to gawk at, seeing the beautiful views of Oahu. If you want a challenging hike with a great payoff, I definitely recommend Koko Head.

This was taken on top of one of the lookout pillbox bunkers left from the military.

LANIKAI BEACH

We went to Lanikai towards the end of the trip, in some ways, saving the best for last. Lanakai is ranked as one the best beaches in the world and it is because it's by far the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. The sand is so soft with clear, warm, blue waters as far as the eyes can see. We spent most of the day here and I did not want to leave. I recommend coming early as the beach tends to get crowded towards the late afternoon. The picture below is one that I took walking the beach, taking in this "Heavenly Ocean".