Honolulu 20 years later!

Hunauma Bay Nature Preserve, Diamond Head Crater, Sunset Beach, Nuuanu Valley Rain Forest

Quick Tips:

I purchased an entertainment book before I left and saved enough money just eating dinner at the Hilton to pay for the book. The book contains coupons for all of the islands, so it is a bit hard to navigate. I was glad I had a month to go through the book before arriving on the island.

Best Way To Get Around:

Public transportation is cheap, but if you want to get to the other side of the island, rent a car.

We stayed in the Tapa Tower. The room was nice, with a king-size bed and a wet-bar, and the view from the balcony was breathtaking. During the day, it was a perfect ocean view, and at night, the city lights were awesome. However, if you expect to hear the surf, think again! Two words come to mind when describing the sound you hear when relaxing on the balcony: noise pollution. The noise of the buses, trolley horns, and the beeping signaling a vehicle backing up are the only sounds you will hear. As the sun sets and the traffic begins to slow, the sounds are replaced by the various "live entertainment" shows at the hotels. If you want to hear the ocean, you need to be up at 3am, which should not be a problem on the first or even second night, as the six-hour time change from EST is difficult to get accustomed to. On the positive side, the grounds are beautiful, and there are stores and several restaurants to choose from.

On our first full day on the island, we headed to Hunauma Bay Nature Preserve. Edged by a 2,000-foot golden beach, Hanauma Bay is Oahu’s prime snorkeling destination.

I had read to arrive early, but it took longer than we expected to reach the park. We arrived at 9:45am and did not have a problem parking. The parking fee is $1, which is refundable if you are only stopping to take photos (you have 15 minutes to exit). If you opt to stay at the beach ($5 admission/pp), you are required to view a mandatory video to access the beach.

The video is 8 minutes long and is repeated every 15 minutes. We waited about 25 minutes to watch the video, and the room was very crowded. I flashed back to a recent visit to WDW. When the film broke out into song to the tune of "Under the Sea", that idea was confirmed.

After leaving the theater, you have the option of walking down the hill or taking the tram for an additional 50 cents. Even with the hoards of people descending the hill every 15 minutes the beach remained relatively uncrowed.

If you didn't bring snorkeling gear, no worries--you can rent a face mask and fins right on the beach.

While snorkeling, you must be careful not to step on any of the reefs, but you are rewarded by the beautiful fish that will swim right up to you. It is not uncommon to feel them nibbling on your bathing suit. It is a wonderful experience.

Hanauma Bay is open 6am to 7pm daily and closed Tuesday. If you plan to return, be sure to sign a log book, and you will not have to view the video a second time. Parking is limited, so arrive early.

Diamond Head was named by English sailors who found calcite crystals in the rocks and thought they were diamonds (sorry, no diamonds here).

Bring plenty of water--I can't stress that enough. The temperature here is hotter than at the beach. The path is a dirt trail that is a series of switchbacks up the side of the mountain. At the halfway point, there is a concrete landing with some photo opportunites. It is here that you are fooled into thinking you have almost made it to the top. Then you encounter a steep staircase (74 steps), which leads into a 225-foot-long tunnel. Guess what--a second staircase with 99 steps is now facing you! You have almost made it! You will encounter a spiral staircase, and then you will have made it. You can get a certificate that shows you made it to the top! Gee, did I mention that you have to climb out what I remember to be a hole to actually see the view? Now you have the option to climb one more set of steps to get to the very top observation area. Yes, the views are incredible!

Link to the offical site to download a brochure:
http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dsp/brochures/DiamondHeadSM.pdf