Firstly, this blog is the second part of a two week trip that I took to the USA, spending a week in Las Vegas and then Hawaii. If you haven’t managed to read the first part of this trip in the previous blog, then the link for that is here. Now if you’re all caught up, let’s dive straight back into the action with the continuation of day 7.
Day 7 – Continued
Apart from the pool side relaxing in the morning, not a lot else happened. I flew from Las Vegas via Los Angeles, taking around 9 hour with American Airlines. If I’m honest, I didn’t realise how far off the west coast of California, Hawaii was! However the length of travel really brought it into perspective for me. When I arrived at the airport though I was fortunate enough to have a friend who was also visiting the island, who was kind enough to offer me a lift from the airport to the hostel. This I was very grateful for as it made my life a lot easier in tackling the journey that is at least 20 minutes in a car, meaning less thinking after another spell of travel and certainly keeping the travel expenses lower. It also provided the opportunity for a quick catch up.
Rocking up at the hostel, things weren’t too exciting compared to where I’d just been and I must admit that was, surprisingly, needed. I checked in, dropped my bags in my room and found a group of people still up and having a few drinks outside so decided to grab myself something to drink as I joined them and got to know some new people after my new instilled social confidence! For me, this is the best way to get to know new people, even if it does take some confidence in yourself to go up to people you’ve never met before and just introduce yourself but once you break that first barrier, you get comfortable and realise that those around you are just looking to do the same.
Day 8
Recovering from my week in Las Vegas, a late night and moving another two hours back in timezones, I missed out on breakfast at the hostel so headed out to LuLu’s Waikiki for brunch. LuLu’s Waikiki was a lovely open-air restaurant that over looks Waikiki beach and serves a collection of American and Hawaiian dishes. For me, the meal that was ordered was brilliant value for money, very satisfying and full of flavour and I would certainly recommend as a place to go for breakfast/brunch and I’m sure the other meals served there are just as good!
I hadn’t really researched what I wanted to do whilst in Oahu so I spent the morning after my breakfast seeing what was on offer locally to get my teeth into, as I sat and enjoyed my cup of tea (fresh teabags brought from home) in the warm sunshine on the roof top terrace at the hostel. Wanting to get out and see as much of the island as possible, I guess the best place for that would be up high and away from the city. Due to its proximity to Waikiki beach and being just over an hour to the top from where I was, I decided that I was going to take a solo trek to the top of Diamond Head trail, overlooking Waikiki and Honolulu down below.
One of many volcanic craters on the island, it was used as an outpost for the military during World War Two, building a bunker within the crater side and since has become a state monument. Obviously for the most the main feature is the end of the trail, giving a fantastic lookout over Waikiki beach down below as well as the skyline of Honolulu, meeting the delightfully blue sea. The lookout area does give you a brilliant spot to stop and take everything in though be warned that it is pretty small and gets crowded easily. However the trail up to the lookout also gives you a picturesque walk through some of the greener areas of Hawaii (not that you’re short of them) and lookouts over the less human influenced landscapes on offer.
The afternoon and early evening was spent walking along the the main road that runs through the middle of Waikiki and seeing what sort of things were in the surrounding area as well as hunt for a gym to continue with my training. Unfortunately I was unable to find a gym that could accommodate me but did find out that the road played host to the shopping area. During my walk, I did shamelessly try out the McDonald’s to see if there was much difference and to be able to get a cheap meal. Turns out with a Hawaiian McDonalds, you get a serving of pineapple with their meals, which I could certainly get onside with to be more worldwide but apart from that, there’s not much difference.
Travel Tip: Luckily I was told before I made the mistake but the police on the island of Oahu are very hot on fining tourists for jaywalking. This is a frustrating concept as the laws in the UK are completely different so I find it pointless having to stand and wait for a light to tell me I can cross the road when there’s clearly nothing there! So as a warning, in particular to those from the UK, don’t fall foul of this law! I’ve heard it’s not cheap either!
Day 9
This time I actually managed to get up in time for the hostel breakfast and spent it speaking to those there to see what other people were planning on doing, either looking for inspiration or to join in on the fun that they had lined up. I was in luck and found a group of people heading out to Manoa Falls. This was only a quick drive away from the hostel, around 20 minutes, and just meant that we all chipped in for the hire car used.
The trail itself was a pretty short one compared to some other walks that I’ve done in the past but it was certainly scenic as you went very quickly from the manmade infrastructure into the jungles, providing you views of the mountains in the far distance as well as the interesting array of vegetation on offer. This trail led up to the falls themselves, stretching high above, with a fairly large pool at the base of it. If you’re looking for an easy waterfall trail to do, this is certainly one; short and sweet! Though if looking for one where you can swim at the base of it, you’ll be disappointed due to an abundance of rocks in the pool.
After the morning’s adventure, it was time to chill out for once and to soak in the rays on the world renowned Waikiki beach, with a spot of swimming in the sea. It was nice to finally stop and let me body recover from the hectic time I’d been having in both Las Vegas and initially here. Using a combination of relaxing on the white sands of the beach and (gently, as this is meant to be rest time) swimming in the sea, my body definitely thanked me for this!
However one thing that it didn’t thank me for was the cuts I ended up getting when I headed into the water and was met by the shallow coral where we set up camp. My advise would be to ensure that you have clear swimming channels before heading in. But when I wasn’t losing my skin to the obstacles underneath, the feeling was amazing to be in the warming sun whilst in the refreshing waves of the sea. It was a perfect way to spend the afternoon.
After my investigation along the high street proved fruitless in me finding a gym to use just for the week the day before, I got myself outside and looking for outdoor gym that Google had pointed out. I was in luck! Down the road from the hostel that I was staying in, located at the edge of Kapi’olani Regional Park (which is a lovely park to walk through by the way) and only a stone’s throw from the sea front, there was an outdoor callisthenics “gym” or set of bars, which played host to my workout for the evening as the sunset. I never get bored of sunsets, there’s just something entrancing about them. All whilst being to get your body moving keeping you mentally and physically in shape, what more could you need in life?
The evening was spent planning the next day’s adventure, which was going to be a group activity but due to the nature of the task meant that we had to do some in-depth planning to make sure that everything went smoothly for us. This entailed us all sitting down, planning what we needed, timings, route we were going to take and what our plan B was going to be if things went wrong. With an early wake up planned, we headed for an early night so we were full of energy for the next day. Want to know what we were doing? You best read on!
Day 10
A very early start for us to go out and tackle the task that we had set ourselves for that morning. I must admit, I did have a few second thoughts as the alarm went off at 0230 in the morning about what I was doing but I couldn’t let down the others and when else would I be able to get to do this? Sometimes you have to have a bit of risk in your life and get the adrenaline pumping.
Disclaimer: As enjoyable of a hike that is was, a sense of adventure and a thrilling way to experience it by doing it the genuine way, I would not advocate for anyone to break the law. There are ways that you can enjoy the scenery on offer through other means that joins up to the top of this hike and can be found online. However, again this route's legality and safety is debated. This goes for any hike but if you are to be taking that route then you must ensure that the weather is favourable and that you have the right kit with you for any occurrence. Mountains and ridges are dangerous places. If you can, take someone with you that has local knowledge. I do hope that the hike can be reopened in the future to be enjoyed by the many though.
Now you must be wondering what exactly it was that had gotten me up at that time the morning that was so risky? Well, that would be the (in)famous Stairway to Heaven, aka the Haiku Steps. What was once a World War Two radio station to help in the war effort against Japan, became a hike until the 1980s whereby it was closed down and was never reopened, much to the protest of many. There have been efforts to reopen it, even with the suggestion of up to $100 entrance fees. However even with the threat of legal action, this hasn’t deterred hikers who continue to do it to experience the views that can be seen from the stairs.
The journey just to the bottom of the stairs was tough enough on its own! Having to tackle bamboo jungles, locally built booby traps, treacherous mud banks and nothing but a sense of direction to get there, as well as pretty much walking into the security guard in his car to give us a fright. But finally, after 2 hours of wrong turns, getting lost and tackling our obstacles, we made it to the bottom of the stairs, minus maybe 50 or so. Now all that stood between us was around 3,872 (3,922 in total) steps.
With much of the staircase being like a normal staircase, it was relatively easy going if you’re in decent shape, with the odd section resembling more of a ladder. Thankfully it was dry for us but with the cloud cover and local climate, it was very humid meaning it was a sweaty affair. During our ascent, there was a perfect platform that allowed a quick rest, rehydrate and turned out to be timed just about right to allow us to witness the latter stages of sunrise over the bay below us. The first of many spectacular views!
Once we continued upwards, we encountered the clouds that covered the top third of the hike. This wasn’t very conducive to having the brilliant views of the landscape below that I was promised but it made the steps come across very eerie and definitely gave you a sense of going into the unknown with the restricted visibility causing the emergence of different landmarks along the path to suddenly occur. Further up, there was less jungle around us and only a shear drop off either side of the ridge that the staircase runs along.
Upon approaching the top of the hike, where the old radio tower sits, we were given the fright of our life when some others who’d made the early morning pilgrimage came out of the radio shack, shouting “Welcome to the Stairway to Heaven!”. It certainly wasn’t what we were expecting when you arrived at the top! As stated earlier and unfortunately for us, the cloud cover was ruining the view that we were supposed to have from up there but still, there was a definite feeling of accomplishment for getting there. We waited around for about 30 minutes up there, hoping that cloud would clear a bit whilst taking a good look around.
Returning back to the stairway to go to where you once came, and even though we knew what to expect, there was still a sense of the unknown and eeriness about the route back down. One of the best parts of this adventure was when we came back down through the clouds to see the Jurassic Park-esque landscape open up in front of us in the glory of the sun. It was utterly breathtaking, whilst also seeing the ridge that we were on top of stretching out down below us, emphasised by the stairway running along the top of them. It was these sorts of images that still stick with me and bring a smile to my face.
On the way down, to mark the occasion and memory of what we had just done together, we took a team photo with the wonderful background stretching out behind us. We finished the journey back down, retreated to the safety of the town nearby and sat waiting for our Uber back to Waikiki in our sweaty… wait no; very sweaty and slightly ripped (you served me well shorts) state. Once we were back at the hostel, we were able to enjoy a well deserved shower and shared our story with those who were awaiting return, inspiring the next batch of people from the hostel to go, ensuring to relay the message of the risks at hand.
If I’m honest, the rest of the day had nothing on the morning’s events and was spent relaxing, refuelling and plotting the next adventure or two before I left this wonderful place.
Day 11
What a final full day I had in this wonderful place! I think this day still stands out as the best day that I’ve ever had whilst travelling to this day. It was quite amazing that it all fell into place how it did but I’m grateful to those that were with me and whom without them, I wouldn’t have been able to have such a day.
As we were sat having breakfast at the hostel, several of us were discussing what we wanted to do during our last few days, each with a different idea of what to do. Between us we wanted to go to a nature reserve, go for a hike and explore the islands some more and head to a beach for some rock jumping and check out the north coast. After some deliberation, we came up with a plan on how we could make this possible. So this is what we did…
Once breakfast was finished, we all packed a rucksack for the day and all reconvened at the reception to find our American friend with a hire car, ready to go! (We had all agreed to pay a quarter of the fee.) For our first activity of the day, we headed along the south coast of the island to south eastern tip. “Where were you going?” You might ask. To which I shall answer, “We were off to go snorkelling at the Hanauma Bay Nature Reserve!”
Only half an hour drive from our hostel and obviously on the coast (though what isn’t on the coast here?), this bay has formed within a volcanic cone and now plays host to a nature reserve that has been working on marine life conservation and being an underwater park since 1967. With a marine education centre at the entrance to the park, it requires visitors to sit and watch a 9 minute video to ensure that they can preserve the park and conduct themselves safely, whilst also learning about the marine life living there now.
For the entrance fee that you have to pay ($7.50), there’s plenty for you to do. Want to just sit on the beach, soak up the rays and admire the beauty of the landscape above the water? Easy and it was voted number 1 beach in the whole of the USA in 2016. Want to grab a snorkel kit and get under the water to see what’s around? Highly recommended. Want to learn about the marine life and how they are conserved? Then head on into the education centre to find out more! Or want to just go for your standard swim in the sea, in a sheltered bay? You’ve found the right spot!
I went all out and bought a snorkel set ($20) to get under the water and get up close and personal with the life that’s down there. It was interesting to not only see how they reacted to each other but also to the intrusion of the humans. For me it was well worth and just another excuse to get into the water under the glorious Hawaiian sun.
Snorkelling finished, sun rays soaked up and time to move on to the next adventure for the day, which was only a stone’s throw from Hanauma Bay, and that was to hike up Koko Head Trail. What was once a railway track that was used to move personnel and supplies to military bunkers that were built during World War Two, it is now a 1048 step hike (counting the track’s ties) to the edge of the Koko Head crater, providing spectacular views over the coastline and nearby towns. I’ll allow the pictures to explain how good the view is! Due to it’s proximity to Hanauma Bay, this is a great double adventure that you can do without having to put in too much extra logistical effort to fill at least a morning.
You’d think it would be a short and sweet hike but it’s quite the opposite! Yes, it is short in length but there’s a lot of incline. You’ll certainly feel the burn in your legs after but I must tell you that it’s worth it! Oh boy, is it worth it! Due to the nature of the steps, grippy footwear is required so that you don’t have any dramas. In places, you are able to divert from the track through the bushes too . One other challenge on the route is the bridge! With a drop of 40ft, it is a fairly high so care is to be taken and may be off putting for those who have a fear of heights but it’s easily negotiated. If you really don’t want to tackle it, you’re able to use an alternative route through the bushes to the side.
Travel Tip: Even though the thrill of jumping off somewhere high into water is exhilarating and is something that I always look to do, it does have an element of danger to it so you must be careful. For me, not only do I research the best places to go with plenty of testimonies, when I get there I ensure that the water is deep enough and that I’m comfortable with the height. Hitting something in the water or landing badly can bring about serious injuries!
There I was, stood on the top of the big rock at Waimea beach and nothing could have beaten that moment. With the sea air in my nostrils, the gentle breeze caressing my skin and the setting sun’s golden hue lighting up the terrific Hawaiian landscape extending out behind and across the crystal blue sea stretching out to the horizon in front of me. For me, there’s nothing better than just sitting there and taking it all in and getting lost in the peacefulness of the moment.
As the sun continued to set, we proceeded to join some of the locals in jumping off the top of the rock down into the sea below us, feeling the brief rush of flying through the air before the splash of hitting the water. One of our quartet didn’t feel like joining in with the jumping and wanted to sit enjoy the moment on the beach. She did manage to take some tremendous pictures of us silhouetted against the sunset that for me, perfectly tells the story of the evening.
Even as I sit here and write about the experience, the memories it conjures up are some of the purest and happiest that I’ve ever had and would go back to that moment in a heartbeat. For me, it was the best way to round off a tremendous trip!
Day 12
Here it was and how quickly it had already come round, my last day on this amazing island and what a place it was! I’d had had such a tremendous time here and if I’m honest, didn’t want to leave. The vibe, the scenery, the wide array of things to do and the weather were making me want to leave my life behind back in the UK and make this a mainstay. So should you ever travel here, be warned that you’ll most likely fall under the same spell.
With it being my last day, I had a few things still to tick off on my to do list. Though the first thing I needed to do was make the most of the favourable exchange rate from £ to $ and replace the sunglasses that I had stupidly left in the door pocket in the hire car! An expensive more for sure!
Once I had got that out of the way, I wanted to check out a location that was significant to both the history of the USA and the whole world. This place was Pearl Harbour. This place was the location that experienced one of the largest events to change the path of World War Two and has since become a museum to the past events that took place here as well as a memorial to those who sadly lost their lives on that day.
With an evening flight, I was able to ensure I got the most out of my visit to here, being able to not only pay my respects to those that lost their lives on that infamous day in history but learn first hand about the happenings that took place, not relying on the depictions that I had seen in films, and see the kind of ships and submarines inside and out that were used by the US Navy in World War Two. Much like the USS Midway museum that I headed to whilst in San Diego, if you are interested in your military history, then this is certainly the place for you go to!
With plenty of time on my hands, I made sure that I got every last drop out of the experience as I could have before I made the short journey over to the airport to check in with plenty of time to spare then it was time to sit and think about the joy that this whole trip had brought me before I went though the process of the going through security, making sure I was stocked up on food and boarded my flight back to Los Angeles for the first flight of a total 30 hours journey back!
Day 13
As part of the journey back, this meant a 13 hour holdover at Los Angeles airport. Unfortunately I was unable to make the most of my time in LA on the way due to a lack of finances and anything that would be decent to do being in a walkable distance from the airport. I would have loved to have made the most of my time in LA however instead I got to hang out at the airport, which is still not a bad place at all with plenty on offer there. There’s a plethora of lounges which you could pay to head into to satisfy your comfort, thirst and appetite. If you are unable to afford such a thing, there’s a vast amount of comfortable seating in the rest of the airport to chill out on, kill some time watching something or potentially sleep. As for food and drinks, there’s a very wide range of places to eat and drink to everyone’s liking, ensuring you can get whatever you heart, stomach and mouth desires.
Travel Tip: If you have a long holdover in an airport, make sure that you prepare for it with what you pack in your hand luggage as well as what you’re going to do. You may not be able to fit a full outfit change in there but some travel sized toiletries and a clean pair of underwear can make all the difference for that second leg of the journey and onwards. Also check the facilities that are on offer at the airport that you’re going to. LAX doesn’t have any public shower facilities so I made sure that I had access to a lounge so I could freshen up. Definitely recommended! As for making the most of the city that you’re stopping in, again plan ahead with what needs to happen with your luggage, where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. This could give you a bonus place ticked off of places you’ve been.
Now if I had had the finances to be able to venture out into the city, I would have personally headed to Santa Monica or Venice Beach, which is only a short drive away of up to 45 minutes (if traffic is kind to you) but can be quite pricey should you get a taxi, charging in the region of $50 to $60 to get to at least Venice Beach. If you want somewhere in walking distance, there are a couple of beaches nearby such as Playa del Rey beach and Dockweiler beach, but I wouldn’t particularly recommend venturing too far into the local area due to the neighbourhoods nearby. Another consideration is what you do with luggage if you’re having to self transfer it and there isn’t any luggage storage at LAX. The nearest facility is a 5-10 minute drive or 40 minute walk away and isn’t the cheapest of places.
There we have it! The end of another chapter in my travelling stories. For me, this trip felt a lot more fulfilling in a lot of ways compared to the other ones that I’ve been on and even more fulfilling than some trips I’ve been on since but I think that latter point is due to where I was. This trip was the first where I had gone completely solo, which was a daunting task and something I was very worried about at first but in the end I met some great people with whom I’m still good friends with. Along with that, I had full control over what I wanted to do and pretty much did everything I wanted to do in the time that I had with a great mix of activities, whilst gaining some brilliant life experiences. All in all, an all round wonderful trip!
The next batch of blogs will be going back to covering short weekends that I did away in Europe either with friends from work or with those who already lived in the cities that I visited so follow the Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages for updates for every one of those as they come in the future!
