Our flight back to Oahu passed quickly. This time, on the right side of the plane, we could see the islands of Maui, Lanai, and Molokai, where lepers were once exiled. Ahead of us is the North Shore, the largest natural maze in the world – the Pineapple Garden Maze, the east and southeast of the island with beautiful white beaches, and of course Waikiki. We will visit the national cemetery in the Punchbowl crater and take another look at Pearl Harbor on the USS Missouri ship. At the end of our trip, it’s time for the last spending spree and endless shopping.
Contents
Day 14 – Waikiki Beach
Day 15 – National Cemetery, Pineapple Garden Maze, and Waimea Bay
Day 16 – Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout, Temple Valley, and northern beaches
Day 17 – Koko Crater, Makapuu Point, and Lanikai Beach
Day 18 – USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor
Day 19 – Early departure
Waikiki Beach
At the airport, we rented a car from Dollar. They tried to tempt us with a convertible Mustang since it was quite hot outside, but the price quickly cooled us off. We ended up taking a 4×4 Jeep, which was not bad at all. We headed back to our familiar hotel, White Sands. Compared to the Big Island, it felt like pure luxury. We had to pay an extra $90 for parking, but what can you do. After a quick lunch, we headed to Waikiki Beach. Finally, the weather was as it should be in Hawaii, with the sun shining brightly as we swam in the ocean. As time passed, the beach started to narrow, so if you weren’t careful, your towel would quickly get soaked. A sightseeing boat announced its departure with a loud horn. Today, we’re taking it easy and not overloading our schedule.
National Cemetery, Pineapple Garden Maze, and Waimea Bay
Our daily toast and coffee, you were truly missed. We allowed ourselves a quick check of Facebook and then we were ready to go. The first stop of the day was the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific situated within the Punchbowl crater. The cemetery is filled with graves marked by stone tablets with names, and some even with the inscription “Unknown.” We also had the opportunity to witness how they speed up the process of laying down grass. They actually brought in squares of turf on a truck.
We continue further north on the island. Along the way, there are pineapple [plantations at Dole](http://www.dole-plantation.com/), where it’s definitely worth stopping. For the first time, I saw that pineapples can be red or yellow. From a signpost, you can learn that New Zealand is 4394 miles away. The main attraction is undoubtedly the [Pineapple Garden Maze](http://www.google.com/search?q=pineapple+garden+maze). It is the largest natural maze in the world listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 2008. At the beginning, you receive a paper with 9 squares, a pencil, and you search for boxes with corresponding symbols in the maze. We managed to find about 5 of them, and we spent over an hour walking around.
TIP: You should insert the paper into the box and trace the symbol with a pencil.
After a long walk, it would be nice to take a dip. We say goodbye to the plantations and head to the North Shore to [Waimea Bay](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waimea_Bay,_Hawaii). It is a surfers’ beach with plenty of waves, so we had some fun. On the left side of the beach, there is a huge rock where mainly people gather to jump into the water. Alternatively, you can climb it and return back like I did. We move on by car. There is only one large commercial hotel, Turtle Bay Resort, on the north coast. The name might suggest it’s all about turtles, but we didn’t see a single one. We lay down at [Bayview Beach](http://www.to-hawaii.com/oahu/beaches/bayviewbeach.php) right next to the hotel. It’s a smaller beach, but if you want to take a short swim, it’s no problem. Our tour of the north coast for today ends, but we have one more day reserved for it. On the way home, we stop at Mokolii Island, also known asChinaman’s hat.
TIP: Photo with the “hat”
The island is only 500m away, but while swimming you may encounter hammerhead sharks. We end a demanding day with a great dinner and head back to the city for some shopping.
Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout, Temple Valley, and Northern Beaches
Today’s program is clear, North Shore from the opposite side. But first, a hearty breakfast 🙂 We get into our Jeep and head towards the Pali Highway, where there is a turnoff for the lookout.Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout. You will be treated to a beautiful panoramic view of the northeast coast and Kaneohe Bay. We cannot say if it’s a rule, but it was incredibly windy there. The parking lot is paid, but if you stay only a few minutes, you can easily take the risk like we did. We continued further into the Temple Valley. The most dominant feature is the Buddhist temple Byodo-In Temple. You have the opportunity to strike the gong on the large bell or explore the temple from the inside. Shoes must be removed before entering. The surrounding environment with a pond, swans, and we even saw two little turtles was nicely done.
Jim Beam purchased, a healthy lunch at McDonald’s, and off to the beach. Specifically Kahana Bay, a beach amidst large green hills. Here, the water is shallow for a long way, only up to the knees, and the best part was that we were almost entirely alone on the beach. Some managed to take a nap, and we continue further. Next beach.Kokololio Beach was not suitable for swimming due to strong waves. We took some photos and continued along the coast to the Polynesian Cultural Center. The original inhabitants of Hawaii were Polynesians, so this center is dedicated to their culture. Some performances start at sunset, but the price of around $50 was a bit discouraging. Our journey then led us to Laie Point, which wasn’t even on our itinerary. A beautiful natural phenomenon in the form of a rock window in the cliffs. On the other side of the cliff, there was a bit of a spectacle as boys were jumping from a rock about 10 meters high into the water. Our final stop was the beach Malaekahana, where we also didn’t swim because of the strong waves. At the end of the day, our female crew members got their share of joy, just mentioning 3 hours of shopping.
Koko Crater, Makapuu Point, and Lanikai Beach
Beautiful sunny weather right in the morning, what more could we wish for. We get in the car and head towards Koko Crater on the southwest side of the island. At its bottom lies the beautiful Koko Crater Botanical Garden. You can pick up a map from the mailbox at the entrance. The loop around the crater is divided according to continents such as Africa, America, Hawaii, and Madagascar. Allocate at least an hour for this pleasant walk, there is really a lot to admire. Right after the crater, we have another mini-tour planned. We park the car on the main road in the parking lot and continue on foot from there. At the end of the road is a lookout point and also the easternmost point of the island, Makapuu Point.
TIP: Makapuu Point is one of the most beautiful panoramic viewpoints on the island.
You have Makapuu, Kaupo, and Waimanalo beaches right at your fingertips. The perfect picture is completed by “Rabbit Island” Manana Island. On the other side, you can see the lighthouse. If you haven’t had enough walking, there is a path leading directly to the lighthouse. Heading back to the car, it’s time to dive into the water. A destination of beautiful white sandy beaches with azure blue water is Waimanalo Beach. A paradise on earth, we even encountered a fresh groom and bride here. The beach is similar to Kailua Beach, where we will be heading shortly. The most adventurous ones managed to visit Lanikai Beach and left a Nokia stylus there as a souvenir 🙂 This beach has 11 access points in the form of paths between houses, but most of the time you end up on private property. People are building luxurious villas here, encroaching more and more on the beach.
TIP: The best way to get to Lanikai Beach is by taking the third path.
We return to Honolulu pleasantly tired and head to the city for a fancy dinner.
USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor
We reserve the entire morning for the ship USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor. We leave our belongings in the locker room, pay the entrance fee, and are driven by bus to Ford Island, where the USS Missouri is anchored. The USS Missouri warship was built during World War II and served until the Persian Gulf War in 1991. It was decommissioned in 1992 and has been part of the museum at Pearl Harbor since 1998. The tour begins on deck and continues through the lower decks. We spent about two hours exploring the ship. In the afternoon, we go shopping at the Ala Moana Shopping Center as promised. It is the largest shopping center in Hawaii, and if you don’t know what to do with your money, you will definitely spend it here. We return to our hotel. While the sun was still shining, we say goodbye to Waikiki Beach. Our last swim at this world-famous beach, and slowly we start packing. The last night is ahead of us, and it will be hard to fall asleep. We want to stay in this paradise on Earth a little longer.
Morning Departure
We have a 7:25 departure, drop off the car at the airport and proceed to go through the necessary airport checks. This time we should only see our luggage in Budapest. The first leg is a flight from Honolulu with American Airlines. However, things got a bit complicated for us in Los Angeles. A volcano erupted in Iceland, causing transatlantic flights to take a detour. As a result, the flight was delayed and we would have missed our connection in Paris. Air France promptly arranged the next flight from Paris for us and rebooked our luggage. We were a bit anxious whether we would still see it. The endless transatlantic flight seemed to pass faster this time, perhaps because we knew what to expect. From Paris, we flew with the Hungarian airline Malev. The return flight took a total of two days due to the time difference. Our most challenging expedition is successfully behind us, and the feeling is indescribable.
