What do you imagine when you hear the phrase "paradise island"? I imagine Hawaii because the place is really unique. It has such a pleasant sunny climate, unusual landscapes that can truly surprise even great travelers. Another thing that struck me was how close to people unusual and exotic representatives of the local fauna live: on the beaches you can watch large turtles, amazing bright birds, and schools of dolphins. The terrain of the island is great for active walks and hiking, and many of the beaches collected in this travel scenario are perfect for surfing and water skiing. This trip is suitable for one and all, adults and children, just keep in mind that visiting certain places requires some physical training.
The first day, or rather, the evening on the largest of the Hawaiian Islands was quite calm - we rented a car, checked into a hotel and had dinner in a restaurant on the beach. If you have more free time, go to the beach and enjoy swimming in the ocean.
Most cafes and restaurants on the island look pretty simple, but serve surprisingly tasty food. Slices of fruit are added to many snacks, salads and main dishes, which gives the regular food a fresh coat of paint.
Today is going to be a very interesting and eventfulday. Perhaps the main event of the day is a visit to an authentic settlement, where you can explore the traditions of the local people. Then go to the beach to see fish, turtles and even dolphins up close. Before visiting the beach, I advise you to buy a mask and shoes for diving to make your rest as comfortable as possible.
There are a lot of cafes and restaurants nearby, but Peaberry & Galette is notable for two factors: firstly, it opens at seven am, which is very convenient for those who plan to get up early and go on an exciting journey around the island, and secondly, they cook here delicious thin pancakes with different toppings. You can take one with strawberry and whipped cream, or with bacon and avocado, for gourmands there is an option with ice cream and syrup, for those who like more hearty breakfast - with ham and mushrooms.
Well, this place is definitely worth a visit during a trip to Hawaii! Pu'uhonua o Honaunau is a historical park with so fantastic atmosphere, a real living story. Here you can explore the customs and crafts of indigenous peoples, surrounded by an amazing volcanic landscape. I find the carved statues of local deities so impressive, they look really unusual!
The Two Step beach, located near Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, is not very familiar to our comprehension of beaches; there is no sandy placers, umbrellas and deck chairs. But this place is perfect for swimming and diving - the marine life here - fish, shellfish and large turtles - is real and plain to see.
Hawaiian style fast food. Really fine place with delicious and fresh food and excellent cold drinks. The standard Fish & Chips menu is diluted with local fruits and vegetables. The interior of the cafe is Hawaiian motley: bright tablecloths, panels by local artists, various souvenirs are also sold here.
Walk along the paths of Kealakekua Bay Park and climb the mountain at least to enjoy wonderful views of the turquoise ocean. If you are not a fan of hiking, or are not too confident in your physical fitness, take a walk along the coast and try to find a monument to the landing of James Cook.
Big fat burgers are worth visiting Rebel Kitchen! There are both meat ones and those suitable for vegetarians. The restaurant’s menu offers a large number of salads as well, and the signature spicy sauces are just great here, by the way, I bought a couple of bottles as a gift.
Hawaii offer unusual landscapes and natural diversity. Once here, there's no leaving the beach, but to slightly diversify your vacation, in addition to relaxing by the ocean, go to the farm where sea horses are bred.
Kahalu'u Beach is covered with dark volcanic sand, it looks quite unusual. And taking a dip in the water, one can see bright fish. The bottom here is quite rocky, so diving slippers would be beneficial.
Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish of chopped tuna or octopus, served with an abundance of sauce, seasonings and spices. Unusual, but tasty, and you can also have rice or quinoa, vegetable salad and chuka with sesame seeds on the side.
One of the best places to watch slow green sea turtles and unusual birds. If you are interested in not only looking at the representatives of the animal world, but also learning interesting facts about them, there are a lot of information signs telling about both rare local animals and important historical events of the island along the coast.
Although the name of the cafe says that it serves Neapolitan pizza, you can get the Hawaiian vibes here - warm, friendly service, a huge number of toppings and spices in pizza, positive music and a welcoming atmosphere. If we were not in a hurry to visit the farm where seahorses are bred, we could have stayed longer, but we ordered some takeout pizza and set off to meet new experiences.
Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm is not an aquarium familiar to our comprehension, it offers no giant aquariums and hundreds of representatives of the underwater world from different ecosystems. But here you can learn extremely interesting facts about the population of seahorses, see various types of these unusual creatures, and even hold them in your hands. Our tour began at 2 pm, but, as we were told, the time of the excursions depends on the season, and you'd better check it on the web-site.
Upon arrival to Hawaii, my goal was to check out as much beaches as possible and swim a lot in the ocean waves. And Makalawena has become one of my favorite beaches on the island. The road to get there is pretty rough, but it was worth it. It offers just paradise views, the water is very clean and warm, and the waves are great for surfing.
The only thing better than an evening by the ocean with cocktails and live music is the same evening with best friends. All the dishes that we ordered, in my opinion, were very tasty, so I can’t single out one, it’s up to your taste, if you want something more familiar, you can take burgers, tacos, or fried meat with nachos, and if you want to try more traditional dishes, there are several kinds of poke.
Today we visit several beaches that look truly unique, for example, the sand of one of them is colored rare green. And on the way to an unusual beach, we check out the national park to once again be amazed at the diversity of local nature.
Cafe perfect for an early breakfast. Delicious smoothies and fruit salads with granola are prepared here - great options to get a vitamin boost and start the day in a positive way.
Each beach on the island looks unique in its own way. This one, for example, is notable for being surrounded by black rocks with bright green plant life, in my opinion, this is a great place for an unusual photo shoot.
If you have not yet learned what homemade Hawaiian food is, you urgently need to visit Ka'aloa's Super J's Authentic Hawaiian Food! When visiting the cafe, I got the impression that I was not in a cafe, but at my friends' place, and they cooked very simple, but incredibly tasty dishes. Another plus is that you can order some takeout in a plastic container for a road snack.
Both the park and the road to it look very picturesque, if you are fond of photography, you will definitely fall in love with these landscapes as much as I do and take hundreds of pictures during a trip and walk. The landscape is quite diverse, there are endless fields with wind generators in the distance, and hills and rocky terrain closer to the ocean.
Papakōlea Beach is known for its unusual sand color, which has a greenish tint. The views here are simply fantastic, especially a rocky ledge of a bizarre shape. Descent to the beach is not very simple, but if you have comfortable shoes, this won't inconvenience you.
And we spent the final dinner on the island in a pleasant grill restaurant, beloved by the locals. Very tasty and fat steaks are prepared here, I definitely recommend trying it. I liked the fried squid most of those appetizers. Well, when I get home, I'll miss Hawaiian cuisine.
We spend the final day of the trip on the sandy beach, enjoying the sun and the endless ocean.
The following points on our route are located on the way to the airport. First, we check out a diner, located near the beach. Order some takeout in plastic containers to have breakfast right on the beach, it's rather convenient for you to enjoy the ocean longer on the final day of travel.
Kailua Bay is the perfect ending point for our journey. Here you can relax sunbathing on light fine sand, or spend time actively while surfing or water skiing.