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Tag Archives: Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

Hawaii Highlight: Hanauma Bay

29 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by blogjoiedevivre in Travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Hawaii, Honolulu, Oahu, Route 72, scenic lookout, snorkeling, travel, tropical fish, Waikiki Beach

As I was editing our photos from our trip to Hawaii last week, I was particularly inspired by our shots from Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve.  It was not the quality or artistry of our photography, but looking at those snapshots brought me right back to the experience of being surprised & delighted by this natural gem in O’ahu.Image

So, Hanauma Bay:  If you are ever visiting Honolulu (even for a night before hopping on to another island) — Go!  Please.  In fact, I wish I would’ve planned an entire day around this place.  Rather, visiting was more of an afterthought:  “Oh yeah, someone told me to go to Hanauma Bay, something about good snorkeling?  Let’s try to swing by before lunch.”  So we jumped in the car, trying to squeeze a field trip in before hotel checkout.  We had a mere hour there on the day we were leaving the island altogether — not. enough. time.  Ah, at least I’m glad to have seen it.

First, parking is an issue.  Deliberate, I believe, on the part of local governing authorities, in order to limit the amount of visitors impacting this protected marine ecosystem.  The park opens at 6 a.m. and their lot fills up fast…once it’s full, there’s really no other options.  When our car was turned away at 10 a.m., we continued our drive along the main coastal road to stop at the various scenic lookout points.  Actually, my second cousin who has lived on Oahu for years recommended we take this drive, raving about the breathtaking vistas along Kalaniana’ole Highway, Route 72.  Excellent diversion — she was right!Image

We made stops at Halona Blowhole, Eternity Beach Cove, and Makapu’u Lookout before heading back to Hanauma Bay.  All beautiful and worth stopping at, even for two minutes to get out & take in the scenery.  Luckily, our second try around Noon got us in…folks left for lunch, I guess?  –There’s no food sold down by the bay, only at the gift shop area at the top of the hill.  In typical state park fashion, parking is cheap at one measly dollar.  (Admission to the beach area is $7.50 per adult.)

One thing they make you do before going in is watch their safety video.  We were annoyed at this notion, given our time crunch, and tried to skip it.  Don’t do this.  They will catch you.  And don’t think saying you saw the video on your last trip there will get you out of it…they keep a list of names.  They are very proud of their facilities (rightfully so) and want you to pay heed by watching their program as an entrance prerequisite.  I was very glad, in the end, to have seen the video because it’s a valuable overview of the reef’s inhabitants.  Later, I would be mentally checking off fish shown in the video with fish I was seeing firsthand.

OK, so you manage to nab a parking spot, pay admission, get past the educational film, walk down the big hill and YOU’RE THERE!  Not excited yet?  Neither was I.  It’s a pretty cove, but not the prettiest I’ve seen.  There’s a nice sandy beach, too, but the sand’s not the whitest you’ll find on the many local beaches at your disposal.  And as for the small circular stretch of beach that it is, it feels almost as crowded as Waikiki.  –Not the same vibe as Waikiki, though, and that helps, for sure.  Plus, what you learn to be actual living reef just looks like plain ol’ rocks from far away.  Or seaweed mush.  For a first-time snorkeler who doesn’t know what they’re looking at, it’s nice…but not hugely appetizing.Image

Plus, just as we were in line to pay the entrance fee, the skies suddenly turned grey and it began to sprinkle on us…and the little raindrops were quite chilly.  😦

We brought our own snorkel gear (all packed into my ONE carry-on bag, thankyouverymuch!) so we didn’t need to rent any.  But, that’s all ready & available for ya down at the beach if needed.  I’d recommend renting…looking back, I don’t know HOW I got six days worth of clothes plus two sets of snorkel gear into my single carry-on luggage?!?  –Guess I’m becoming quite the efficient packer!  Holla.

So, it’s raining-ish and the seawater feels cold (always does, at first, right?) and it’s still cloudy and I’m barely inching my body into the water when I spot the first one…

–a spritely little Convict Tang is inches from my shin!  I spin around in reaction to my husband (unwilling to get in the water) gasping & pointing, “There’s one!  They’re right here at your feet!!!”  Herein lies the beauty of Hanauma Bay:  you do not have to pay an arm & a leg for some ‘snorkeling excursion,’ take a boat off to some far off location, get seasick & worry about reef sharks; the huge variety of wonderous colorful tropical fish of Hanauma Bay are EVERYWHERE, swimming up to you even in knee-deep water.  Image

It’s simply amazing.  Aside from the previously mentioned Convict Tang (name’s appropriate — they are white with vertical black stripes, resembling being behind bars), here’s a short list of the fish I particularly remember interacting with:  Achilles Tang, Surgeonfish, Butterfly Fish, Sea Urchins and the Hawaiian State Fish:  the Humuhumu-nukunuku-apua´a, or the Reef Triggerfish.  Here’s a link to Hanauma Bay’s official Fish I.D. Card.  Might I point out, that this was my very first salt water snorkel experience…part of my amazement is likely due to the shock & awe of the much-loved hobby of snorkeling, period.  But, I’m convinced that this is still a very special place, indeed.  Image

It was just my husband and me, but I feel like this would be the perfect family destination…a place in which everyone from little kids to grandparents could enjoy.  There are lifeguards and a nice palm tree-shaded beach for sunbathers.  Oh, speaking of sun:  once I saw that first fish skim past my shins, I was all in!  That little sight of undersea wonder was all the motivation my pussyfootin’ butt needed to dive right on in.  The ocean was warmer than standing around in the rain, anyway.  Even so, the sun came back out in full glory within maybe ten minutes.  The fish were so plentiful, curious, hungry and all-up-in-yo-face.  I was taken aback at how close they would swim up to me.  I just loved it and didn’t want to leave…not Hanauma Bay, not Oahu later that evening.  I’m very glad to be nestled back home in my beloved Austin, Texas now, but I tell ya:  this natural wonder was such a treasure.  Hamuama Bay was the best part of my first-ever trip to Hawaii.

Kate’s Honolulu

17 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by blogjoiedevivre in Travel

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

AquaZone, Diamond Head, Discover Hawaii Tours, Dole Plantation, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Hawaii, Mandara Spa, North Shore, O'hau, Oahu, Pearl Harbor, Scuba, The Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, Waikiki Beach, Whale season

In preparation for my very first trip to Hawaii, I reached out to an old friend who recently returned from her own O’ahu vacay.  I was so impressed with her pictures & all that they managed to do & see in just a week — I could tell her trip was quite the well-planned getaway.  I shouldn’t be surprised…Kate’s a well-seasoned traveler, both for business and pleasure.  We initially met while working at a PR firm in Chicago, where it was basically our job to fly all around the country spreading the word about our client’s latest campaign.  The experience turned our team –all bachelorettes fresh out of college & navigating our way into adulthood with big girl jobs in the city– into legit business travelers. Now, she’s married & the head of the PR division at a huge well-known company, she’s (of course) provided me with the most comprehensive & candid travel advisory.

My husband and I are set to spend a week in Honolulu and our list of possible to-dos has covered the spectrum of everything from hang-gliding to whale-watching.  I was getting a bit overwhelmed with all the possibilities a Hawaiian vacation has to offer  –I mean, princess problems, right?  Anyway, her thoughts on Honolulu were such a huge resource for me, that I just HAD to put them out there for any future island-hoppers who might come across this lil’ blog in planning their own vacation.  Enjoy!

The Island
*       The island is a metropolis, it’s the only island with a skyline and is quite bustling. You’ll see just about everything in both English and Japanese.Image

*       We did just fine without a rental car, but you might want to consider having one if you want to do some excursions to remote beaches on your own.
*       There is a trolley that runs along the Waikiki strip and we never had an issue finding a cab.
*       If you have the chance to island hop to another island, even only for a day, I highly recommend Maui. We spent the last half of our trip there and wish we had spent more time on Maui – it’s absolutely breathtaking. Quite possibly the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen.

Beaches
*       Waikiki Beach is extremely crowded. You may want to consider exploring less populated beaches like the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (said to have excellent snorkeling).
*       The North Shore is a really cool spot to visit, but you likely won’t be able to swim there. The day we went, we saw waves hitting 20+ feet. It’s now entering surf season and really only pro surfers should attempt those waters, could be quite dangerous. Regardless, seeing waves that huge is totally cool. Fun fact: Jack Johnson is from the North Shore.
*       Whale season should be in full swing by now, they were expecting some 50,000 whales to be entering the Hawaiian beaches. If you have the opportunity to do whale watching, you totally should. We just missed the whales by a few weeks and were totally bummed. By now parasailing should have shut down completely, they’re not allowed to operate when the whales are in.

To Do
*       We did an all-day excursion through Discover Hawaii Tours. I would definitely do it again, but perhaps skip the Polynesian Cultural Center. It included the following for about $120/person (Tour code 11A):
o       Pearl Harbor. This is hands down a must-see and do. The trick is that you want to go very early, right when they open. If you go, be sure to check out the short film that is shown, as well as the museum. The tour we did took a boat out to the USS Arizona War Memorial, completely sobering.Image

o       The Dole Plantation. This place is a tourist-haven but was actually really fun. There are beautiful grounds where you can see all the varietals of pineapples grown, a huge shop and a little restaurant. If you go, you have to try the Dole Whip, topped with chocolate. It’s heavenly. Also, there is an amazing little farm stand situated just outside the plantation, on the grounds, that sells leis the most gorgeous flower leis for under $10. If you spritz your lei with water, it will last several days.Image

o       The Polynesian Cultural Center. Set on probably 20+ acres of land, the center is all outdoors and has little villages inside it that share the history of the indigenous cultures that influenced the development of Hawaii. Our tour package included an authentic Hawaiian-style lunch, it was a buffet (unfortunately, I give the food a C+ at best). Image
Image

o       Our tour guide also took us on a few detours at the end, showing us the site of a few movies that were filmed there (Jurassic Park, Lost, etc.) as well as a Chinese Buddhist Temple that is a replica of a historic monument in Asia.  He also drove us by the hospital where President Obama was born (not to be confused with Kenya).

*       My husband decided he wanted to scuba dive in Honolulu, even though he is not certified. If either of you have interest in this, there is a place called AquaZone that operates out of the Waikiki Beach Marriott. With only taking a 15 minute pool-side course and then 20 minutes practicing in the pool, he was able to go out on two dives. Since I didn’t want to scuba, I was able to accompany the small group to snorkel at a minimal fee. For me personally, this was fantastic because although water was deep (not ideal for snorkel), we bumped into a family of endangered sea turtles (the huge ones, 100+ pounds). I got to swim with them for about 30 minutes – and it was almost religious it was so cool. My husband really enjoyed the dives as well (about $200 for the day).

*       Shopping! The Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center on Kalakaua is basically the Rodeo Drive of Honolulu – fabulous shops, including Tory Burch, a favorite of mine.
*       Spa! We went to the Mandara Spa in the Kalia Tower in Hilton Hawaiian Village since that’s where we were staying – absolutely wonderful.
*       Diamond Head. There is a really cool, short hike you can do up to the top of Diamond Head that has really awesome views of the island. Its under two miles both ways and I would recommend going early in the morning before it gets hot.
*       Hilton Hawaiian Village sets off fireworks every Friday night around 8pm – fun place to stop by for a drink and watch.

To Eat
*       Alan Wong’s — amazing! Make reservations.
*       SHOR American Seafood Grill at Hyatt Waikiki – request a seat on the open terrace – lovely. Also, make reservations.
*       Waikiki Beach Marriott poolside bar and grill was fantastic for lunch (Moana Terrace) – and you can stay and use the pool which is nice as well.
*       Other than that, we had a kitchen and cooked a lot to save money. There are tons of great Japanese and sushi restaurants you can explore as well.
*       You also can never go wrong with stopping into one of the many 5 star hotels in Waikiki for dinner or a drink (Trump, Halekulani, Kahala, etc.)

I hope this is helpful! We really enjoyed our time in Hawaii and are already trying to figure out when we can go back.

~KateImage

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