Douglas, Great post of info, Getting Esbit in Hono' off Sand Island Road is a hassle (my old CG Stn is down off there). It's out of the way for someone not from the island.

You know Butch? I worked with Butch for a year while he was teaching Hawaiian language classes, and we up at the Heiow in Pupekea, plus we had breakfast almost everyday. Great guy and musician. He's still doing weddings as far as I know. He called me over the holidays and we had a great conversation.

I agree about the trails, my avatar shows what happens to a trail after a heavy rain. Lots of day hiking, not much 'backpacking' as we have here on the mainland.

We should get together sometime, Mahalo Gene

Gene and all,

Not sure I ever met Butch, you may have heard of Dawn and Hank on Lihei (sp?) side, north side Oahu - over by the Mormon Tourist Center area. Love the Hawaiian people, but ya gotta know braa hows'it doin ... love poi, not for the howlies too much a da'time ... love all the islands, Maui is actually ok if you book a cheap room ahead or have friends ... I gotta check back in with mine there, now that you remind me ... the campsite at Hana never seemed too bad, but things change their quick like, yah braa? Hard to explain to people how it is there till they been and stayed there awhile ... aina of extremes ... good and bad, miss the shave ice, the Heavenly Burgers, the Hawaiian BBQ (god could a person put on weight there -- three entrees of starch and some meat) and luaus with the people, and the waters, and all ... haven't been in awhile ... Molokai is also great ... hard place because of the history and all, the sovereignty people have a lot of good ideas and right hearts ... too bad, it's da kine in political realities ... the person who sent the pictures captured the feel from the heights ... you ever go in the Io valley near Wailuku, Maui? That is where Kamehameha got his boost to power when he knocked off his relatives in the search for the kingdom ... treading water off the coast of Kihei side on Maui and looking up at Haleakala with a full moon over it was one of my favorite experienceces right after the sun set but you could still see the slick smooth ocean all the way down to Lahaina and over to Kaaholavie [sp?] If you go to Hana side make sure and check the roadside for mangos and avocados and passion fruits in the little boxes at the end of people's driveways, used to be about 25 cents for a huge fresh and delicious mango, but they gotta be ripe ... and the fresh pineapples on the east side oahu are incredible. Kauai has pizza (a little place on southeast south of the airport area, can't remember the name), and pastries (on the northside, way up by the furthest north town / village place off the road over to the Tarot areas above Napali). Also, the kayak rides where you paddle from the north down to the beach south of Napili can make people tired, seasick, etc. -- they are guided and great, but I would suggest taking a kayak out from the rental guide people on the bay by the Tarot for a day first. Also --- Sunscreen and knowledge of your skin is a must on the water there. I don't think people should be afraid of going and hiking or camping and enjoying the people, the beauty and so on, so long as they are familiar with the people who live there and the terrain (psychological and physical) ... so, Gene, I think you did these people who wanna go there a favor in opening up the real issues and way it is ... love to email more, send me one or I will you, and to all ... aloha, mahalo ... bd

Here are some of my pics, I had to pull some out after reading all these emails and seeing Doug's pics. They are partially to show someone who hasn't been there a few things they can do or see, and to be aware of.

First, here are our young Hawaiian friends on Maui. We took a drive out to Hana from Wailuku and stopped by a poole beside the road ... its a great trip, but if you are going to go all the way around to the southside and then back to civilization you should be renting a 4 wheel drive SUV, also check on rain and weather because what the other posters wrote is right ... it is treacherous once it rains and the flash floods come on.





Auntie Jane's Hamburger trailer used to be a great place, and the only place to get food once you passed Hana and went down south to the far road which hugs the sheer cliffside going round the tip of Maui.





The terrain is varied, extreme from dry desert to jungle, here is an intermediate terrain, dry actually, on the southside of Maui looking up at Haleakala.



Once you get on the south side of the islands you have to be aware of the desert effects of the weather to be safe, these washes on Maui can fill with water and take out a car on the roadbed.



The coast gets moisture so can be green on one side of the road and desert on the other. Here is an abandoned missionary church from a long time ago, I think someone is trying to restore it, on the southside Maui, Kaupo -- across the road to the north it is dry and barren.



On Kauai you can go by the Taro patches to the kayak rental place and take kayaks out in the little bay there, or join a cruise down the Napali coastline. Getting in and out of the water can be a chore so you definitely want to practice and go with guides if you're not perfectly sure of your abilities. There are blow holes on the northside which can take you by surprise if you are standing by the edge.

Edited by bdavis on 01/13/2007 11:25:13 MST.

BD, I was trying to enlighten folks to the 'other' dimension of going to Da' Kine islands Braa. I had the opportunity to speand a few weeks palin' around with the Dog himself, as real as it gets anywhere. Some days it felt like downtown LA in the cities. When the Sun sets on the Islands things change big Braa...from all Island nice to anything goes, howlie beware.

Lots of great people on the Islands no question, just a head's up that it's not like you're still on the Mainland, and the culture is very different. I hear you on the politics and the Native Rights issues there BD. The Akaka Bill was as close as they got so far. Having sat on the lawn in front of the Royal Palace speaking about the issues with some of the locals was just as expected....Folks travel to the Hawaiian Islands having no clue they are landing on what amounts to Indian Reservations in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. What, with the already limited amount of land there is for the locals, tourists are expected to stay in hotels and dayhike, not backpack and campout. Yeah, there's 'campgrounds' but they are'nt really the 'campgrounds' folks on the Mainland are used to going to, much less security, and many more problems.

Lots to be said for spending the money on room & board while there and day hiking with a really SUL pack IMO. Each Island is it's own unique environment, and travel on them is just as unique.

Talk about having a hard time accessing water! Just try and get close to the waterfall!! The undergrowth is often so dense that you go a long way around just to get near it. When you are hiking in Hawaii and have access to water..LOAD UP...it could be another DAY before you get to another freshwater source. Be advised a LOT of the surface water can be contaminated by farm/drug runoff...filter it!!

Tim I have'nt heard from you on your trip plans. What's your flight out day? Itinerary? Length of stay? Fitness/age?

Ditto Joesph!

Thanks for the posts. I have some family on Oahu (my uncle is retired navy & married a nice Korean woman there) and they pretty much said the same. I was kind of hoping an actual hiker from the islands might have of some areas that are a more friendly for what I had in mind, but hey I'll go with it.

We're leaving 90% of our itenerary blank until we get there with scuba & day hiking being the main things we want to do. We're leaving mainland on June 17th and returning July 8th.

I'm 26, she's 21, both fairly fit, active rock climbers, sky divers, caving, certified in scuba & such. Only hiking consideration is she prefers around 7 to 9 miles a day but turns ankles easily even without a pack. I can do more mileage and never have knee or ankle problems even with both packs, but am not a speedster and am only LW more than SUL (just need more gear $, sewing time and I'd be there).

If camp sites are out, are there actually any remote huts worth mentioning on Oahu? We plan on spending most evenings in hotels & such but we would like to spend a few nights in a secluded area. Oahu will be the 2nd half of our trip but we'll decide when to island hop while we're over there assuming inter-island plan tickets won't be hard to secure last minute.

Edited by slacklinejoe on 01/24/2007 08:33:26 MST.

> I was kind of hoping an actual hiker from the islands might have of some areas that are a more friendly for what I had in mind, but hey I'll go with it.


Few people backpack in Hawaii, mostly because there are few trails longer than day-hike length and not many 'backcountry' campsites. You won't even find that many day hikers; most people are at the beach. Backpacker's Guide to Hawaii (see my post above) lists 10 multi-day trips. If any of these interest you, I recommend getting the book ahead of time because permission, permits or other preparation are necessary for some of these.

Big Island (Hawai'i Island):
Halape (shoreline), 2-3 days, 19.3 miles, difficulty: medium.
Ka'aha (shoreline), 3 days, 14.6 miles, medium.
Manua Loa (mountain), 3-6 days, 38.2 miles, high (summit is 13,679 ft.).
Napau Crater (mountain), 2-3 days, 12.2 miles, low.
Waimanu Valley (shoreline), 2-3 days, 18.0 miles, medium.
Kaua'i:
Kalalau (shoreline), 2-4 days, 22.0 miles, medium.
Mohihi-Koai'e (mountain), 2-3 days, 19.6 miles, low.
Maui:
Haleakala (mountain), 2-4 days, 20.0 miles, medium.
Oahu (see my comments in previous post):
Ko'olau Summit Traverse (mountain), 3 days, 19.5 miles, high (unmaintained trail).
Kuaokala/Makua Rim (mountain), 2-3 days, 13.5 miles, low.


>but turns ankles easily even without a pack.


Keep in mind that the trails in Hawaii are rough, and bring the Ten Essentials even on a day hike. Being stuck out overnight in wet and wind is not comfortable.


>If camp sites are out, are there actually any remote huts worth mentioning on Oahu?


There aren't any 'remote' huts on Oahu; the only place I know of are the yurts at Malaekahana.


>We plan on spending most evenings in hotels & such but we would like to spend a few nights in a secluded area.


Frommers lists a few public camping areas; of these I would only recommend Keaiwa, Ho'omaluhia, and Mokuleia (rock climbing nearby). You can check them out first, since none of them require hiking in.

If you have hiking gear, the camping area at Peacock Flats (Kuaokala/Makua Rim trail, above) is sometimes full on holidays but we've found it empty several times. It's quite pleasant.

I could be wrong, but I recall there being a hut on the Haleakala trial. I did a day hike of this down into the crater that I highly recommend. I underestimated the hike out because of the volcanic ash that tends to turn full steps into half steps. Sunscreen and plenty of water are recommended. Arrive early so you can catch the sunrise. The clouds blowing up and over the rim of the crater was spectacular. I do not have near the experience of the other posters. I've visited Oahu twice, and Maui and the Big Island once. In my experience the previous advice is excellent. I prefer the North shore of Oahu to Waikaki. The only thing I might add to Gene's excellent itinerary of the north shore would be the Buddhist Temple. It is touristy, but the Polynesian Cultural Center can be fun as well. There is also a more local beach close to the Lost set where the kite surfers love to hang out. My family and I spent hours wandering the beach until sunset watching the kite and wind surfers. They are amazing. I wonder if the Lost set is still there? I did a double take when I first saw it. I thought is was real until it occurred to me that certainly a crash like that would have made the news. I hadn't seen the show yet. We got hooked on it subsequently.

Eric, Douglas, Joseph, in no particular order...

Eric, the Lost set, and adjacent beaches are closed and heavily patroled. I should know I worked on the set of 'Lost' from the start until I left Oahu. The Disney company was actually in negotiations to buy the property and secure it even tighter as a set; which, in the movie business is unheard of, but 'Lost' is a series that made them enough money to do so.

Joseph, you hike the hike the weakest party can handle not the strongest. If your wife has weak ankles hiking poles would be beneficial on most, if not all trails.

Island Air is one of the best Inter Island carriers, or Hawaiian Air, Islandair.com

If renting a car Dollar rent a car opperates on the Islands; but you take your chances with having it ripped off anywhere tourists park.

The Ohana Reef Lanai @ Ohanahotels.com is in Honolulu, and if you book there, when you arrive, if Darren is working the desk just tell him you were refered there by your 'friend Gene'.

The Ala Moana Hotel is another great choice in Hono' 1-800-367-6025, or .com (get a room on the 23rd floor with a view of the marina, ask the reservations desk!, you and your wife can sit out on the small terrace/balcony and overlook a beautiful evening, trust me...i think my room # is 23a.

ABC stores in Wakiki have the cheapest souviners before you head out to the airport on your last day in Honolulu.

If you take my advice on Oahu not to rent a car, go to the ALOHA MALL and catch The Bus # 52 Mililani/Wahiawa Circle Isle to the North Shore( it's faster by an hour than the # 55 which only goes as far North as the Hilton Resort).

Lots of good food choices on the North Shore, PuPu's for vegatarians, Killer Tacos, Ted's Bakery, try to go to resturants off the main drag (Kam' Hwy) as the locals joints tend to be back off the expensive road frontage, and more fun!

June is Hurricane season so be vigilant to the news every few days.

The Malekana yurts are ok, having been refurbished in 2005, I had a friend put up there. The campground has on site staff and fewer hassles after dark. But you are 'there' as it's miles south of anything. So one night there in mid week when it's less crowded would be best. I kept horses at the ranch across the street, up in the mountains. You might go over and take your wife horseback riding there if you are inclined. More like

OR go to Kuloa Ranch where Jurassic park was filmed and ride there, and take the tour.

Kualoa.com there Joesph, my internet was disrupted.

A guy I know, Pete, runs 'Gravity Hawaii' for paragliding, if you are into that give him a jingle when you get there to findout rates and if the weather will cooperate...last time we 'jumped' Kam' Hwy on the North Shore we got a hassle from Hawaii 5'0 because so many folks were pulling their cars over to watch us soar!

Don't miss visiting the Ukelele House, Tori Richards (finest Aloha shirts made) in the Ala Moana Center which is the largest mall in Honolulu and where all the Buses stop to go everywhere. I told you the Aloha center before, I was mistaken. Remember, you can get almost every BUS in Honolulu by starting and finishing at the Ala Moana Center. Most drivers are friendly, but don't like to chat with tourists while driving, but will at stops.

A friend of mine is the tow plane pilot at the airstrip in Mokuleia, where Douglas mentioned there's a campground. No offense Douglas, but do not recommend the place, it's crawling with methheads! The area is safe by day, not by night IMO. If your new wife is into flying, not scared of small planes, then this would be a nice treat for her. They use 3 place Schweizers, and it's worth buying the video! 808-677-3404.

While you're in that area, head over to the Sugar Cane Mill in Waialua, and find another friend's place, Hawaiian Bath & Body (.com) you will be your wife's HERO for bringing her to all the spots I'm telling you about ,especially this one. make enough room for 2 hours here, if Jerry and his wife are'nt too busy they'll even invite you to get your hands dirty!

When on the North Shore spend a half to a whole day at the Waimea Valley Audobon Center with your wife, it'll be a highlight of your trip. Waimea@audobon.org....it's in Halewia on the North Shore.

Buy yourself a picnic lunch for your backpack at the Foodland at the traffic light across the street from Stn 1 HFD in Pupekea, and take her to WVA!!! Keep the surprises coming and she'll wonder how you ever knew any of this....unless she's reading this with you then I'll just go have another beer...

Don't miss the Bishop Museum in Honolulu or the Fort too. Both worth the time.

Aloha Stadium Swap meet for cheap souviners open wed, sat, sunday 6am-3pm get there before 8am for 25cent entrance fee! Most vendors start packing around 1pm don't pass up anything you want, just ask politely if buying a used item, if they would take a bit less, new iteems are not barterable, even in quantity, this is'nt an impoverished Island!

Up in Haleiwa you can actually get yourself a custom made Aloha shirt, and wife a sarong, get her one! I forget the name of the place...heck, it's been almost 2 years since I walked down the street there! Just look for the place selling snowcones to tourists in the little red shack that's it! Makia side of the road, Ocean side.

the Surf Garage in Hono on King ST far end is THE place to check out a board or other surf stuff...worth the trip.

Mai Tai runs a pretty nice boat cruise, take the wife, believe me,if I was taking MY new wife to Oahu I'd PRAY that I had the insider info I'm laying out for you here!

Grab a bunch of the 'free guides' in the airport, and take the BUS from the Airport to the Ala Moana Center. You can start eating there on the lower level, just walk straight back through the garage where the hordes of locals are going tons of food places....check out the bakery to your right once back there on the lower level near the PO!

That's Oahu... If you're going to Maui, which is nice, just out of my price range, enjoy. I'll give TIm some inof on Kauai next post, Aloha

Eric is right, when in Wailua, get directions from Jerry Driscoll at hawaiian bath & Body works on how to get there, it's not far from him. make sure you leave that area before dark, it's unsettling to visitors because it lacks most street lighting. head back to Haleiwa for dinner and your accomadations.

Gene, your bring back a lot of great memories! I just wanted to second your recommendation of the Waimea Valley Audobon Center. You have to pay to get in but it's worth it. There are lots of paved trails through the area and a natural pool, with a water fall, you can swim in at the top. Many of the plants are labeled so you can learn the names of many of the cool plants you are seeing on the Island. We were there for hours and ate lunch there as well.

Swimming at the falls.


The beach by the Lost set is further east than I implied. It is a public beach and open to all. I wish I could remember the name. It may have been Mokuleia Beach Park. While we were there, there was a family fishing for dinner as well as the kite and wind surfers. The really big waves were breaking out farther.

Edited by ericnoble on 01/26/2007 08:24:59 MST.

Eric, yes, I'm glad it's bringing back good memories for you too. Reciting all of the above did the same for me, at a time when I could use some good memories.

Was the beach you're speaking about near the boat harbor? If so, then it would be Haliewa State Park, if further East then it was Lani's (Lanakea beach) the one RIGHT on the roadside, with parking across the street on the Mauka side(land). You can see sea turtles, not just any, but the rare Hawaiian sea turtle here in the water and on the beach.

I sure hope Joseph realizes I AM an Island Backpacker, and follows my recommendations to make his honeymoon one I'd take my own bride on....

There's pretty much no rock climbing per se on Oahu that i would consider similiar to what he does on the Mainland. Hopefully he'll enjoy some of the other venues I posted, all are great and good values for the buck. I was trying to be encompassing and inexpensive at the same time.

Now it's Tim's turn for Kauai...

"Was the beach you're speaking about near the boat harbor? If so, then it would be Haliewa State Park, if further East then it was Lani's (Lanakea beach) the one RIGHT on the roadside, with parking across the street on the Mauka side(land). You can see sea turtles, not just any, but the rare Hawaiian sea turtle here in the water and on the beach."

No, it is west of Haleiwa, half way between Haleiwa and Kaena point by the Airfield on Farrington Hwy. We had a rental car. I'm not sure how you would get there otherwise as it is off the beaten path. It might not be worth it with all the other places to see that are on main roads.

The Pali lookout is really neat and offers some amazing views. There is dirt trail that starts there. We walked down it a ways, but not far, and I don't know anything about the trail.

Thanks all for the good advice, this really helps the planning. I'll certainly hit up some of the places you've mentioned.

I don't want to get too wound up in a schedule or itenerary but you certainly gave me plenty of options. I hope that three weeks lets us wander a bit more than the usual fast paced tourist as I usually try to avoid usual "tourist traps".

The only thing I've actually had reservation concerns about was lodging b/c if I make the reservations ahead I'm kind of stuck there without a lot of flexibility to jump islands if we decide it's time to move on.

I plan on packing LW/compact style so bare minimum and buy what we need there. The only disconcerting thing about that is we both really wanted to bring our snorkeling gear (nice split fins, drain valved masks & such) since we plan on doing a lot of it. However the stuff is bulky & takes up more room than everything else we'd be packing for 3 weeks.

Do you thing it would it be a good idea to mail it (insured) to our hotel in advance? It's not critical to our vacation as they could be rented easily, or could be replaced from the local shops but I'd strongly prefer to use my own fitted gear as we have invested in some good quality gear after testing out dozens of models. Without it, we can easily just do a carry on bag each, but with it, we're bound to have a checked bag.

As for the hiking, don't worry we've hiked together a long time so I know what to expect hiking with her in the mountains / bad weather / thick foliage. By weak ankles she usually manages to lightly turn it, necessitating a quick wrap & ibuprofin, but it's never actually stopped her from enjoying & finishing a trip and is only tender, not a show stopper. A pair of trekking poles are going with her for sure, although I'm going to skip on them for myself.

Also, anyone interested in slacklining on the beach? (refer to www.slacklineexpress.com if you don't know what it is)

Edited by slacklinejoe on 01/26/2007 09:50:37 MST.

Eric, that would be Mokelueai beach you visited off Farrington Hwy, which, as you said, is only accessible with a car, and during the day for safety purposes. Not recommended to walk out there.

Joseph, ok I understand, but you need to know that if you walk into most hotels in Hawaii you will pay the highest price for not the best room. Best to pick a time frame of maybe 1 week for Maui, 1-2 weeks on Oahu, as there is more to see here in my opinion. You will spend the romantic time on Maui, as it's easier to find more privacy there IMO.

The reason I mentioned some of the places I did was for you to get good deals, that's all. I can get on the plane in LAX wearing just what i have on, and my technical gear in a 2600cu pack. Once I get off in Honolulu I head over to the Ala Moana Center for a bite to eat, catch a bus down towards Pearl Harbor; getting off there allows me to walk across the street to the Aloha Staduim Flea Market and buy another pair of 'island style shorts & shirt' for cheap which double as souviners back home.

If you really love snorkeling and anticipate doing it more than a few times, which is possible, then strap that gear to your backpacks and carry them on the plane. If you ship them to a hotel make sure you send them DHL/FedEx, and alert the desk that your 'luggage' will arrive ahead of you, do not tell them the contents.

You are going to probably spend a night in a hotel in Hono', get up REALLY early and take your new bride over to DiamondHead and hike up to the top to watch the Sunrise. BRING JACKETS AND WEAR PANTS it's cold up there before Sunrise. Do NOT take the Hotel's towels up there, as they really frown on that....

After you hike down, grab your gear and go snorkel Hamanama Bay. I spent lots of time here, and since you own snorkel gear I can forsee you and the wife spending a Whole day here! Enjoy, bring a picnic lunch, but do not bring ANYTHING you cannot afford to have stolen. Since this is a tourist area there are druggies who patrol the beach watching for folks heading for the water. They ususally just look like someone sitting on the beach, usually alone, and they watch you setup your stuff, and head to the water. They watch you in the water awhile until they think you have relaxed and stopped watching your stuff....that's when they walk over to your stuff, drop a beach towel over it, and scoop up everything and walk away. Who's going to question someone picking up their beach towel? Smooth huh? Oh, gonna' hide those rental cars in the sand near your stuff, way old school here..the theives are VERY practiced. If you are'nt taking it into the water leave it in the rental cars trunk, which, even there can be screwdrivered in less than a minute. Valubles belong in a safe at the front desk of your hotel in Hawaii, sadly, the same as everywhere else these days.

Up on the North Shore you will enjoy snorkelling the Tide pools in Pupekea, near the fire stn/ behind the basketball courts. Be alert to the state of the tide, especially if you decide to catwalk the outer reef. Afterwards there's a Foodland across the street to buy a picnic lunch to bring back to the same beach. Whale watching from here is great early in the morning Sunrise til about 1000hr, again after 1500hr.

Up the road towards Haliewa past the fire stn, traffic light, parking lot on right, there's public bathrooms, behind which are some rocks with surf breaking on them. be careful here, I watched a guy get sweep off literally to his death one day. he ended up down the road at Waimea Bay the next day in the rocks; and perversely I was walking down the road and looked down and saw him in the rocks below. I called H 5'0 to come get him, not pretty.

Waimea Bay Beach is for sitting not swimming wicked rips here, yes, there are lifeguards here and people who don't respect the place are in the water. Keep going to Lani's to get back in the water fro more snorkeling.

Up the road toward Haleiwa along the Kam' Hwy the Bus, if you are on it, can drop you at LANI'S, the beach where I can almost 90% guaruntee you will find sea turtles to snorkel with near a shore side reef. Be careful of the swell and state of the tide in this area, it can be rough, as all water in Hawaii can. If driving park on the left, farmside of the road, and be careful crossing the road here.

Up the road in Haleiwa town there is a beach on your left after you turn left up the road towards town. Park near the War Memorial, no methheads here as opposed to the first parking area you see. At the Memorial you'll see the local club canoes, and it's easier to snorkel here. No dive knife needed for snorkeling, so you should be able to carry it all on the plane.

Over the Rainbow Bridge you get into town, can walk it if you are using the Bus, fro the beach here. Lots of cool stuff and nice folks, my hometown on Oahu.

As far as slcklining on the beach, no. If you put it up and some locals that are'nt friendly take a liking to playing on it, you might find your wife wanting to move on, yet you can't w/o starting a hassle. Stick to what I'm advising and you should have a nice long marriage after this trip.

Gene, Saw your other post, thanks.

Edited by hikerfan4sure on 01/27/2007 07:22:36 MST.

great pics, everyone! I used to live on Kauai & the Big Is., so the pics were nastalgic!

Did anyone say be sure to get insurance on rental cars? They are great targets at trailheads. It's happened to numerous acquaintances. And don't let your belongings out of your sight.


That said, the islands are a hiker's dream. And I am partial to the Napali Coast backpack on Kalalau trail, especially in the winter.

Question to you all who are from the islands. Do the wild folks still live back in Kalalau or has the forest service run them all out? They cooked ferrel goat for me when I got stuck back there during a tropical storm.