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Aloha!
The first hike we did in Hawaii was at Manoa Falls. The route is 2.5km / 1.6miles long and it doesn’t take more than 1-2h in total. The beauty of that place can make you stay for hours to admire the landscape and to take pictures, but most likely the heavy rainfall in the area will make you hurry up. The path is very well maintained, with many terraced areas that make the climb easier and safer.
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- Rainforest in O’ahu
The route which is a popular tourist attraction is only 15-minute drive from Waikiki, Honolulu and is open daily from 8a.m. to 7p.m., except when the path must be refurbished due to abundant rainfalls. Check out this website for the latest updates about the trail.
Manoa Road goes past Rainbow’s End Snack Shop, and the road ends at a parking lot where you have to pay $5. Dogs are allowed on the trail, but they must be kept on a leash.
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- Manoa Falls trailhead
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- Well maintainted trail, terraced along the way
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- Paying the parking for Manoa Falls
The path takes you to an open area where the rich nature has covered everything in green. The trunks of the trees are shrouded in dense greenery, and the rays of the sun slip shyly in the middle of the forest.
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- Manoa Falls Trail
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- Abundent vegetation on Manoa Falls Trail
In the heart of the forest were filmed scenes from “Jurassic Park” and from the TV series “Lost”. The area is quite bidding for scenes that require wild jungle atmosphere.
The weather is quite capricious and it often rains, which is why it is good to have a rain cape and proper footwear. The trail becomes quite muddy after rain and the stones are slippery.
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- Manoa Falls trail
The trail passes through a tall bamboo bush, then it enters again in the heart of the forest, and the sound of the waterfall begins to be heard more and more clearly.
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- Bamboo thicket
The final part of the route is steeper and involves passing through an area of large boulders. Even if that area requires more effort, the hike can be done even by children. Finally you reach the 45m / 150ft high waterfall.
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- The waterdall vs. the nature
I admit that I was much more impressed by the path that leads to the waterfall than by the waterfall itself. We didn’t spend much time at the waterfall because the rain had started. We ran on the way back because the rain had turned torrential. Finally, we stopped rushing and decided to really enjoy that place. I took all the puddles in a row and jumped happily into them, being grateful that I was in that wonderful place. My hair and clothes seemed to come out from under a jet of water, and I had a puddle in my boots. But as soon as I got to the car park I changed into dry clothes, and those moments remained among the most beautiful memories from O’ahu.
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- Walking in the rain
Nearby Manoa Falls there is another waterfall, Lulumahu, and the path that leads to it is wild. But because of the weather, we decided not to do another hike that day and continued exploring O’ahu by car.
Mahalo! (Thank you)
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Bless up,
Bianca