Aloha State: Hawaii February 2025 (page 5 of 6)

We finally left Waimea Bay, not without difficulty. Heading to the other beaches on the North Shore. No more surfers in sight, just the rough sea, but it’s still just as beautiful.



Some legendary names pass by before our eyes.



Even if some "locals" couldn’t care less 😏.



Last Big Waves and last shrimp before heading east.



This’ll give you an idea of the prices! 😊

Heading south via East Oahu.

First stop in Laie to catch a glimpse of the Mormon temple. You may or may not like it, but it sure makes an impression! You can't visit inside, but you're allowed to take photos if you stay at the entrance.





We won’t be alone for long. No sooner do we arrive than volunteers approach us in a vain attempt at "recruiting." We won’t be sticking around...

Next stop at the Byodo-In Temple, a replica of a Japanese temple nestled in a beautiful setting. To get there, the road passes by a Pacific War cemetery (Pearl Harbor is on the island of Oahu).



The Byodo-In can be visited very quickly—there’s not much to see inside except for a Buddha statue. Admission is paid (around 6 €), so it’s up to you if it’s worth it. It’s really pretty, though.

We're hitting the road again to discover Lanikai Beach, touted as the most beautiful on Oahu—maybe even all of Hawaii.

Lanikai Beach isn’t easy to get to—before you can settle on the sand, you’ve got to park the car first... I’d read that finding a spot wasn’t easy. Turns out, it’s actually completely forbidden to park on the shoulders or in the surrounding streets

We ended up finding a spot much farther uphill and walked about 20 minutes to Lanikai. The walk is tough because it’s so hot, but you still get some great views along the way.



On the way, you can see the bunkers overlooking the beach, which offer a perfect view of the two tiny islands shaped like Chinese hats just offshore. The hike is called the "Lanikai Pillbox Hike" (we skipped it out of laziness and because the weather was turning bad when we arrived).



The beach is indeed really beautiful.



There’s a very "American" marriage proposal happening right in front of us—a young man popping the question in a heart made of flowers, with everyone watching, plus a wedding planner and her catalog right there.



Personally, it’s not my favorite beach. Even though it’s not as crowded as the French Riviera, when you’re coming from Kauai with its almost-empty beaches, it still feels a bit much.



We watch the sunset and then head to spend our last night in Honolulu. From the car, we catch the Hilton’s fireworks over Waikiki (every Friday night), but we barely make it to the end of *Eat the Street* (a monthly street food event). Yum! 🙂



Back to the hotel and bedtime—we’ve got an early wake-up call around 5:15 AM to catch the sunrise over Diamond Head (an old volcano with an amazing view of Honolulu after a nice climb).



View from the studio.

Day 9: Last day in Hawaii

This morning, the day starts at full speed around 5:15 AM because we have a meet-up for the sunrise at Diamond Head.

Well, sort of, since we don’t have wheels anymore . The car disappeared overnight

Goodbye Diamond Head, we retrieve our car 20 km from Honolulu at the impound lot after a major stress moment and an unplanned Uber ride...

All’s well that ends well, well, almost!



So for photos of Diamond Head, check out Isabelle’s travel journal (Rouquine38).

We continue with a visit to the Punchbowl National Cemetery (Pacific Cemetery) on the heights of Honolulu. It offers a nice view of the city (which I didn’t find particularly pretty, by the way, but we only visited it very quickly).





The place is peaceful, with majestic trees.

Day 9: Last day in Hawaii

All’s well that ends well, well, almost!



A pretty smile for a hefty bill!! 🏴‍☠️

$275 for the impound lot and $35 for an Uber, so $310 for the Hawaiian smile 😵

Just a heads-up that parking in Honolulu is a real issue. Honolulu is often recommended as a base for visiting Oahu. It’s close to the airport, there are plenty of accommodations, and they’re often cheaper than elsewhere—but watch out for extra costs like parking. Our hotel charged $40 a day for parking, and that’s pretty much the going rate...

There are free spots, especially along the Ala Wai Canal where we parked, but they’re snapped up fast.

Funny story: we found an open spot right in front of a fire hydrant installed on the lawn. No "no parking" signs, no markings on the ground. But in the U.S., that’s totally off-limits, even if it’s not clearly marked.

The day continues at the Pearl Harbor site.

We had booked online in advance for the free visit to the USS Arizona Memorial, which also includes an exhibition retracing the events of the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, which claimed the lives of over 2,400 men, including 1,177 on the battleship USS Arizona alone.





The memorial seems to have been partly funded by an E. Presley charity concert, and it was built directly above the wreck, which rests in shallow water (the victims' bodies still remain inside). You access it by boat.





We’re on a U.S. military base, and the visit is very structured and organized with military precision.



We didn’t opt for a more in-depth tour of the site, but there are different options available. It’s hard to imagine the chaos that must have unfolded in such a setting.



I couldn’t see myself coming to Hawaii without visiting Pearl Harbor, and I found the memorial and exhibition both informative and well done. I liked the souvenir shop at the exit less—it felt a bit out of place to me, but that’s just my opinion.

We couldn’t leave Hawaii without stopping by Waikiki, a must-see for any self-respecting tourist.

It reminded me a bit of Vegas—kind of kitschy but without the charm. Either way, it didn’t win me over. For souvenir shopping, though, it’s the place to be!





It’s also the perfect time to try a Shave Ice, a local specialty of shaved ice topped with syrup.

We stroll along the beach under scorching heat and eventually come across "Duke", revered like a god by surfers and one of his followers.





First time I’ve seen a banyan tree! 🙂





At Waikiki, the sky is blue and the ocean is turquoise. But it’s packed, and you also see some young homeless people who are high, sleeping on the ground.

The good side—it’s not bad at all.



The flip side—it’s less appealing. 😕

We decided not to swim despite the heat. Only two hours there, and we’d rather head out toward the East Coast.

Just caught up—I was off wandering! 😄 Those waves were insane. August wasn’t the right season, so we promised ourselves we’d go back in winter—not to surf, but for the photos 😉 Yeah, Honolulu and Waikiki aren’t *must-sees*, but you can’t go to Hawaii without checking out the iconic spots.

I think winter in Hawaii is the best season: the waves, the whales, and fewer tourists. Our weather was great, but that’s less reliable as a criterion. Plus, I’ve read lots of travel journals about Hawaii in the summer where the weather was far from ideal. You might also want to check the Spring Break dates ahead of time

If I go back, I’d still choose winter 🙂

Heading to Southeast Oahu.

We had planned a final dip at Waimanalo Beach Park, but on the way, we decided to make a stop at a viewpoint to try and see the whales one last time. Success! We spotted a spout in the distance. And most of all, we came across this:



This beach looks amazing (and it is). Change of plans—it would be Makapu'u Beach Park after all (we parked in a roadside nook, but there’s a parking lot, restrooms, and showers on-site).



Our flight wasn’t until 11:30 PM, so we had plenty of time to enjoy it. Especially since there were some great waves to relive our inner child in! 😉

And for the second time during the trip, we heard a family speaking French right next to us. I have to say, it’s really refreshing and rare to run into so few fellow countrymen.

The sunset was at Waimanalo Beach Park, a huge stretch of fine sand almost deserted at that hour.



A stop at McDonald’s for a last typical meal 😏, then off to the airport. First flight to Canada (which ended up grounded for two hours due to a technical issue—just to reassure the traveler!), a ten-hour layover in Calgary spent resting at a day-use hotel, and a second flight to Roissy before heading back to work the next day.

Come back to leave again!

Mahalo, Hawaii 😎

Thanks Pascale for this amazing travel journal. Kauai totally wowed me and was dreamy, but the rest left me a bit underwhelmed (even though the whale encounter was fabulous... though you got really lucky 😇). I didn’t see many volcanoes—was that because of the islands you chose, or did you focus more on the beaches?

Thanks to everyone who followed along on this travel journal! 😎

Final thoughts on the islands we visited:

- Oahu As you’ve probably gathered, it’s not my favorite, but that’s no surprise. I’m a fan of nature, wide-open spaces, and feeling like I’m somewhere totally different. Oahu is more urbanized, with all that comes with it: lots of tourists, more traffic, parking challenges… Parking in Honolulu is paid (usually between $35 and $50 per night). That said, we don’t regret our visit at all: the North Shore and its surf vibe have charm, the East Coast has multiple stunning and varied beaches, and of course, we got to see giant waves, swim with sharks and whales, and snorkel like we were in an aquarium… Oahu is also cheaper for accommodation and food. There are tons of trails, some of which look amazing (we’d planned to do "Crouching Lion" and "Lanikai Pillbox Trail," for example). The nature is beautiful but less jaw-dropping and lush compared to Kauai. It’s also a more varied island in terms of activities (not just nature-based ones). We were short on time (and budget 😉) but you can visit Kualoa Ranch (film sets like Jurassic Park), the Polynesian Cultural Center, etc…

- Kauai Nature in all its glory. Huge, magical, stunning. Our base was in the North, in Princeville. For me, this area is a must-see (Princeville, Hanalei, Haena State Park…). If billionaires built their homes here (well, one of their homes), there’s a reason. It’s also a matter of luck because the North gets more rain. The South is less beautiful and more touristy but sunnier. Staying in the North means you’re in the prettiest part, but it also means lots of driving since there’s only one road that loops around the island. Ideally, book two accommodations during your stay. But finding reasonably priced lodging in Kauai takes *a lot* of planning. Little tip: there are pretty rustic cabins in Kokee State Park, and they’re perfect for exploring the park and Waimea Canyon. Unfortunately, they weren’t open for reservations yet when we booked everything (cabins at Kokee Park). There are other fun activities, like surfing or paddleboarding on the Hanalei River or Wailua River… Splurging on a doors-off helicopter ride is absolutely breathtaking.

I’d have a hard time going back to Hawaii without stopping in Kauai

Thanks Muriel! 🙂

We actually did more hiking than beach time, but we always found a moment to go and chill there. We’re not really the sunbathing-on-the-beach type. But after hiking every day, it feels so good!

As for the volcanoes, it was mostly because of the islands we chose. (On Oahu, we had planned Diamond Head, which is a volcano but more of a climb.)

If you want volcanoes, head to Big Island! It’s the perfect place for that. But we had too little time to really enjoy it (the island is huge), and we’d been to Iceland not long before, so it wasn’t our priority. Our ideal trip with more time would’ve been Big Island/Kauai (and more, of course, if possible).

On Maui, check out Haleakala National Park—the volcano looks magical.

Thanks for all this info! I’ll dig into it a bit more… even if the accommodation budget won’t be the same as in the Cyclades 😅 (or even the Seychelles).

Right now, I’m making carbonara pasta 😏, but after that, I’ll wrap up this travel journal today with a budget summary.

Enjoy your meal! 😉

Thanks so much, Pascale, for taking us to Hawaii! 😊 Definitely adding Kauai to my list for a future trip! 👍