The adventure islands of Hawaii

Aloha from Hawaii! We’ve been relaxing ever since we arrived yesterday, because we can’t have a holiday without time spent on the beach can we? I must say I’m so excited for what the next two weeks have to offer. This evening will kick things off with a traditional Lu’ua (a celebration I’ve never seen before!) and then from tomorrow we’ll start to explore. I’m so glad we went for a hire car, the freedom to go where we please will be ideal!

We’re in Waikiki today, for a spot of retail therapy and a surfing lesson or two. I can’t say I’m very good at catching the waves, but I’ll have no problem browsing the boutiques on Kalakauna Avenue I’m sure. Later we’ll hike Diamond Head, and it will be great to see the views from so high up – it’s such a beautiful island! The history here is incredible too, our visit to Pearl Harbour yesterday was so well done, I’m interested to see the history of Diamond Head today.

The North Shore is our base for the moment now, and what a scenic drive it was to get here. Kualoa Ranch was our outing today, I felt like I was one of the kids shrieking down the zipline, it was such a laugh! There we so many tour options too, but we sidelined the E-bikes and horse riding in favour of... drum roll please… a tour of all the locations used for some of the most famous films. Think Jurassic Park, Jurassic World and Jumanji, I almost couldn’t believe it!

Our last day on this lovely island is stretching out before us and we’ve planned absolutely nothing – on purpose. Since we’ve been quite busy, we decided to just unwind in utter bliss at the resort before we move on. A lazy morning really is the best when you have nowhere to be, I might even head to the spa for an afternoon in utter bliss. I’ll miss Oahu, though the Polynesian cultural centre we visited yesterday was so immersive it really got us excited to explore more, but until we leave for Maui I’ll be found with a cocktail in hand!

I can’t believe how many excursions we’ve managed to do since I last sat down to write, and the best thing is I still feel so well rested and ready for more! Today’s agenda is relaxation once again, so I’ve got ample time to go on for pages about what we did. In a nutshell, we’ve seen Maui from all angles; from a helicopter ride over volcanoes and waterfalls to snorkelling just after sunrise in the crystal-clear waters at Molikini, swimming by colourful coral reefs and all kinds of fish, later explained in detail at the Ocean Centre. My favourite so far though has been the visit to O’o farm, it was so serene and I loved seeing the journey of our food from farm to table, especially as the flavours were so fresh, I wish I could cook like that!

Winding down our holiday before heading back home means one last stop on the north coast of Maui. I think we’ll make the most of the great outdoors for our final few days, maybe with a little more snorkelling and a sauntering hike or two, I’m sure the Ritz-Carlton will have lots of recommendations. I know none of us will want to leave, so we’ll be sure to spend every moment possible in this gorgeous sunshine. This time together has been so much fun, I can’t wait to do it all again next year, we’ll just have to decide where.