Day 4 – Sunday
Diamond Head Hike
This hike only happened because my body clock was still all out of whack well into the trip, and I happened to wake up at 6 am with no plans until nearly noon.
It was a quick Lyft ride from my hotel to Diamond Head, and I arrived early enough that it wasn’t very crowded. Entry was only $1 for people walking in. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect hiking up a volcanic crater, but it was fairly a fairly easy trek. Though the path was uneven, most of it was paved and had safety rails, and the remainder consisted of stairs.
The stairs were probably the worst part as there’s a long section of stair that’s a straight shot upward with no area for a break. There was also an area of tunnel near the top that made my slightly claustrophobic self get hot and panicky in, but I got through it.
It started raining as I neared the last flight of stairs at the top, but it turned out to be totally worth it because… double rainbow! And on my birthday too! I couldn’t have been gladder by this point that I’d made the trek up, and heading down was ten times easier, though pretty slippery with the rain.
Even with the rain slowing things down and hanging out for a long time at the top, this entire adventure took less than two hours. Well worth fitting this in if you visit the Waikiki area.
Paradise Water Sports Parasailing
So, the guy who answers the phone is the same guy who mans the counter for Paradise Water Sports, and he seems to very much hate his job and/or his life. And Paradise Water Sports has a sign with a different company name, but fully expects you to be able to find them in the middle of twenty other counters along the dock. But other than being irritated by those administrative issues, the parasailing experience was great!
I was originally supposed to fly solo, but because of the wind, I had to fly with someone else. Luckily, there was another solo flyer who came — otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to do it at all.
This was my first time parasailing, and though I was a little scared after watching the first set of people do it, I really enjoyed it and it wasn’t scary at all! I was afraid you’d get that sinking feeling in your stomach that happens on roller coasters, which is the reason I hate riding them, but there was zero of that feeling. It was just a feeling of floating around… and a little bit of getting battered by the wind. Loved every minute of it and would do it again in a heartbeat!
Chief’s Luau
I was unexpectedly invited to this luau by a new friend I made in line at the Food Festival, and it turned out to be one of the highlights on my trip. The luau featured fun activities, food, and dancing and began around dusk.
Having not attended another luau on Oahu, I can’t say for sure that it’s the best luau to attend, but I thought it was absolutely phenomenal and can’t imagine attending one that could have topped it! This is yet another activity that requires a lot to describe, so look forward to another post going into more detail.
Day 5 on the next page
