Capturing the Moment

  The payoff at the end of the hike, Manoa Falls. It is a slippery, but beautiful trek through the rainforest, ending at this picturesque waterfall. The trail used to go right down to the pool, but after some rock fall injuries at a nearby waterfall, the authorities have signed off getting that close. We also noticed a huge mesh net up the hill, designed to catch any falling rocks before they hit the crowd. One of the closest hikes to Waikiki, besides the very popular Diamond Head Hike, is the Manoa Falls Hike. It is a family friendly, 1.8mile roundtrip hike through a lush rainforest. Once you enter the jungle, you instantly feel miles away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki. And the surroundings also might look familiar, if you are a fan of the TV show Lost, or the first Hunger Games movie. This was the rainforest setting for both. Huge fern line the stream, while tall trees form a canopy above. Sturdy shoes are very helpful, since it is almost always muddy and slippery on the ...

  After driving along the coast, soaking in sun rays on the beach, and scuba diving under the waves, I wanted to show Hunter and Gloria a different side of Hawaii, so off into the jungle we went. A fun mile long hike through the dense rainforest behind Manoa Valley was our choice and it turned out to be a good one. We walked by sites where filming for Jurassic Park, Hunger Games, and Lost occurred, thru a dense jungle, only a couple of miles from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki.   It hadn't rained for a few days so the falls themselves were just a trickle, but I had never seen the pool at the bottom so clear. Getting her late in the afternoon also allowed us to have the falls pretty much all to ourselves. Chalk up another beautiful side of Oahu.

Manoa Waterfall   I finally had a day off after working for the first three days of my mom's visit. So we decided to do a bit of exploring and started off the day with a waterfall hike deep into the rainforest at the back of Manoa Valley.   The University of Hawaii sits at the mouth of this vast valley and as you venture further into the valley the climate becomes more and more lush. For every mile you travel towards the back of the valley you get 20 more inches of rain per year. So I felt quite lucky when we arrived at our hike to find clear, blue, sunny skies. Looking up into the bamboo Checking out an albizia tree Heidi in jungle prison    The Manoa waterfall hike is a popular one, being so close to Honolulu and Waikiki. Heidi, my mom, and I set a good pace but made sure to stop for the many picture opportunities along the trail. Massive albizia and banyan trees mark the beginning of the trail, while ferns, ginger, and bamboo line the den...