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Kaneohe Sandbar (Oahu)

Address: 47-86 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744

Kaneohe Bay is located on the East side (windward) on the Island of Oahu. The Kaneohe sandbar is a natural formation and a collection of exposed islets surrounding coral reefs. The Kaneohe Sandbar is one of the unique, best-kept secrets, and exciting places to visit in Oahu. The sandbar is only exposed during low tides in Kaneohe Bay. The Kaneohe Bay is the largest bay of the main 8 Hawaiian Islands. The bay is protected by reefs from the waves of the open ocean. From the shoreline, the beautiful sandbar is about a mile away and only accessible by boat or kayak.

We drove for about 35 minutes (16 miles) from our Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel to Kaneohe Bay via HI- 63 North. We arrived at the He’eia kea Boat Harbor at around 9 am and parked in front of our boat. We paid and reserved a tour under Captain Bruce Kaneohe SandbarTour company. There is also a public restroom available onsite and a small Cafe, that serves snacks, ice cream, and sandwiches. We were early enough to find a parking space in front as parking is limited. We checked in with the staff members and decided to take pictures while we were waiting for the others. We were given safety instructions and basic information by the friendly, fun, and knowledgeable Captain Crystal and her staff members. We were also instructed that we had to remove our shoes, slippers or aqua socks before boarding the boat. There were some snacks, drinks, fruits and water games, and snorkeling gears for guests to use.

The boat ride from the harbor to the sandbar only took us 10 minutes. We were all in awe as we approach the Kaneohe Sandbar with its clear deep teal blue color and white sand. The boat anchored at around 9:50 am and we were informed that it was free time and our departure will be at 12:15 pm. We all jumped into the pristine clear blue water and proceeded to the other boat that stored all the free use of kayaks, (SUP) stand-up paddle boards, floaties, tubes, and many more. We choose to use the tubes and stand-up paddle board and took pictures with the background of the mountains. The bay water was warm, clear, and shallow (knee deep). After an hour, we were all called and were asked who wants to participate in snorkeling on the reef to see some fish and turtles. We decided to not do snorkeling since we already had experience with snorkeling. The best part of the tour was when it started to rain just for a few minutes followed by the sunshine. It was an amazing, memorable, experience for me and my family to enjoy the tropical rain in the middle of Kaneohe Bay.

All the guests were busy either kayaking, snorkeling, having lunch, playing beach volleyball, taking pictures, or just simply enjoying the beautiful, picturesque panoramic views of the Koolau Mountains and nearby islets.

Overall it was a great, memorable, and one-of-a-kind experience for me and my family. It is our first time visiting a sandbar and was a good treat or surprise for my daughter’s 13th birthday celebration. We even saw a few turtles (honu in Hawaiian) swimming through the clear blue turquoise water in the bay.

Tips: Ensure that you pack lots of bottled water to stay hydrated, and wear aqua socks or just barefoot since the sand is fine. You can bring your own snacks or food but the tour company provided us with some snacks, drinks, and water gears for us to use. Be at the dock or harbor earlier since parking is limited. There is also a small cafe with outdoor tables that sells sandwiches, snacks, and ice cream in the Harbor area. There were plastic cubbies available to use underneath each seat. The common tour hours that are being offered are either 9:30 a.m. and 1 pm.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about Kaneohe Sandbar after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Waimea Valley/Falls (Oahu, Hawaii)

Address: 59-864 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712

Waimea Valley/Falls is located on the North side of the Island of Oahu. The place is open 7 days a week from 9 am- 5 pm. Waimea Valley is known for its spiritual significance to Ancient Hawaiians. The Valley was awarded to the Kahuna Nui (high priests) in the early days. The Waimea Falls also known as Wailele Falls is a natural rain-fed 45-foot waterfall that is 30 feet deep and located within the Waimea Valley. Visitors/locals can swim and get closer to the waterfalls but it is dependent on the daily waterfall conditions. The 2 main attractions in the Valley are the lush green Botanical Garden and the Waimea waterfall.

We drove for about 1 hour and 15 minutes (38 miles) from our Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel to Waimea Valley/Falls via HI- 99 North. Our drive to Waimea Valley was very scenic, and fun, as we passed through the Dole Plantation, Haleiwa Town famous for Matsumoto Shave Ice/Giovanni Shrimp Truck, and Laniakea Beach where you get to see turtles on the beach. We arrived in Waimea Valley at around 2 pm and the free parking lot was almost full. We drove slowly as the free parking is made up of gravel and sand. There is also another beach parking lot at the entrance but charges a parking fee. The main entrance to the Waimea Valley has signage and is right across the Waimea Bay Beach.

We had to pass through the Waimea Valley Visitor Center, Cafe, and gift shop before we finally reached the main entrance to the Valley. At the entrance booth, we paid $25 for adults ages 13 and up and $14 for kids ages 4-12 years old. It took us about 30 minutes to walk from the main entrance to the Waimea waterfalls. It was a fun walk as we had to go through lush-greenery Botanical Gardens, had to cross a few bridges, and saw a wide variety of beautiful, exotic, tropical plants and fruits along the way. The distance to the waterfalls is about 3/4 miles one way and 1 1/2 miles roundtrip. We learned a lot about the Hawaiian culture in the early days as we explored the historical botanical garden. There was signage everywhere that explains the history of each area we visited and the path to the Waimea/Wailele waterfall.

We knew that we were close to the waterfalls once we saw the Wailele snack bar and the last bridge where we saw the 450 ft waterfalls from afar. There was a public restroom and a changing room before and after the last bridge. We were so excited when we heard the gushing sound of the waterfall and were in awe as we saw the beautiful, picturesque Waimea waterfall. There were friendly lifeguards who handed us a complimentary, required lifevest before we swam in the waterfalls. There were a lot of rocks during our descent to the water. The aqua socks that we were wearing helped prevent us from slipping through the slippery rocks in the water. The water was cold at first but we got acclimated to it and the water was warmer as we got closer to the waterfall. The best part was when we reached the bottom of the waterfall and felt the mist and the gush of the waterfall closer to our heads. My daughter and I felt the water trickle into our heads and enjoyed every moment of it. It was a very exciting, fun experience to be able to swim and get closer to a waterfall. I brought my non-waterproof cell phone (wouldn’t recommend doing it, just in case you drop it into the water) in the water and took lots of videos/pictures near the waterfall. Be careful as the lifeguards had to call out on people who were swimming towards the corner where rocks may fall on you. The lifeguard called on everyone as they close the area at 5 pm.

Overall it was a great memorable experience for us to be able to swim underneath a waterfall. It is my daughter’s first experience swimming in a waterfall. I would highly recommend this place when you visit the Island of Oahu. We also learned a few things about the history of the early Hawaiian culture and lifestyle as we navigated through the lush greenery botanical garden in the Valley.

Tips: Ensure that you pack bottled water to stay hydrated, and wear aqua socks especially when you want to get closer to the bottom of the waterfalls to prevent slips and falls from the rocks. There is a lifeguard on site who will also provide a complimentary lifevest to each person that will swim on the waterfalls. Stay away from the side of the waterfalls as rocks may fall on you. Bring a towel to dry yourself and there is a changing room near the bridge and an outdoor shower to wash. There were benches for people who doesn’t want to swim and a small gift shop to buy water gear. Always remember safety first and don’t do anything unsafe or beyond your comfort level. We even pack a first aid kit just in case of an emergency. They also have a Luau at one of their restaurant onsite. The shuttle that will take you from and to the waterfall wasn’t running or available during our visit. ATM is located inside the gift shop.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about Waimea Valley/Falls after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Byodo-In Temple (Oahu)

Address: 47-200 Kahekili Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744

Byodo-In Temple is located on the Eastern side of the Island of Oahu and situated at the foot of the Ko’olau Mountain. Byodo-In Temple means “Temple of Equality” and it welcomes all comers to paradise. The Temple represents the Japanese coming into America and is located inside the Valley of the Temple Memorial Park. The Byodo-In Temple in Hawaii is a beautiful replica of a historic Japanese Buddhist Temple. The Temple is open 7 days a week from 8:30 am- 5 pm. The admission fee is $5 for adults, $2 for kids under 12 years old, and offers military and Kamaaina (local residents) rates.

We drove for about 35 minutes (16 miles) from our Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel to Byodo-In Temple via HI- 63 North. Our drive to Byodo-In Temple was very scenic, and fun, as we passed through the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden, Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, Leonard’s Malasadas food truck, and the town of Kaneohe. We arrived at Byodo-In Temple around 3 pm and the free parking lot was almost full.

At the entrance, we had to pass through the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park and drove all the way to the end of the road until we reached the Byodo-In Temple. The parking lot was almost full as we arrived a little bit late around 3 pm. At the entrance booth, we paid $5 for adults ages 13 and up and $2 for kids ages 4-12 years old. We were surprised and in awe, as we crossed a small bridge and saw the beautiful Temple with the panoramic Ko’olau Mountain in the background. The temple was surrounded by a lush greenery garden with tropical plants and a large pond surrounded the Temple. We then proceeded to the 5 ft sacred bell called Bon-shu which is located before the entrance to the Temple. We all pulled back the large wooden log and it produced such a soothing, calming, relaxing sound that soothes others at ease. It is believed that ringing the sacred bell will bring blessings of happiness and longevity of life from Buddha. We had to remove our shoes/slippers before we went inside the peaceful Temple. There is this huge 9 feet buddha situated inside the middle of the temple that is housing all the sacred urns. It was such a beautiful and spiritual statue to see and experience. There were also a few visitors who said a prayer and lighted an incense stick inside the temple.

Our next stop was the gift shop and the large Koi pond surrounding the Temple. My daughter and I purchased a bag of fish food for $2 at the gift shop. My daughter had fun feeding the numerous large Koi fishes in the pond and was all fighting or jumping out of the water for food. We were surprised as a beautiful black swan suddenly emerged from the corner and joined the other Koi fishes. It swam back and forth towards us and entertained all the visitors who were busy taking pictures. Just don’t get too close to the swan as a safety precaution. We took lots of great pictures of the entire area of the Byodo-In Temple with its relaxing, tranquil settings.

Overall it was a great experience for us to be able to visit a sacred, peaceful, and tranquil place in Hawaii. It’s a place to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle lifestyle in the city such as Waikiki. I would highly recommend this place when you visit the Island of Oahu. Our entire exploration of the Byodo-In Temple lasted for at least an hour and it was well worth it.

Tips: Ensure that you pack bottled water to stay hydrated and parking is a little bit challenging to find an open spot so be patient. Be respectful, be quiet and remove your shoes/slippers before entering the sacred temple. You will have to pass through a cemetery at the entrance and will need to drive all the way to the end of the road to reach the Byodo-in Temple.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about Byodo-In Temple after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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