Kailua _ Lanikai Beaches

The beach of Kailua was just like I like it- quiet, long stretch of sand and warm water. My accommodation, though pricey, was right on the beach which was good. It also had a kitchen, so I could do some food prep.

The next day (I stayed 2 nights) I walked to Lanikai to do the Pillbox hike. This is a steep climb to two gun emplacements. I then carried on along the Ka’lwa Ridge and circled the village, coming back down a treacherous hill in the east. The views from this hike were great- you could see the stunning beach, reefs and then on the other side the Pali (eroded mountains) that conjures Jurassic park images.

In the afternoon I tested out my snorkelling gear in Lanikai and saw a green sea turtle within my first 2 minutes- and a few other species but the visibility was not great.

I was excited to hire a car for the next stretch of my trip –mostly to get to see the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden-which was difficult and lengthy to get to by public transport. On my way to pick it up though a lady called and said that they only had minivans, so I resigned myself to not seeing the gardens and changed my plans to go direct to the North Shore.