Pacific Islands of Hawaii
Five days exploring Honolulu, Manoa, Pahala and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
Landing on Honolulu for the first time is somehow the end of a lifelong distant infatuation for Hawaii. Ever since I could remember, this pacific islands has been stuck in my travel bucket list, so as the reality of being in Hawaii synced in through the trip, I realized “I'm on a island, in the middle of the pacific, on top of volcanoes, with friends I met Sophomore year in a foreign country 5 years ago. Life is nuts.”
Honolulu & Manoa
Our first destination was Honolulu on the main island of Oahu. We stayed in the neighborhood of Manoa where my sophomore roommate now lives in a tropical bungalow overlooking what consists of the Manoa Valley. This entire canyon, running from Mānoa Falls at the mauka (inland-most) to the end to King Street typically receives rain showers through day, is home to multiple rainbows a week and the continuous natural alarm-like sounds through the night and day, thanks to the neighboring abundant flora and fauna.
For three days, we got to know some local spots in the various island neighborhoods, ventured around the different lookouts and got some leisurely time by the coasts. Our first half we explored Morning Glass, Manoa Falls, Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. For the latter part of the trip, explorations also carried to the south towards Diamond Head, all around the eastern portion of the island, through Jurassic park’s lands and Lost’s preferred locations, all the way to the North Shore Pipeline’s coast and legendary waves. Throughout the trip, rain came and went through the night, lush scenarios kept getting better and vistas of the Oahu’s landscapes continue to be more impressive; all while we continued to wake up everyday back in Manoa to watch the sunrise from the “lanai” (or back portico) overlooking the green hillfoots. It was truly a unique and special time.
“Sand. Rocks. Plants. Saltwater. Corals. Sunsets. Island life is real life.”
Pahala & Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
We had planned to make a second stop during our visit, so we decided to spend our last days in the eastern portion of the island chain, the Big Island. After taking a short flight to Kona-Kailua, our first morning in this volcanic destination started with a quick breakfast and short drive down Highway 11 to check the local green and black sand beaches. In the meantime we stopped by Kona's Boy to rent some snorkeling gear, and met a warm local named Frank. He recommended hiking to Captain Cook's Monument and swimming at Kealakekua Bay. As we carried the snorkeling search, with the sounds of waves crashing in the background, we looked for our second spot. This time, it was a southern shoreline full of interconnected natural pools, formed by lava and now coral reefs at Kauhako Bay.
I enjoyed exploring Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park terrain and grounds. Walking on Pahoehoe trails was an experience like nothing I've done before, as I kept telling our crew, “This is what walking on the moon must feel like”. Truly mind-blowing.
Photographer & Author: Francesco Stumpo
Camera: Nikon D3100, iPhone 5C.
Processed: Photoshop CS6, Lightroom and VSCO.
