WillGan
Local to Hawai'i & Loyal to Aulani
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2022
- Messages
- 272
Got a lot more to share but...It's better to answer questions...lol
Love the perspective from a local, mahalo!! I have not heard of Kaiona beach, thanks for the rec! We'll be in Oahu very soon so I'm adding this to our list to check out if we have time.
I also read that the secret beach near Kualoa is worth a visit, because you can see Mokoli'i there. If I am only going to one beach on the windward side, would you choose secret beach or kaiona?
Kaiona. For sure. Please understand that the distance between Kuala and Kaiona is about.....45 mins so it all boils down to what you're doing. Yes they're both windward side but very distant in proximity to anything you're doing especially if you're staying at Aulani. Here's something to add...If you're going to Waikiki from Aulani, it does not make sense to take another day to visit Kaiona/Kailua/Lanikai because its about 20 minutes further. Since you're coming in December, I would not trust the weather on the windward side. Today it's pouring! This whole week it's been horrible weather because of the rain. You said a couple weeks...hopefully it'll be better. But if you do plan to do Waikiki and swim there, you would probably want to stay 'till lunch time meaning you're in Waikiki around 8AM in the water or at least galavanting. The shops are nothing special in Waikiki. It's more for our guests from Japan and Asia because it's mostly pricey places like Gucci, Luis Vuitton, etc. Yes there are some better places for mainland tourists but it's nothing that you can't find at Ala Moana Shopping Center or even the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet. If you do decide to leave at lunch time to check out Kaiona, may I recommend you swing by Rainbow Drive-Inn or Fresh Catch to pick up lunch and of course you need to pick up Leonards Malasadas especially since it's the original bakery and not the lunch wagon. For lunch, you can actually eat the lunch at Kaiona. If you eat all the malasadas on the way there, don't worry, there's another Leonards Malasadas truck at Koko Marina which is at the base of Hanauma Bay. At that time, you'd be about 10-12 mins. away from Kaiona. Make sure to take the scenic route along the coast so you can see the blowhole, Maui, and Molokai (if it's clear). If you decide to head back home that same way you came, it's probably more scenic. Kualoa area, if you guys decide to make a visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center, then it makes sense to visit Kualoa. It typically gets darker early since it's winter but it's always going to be cooler and the water will be cooler especially on that side. But if you want to check out the North Shore on a separate day, Kualoa is something you could throw in. =)Love the perspective from a local, mahalo!! I have not heard of Kaiona beach, thanks for the rec! We'll be in Oahu very soon so I'm adding this to our list to check out if we have time.
I also read that the secret beach near Kualoa is worth a visit, because you can see Mokoli'i there. If I am only going to one beach on the windward side, would you choose secret beach or kaiona?