Little Bird Blog
Off The Beaten Path
Christmas on Oahu Now that Thanksgiving has passed, we’re finally getting to the business of Christmas. Living far from family and coming from mixed cultures, we’ve experimented a bit over the years with our own family traditions. Some traditions, like the trolley ride in Honolulu, we’ve outgrown. Others, involving elaborate confectioneries in a humid climate […]
The Secret Behind Secret Island Beach The secret behind Secret Island Beach is … well, that it’s not an island at all. It’s a narrow strip of land bordered by ocean on one side and a fish pond on the other. Visitors who arrive via the Kualoa Ranch tour travel by by boat across the […]
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Get Outside We’ve been dragging lately. The summer heat and crowds feel oppressive and it seems we only leave the house for visits to Target (air conditioning) and the library (excellent air conditioning). For the first time in … ever? The kids asked if we could go on an easy hike. They requested something within […]
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A Lagoon is Born The Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon sparkles a brilliant turquoise blue from the end of Waikiki Beach. It almost glows in aerial photos and leads those in colder climes to sigh at their screens and fantasize about a tropical getaway. The Hilton invested quite a bit of money into revitalizing this former cesspool […]
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Ke Iki Beach, Worthy of a Staycation I was recently at a weekend birthday celebration at Ke Iki Beach Bungalows on the North Shore of Oahu—a spot so casually stunning it makes your average postcard look like it’s trying too hard. Adults sipped microbrews on the lanai while the children—roughly 70% sunscreen and 30% noise—engaged […]
Searching for the Best Baby Friendly Beaches on Oahu As you follow the coastline around Oahu, you will discover that not all beaches are created equal. From rocky shores pounded by surf to placid lagoons that feel like a bathtub, you are spoiled for choice. But not all beaches are the best baby friendly beaches […]
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A Magical Waikiki Sunset Town isn’t far. It’s maybe a half hour drive from Kailua, but it feels far. The kids balk and throw their little bodies dramatically on the couch as we pick them up from school with news of our evening beach plans. “Noooo!” they moan exaggeratedly. “We don’t want to go to […]
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Just where do Hawaii residents go on vacation? I walked off the plane and was immediately enveloped into a blanket humidity. The air was lightly scented of plumeria. It felt like a welcome home hug. This month I celebrate my 16th year living on Oahu. It was never the plan to stay this long, but […]
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A Short Hike with Big Views The Ehukai Pillbox Trail is a picturesque and fairly easy trail got hikes on the North Shore Oahu. Living in Kailua (windward Oahu), we don’t make it to the beautiful north shore nearly enough. However, over the summer months, when the surf is quiet we make an effort to […]
A Rainforest adventure to Manoa Falls Nestled in the lush Manoa Valley on Oahu, Manoa Falls is a captivating 150-foot waterfall surrounded by a vibrant rainforest. The well-maintained 1.7-mile hike to the falls immerses you in a paradise of bamboo groves and banyan trees. The sight of the falls, with its gentle cascade into a […]
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A Walk on the Wild Side Kaena Point is known for its rugged and remote natural beauty, with coastal cliffs, tide pools, and native plant and bird species. Certainly, it’s a far cry from Waikiki with its vibrant palms, loud aloha wear, and bedazzled cocktails, but it’s one of my favorite spots on the island. […]
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Sans Souci Beach – a perfect little family beach Waikiki has a lot of excitement to offer, but we always find ourselves drawn to the same little stretch of beach called Sans Souci Beach. It’s a small beach on the outskirts of Waikiki adjacent to the Waikiki Aquarium. In fact, we walked past it many […]
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