Little Bird Blog
Off The Beaten Path
The Honolulu Zoo sits in Kapiolani Park at the edge of Waikiki, 42 acres of African savanna, tropical forests, and Pacific island ecosystems. It’s home to elephants, giraffes, rhinos, lions, cheetahs, orangutans, Komodo dragons, and a keiki zoo where kids can get hands-on with farm animals. The shaded playground in the middle of the zoo […]
The Waikiki Aquarium sits on the Waikiki shoreline next to Kapiolani Park, about a 20-minute walk from most hotels along the strip. Founded in 1904, it’s one of the oldest public aquariums in the United States and has been run by the University of Hawaii since 1919. It’s small so plan an hour, maybe a […]
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The Byodo-In Temple sits at the base of the Ko’olau Mountains in the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park in Kaneohe, about 45 minutes from Waikiki. It’s a non-denominational Buddhist temple built in 1968 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii, a smaller replica of a nearly 1,000-year-old temple in […]
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The Kalawahine Trail is a 2-mile out-and-back hike in the Honolulu Mauka Trail System, winding through moss and fern-covered forest above the city. It gains about 570 feet, takes one to one and a half hours, and ends at a T-junction where you can turn back or keep going connecting to Pauoa Flats, Manoa Falls, […]
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Kahana Bay Beach Park sits on the windward coast of Oahu, tucked between the Ko’olau Mountains and the ocean just north of Ka’a’awa. It’s a state park, which means camping is allowed, the facilities are decent, and the parking is right at the beach. The water here has a reddish tint from the surrounding clay […]
Heeia Pier is a working fishing pier on the edge of Kaneohe Bay on Oahu’s windward coast, about 30 minutes from Waikiki. It’s one of those places locals know and visitors almost never find: a pier where kids can dangle their feet over clear water and watch fish, sea turtles, and the occasional hammerhead shark […]
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Kawela Bay is a small, crescent-shaped bay on Oahu’s north shore, tucked behind the Ritz-Carlton Turtle Bay and hidden from the road by a wall of dense forest. It’s part jungle, part quiet beach, and unlike anywhere else on the island. The forest is laced with trails, dripping banyan roots, and tall trees that connect […]
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The Crouching Lion hike is a short, steep scramble on Oahu’s windward coast near Ka’a’awa, about an hour from Waikiki. The trail gains roughly 300 feet in under half a mile, with ropes to help on the steeper sections and views of Kahana Bay and the Ko’olau Mountains at the top. It’s one of the […]
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Kokololio Beach Park is a quiet, locals-known beach in Laie on Oahu’s windward coast, about an hour from Waikiki. From the road all you can see is a grassy field and a wall of trees, which is exactly why most visitors drive past without stopping. Just over the hill behind the bathrooms is a sandy […]
Kaena Point is the westernmost tip of Oahu and one of the last undeveloped stretches of coastline on the island. The hike follows an old railroad bed along the coast to a Natural Area Reserve where Laysan albatross nest, Hawaiian monk seals haul out on the rocks, and native coastal plants grow without competition from […]
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Koko Crater Botanical Garden is a free, 2-mile loop trail inside a volcanic crater on the southeastern end of Oahu, about 25 minutes from Waikiki. It’s one of five botanical gardens managed by the City and County of Honolulu, open daily from 9am to 4pm. The dry, bowl-shaped microclimate makes it unlike anywhere else on […]
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The Maunawili Demonstration Trail is a point-to-point trail on Oahu’s windward side that follows the base of the Koolau Mountains from the Pali Highway to Waimanalo, about 9 miles one way. It passes through dense rainforest, bamboo groves, and stream crossings, with sweeping views of the windward coast opening up along the way. You don’t […]
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