Diamond Head Hike

Parking is limited; there's always 100 people in front of you and 100 people behind you; the "trail" is paved part of the way through; and Japanese tourists can be found doing the "hike" in dresses and sandals (at the least the women). But the pay off is always good when you make it to the top. Views from East Oahu to the airport, with blue skies and endless ocean.

You hike up from the inside of the crater, so you need to enter the crater first
through a tunnel.

Here we go!

This poster gives you a great overview
of the hike and the history of how Diamond Head
was used by the military.

On the day of our hike, you could see the moon in the sky.

See that bunker at the top? That's our destination.

Looking into the crater as we climb up. 

Almost at the top. You can see how crowded the trail is.

When I got to the area that's pictured above, I turned around
to take a picture of the trail below (where I took the picture
above).

We saw a hiker walking along the ridge. See him?

This is the "down" view of the first set
of stairs (about 76) we had to climb.

After climbing the first set of stairs
and going through a dark, yet lit, tunnel, there's
another set of stairs to climb. This one has 99 steps.
These steps lead you through the bunker where
you climb a dimly lit winding staircase
to your destination. There's a less claustrophobic
route to get to the top as well. 

Looking Mauka.

At the top, looking Ewa.

Housing and condos below fronting Diamond Head.

Ocean view. Can you spot the Diamond Head lighthouse?

Another ocean view.

Looking East.

Instead of going back down through the bunker, we went the alternate route
back down. Here's a line of people making their way down.

With you route, you're avoiding the dark bunker
with the winding staircase, but not the stairs.

One last view before leaving.

Playing Tourist and Attending a Luau

It's been over 20 years since I've been to a commercial luau. So when the Hubz told me that his company was going to have an event at Paradise Cove Luau, I was excited to go. Would the food be any good? Would the entertainment be cheesy? Would I be bored? It ended up being a lot of fun. 

Paradise Cove is located on the West side of Oahu, past Kapolei-before Waianae, at Ko'Olina Resort. Situated right on the coastline, it's an idea place to have a luau. It offers fantastic views and a lagoon where you can kick off your shoes and walk in the sand. The sunsets are to die for. 

Here's how the visit unfolded. 

From the outside, it doesn't look like much. At the very least they should change the signage to match their logo.

Upon entering, you'll be serenaded as you walk along a path and be offered a free complimentary drink (choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic). After being greeted with a lei and taking pictures (that you can purchase later) with a pretty female and a handsome male performer, you step on to Paradise Cove.

 

 

 

You're able to partake in a number of activities including getting a tattoo, throwing a spear, taking a canoe ride or just soaking in the beautiful views. 

 

 

 

 

 

When you hear the conch shell blow, that's the signal for the organized activities to begin. Paradise Cove staff, or "cousins," as they are referred to, guide visitors to various parts of the property for demonstrations. Most notable for me was the net throwing demonstration and the unearthing of a whole pig from the imu. Along the way, the cousins inject a lot of humor and incorporate audience participation.

 

 

 

 

The food is served buffet style (unless you purchase a package that includes table service). I'm not going to list all the offerings, but it included poi, lomi salmon, and a very, very good kalua pork (fresh from the imu, perhaps?).

 

I don't have pictures of the entertainment since I wasn't sitting close enough to capture good pictures, but it consisted of a pre-show that started during dinner and the main show. Performers are a part of Kumu Hula Brian Eselu's hula halau who performed dances from Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa. Most notable and always a crowd pleaser was the Samoan fire dance. The dancer dropped his torch a couple of times and caused a little fire on stage, prompting a cousin to run onstage to stamp it out. The performer didn't blink an eye and kept on performing (while the fire was stamped out) -- I wasn't sure if the fire was a part of the show.  

It was a fun and entertaining show and included humor and audience participation.  

The verdict? I give it a solid A. The entertainment was solid, the food was good, and service was great. The only weird thing was how they referred everyone as "cousins." I guess they're trying to stress that we're all family, but it was weird. 

So if you have out of town visitors or want to experience a commercial luau, I'd highly recommend Paradise Cove. Fun!