There are only two ways of experiencing adventure on the island of Oahu: one is from the passenger seat and the other is tackling it head on. It’s less about one being better than the other and more about enjoying the view from two very different vantage points.
When planning your trip, you’ve got to take into account who you’re with and what you’re there for. From here, you can decide how you want to ride the wave.
Diamond Head is one of the most visited sights outside Honolulu. You ask anyone what you should do while you’re there, and Diamond Head Crater will be top on the list. The reason people love this place so much? It’s the number one place to catch a 360-degree view of the island from atop the 150,000-year-old volcanic tuff cone. This is what Hawaii is all about: those breathtaking views of its clear-bodied ocean and spectacular landscape.
Diamond Head (photo by David Milkulin)
Three Ways to Explore Diamond Head
There are many ways you can experience this world wonder. Here are a three options from the least extreme to the most daring.
1. Hike it! There are tons of adventure tours that you can go on to hike the .7-mile trail up to the top. Most are quite mellow and the trail includes a fairly steep staircase up to the upper ridge summit. Roundtrip you’ll probably spend 1.5 hiking, plus some added time to enjoy the view. This is an easy and awesome way to enjoy the natural landscape of Mount Leahi without going overboard.
2. Bike it! While you can’t bike up the Diamond Head crater itself, you can definitely do a tour where you bike into it and around the Waikiki coast. I recommend renting a bike or doing a bike tour to see these sites at the perfect pace, and with wind blown hair.
3. Parasail! For the ultimate thrill and view from above, parasailing in Waikiki is your best bet. Fly 500-feet high above the Pacific and catch a view of the island that can’t be beat.
The View from Diamond Head (Photo by: Daniel Ramirez)
Or, if you’re a true adventurer like me, you’ll try them all. I decompressed from my voyages at the lotus Honolulu where I got all the amenities I could possibly need like yoga classes, a fitness center, and of course some massage rejuvenation for all my “hard” work.
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