It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a week since I got back from Hawaii, and while I’ve managed to settle back into my routine and give jet lag the boot, these post-vacation blues are still clinging to me pretty tightly, and I’m pretty sure that this is partially responsible for that…
Oh my. If anyone lives in a nice warm place and has a nice warm room for a cold Canadian girl to occupy for a couple of months, please don’t hesitate to speak up. I’m clean, I’m quiet, and I bake…
… which is actually what I spent most of my weekend doing since going out and freezing my toes off didn’t sound all that appealing. That little gem right there is part of a batch of blueberry banana muffins that I whipped up during my baking spree. If you follow me on Instagram then you may have already fallen victim to my teasing, and if you don’t then I’m afraid you’re going to fall victim today – I’ll definitely be sharing the recipe with you guys, buuuuut you have to wait until tomorrow. And no, it’s not because I’m trying to be cruel, but because I had something else planned for today…
Since it’s MIMM and I could use a bit of warm-weather-reminiscing up to help get me out of this snow-induced funk, today’s post is going to be another highlight from Hawaii. Coincidentally, it also happens to be what I thought was the most marvelous part of our trip. If you missed part 1 of my Hawaii highlights series then be sure to check out my recap of Diamond Head, and if not, then let’s move on to talk about…
Manoa Falls.
The Manoa Falls trail is another hike that we did while in O’ahu, but unlike Diamond Head with its well-maicured path, this one proved to be a little more tricky…
Although the trail is well-travelled and easy to follow, its also incredibly slippery thanks to the mud, and the constantly varying terrain requires a good deal of navigating. There are rocks to climb, streams to cross, steep slopes to scale, and bulky roots to avoid. Nothing a little careful vigilance can’t handle, but you definitely have to watch where you put your feet, which is incredibly difficult to do when your eyes want nothing more than to take in all of the beauty that surrounds you…
This was my first time in a rainforest and I was absolutely blown away by how beautiful it was; so much so that I probably spent more time with a camera planted in front of my face than not…
And for a fun bit of trivia, did you know that Manoa Falls is where some of the scenes from Jurassic Park and Lost were filmed?
And speaking of the falls, after a 0.8 mile (1.3 km) hike that takes approximately 35 minutes to do, you’ll have the pleasure of finding yourself in the company of the falls themselves…
Gorgeous. Hiking the Manoa Falls trail was easily my favorite part of our trip and I definitely recommend putting it in to your schedule if you ever find yourself planning to visit Hawaii. And if you need a second opinion, here’s what Momma Spoons had to say when I asked her how it was:
And here she is tackling the trail in her red poncho:
Love that lady!
Some tips:
- Wear appropriate shoes. Flip flops are definitely not suitable for this trail. The steep and slippery slopes make running/hiking shoes pretty much a necessity, especially the further along the trail you go. It also helps to bring shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty.
- Bring bug spray. Sunscreen isn’t needed since you’ll be doing most of the trail in the shade of the trees, but mosquitos can be a big problem so having a can of bug spray on hand isn’t a bad idea.
- Bring something waterproof to wear. You’ll more likely than not be caught in a pretty decent downpour on your hike, so toss a lightweight poncho into your bag to stay dry (note: you can buy flimsy ponchos at pretty much any gas station or snack shop for $1.25)
- Don’t drink the water or go for a swim. As tempting and serene as it may seem, the freshwater streams in Hawaii can be contaminated with leptospirosis, which is a funky bacteria that can make you ill. Avoid that by avoiding the water.
. – . – . – .
How’s the weather in your neck of the woods? Is it looking like spring yet?
Are you an outdoorsy person? Do you like getting dirty/wet and braving the elements?
Now THAT is my kind of HIKE! I love a good challenge whenever I’m hiking! And those pictures are absolutely breathtaking! The pink flower and the falls? Ahhhh! I had NO idea about the water in Hawaii…very good tip to add in! Definitely don’t want to be caught in paradise feeling like death! :-/
The weather here has been HORRIBLE all week! Around noon, it suddenly got dark as night outside and another torrential downpour ensued! So no snow, but still no sun…which I DESPERATELY need right now! 🙁
Looking at these pictures…I felt like I was being transported into an episode of Lost. That’s so cool that scenes were actually filmed there! Your trip looks pretty incredible, love that shot of your mom in the red poncho too! Adorable lol
Your pics are honestly so pretty! It is cold and rainy/snow here but is yet again suppose to go up to the 40s this week, hope it stays! We need spring! I am so outdoorsy I love doing stuff like this, bug spray is such a must to! I always avoided it because I have that feeling on my skin but after a horrible hike in Maine with bug attacking me nonstop I have learned my lesson lol.
Long time reader . . .first time commentor. This topic is just too tempting to keep silent :). Love those photos and I lurrv the outdoors. I went hiking up table mountain here in SA. Best experience ever. Alot more challenging than I thought but awesome nonetheless. Took just over 2 hours over extremely rocky terrain (I’m talking steep boulders to clamber all the way!). The best part: sweltering sunshine from start to finish;). And I can’t wait for our next trip to do it again…
As tempting and utterly delicious-looking as those muffins might be (can’t wait for the recipe!), it’s your photos of Manoa Falls that are producing *extreme* temptation in this post. And by that I mean, temptation to get my bum out of Washington, DC, and take up residence in someplace tropical and serene. Wanna come with? 😉
I’ve never spent time in Oahu, but I know Maui pretty well, and Manoa Falls reminds me of some of the scenery there. I made the mistake of hiking in the rainforest without misquito repellant once, and it’s one I’ve never made since; the next day my body was covered in huge welts!
It’s been raining in DC since last Friday, which isn’t very unusual for this time of year, but the 40-degree temperatures are 20 degrees lower than normal! Spring, where are you??
Do I wanna come with?! Girl, you definitely don’t have to ask twice! I’d go in a heartbeat. And the next time I visit Hawaii, I’ll definitely be going to Maui. O’ahu was nice, but a little too commercial for my liking.
We don’t even have snow here and I would LOVE to be in Hawaii right now! We got a taste of spring late last week with 70 F weather, but then it went back down to more seasonal temperatures and way too much wind. I guess I should be thankful that there’s no snow (yet…)
I would consider myself somewhat outdoorsy. When I was younger, my family camped a lot during the summer and I loved being outside. Now, I’m not so much of a fan of ‘roughing it’ but I do like hiking and exploring when I get the chance.
These pics are all stunning! I’m definitely remembering all these places to write in our Hawaii trip to-do list 🙂
These pictures look beautiful. My sister went there a few years ago and I was jealous…jealous again!!
mmmm bacteria water! Lol. You really do take incredible photos, girl – these could seriously be in National Geographic! This does sound like an awesome hike – gorgeous scenery and a little bit of a challenge? Definitely have to go here someday!
Ahhh…how amazing! I went to Hawaii when I was 13 and still look back on all of the gorgeous pictures that I took from time to time. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking.
I wasn’t raised in a very outdoorsy family but I definitely love exploring nature when I have the opportunity…as long as I don’t have to sleep there. (:
Hehe yeah, my family used to do a lot of camping when I was younger and I really loved it, but I’m not really keen on the idea of sleeping in a tent anymore. I like to come back to a bed… and a shower!
It’s definitely not looking like spring here yet either. It was FREEZING today. 🙁
This hike looks amazing though. And that’s so cool that parts of LOST were filmed there! I’m definitely an outdoorsy person. I grew up going to camp and doing canoe trips, which often involved getting very muddy. Those were the best summers of my life!
Wow, everything looks so lush and green, and I am definitely ready for Spring to come. I actually cleaned out a flower bed this weekend. It was sunny, but only 30 some degrees and literally the flower bed was covered in snow a day later. I’m so done with winter. These pictures are amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Lol bugspray is a must even in Canada (for me at least) I can’t even imagine a tropical country like that!
OMG I literally want to cut and paste all those photographs and put them as my the background photos of my calendar – amazing.
But seriously, now I have 10+ photos to use as my wallpaper screen, yay me (I can right?)
Sure 🙂
I’m not normally very outdorssy, but give me a beach or perhaps a rainforest and I can be VERY outdorssy!! 😉
Man, I’ve been missed out on the hiking spots every time I visit Oahu. I will definitely have to put this one on my to-do list for next time, it looks absolutely gorgeous! Plus, I always down to rock a nice bright poncho ;-). When I was in Hawaii last spring they were going through a period of unusual wind and rain following the tsunami in Japan and we got poured on every single day haha.
It was crazy windy while we were there too, but thankfully it didn’t start raining until our last day.