Windward Coast

Location: Windward Coast, Oahu

When I signed up for an organized tour of the Polynesian Cultural Centre, it included a half day ‘circle island tour’, a chance to drive along the coast and see of the beautiful sights.  Lucky for us, it was a beautiful sunny day!

The first stop was the Makapuu Lookout.  Located on the windward coast of Oahu, the lookout provides a wonderful view of the Makapuu Beach & Kaupō Beach below and of ‘Rabbit Island’ just off the shore.

Makapu’u beach, where some locals enjoy a morning of surfing and boogie boarding.  Although the waves are higher here than in Waikiki, they’re only a fraction of the size of the waves on the North Shore in winter; they can reach astonishing heights of 50 feet!

Green sea turtles!  In Hawaiian, they’re called ‘honu’ and are a very important part of Hawaiian culture.  There are many myths surrounding these gentle giants and they are often regarded as symbols of good luck and represent a guardian to protect oneself.   They are listed as an endangered species.  Interestingly enough, sea turtles are one of earth’s oldest animals; they’ve been swimming in our oceans for over 75 million years!

Mānana Island (rabbit island) can be seen just off the shore of Kaupō Beach.

Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, Oahu (below)

Nu’uanu Pali Lookout is perched over a thousand feet above the Oahu coastline!  It offers panoramic views of the Koolau cliffs, as well as the area of Kaneohe and Kailua below.  It also has cultural and historical significance, as it was the site of the Battle of Nu’uanu.  It’s the site where, in 1795, King Kamehameha I won the struggle that finally united the island under his rule.  However, during that battle, hundreds of soldiers were killed when they were forced off the face of cliffs, plummeting to their deaths below. 

Before heading to the Polynesian Cultural Centre, we made a final stop, the most anticipated one yet: The Dole Plantation.  Home of the epic, world-famous, fantasmic delight: the dole whip!  I have very little time (or patience) to research destinations or activities before arriving, however I had heard in passing about the Dole Plantation on Oahu and knew right away that I needed to investigate further.  The minute I read that they served Dole Whips and Dole Whip Floats (my personal favourite), it shot right up to the #1 thing I wanted to do while in Hawai’i.  For those of you who have not travelled to nirvana (a normal side effect of eating a Dole Whip), this magnificent treat is pineapple soft-serve ice cream.  To bring it up a notch, it can be served in pineapple juice (hence the float part).  I first had the pleasure of savoury this sweet concoction while a friend and I visited Disney World several years ago.  On a return visit to Disney with another friend, the Dole Whip Float saved the day from a heat-induced grump fest.  It’s really that magical.  Hence, the burning desire to eat one again!  Just when you thought this heavenly dessert couldn’t get any better, at the Dole Plantation, it’s made with fresh pineapples, served in fresh pineapple juice and topped with fresh pineapples!  Yellow gold overdose!  An older American gentleman on my tour and I bonded on the way to the plantation over our love of the whip and we bought made a beeline for the line to order, leaving everyone else behind.  I savoured every sweet and tangy bite, knowing that I would definitely be back before I left the island. 

Happiness in a cup!