It was a cloudy Sunday morning when I woke up at the Hilton Waikiki Beach ready to embark on my hike to Diamond Head. I had fallen asleep to Downton Abbey the night before and my dreams had been filled with 1920’s costumes and British accents. I only realized this when I called down to the concierge to ask the best way to get to Diamond Head from the hotel and did so with a British accent. Fun! Oh, the joys of traveling by yourself and not talking to anyone for hours at a time!
Hiking Diamond Head
The concierge told me the best bet was to catch a short cab ride to the base of Diamond Head and then I could hike down and walk back to the hotel. It was 1.8 miles from Diamond Head to the Hilton- pretty easy enough. Add on another 1.6 miles for the actual hike- really not too bad of a workout. The cab ride was $12 dollars… a little more than the $7 that concierge told me it would be, but that’s okay. It was only $1 dollar to walk into the park (as compared to $5 if you drive), so it basically evened out.
The hike is fairly easy and all age groups and fitness levels were on the trail around me. Before I set off, I stopped by the hotel grab and go for two waters and a banana. I ate the banana as I hiked the first part and only needed one of the waters. While I was hiking I kept thinking about doing this all alone. No, it wasn’t that big of a deal really. I felt safe the whole time and really because of the crowds, I really wasn’t alone.
I guess I always surprise myself when I plan and make all the big moves myself- still- even after all this time traveling. I still get that proud feeling of accomplishing something I set out to do.
The view is well worth the hike up, I mean, look at that water! It wasn’t totally clear in the distance, a little cloudy and overcast, but it could have been because it was early in the morning and not all the marine layer had gone away.
The big payoff is the shot of Honolulu in the background and a nice departure from the massive hotels and condos on Waikiki.
The good thing about being a solo traveler is that so many people ask you to take photos for them. I swear, I took 15 or so photos for people. I didn’t mind, I asked one of them to return the favor, and we both got something out of it. As I took each photo I noticed something- everyone was so happy. I wasn’t alone in feeling that sense of accomplishment. Each group kept saying, “We made it!”, hugging and congratulating each other. One couple said how happy they were to have finally hiked it, as they’ve visited Oahu for fifteen years and never did it. Another group, this time with three small kids jumping around, told me how they first hiked Diamond Head on their honeymoon years ago.
Live in the Moment
While the hike is nothing too strenuous and really, anyone can do it, every single person around me was so happy they made it to the top. Once you get to the top, take a few moments to take it all in. Why rush to get down so fast? This is more a reminder to myself because Bob and I often have such heavily packed schedules that we sometimes rush from one site to the next.
Final Tips:
- $5 dollars to drive your car into the park.
- $1 dollar to walk in.
- easy hike that any age group or fitness level could do
- Must-Do when in Honolulu
- Try to hike early in the day, when it will be cooler
- wear a hat and sunscreen even when it is overcast
- Bring bottles of water
- wear sneakers, flip-flops will not do well on this hike
Have you hiked Diamond Head before? What tips would you add?
