Trekking in Hawaii – Dream Islands
Hawaii is not just an archipelago amidst the rough waves of the ocean. It is the dream of everyone who seeks beauty, who seeks the extraordinary. In Hawaii there is an eternal struggle of two elements – Fire and Water, in which life is born, unlike anything else in the world. There are active volcanoes, lava fields and lakes, coral atolls and colorful canyons…
With us you’ll watch the sunset on Mauna Kea, spend a night in Waimea Canyon, which is 900 meters deep, swim in plenty of wild coral beaches with sand of all possible colors and shades. Hiking in the most beautiful national parks, a tour to the famous Kilauea volcano, spectacular waterfalls, jungle and bamboo groves… But that’s not all! Join the brightest adventure of your life – dreams must come true ;).
Hilo – Waipo trail – sunset at Mauna Kea – Volcano Park – the same Kilauea – Pu’u Loa petroglyphs – Hana – Red Beach Kaihalulu – hiking in Haleakala Park – Lihue – night in Waimea Canyon – Kalalau track – surfing in Hawaii
Day 1. Meeting the group in Hilo.
We arrive in Hilo, Hawaii, which is called the city of tsunamis – they are stronger and more frequent here than anywhere else. We will not find monuments of high architecture, because the residents understand that the material goods are transient. But the nature and landscapes are mind-blowing!
We’ll stroll along the rushing oceanfront, check out an authentic banyan grove, watch the skills of surfers, and taste the famous Hawaiian cuisine.
Although one point of interest is still here – the huge Naha Stone. According to legend, the one who lifts it will unite all the Hawaiian islands. It happened only once and it was King Kamehameha I. We are going to try it too ;). In the evening we go to the hostel to rest, because tomorrow begins trekking!
Day 2. The Waipo Trail – “The Lost World”.
This trail leads along the coast through the picturesque forest that breathes with its endemicity: there are araucaria trees, lianas, sweet guavas and passion fruit ripening on the branches… you can walk by yourself by yourself :). Almost right after the start we will wander to a sandy beach near the river’s inflow into the sea, an amazing place for swimming, which we won’t miss! The coolness of the forest and beautiful views of mountains and sea will help to distract from steep ascents and descents, and by the evening we’ll put our tents on the beach, in a camping which locals fondly call “The Lost World”… It’s situated in a secluded valley, which served as a scenery for the film “Jurassic Park”. There are many waterfalls that can only be accessed by helicopters, because there are no roads or trails at all. On the shore you can sometimes see giant turtles. In such an unusual place we will take a break from our first trekking trip.
Day 3. Waipo – west coast.
We meet the sunrise over the sea, have breakfast and return to our car. On the way we swim in the small waterfalls and enjoy the unusual nature. We move to the west coast of the island and drop in for the night on the coast. Quickly set up camp and admire the incredible sunset.
Day 4. Sunset on the summit of Mauna Kea.
We start the morning with a swim and a tropical breakfast, and towards lunch we drive to the highest point on Earth. This is no joke: if you count from the top to the bottom at the bottom of the Hawaiian Ocean Trench, the height of Kea is 10,203m! There is a huge observatory of international importance at the top, where astronomers from all over the world work.
Mauna Kea (4,205 m, Hawaiian for “White Mountain” – home of the Goddess of Snow, Poliahu) is a shield volcano, i.e. a volcano formed by magma that was poured during eruptions and solidified. Its gentle slopes in the forest zone are covered with golden sweet-scented Sophora and the most precious Sandalwood, whose wood was prized even by King Solomon.
We will meet the sunset already on the top, enjoying the fantastic views. When it gets dark, we will admire the night sky lights, and if we’re lucky (they don’t let us in every night) we can look at the stars through a telescope and listen to an astronomy lecture by rangers.
Day 4-5. Trekking in Volcano Park.
We leave for Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, or HAVO. It includes two fire mountains – Mauna Loa and Kilauea. It was the eruption of the latter recently sensationalized the whole world. We will see the frozen lava, because the current one has disappeared from the islands. Although … who knows, for how long?)
Follow the old Chain of Craters road to the lava fields of Pu’u Loa petroglyphs. These primitive drawings document indigenous life and give us a glimpse into the curtain of history. We will spend the night on the black volcanic sand beach.
