Hanauma Bay was recommended to us by many people for snorkelling but as we had Chhori with us we decided that we will go there and just swim but not snorkel.
The bay opens in winter from 6am to 6pm and in summer from 6am to 7pm except Tuesdays. But when the carpark is full you will not be allowed in. There is also an Entry Fee of $7.50 per person and Car parking fee of $1 per car.
The drive there was beautiful from Waikiki as you could see the beautiful blue sea along the coast.
As we planned to stay at the bay for the whole day, we thought it would be a good idea to have breakfast and go there but it turned out to be a mistake. When we reached there around 11 am, the car park was already full and we were not allowed in. Most recommend getting there the first thing in the morning when they open and we realised why.
So we went a little further along the road and parked at a scenic view point for a while. We didn’t know what to do as we have driven so far so we decided to go back and try again and to our surprise it was open. So if it is closed for you when you get there, you can drive around and go back again a little later as the car park does open as people leave.
Once we went inside, parked and bought the tickets, everyone had to join a queue to go watch a 9 minutes compulsory video. It just let us know what to expect, important rules and what not to do while swimming and snorkelling at the bay. Some of the important points are that it is against the law to touch the turtles and do not touch the fish, rocks or coral.
By the time we finished all that, we were very hungry so we decide to go the café there for a quick lunch. We had burger and chips and rested for a while. The food was OK.
When we were ready to go, we realised that it is a fairly steep walk down to the bay so we decided to buy tram tickets ($1.25 down; $1.25 up; $2.5 all day) which was worth it, especially when we were coming up after a long day of swimming. Some people prefer to walk down but catch the tram to come up after all the swimming.
Once we were at the bay, I could see why people recommend it so much. It looks beautiful with the blue water and the volcanic hill at the back. People were snorkelling and swimming everywhere.
We just grabbed a spot near the beach and went into the water. It was beautiful day as it was sunny and warm.
Chhori decided to sit and play with the sand so one of us stayed with her while the others went into the water to swim. As it is a small bay, it was not rough so we swam and enjoyed the amazing view.
Once we got too tired, we went and had a shower. There are showers, changing and restroom facilities. Then we caught the tram up to the top.
Overall we had a great time at Hanauma Bay. If you are planning to go there, do try to get there early. Don’t forget to bring your sun screen and towels. You can rent snorkelling gears there or bring your own.
Have you been at Hanauma Bay? Do share your experiences?
Take care,
M from nepaliaustralian
XOXO
nepaliaustralian 