Christmas Day!!! We woke up on the beautiful island of Oahu and could not have asked for a better gift. On this day we wanted to spend our time exploring the many beautiful hikes that the island has to offer.

First up on our list was Koko Head Crater Trail.

Koko head is just a short drive away from Waikiki. However, it is best known for its grueling stairs that make up the ENTIRE trail.

This hike was definitely a workout and once you get to the top you are sure to be drenched in sweat (as me and Gustavo both were). I have to say that this hike is a bit sketchy at times. As it gets very steep in some areas and going down seemed to be even harder than going up.

BUT, if you’re willing to break a sweat you will be greatly rewarded at the top of the crater.

This photo is actually hilarious to me because Gustavo is wearing a Lakers shirt with Kings shorts. 😂 He’s so confused. But luckily I got it on camera so he can’t deny that he’s becoming a kings fan. And I encourage all of this family to screenshot & harass him. Thanks 🙏🏽

As intimidating as this hike may sound, it was actually really fun, provided our workout for the day, and rewarded us with beautiful views of the Oahu Shoreline.

After Koko head we headed into the rainforest! As we were driving from the coast through the mountains it is like you’re transported into a different world. We left the coast where it was sunny and hot and drove into the rainforest where it was pouring rain.

Keep in mind, this is still the same day. Maybe an hour apart at most. I was glad I brought my jacket and Gustavo was not surprised that I left his in the hotel room. 😂

(Again with the confused basketball attire, lol)

This hike turned out to really be an adventure. We thought that eventually the rain would let up, but that didn’t happen. We were hiking in the pouring rain the ENTIRE time and the trail was so wet and muddy that our shoes felt 10 pounds heavier by the time we were done. Although this might sound miserable, the rain really made the hike even more amazing. We came to Hawaii to experience it all. The beach, the sun, the rain, the rainforest, and man were we getting it all in one day! When I say that it was magical, it truly was.

The photo below is probably one of the favorite photos of the day. The giant tree in the background was unreal. With all the rain it was hard to take out my camera and get a good shot. But let me tell ya, I literally felt like I was in the Avatar movie. Everything around you is SOOOO green and luscious you wouldn’t even believe it.

At the end of the Trail you come to the beautiful Manoa Falls. It is a 150-foot waterfall and the photo does not do it justice. This is actually one of the only photos we took of the Falls. When you get up close you can feel a lot of mist from the waterfall and that combined with the pouring rain did not make for a long stay. We basically got there & then ran most of the way back. Again, Gustavo had no rain jacket so he had already been drenched for a while.

By the time we got back to the car Gustavo’s shirt looked like it just came out of the washer and our shoes and legs were filled with mud from the trail. (We didn’t get an after picture but it was funny.)

After Manoa Falls we headed back to the coast for a hike called Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail. This trail takes you to an observation deck and lighthouse. However, we were mainly interested in the tide pools located along the trail so we never made it as far as the lighthouse.

The Makapu’u Tide Pools is what we came to this location to see. They are located off to the side of the main trail which leads you down the side of the cliff. This side trail is actually quite difficult and requires a lot of scrambling to get down to the bottom where the tide pools are.

We were short on time as we wanted to make it back in time to watch the much anticipated Lakers vs Warriors Christmas Day game. We stopped about halfway, took some pictures and flew the drone around before we decided to head back up.

The main trail to the lighthouse is paved the entire way, and although it was uphill most of the way it was not too difficult and it was a nice end to our hiking extravaganza.

If you didn’t catch the Lakers game, Gustavo wanted to make sure that everyone knew they smacked on the Warriors and it completed an amazing Christmas Day. 😂

Until next time,

Gustavo & Esper 🤙🏽🌊