Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/198651
polynesia Hawaii's Best hikes Five islands, 10 paths By Barb Sligl Sunbathing, surfing, snorkelling, slurping shave ice, sipping mai tais: all maika'i, or good. But for an upclose glimpse of Hawaii's diverse landscape – from remote waterfalls to the crusted surfaces of lava lakes – see it on foot. Maui: Over and Under the Volcano Heavenly Hanauma Bay Member Alex Duhaime, Stony Plain: "I tried snorkelling for the first time, during a family vacation, at Hanauma Bay, about 16 km from Waikiki. It's world renowned for its marine life, such as sea turtles, parrot fish and trigger fish. We brought our own fins and goggles, but you can rent gear at the beach." Haleakalā, the long-dormant volcano that dominates Maui, Hawaii's second-largest island, is more than 3 km high. Drive to the top at dawn to watch the sun come up over the rim before walking into the crater itself. Take the Keonehe'ehe'e (Sliding Sands) Trail for 3 km to the Ka Lu'u o ka O'o cinder cone, then return. Ambitious hikers can attempt the full hike: a 15-km, 1,000-metre descent amid silversword plants and a burnt-red volcanic landscape. Down the volcano's backside is lush Haleakalā National Park, accessible from a road south of Hana on Maui's east coast. Here the lush Pipiwai Trail (6.4 km return) tunnels through towering stands of bamboo and fords streams to reach crescent-shaped cliffs and 120-metre-high Waimoku Falls. Kauai: Cliff-Side and Canyon-Side Steps from the resorts on the sheltered southern Poipu shore of Kauai is a cliffside walk that may just start with a monk seal sighting on Shipwreck Beach. From there, the Māhā'ulepū Heritage Trail (6.4 km return) meanders past dunes, petroglyphs and an ancient heiau, or temple. Inland, there's Waimea Canyon, which Mark Twain dubbed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Take the Canyon Trail (5.4 km return) along the north rim in Koke'e State Park, stopping above the 250-metre-high Waipo'o Falls and then at Kumuwela lookout for a cross-canyon view through the belly of Kauai. Oahu: North and South Just southeast of the cosmopolitan shores of Honolulu and Waikiki is the iconic Diamond Head crater. Trek 1.3 km up a steep trail built in 1908, passing old bunkers, to the top of the crater for a surf-and-skyscrapers vista. Do a 180, geographically and culturally, to the North Shore, where access to Ka'ena Point State Park is along a flat 4-km coastline walk (8 km return). At the northwestern tip is Ka'ena Point, another side of Oahu: sleeping monk seals, breaching humpback whales, nesting albatross and, as legend tells, the jumping-off point to the spirit world for ancient Hawaiian souls. opposite page: (haleakala crater) jen judge, (waimoku falls, waimea canyon, flower) barb sligl, (food truck) john elk/getty images, (this page) istock iPad and online readers: watch our videos on the fiery denizens of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the hula of Kauai. 26 W e s t w o r l d a l b e r ta | w i n t e r 2 0 13 p22-29_Hawaii.indd 26 13-10-15 9:52 AM