Despite her busy schedule, the star of Disney’s Moana returns to the Islands whenever she can. We caught up with her on a recent trip home where she shared with us some of the things she loves most about Hawaii.
The North Shore is home to some of the world’s most famous surf breaks, and perhaps most renown among them is Banzai Pipeline, also called Ehukai Beach Park. It’s peaceful and calm in the summer months, but when it’s surf season in Hawaii (October through April), monster waves of 10 to 15 feet barrel in, and with them, big-wave surfers from around the world flock to the beach. Lifeguards are on duty from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, but always use caution and be aware as the ocean conditions can change suddenly.
- More from Auli`i:
- This is my absolute favorite beach to both collect my thoughts, and boogie board. I always come here to regroup after some time away from home. The annual Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is also held here each December, and seeing champion surfers taking on those monster waves is a sight to see!
When it comes to one of the North Shore’s iconic dishes, Fumi’s Kahuku Shrimp is a mainstay. The blue building, topped with a large red shrimp is located in Kahuku, home to Oahu’s shrimp shacks; the area is renowned for its freshwater aquaculture farms. Fumi’s is located next door to its own shrimp farm, so you know your lunch is fresh and locally sourced.
- More from Auli`i:
- You can smell the garlic before you even pull up to Fumi's parking lot, and that delicious smell alone is probably why I always get the garlic and butter shrimp! Each plate comes with ready to be peeled and eaten shrimp, two scoops of rice drizzled in lip-smacking garlic sauce, a side salad and a pineapple wedge. Yes, it's a messy meal, but it's definitely worth it.
The Kaneohe-based nonprofit, Papahana Kuaola, is dedicated to restoring and maintaining 63 acres of unique landscape in Windward Oahu’s Haiku valley, and often draws upon Hawaiian values and traditions in doing so. Twice a month the hardworking staff partners with the community in continuing its mission with its volunteer workdays. On the third Saturday of each month, you can help restore Haiku Stream. On the fourth Saturday of each month, volunteers help maintain a kalo lo`i, or irrigated taro field. No reservations are required for groups of nine or fewer, so you can just show up on that Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon — even keiki (children) are welcome.
- More from Auli`i:
- Be sure to wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, shoes that can get wet, or tabis, if you have them. And don't forget sunscreen, insect repellent, a towel and water! My favorite part about volunteering at Papahana Kuaola, in addition to helping the community, is learning more about ancient cultural traditions and how they're being kept alive today.
James Dole was the king of pineapple. The Massachusetts-native founded the Hawaiian Pineapple Company in 1901, later known as the Dole Food Company. It became the largest pineapple company in the Islands until its closure in 1991. Relive pineapple’s golden reign across the island with a trip to Dole Plantation. Located in the agricultural hub of Wahiawa in Central Oahu, the plantation is situated among the island’s remaining pineapple fields and features one of the world’s largest mazes, a train ride, walkable gardens and a large gift shop and concessions.
- More from Auli`i:
- Visiting Dole Plantation is fun for its treats, and also for its giant, pineapple shaped hedge maze. There is nothing else like it on the island! In 2008, Guinness World Records named Dole’s Pineapple Garden Maze the world’s largest maze; it still remains one of the biggest today. My friends and I make a game of it to see who can weave through the three-acre maze first. The maze is huge! Two-and-a-half miles long and is made of 14,000 plants.
One of the most iconic landmarks of the Islands, the geographical monument has come to symbolize Hawaii. The 760-foot volcanic tuff was formed about 300,000 years ago creating a large saucer-shaped crater. Diamond Head got its English name from a group of 19th-century British sailors who thought the shining calcite crystals found on the crater’s slopes were diamonds. Native Hawaiians, too had a name for the extinct volcano: Leahi. Meaning “brow of the tuna,” they thought the crater’s sharp slope looked like an ahi, or tuna head.
Whether you call the monument Diamond Head or Leahi, hiking the crater is a must-do for visitors to Oahu. From the crater’s top, you can see much of Oahu.
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- The Diamond Head hike boasts a 560-foot elevation gain as you trek up the crater’s slope, but the trail is well maintained — one section is even paved — so it’s an easy to intermediate hike.
Along the way you’ll
see kiawe shrubs and koa haole, plants
introduced to the Islands in the late 1800s.
The trail then gives way to two sets of stairs
with more than 100 steps, connected by a
lighted 225-foot tunnel to one of the military
bunkers, formerly an observation station.
You can either walk through the bunker or
around it. You’ll know you’re almost to the
top when you reach the stairs!
Along the way you’ll
see kiawe shrubs and koa haole, plants
introduced to the Islands in the late 1800s.
The trail then gives way to two sets of stairs
with more than 100 steps, connected by a
lighted 225-foot tunnel to one of the military
bunkers, formerly an observation station.
You can either walk through the bunker or
around it. You’ll know you’re almost to the
top when you reach the stairs!The museum houses more than 24 million items and artifacts that showcase the rich history of Hawaii, its peoples, and Pacific Islander culture. Charles Reed Bishop founded the museum in honor of his late wife, Princess Pauahi Bishop in 1889 as a way to display the princess’ royal possessions. Today it’s the state’s designated history and cultural museum.
- More from Auli`i:
- My favorite exhibits at Bishop Museum are the Hawaiian Hall, and the J. Watumull Planetarium. The Hawaiian Hall is a 19th century Victorian-style building with three floors of detailed, immersive Hawaiian history and culture, including mythology, daily life and Hawaiian royalty. The J. Watumull Planetarium features a fantastic show of the stars, and puts you on the deck of the voyaging canoe Hōkūle`a, taking you through the steps of traditional Polynesian navigation.
Up Next: Auli`i's Island Favorites: Part 2.
