One of the perks of living in California is being only 5 hours away from Hawaii – which is reasonably far from anywhere else. This month I had some days off of training and decided to take a trip there.
It is definitely one of the most incredible places on Earth. Nature there is so mellow and sublime. Each one of the islands has its own unique charm. As I didn’t have a ton of time, I decided to explore only two islands. I started my trip to Big Island, as I was very interested in seeing the active volcanos. The landscape looks both bold and delicate as young green plants grow out of lava rocks everywhere. The island also has a very characteristic ashy smell that gets mixed with herbs and flowers. It’s pretty magical. Whilst I was there I went to the Volcanoes National Park, where I hiked along the crater and saw the lava of Kilauea. Mauna Loa is currently closed, but the thought of it potentially erupting at any moment is mindblowing.
I also went surfing and snorkeling in Big Island. One of the highlights was the manta ray snorkel, in which these creatures get very confident around humans as they get to eat a ton of plankton that our lights attract. They are huge and come super close – we had a little party of at least 12 manta rays below us, it was neat.
Next, I went to Maui. On this island, I explored Lahaina and a few beaches that are good for beginner surfers like me. I met other travelers and took a tour on Road to Hana, where we stopped at a few different beaches and waterfalls along the way. On this road trip, we also got to taste some delicious fresh local fruits and fish.
