Kapahulu

ALOHA Hawaii. Growing up in the North West of England, like many others, the nearest we ever got to a tropical paradise was watching Elvis movies or Judith Charmers on the holiday program. I always had a vision of what Hawaii would look and feel like, and also never imagined I would be travelling there alone. When I arrived on Honolulu island I was immediately struck by how build up it was, commercial, city like with lots of high rises on the beach front. Determined to find the Hawaii of my dreams, I hopped on a boat to the smaller islands of Lana and Molokai. Visiting the volcanoes, seeing Big Island and the sea turtles, this was now starting to be the picture I had imagined as a child. I took a submarine to see sharks and the sea-life, sunbathed on the white sands, swam and watching surf competitions in the crystal blue waters, it was like a dream come true (And yes, people really do say Aloah all the time and walk round with flowers round their neck and in their hair!). Surfing was invented in Hawaii and after my cold water experience in Monterey, it was amazing to try it again in the warm crystal waters of Hawaii without the need for a wetsuit. Walking along the beach one evening alone, I was heading to a fire show I had read about on line. I ending up wandering into the wrong event and got chatting to the manager, it was a Polynesian evening, an expensive event run by the posh hotels. As I was alone, he snuck me in for free, full VIP treatment, best seats, food, drinks and a live show. It was entertaining but not really my scene, a little staged, but the food and drinks were great! The next day I had met new friends and I experienced a Friday night in Hawaii, on Waikiki beach. Drinking cocktails in speak easy bars, secret, (unknown to tourists) roof terraces, eating new foods, ending up dancing my flip flops off until dawn. My new friends asked if I would like to join them them on Sunday as they were headed into the national park, on a hike up to the mountain ridges and through the tropical bamboo forests. Of course I said yes but hiking in flip flops was a whole new challenge, as I had travelled light. One huge advantage of solo travel is having no plans, you never know what opportunities will come along and there is no one else to choose how your time gets spent. Somehow I manage to get myself into the most exciting places and love every moment, living in the present and not looking back. Life is certainly for living and solo travel has some major advantages. The new friends and contacts I have made on this trip will remain for a long time. Being solo allows you to be as social or antisocial as you choose. The question really is would I want to travel any other way in the future….Read more