Where to Stay - Honolulu, Waikiki and Oahu - page 154

tables, restrooms with cold showers, outdoor grills, a dishwashing area, a covered pavilion,
drinking water, and a public phone. Supplies are available in Aiea, 2 miles away.
You'll need a permit, which costs $18 per campsite per night; applications are accepted
no earlier than 30 days in advance. Online at www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/oahu/
keaiwa.cfm or write to the Department of Land and Natural Resources (see “Sand Island
State Recreation Area,” above, for address and telephone number). Permits are limited to a
5-day stay in every 30-day period. Camping is permitted Friday through Tuesday nights. The
gates close at 6:45pm in the fall and winter (from the weekend after Labor Day until Mar 31)
and 7:45pm in the spring and summer (Apr 1 until the Fri after Labor Day). The gates do not
open until 7am the next morning; cars cannot enter or leave during that period.
The Windward Coast
HOOMALUHIA BOTANICAL GARDENS ★
This relatively unknown windward-side camping area, outside Kaneohe, is a real find.
Hoomaluhia means “peace and tranquillity,” an apt description for the 400-acre botanical
garden. It's hard to believe you're just a half-hour from downtown Honolulu, considering the
rare plants all around and the craggy cliffs in the background. The gardens are laid out with
areas devoted to the plants specific to tropical America, native Hawaii, Polynesia, India, Sri
Lanka, and Africa. A 32-acre lake sits in the middle of the scenic park (no swimming or boat-
ing allowed, though), and there are numerous hikingtrails. The Visitors Center can suggest
a host of activities, ranging from guided walks to demonstrations of ancient Hawaiian plant
use. The facilities for this tent-camp area include restrooms, cold showers, dishwashing sta-
tions, picnic tables, grills, and water. A public phone is available at the Visitors Center, and
shopping and gas are available in Kaneohe, 1 mile away.
Permits are free, but that may be changing. You have to get here on a Friday no later
than 3pm, as the office is not open on weekends. Stays are limited to Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday nights only. You must apply in person, and at this time permits can only be obtained at
the gardens. For inquiries and reservations, contact HoomaluhiaBotanicalGardens, 45-680
Luluku Rd. (at Kamehameha Hwy.), Kaneohe, HI 96744 ( www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/
oahu/keaiwa.cfm ; & 808/233-7323 ). The gate is locked at 4pm and doesn't open again until
9am the next morning. TheBus no. 55 (Circle Island) stops 4 miles from the park entrance.
KUALOA REGIONAL PARK ★★★
This park has a spectacular setting on a peninsula on Kaneohe Bay. The gold-sand beach is ex-
cellent for snorkeling, and fishing can be rewarding. Two campgrounds are available: Camp-
ground A—in a wooded area with a sandy beach and palm, ironwood, kamani, and mon-
keypod trees—is mainly used for groups, but has a few sites for families, except during the
summer, when the Department of Parks and Recreation conducts a children's camping pro-
gram here. Campground B is on the main beach; it has fewer shade trees, but a great view
of Mokolii Island. Facilities at both sites include restrooms, showers, picnic tables, drinking
fountains, and a public phone. Campground A also has sinks for dishwashing, a volleyball
court, and a kitchen building. Gas and groceries are available in Kaaawa, 2½ miles away. Gate
hours are 7am to 8pm; if you're not back by then, you're locked out for the night.