Oahu - Hawaii with Kids - page 138

If you're in Waikiki, you can rent a bike for as little as $10 for a half-day and
$20 for 24 hours at Wiki Wiki Wheels, 1827 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 201
( & 808/951-5787; http://lava.net/wikiwiki-wheels). On the North Shore, for a
full suspension mountain bike try Raging Isle, 66-250 Kamehameha Hwy.,
Haleiwa ( & 808/637-7707; www.ragingisle.com), which rents bikes for $40 for
24 hours.
For a bike-and-hike adventure, call Bike Hawaii ( & 877/MTV-RIDE or
808/734-4214; www.bikehawaii.com). They have a variety of group tours, like
their Downhill Coasting Ride, which gives you a bird's-eye view of Oahu from
1,800 feet above Waikiki. The tour includes coasting down 5 miles on a paved
mountain road with scenic views above Waikiki, Honolulu, and Manoa Valley.
Listen to the songs of birds and the wind through the trees, and learn about the
culture, plants, and geology of the Hawaiian Islands. After that, you leave your
bike for a 2-mile round-trip hike to a 200-foot waterfall. The 9am-to-2pm trip—
which includes van transportation from your hotel, continental breakfast, bike,
helmet, snacks, water bottle, and guide—is $75 for adults and $60 for children
14 and under. There's no minimum age for kids, but to fit the bikes your young-
sters should be around 4 feet and 8 inches tall, depending on how long their legs
are; if they're too small, they can ride along in the safety of the van, which fol-
lows the bikers everywhere.
If you'd like to join in on some club rides, contact the Hawaii Bicycle League
( & 808/735-5756 ), which offers rides every weekend, as well as several annual
events. The league can also provide a schedule of upcoming rides, races, and
outings.
CAMPING
Hawaii is not very camping friendly. Permits are not easy to get if you are a non-
resident. If you plan to camp, you must bring your own gear, as no one on Oahu
rents gear.
The best places to camp on Oahu are listed below. TheBus's Circle Island
route can get you to or near all these sites, but remember: On TheBus, you're
allowed only one bag, which has to fit under the seat. If you have more gear,
you're going to have to drive or take a cab.
Windward Oahu
HOOMALUHIA BOTANICAL GARDENS This windward campground
outside Kaneohe is an almost secret place and a real treasure. It's hard to believe
that you're just a half-hour from downtown Honolulu. Facilities for this tent-
camp area include restrooms, cold showers, dish-washing stations, picnic tables,
and water. A public phone is available at the visitor center. Shopping and gas are
available in Kaneohe, 2 miles away. Permits are free, but stays are limited to 3
nights (Fri-Sun only); the office is closed on Sunday. The gate is locked at 4pm
and doesn't open again until 9am, so you're locked in for the night. Hoomaluhia
Botanical Gardens is at 45-680 Luluku Rd. (at Kamehameha Hwy.), Kaneohe
( & 808/233-7323; www.co.honolulu.hi.us/parks/hbg/hmbg.htm). From
Waikiki, take H-1 to the Pali Highway (Hwy. 61); turn left on Kamehameha
Highway (Hwy. 83); at the fourth light, turn left on Luluku Road. TheBus nos.
55 and 56 stop nearby on Kamehameha Highway; from here, you have to walk
2 miles to the visitor center.
KUALOA REGIONAL PARK This park has a spectacular setting on a
peninsula on Kaneohe Bay. The gold-sand beach is excellent for snorkeling, and
fishing can be rewarding as well. (See “Beaches,” earlier in this chapter.) Facilities