The Hawaiian Story – Diamond Head Volcano & Puu Ualakaa State Park

I never thought that writing some kind of a travelog would be so much fun, but it is! It is also a good way to refresh my memories, and for me that’s a hard thing. I never had a good memory, but now I can remember even the smallest things that happened in Hawaii. Enjoy reading!

One of the ‘Must-Sees’ or maybe The Must-See natural monument of Oahu is the volcano called Diamond Head (Lēʻahi in Hawaiian). In relation to the whole island, the volcano is rather small, meaning that the Diamond Head does not occupy so much space. But, the dead volcano is situated close to the east coast and therefore it is an outstanding point in the panorama.

One day I decided to hike to the top of the volcano, together with Julia (a girl I shared the dorm with). It was a nice 20 minutes walk until we reached the bottom of the mountain. We came closer and closer and as the the day went on, we were already sweating when we arrived there. The weather was inconsistent and from time to time, the rain showered. But it was no relief. We just got more and more wet, but that’s how it goes. Every Saturday there is a farmers market at the bottom of the volcano and it smells very exotic. You can eat local pineapples, coconuts, bananas or traditional meals such as garlic shrimps. Unfortunately, the market closes around lunchtime, so you have to go there before midday. Instead of drinking fresh pineapple juice , we saw a rainbow which was also really nice!

The way to the volcano is made of asphalt and you can even drive with a car or bus into it. You have to pay a small amount of money to go on top, as far as I remember I paid 2$.

Once, we left the tunnel, we were inside and to be honest: We were disappointed. There is a parking lot inside and a small building with a checkout and toilets.

We thought, we would see black volcanic rock and maybe colourful flowers because of the fertile soil. But it was barren. So, after a huge rain shower, we started our hike. We crossed a sign warning us not to step aside the ways, because of toxic grass. Well. Nice. We kept on going. The way was like a serpentine and at the beginning, sometimes, there are some stairs. I don’t want to sugarcoat: It was exhausting as humidity was high and the sun was burning. There were a lot of people on the track with different conditions, but there was never a line or something at small corners or paths.

The higher we came, the more beautiful the view became. We looked over the whole volcano and could even gaze at the other coast with its blue water.

But also the view in the other direction was nice: We looked at the mountains in the centre of the island with our mouths open, because we couldn’t believe how many houses there were. Another day, I found out that those houses are the most expensive of O’ahu and cost at least half a million Dollar.

Finally, we made it to the platform right below the top and I warn you: The stairs are horrible! It was sooooo exhausting. The steps are in a tunnel and I don’t remember how many steps we had to take, but I panted and sweated even more. But it was worth it!

The top was really crowded, but it doesn’t matter whether you wait a bit or not, as people come and go like little ants. So, just go there and try to get a spot at the handrail. While we were standing there, another rain shower came and we saw another rainbow! Good day for us