Waimanalo

There are six good reason to come to the Windward Oahu City of Waimanalo

The Waimanalo is a small village between the Koolau Mountains and Waimanalo Bay on the east side of Oahu. Oahu's luxuriant windward side often bypasses Waimanalo for its bigger and more northern neighbour, the city of Kailua, or drives through Makapuuu Point on its way to Sea Life Park at the south tip of the isle.

Waimanalo and Waimanalo Beach, commonly known as Waimanalo Beach, have beautiful sandy beach, snorkelling with almost guarantee honey (Hawaiian turtles ) spotting, several hole-in-the-wall, but it's definitely a good idea to make a stop, go for a game of chicken and a fistful of small businesses that cultivate lush and fashionable "nalo greens" for farmers' market and eat.

Nalo, as it is sometimes known, has a slowing effect on people. At the last population count Waimanalo had 5,451 inhabitants, and in the last three month I was one of them. There are six good reason (five weren't enough!) why I loved Waimanalo and why you should do more than just go through on your next trip to Windward Oahu.

A small, colourful little place in Waimanalo Beach's major shopping area serving fatty spoons to a constant flow of local and celebrity Hawaiians. There was a good atmosphere with a local station, a dust turntable and the restaurant's old-fashioned recording library centred on it. The Waimanalo Bay Park has a soft swell with a soft bottom, hot, glassy-green water and a broad stripe of fine and often uninhabited sands.

More than a nautical miles long sandy beach with the more northern entrance point in Bellows Field Beach Park, one of Oahu's biggest sleepiest sands. Situated behind the 76 meter petrol pump and in front of the only shopping center in Waimanalo (also known as Waimanalo Shopping Center), this curvy sculpture is a homage to the former inhabitant of Waimanalo, Akebono Taro.

The name Akebono, which in Japanese means "new dawn", is the name of a meanwhile pensioned Sumoringer, who was borne as Chad Haaheo Rowan and grew up in Waimanalo. Mm-hmm. I really enjoy snorkelling. For me, there is no better place than Kaiona Park. Situated south of Waimanalo Bay Park, a small stretch of steep sand, plenty of foliage shadows and tranquil and welcoming shallows make this a place where you want to enjoy more leisure in the sea than outside.

Turtle remain so near the coast that you can observe them from the sea. James "Kimo" Kupahu, who lives in Waimanalo, and his wife and daughter are selling ice-cold chocolate nuts in a temporary stand on a piece of land opposite Waimanalo Bay and Kaiona Park. Shima's Market, a small store owned by the Oahu-based Times supermarket group, is the only place to buy food in Waimanalo.