Flashlights beam across the beach as kids scurry about chasing sand crabs. They remained in hiding until a suitable lover appeared.Īfter dinner, we start a fire and make some s’mores under the stars. Malaekahana’s husband, a chief on the North Shore, had vowed that all daughters would be killed until she bore him a son, so the mother put her daughters into hiding. The sun is setting and the sky is turning from red to pink as we throw some food on the grill.Īs the story goes, Malaekahana is named after the mother of legendary princess Laieikawai (for which the town of Laie is named) and her twin sister Laielohelohe. Groceries in hand and one final stop at the Malaekahana campground store for wood, we arrive back at the campsite. We order the local favorite, the shoyu poke, which is raw tuna, secret spices and soy sauce, with some rice, to go. Instead, you’ll find poke the way it has been made for generations, before it became a trend. Unlike many of the poke bowls found in the continental U.S., these bowls aren’t made with avocado and lettuce. Don’t let its humble exterior and pothole-ridden parking lot deceive you, because inside is what many people claim to be the best poke on the island. I arrive at Kahuku Superette, a small general store right down the road that opened its doors in 1992.
Malaekahana is near the town of Laie, known largely for Brigham Young University and the Church of Latter Day Saints’ temple, which owns the Polynesian Cultural Center, also nearby. to 7 a.m., so I take a break from setting up camp and head out to gather some last-minute items in Kahuku before settling in for the night. The gates to the campground are locked from 7 p.m. Keep in mind, you’ll have to bring toiletries, sheets, pillows, blankets and anything else you may want for your stay. Choose a basic 72-square-foot cabin ($58.82 per night) with no electricity or plumbing, or get a spacious 480-square-foot suite ($117.65 per night) which has a queen-size bed, a bunk bed, electricity and an indoor bathroom. If spending nights in a tent isn’t what you have in mind for a Hawaii vacation, the plantation hale, or small wooden cabins, are available at very reasonable rates. Some people pay upward of thousands of dollars to wake up to an ocean view at a resort, but at Malaekahana, it’s a luxury most people can afford.Īt Malaekahana Beach Campground, guests can reserve a stay in this plantation suite. Though our accommodations are modest, the beachfront view is why I choose to stay here time and again. A bathroom and outdoor shower is conveniently located nearby. We reserved a tent site ($9.41 per night) with a picnic table and firepit, literally steps from the beach. We take time to dip our toes in the water and watch a steady stream of surfers paddle out to fun, 2- to 3-foot waves rolling in back to back.
On this trip, I arrive with two friends midday when the sun is about to cast long shadows across the sand. And the sounds you hear are waves, not cars. The beach is only covered with sand, not crowds. Here, the shoreline is covered with trees, not hotels. The campground has four types of accommodations to choose from, including tent sites and vehicle camping, but it also has plantation hale (houses) and plantation suites - fronting the very large Malaekahana white-sand beach. This is the Hawaii most travelers want to see, but oftentimes they get trapped in Honolulu’s urban sprawl. The 48-mile drive takes me past former pineapple fields, past the world-famous Ehukai (aka Pipeline), Waimea Bay and Sunset beaches, past surf shops with “Keep the country, country” signs out front and past roadside vendors selling freshly chopped coconuts to drink or eat. But I would argue it’s one of the better experiences you could have on the island, especially if it places you right on the North Shore. Not many people think about flying thousands of miles to the island of Oahu to stay in a cabin or tent at the beach. I’m headed to the Malaekahana Beach Campground. Christine Hittĭriving across the center of Oahu, I leave the concrete jungle of Honolulu and set my sights on the North Shore. Malaekahana's crescent shaped beach on the North Shore of Oahu.
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