Oahu North Shore: Waimea Falls, Turtle Swim & Shrimp Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★

4.78

(109 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We’d barely made it out of Haleiwa before the van filled up with the smell of roasted macadamia nuts—our guide, Keoni, handed us a handful straight from the farm. I tried to crack one open with my teeth (don’t do that), and he just grinned. The road was bumpy and the windows down, so you could hear chickens somewhere and the ocean if you listened hard enough. I didn’t expect to see so many surfboards strapped to rusty trucks along this stretch of Oahu’s North Shore.

Keoni slowed as we passed a little cove—he pointed out where sea turtles sometimes nap on the sand. We got lucky: two of them were there, half-buried in the warm sun. Someone whispered “honu” under their breath. The air smelled salty and sweet, like sunscreen mixed with plumeria. Further along, we reached Waimea Valley; it’s green in a way that almost hurts your eyes after mainland winter. The walk through the botanical gardens felt slow—maybe because every plant seemed to have its own story (Keoni knew most of them). I still think about how cold the waterfall was when I finally jumped in. Lifeguards watched us shiver and laugh.

Lunch was at one of those shrimp trucks you always hear about but never really believe until you’re standing there with sauce running down your wrist. I tried to order in Hawaiian but mostly just made everyone laugh—including myself. Afterward we wandered through some local shops—one woman sold silver jewelry shaped like tiny waves—and then just sat for a while watching surfers wipe out in the distance. It wasn’t rushed; nobody hurried us along.