A Slice of Hawaiian Life at Waimea Valley

I’m not big on doing “touristy” things when I travel, preferring instead to experience the local culture as best I can. Our recent visit to Hawaii was no exception. One of the items that topped my list of things to do was to make a lei, an activity I figured would be readily available.

Turns out, not so much. Five days into our trip, I had all but given up my hopes of showing the big explorer how cool this tradition is when we stumbled upon a lei making class at Waimea Valley.

Best part is there was lots more about Hawaiian nature and culture worth discovering here, too.

WHY IT’S GREAT FOR NATURE LOVERS
Waimea Valley’s 1,800 acres include ferns, flowering plants like the hibiscus, birds, stream life (think native fish, shrimp and mollusks) and more. Add to that the big draw for many – Waimea Falls – and it’s easy to see why nature lovers are eager to visit.

What makes Waimea Valley so unique from other botanical gardens and arboretums I’ve visited is that its focus is on giving guests the chance to experience Hawaiian culture in a natural environment. You will encounter cultural, botanical, ecological and historical wonders, including a fully restored heiau (temple) that dates back to 1470 AD (wowza!). If you are even remotely interested in Hawaiian culture and the natural world, I highly recommend you make a trek out to the North Shore for a visit.

WHAT WE LIKED
Waimea Valley offered us one of many “happy accidents” during our Hawaiian vacation. That’s because our main purpose in visiting was to give my husband a chance to see Waimea Falls – made famous by the hit show, “Lost.” Once he found out you could also swim up to the falls, he had to do it.

Discovering there was a lei making activity scheduled during our visit was a major score. The only challenge was finding a way to do both.

We had just enough time to hike to the falls so my husband could take a quick dip before heading back toward the entrance of the Valley for the lei making workshop. Along the way, we encountered all kinds of cool things, like roosters (so many I lost count!),

a bird’s nest,

many a brilliantly colored hibiscus, peacocks, red-crested cardinals and trees that took my breath away.

Unfortunately, our walk wasn’t as leisurely as I would have wanted – the stream below the Main Pathway looked like a dreamy place to explore and I know both of my kiddos could easily have spent the entire morning there.

But, alas, we were on a mission!

We made it to Waimea Falls with plenty of time for the hubby to take a dip and enjoy a rare opportunity to swim up to a waterfall (not sure I agree with the philosophy of allowing visitors to get in the water, but there was no stopping my husband here).

But the big thrill of this visit for me had to be our lei making workshop. My best friend helped the big explorer so I could try my hand at this native Hawaiian tradition. The instructors talked about the role of leis in Hawaiian culture as they showed us how to make what’s called a lei wili – a garland that is made by winding a string or another type of wrap around short lengths of materials.

We used a large ti leaf, raffia, bougainvillea, ferns and other brightly colored flowers to slowly weave together each of our leis. The big explorer’s job was to pick all of the materials my friend needed to weave together his lei. And he loved it.

While we made leis, dad and the little explorer danced to traditional Hawaiian music and watched hula dancing. The little guy was completely enthralled by the music and was easily entertained for the 45 minutes or so it took us to make our leis.

As we were finishing up, a magical thing happened. The ladies who had been showing us how to make leis decided to get up and join the singing and dancing and pretty soon the little party was hopping. There was so much joy and pride in that moment. I’m so glad to have been a part of it.

PLANNING ESSENTIALS

• Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, 9 a.m. to noon on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve; closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day & New Year’s Day
• Admission is $13 for adults, $6 for kids 4 through 12, kids under 4 are free
• Parking is free
• Five sets of restrooms are available
• A gift shop & grill serving tropical smoothies, fresh fish sandwiches, salads and more are located at the main entrance
• Main pathway is paved and stroller-friendly
• Trail from front entrance to Waimea Falls at the far end of the Valley is an easy, ¾-mile long walk
• Several guided activities – including lei making, wildlife walks, Hawaiian games, music, storytelling & crafts – are available daily for no additional fee; inquire at the ticket booth for event times & locations

MY TIPS FOR A GREAT VISIT

• Instead of taking the Main Pathway en route to Waimea Falls, explore the edge of the Kamananui Stream. It’s less crowded and rich with plenty of nature play opportunities for the little ones.
• Experience Hawaiian culture by taking part in one of the many daily activities. Plus, they’re family-friendly!
• If you’ve got a toddler, bring a stroller to help ease tired little legs.
• If you want to cool off in the falls, bring a bathing suit and towel. (There is a lifeguard on duty; life vests & boogie boards are available at no charge.)

Waimea Valley is located at:

59-864 Kamehameha Highway
Haleiwa, HI 96712
Directions to Waimea Valley