There is nothing quite like the warm welcome of Hawaii’s ‘aloha spirit,’ especially the ‘gathering place’ of Oahu. From visitors enjoying the classic beach vibes of Waikiki Beach, to the leis that visitors receive, the vivid colors of the sunset, and the beautiful sounds of traditional Hawaiian music, it is hard to imagine this place as anything short of paradise.

This is my last blog post regarding our trip to Oahu, the third largest of the Hawaiian chain of islands.

If there is one thing you have to do in Hawaii, it is go to a luau. On Sunday, we went to the luau at Paradise Cove in Ko’olina, on the western side of the island. We arrived around six in the evening (a little late because all of Wilson’s buttons fell off his Hawaiian shirt lol) and we were greeted with a shel lei and a mai tai.

The first event we participated in was the Imu ceremony, the unearthing of the pig. They have a little amphitheater built so everyone can see, and the ceremony involved hula dancers.

After we were finished with dinner, and it had finally gotten dark, the main show began. It had serveral traditional hula dances, as well as a Tahitian dance, and a Samoan fire dancer. The show was shorter than I imagined, but, such an amazing experience!

On our last day in Hawaii, Tuesday, our last place to visit was Kualoa Ranch. The Ranch is the place to be if your family is looking for activities that showcase Hawaii’s natural beauty, while also learning about its rich cultural heritage. It is a four thousand acre working cattle ranch, nature reserve, and most importantly…a working film set.

Wilson and I hopped on an open-air jungle bus for the jungle expedition tour. The guide (who was outstanding and so knowledgable) took us through some of the most scenic spots on the ranch, such as the windward coastline, memorable shooting locations for many movies, including Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, and inside an old War War Two bunker that now stores multiple movie props.

It has been so fun to re-watch some of the movies, knowing that we toured the filming location!

xoxo, rebecca