Hanauma Bay is one of the great natural places that has become a tourist spot I’ve been to. Traveling to Hanauma Bay takes a few minutes, but it’s an all-day adventure that everyone in the family will love. There is very shallow water that you can stand in, no waves and plenty of fish to see in the water with just a mask and snorkel. To me this is a giant aquarium that is very safe, easy to swim in and gives you memories to last a lifetime.

Hanauma Bay is about 30 minutes east of Waikiki and is a coral bay that is millions of years old, but it is perfect for people to enjoy tropical fish in a wild environment and still be completely safe. You will be able to find all the services you need including food, soft drinks, masks and tubes and even bodyguards if you get a little disoriented in the water.

There is a cost to go to Hanauma Bay and it is a bit of a commute from Waikiki hotels. On the main strip of hotels on Kuhio Avenue you should find an eastbound 22 bus that runs every 20 minutes or so and will take you to Hanauma Bay. The bus ride takes about 30 minutes or so.

One thing to keep in mind before taking the time to head out to Hanauma Bay is that they are closed on Tuesdays and it’s best to go earlier in the morning as it gets crowded later and you won’t be able to get down. to the beach. Admission to the beach is $5 per adult and children 13 and under are free. There is also a shuttle to the beach from the information center for $1 and back for $2. Food is a takeaway essential I think. We forgot to pack lunch and spent $25 on hot dogs, fries, and drinks for the four of us.

Snorkeling is actually a very easy thing to do. In the salt water of Hanauma Bay you can put on your mask and make your snorkel stick out of the water and just float (avoid touching the coral) and just admire the fish. The water in most of the area is less than 6 feet deep and in fact my eight year old had trouble with the snorkeling part so she would just crouch down and hold her breath underwater and see literally hundreds of of fish in almost no time.

There are many fish of various sizes to see and they range from small 2 inch long fish to larger 12 or 15 inch long fish in other schools that just swim by. One of the things some areas of the world do is bring food to attract the fish, this is not allowed in Hanauma Bay, but the fish are very easy to see and completely used to people so they will swim towards you and kiss your fingers if you hold them.