“If you come to Hawaii and just stay in hotels, you are not going to see the soul of Hawaii,” Mike Burbridge, one of our camping neighbors and world traveler, told me.
I couldn't agree more! Imagine waking up to the sun rising over the sleepy ocean, gradually washing the sky with pinks and corals as the light beings to catch the white caps of small waves that break and lap the shore just a few feet from your tent or cabin.
If you’re more of a sunset person, watch it set over over the castle-like Ko 'olau mountains (the ones shown in Adam Sandler's "First 50 Dates" of Oahu as you breathe in the fragrance of the botanical gardens that surround your lawn campsite.
Camping is the number one outdoor vacation activity in America. One third of U.S. adults reported going on a camping vacation in the past five years and out of those millions, only six percent said camping isn’t for them. Yet, relatively few realize they can go to Hawaii and sleep under the stars instead of in a hotel, and much fewer have found suitable campgrounds on the island of Oahu.
On the Windward and incredibly scenic side of Oahu, you can camp beach-front at what is often deemed the most safe and beautiful campground in all of Hawaii, as well as in a secure, culturally rich and very fragrant, Hawaiian botanical garden.
One of the reasons I opted for camping this last trip, besides the fact that I love camping and had lived on the Windward side of Oahu long enough to know the travel books weren’t exaggerating about its beauty, was that camping made my vacation affordable.
With the discount airfare to Oahu as explained in the first chapter of this Hawaii Eco Budget Travel Guide was a little less than $600 total for all three of us, while the best deal I found on a hotel/air package at that time was $900 per person, $2,700 for all three of us, since air fare was included. The difference, $2100, was far more than the campgrounds, food and activities would cost us and frankly more than my budget at that time would allow.
Now having spent seven nights at Malaekahana, tight budget or not, I wouldn’t visit Oahu without spending at least a few nights at this campground. Just check out these photos of Oahu's best campground.
We had originally planned to spend part of that time at a private campground near the Bonzai Pipeline on the North Shore. While it was a friendly enough place and had an outdoor kitchen, it was very hot because set back from the beach it didn’t get enough breeze and we were having Kona weather conditions (hot and humid). While a couple of the campsites tucked under the citrus tree looked very pretty in the pictures, in reality there wasn’t enough shade to go around, the dirt ground was rocky, and we couldn’t see the ocean. That campground has since closed and the family that owns it was very nice, so I won’t mention the name. After our first night at Malaekahana we cancelled the other reservations.
The reason I am highlighting only two campgrounds on Oahu is that as you may already know, for the most part camping on this island is less than desirable in terms of friendliness, safety issues and clean restrooms and showers. There may be other exceptions, but I can with confidence highly recommend these two...
Much of this rain falls at night or in the morning, leaving afternoons clear. The best bets for the least amount of rain
If you like camping, you’re going to love camping on Oahu in Hawaii. If you don’t like camping, you might still like camping Oahu or at the very least appreciate all it allows you to do on a $750 budget while relaxing into the rhythm of the island...
This is an excerpt from the 2005 edition of my eco budget guide to Oahu. Read this chapter in its entirey and in its updated version, along with the rest of this 132 page guide to your shoestring and eco friendly vacation on Oahu....
For a candid look at Oahu's camping situation, check out another long time Hawaii resident's Web page on
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“If you come to Hawaii and just stay in hotels, you are not going to see the soul of Hawaii,” Mike Burbridge, one of our camping neighbors and world traveler, told me.
He is so right. Imagine waking up to the sun rising over the sleepy ocean, gradually washing the sky with pinks and corals as the light beings to catch the white caps of small waves that break and lap the shore just a few feet from your tent or cabin. If you’re more of a sunset person, watch the spectacular show over the castle-like Ko 'olau mountains as you breathe in the fragrance of the botanical gardens that surround your lawn campsite.
Camping is the number one outdoor vacation activity in America. One third of U.S. adults reported going on a camping vacation in the past five years and out of those millions, only six percent said camping isn’t for them. Yet, relatively few realize they can go to Hawaii and sleep under the stars instead of in a hotel, and much fewer have found suitable campgrounds on the island of Oahu.
On the Windward and incredibly scenic side of Oahu, you can camp beach-front at what is often
deemed the most safe and beautiful campground in all of Hawaii - Malaekahana, Kuhiku side, as well as the incredibly scenic, culturally rich and very fragrant, Ho ‘omaluhia Botanical Gardens.
One of the reasons I opted for camping this last trip, besides the fact that I love camping and had lived on the Windward side of Oahu long enough to know the travel books weren’t exaggerating about its beauty, was that camping made my vacation affordable.
The air fare was a little less than $600 total for all three of us, while the best deal I found on a hotel/air package at that time was $900 per person, $2,700 for all three of us, since air fare was included. The difference, $2100, was far more than the campgrounds, food and activities would cost us and frankly more than my budget at that time would allow.
Now having spent seven nights at Malaekahana, tight budget or not, I wouldn’t visit Oahu without spending at least a few nights at this campground. We had originally planned to spend part of that time at a private campground near the Bonzai Pipeline. While it was a friendly enough place and had an outdoor kitchen, it was very hot because set back from the beach it didn’t get enough breeze and we were having Kona weather conditions (hot and humid). While a couple of the campsites tucked under the citrus tree looked very pretty in the pictures, in reality there wasn’t enough shade to go around, the dirt ground was rocky, and we couldn’t see the ocean. That campground has since closed and the family that owns it was very nice, so I won’t mention the name. After our first night at Malaekahana we cancelled the other reservations.
The reason I am highlighting only two campgrounds on Oahu is that as you may already know, for the most part camping on this island is less than desirable in terms of friendliness, safety issues and clean restrooms and showers. There may be other exceptions, but I can with confidence highly recommend these two. And if tent camping isn’t for you, Malaekahana also has cabins.
The downside to camping on the Windward side is that it rains more there. That’s what keeps it so green. The National Weather Service for the Pacific Region tells us that September’s average rainfall on the Windward side in September is 1.8 and in October is 2.6. In November and December the averages are 4.3 and 4.2. January gets the most at a whopping 6 inches, which drops down to 3.8 in February, goes up to 4.3 in April, drops to 2.4 in May and way down to 1.4 in June. July and August average 2 inches and 1.8 inches. Much of this rain falls at night or in the morning, leaving afternoons clear. Of course this isn’t always true. The best bets for the least amount of rain are as you can see June and September, and you’ve learned already, the latter is better for the budget.
And, then it’s not like you have to hang out at your tent all day. Also, each micro-climate on the Windward side or any side will have its own weather too. See the Resources section for weather links. Further on in this section, you will find information for other alternative lodging, including hostels, cabins and a very nice, local style hotel.
If you like camping, you’re going to love camping in Hawaii. If you don’t like camping, you might still like camping in Hawaii or at the very least appreciate all it allows you to do on a $750 budget while relaxing into the rhythm of the island.
Chapter 7
Pitch your Tent on a Beach or Rent a Cabin with an Ocean View
Malaekahana State Recreation Area, Kahuku Side
56-335 Kamehameha Highway
Laie, HI 96762
Phone: (808)293-1736
