Kahala / Waialae

We finally dropped by Kahala Beach, a 12-minute drive west in a posh area near country clubs and golf courses. We parked at the adjacent Waialae Beach Park, which has great amenities like shaded picnic benches and bathrooms with showers.

Both beaches are just the other side of Wailupe peninsula from Maunalua Bay, the bay at the end of our street. They’re protected by the same reef system and watching the extremely wide surf break across both bays is lovely.

Waialae’s sand and water entry are somewhat rocky, while Kahala’s are sandy. There are picturesque views of Koko Crater to the East.

Kahala is one of the few resorts outside of Waikiki in East Honolulu. We didn’t go inside, and the dolphin enclosure looked depressingly small so we didn’t take a closer look, but it wasn’t very impressive beach-side.

There’s a tiny “island” on the west side and we saw a few people spearfishing. All in all, this is a nice, low-key beach with gentle waves and no crowds!