Galapagos Islands: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

DDariamiata_breath · Oct 31, 2009Read

There is less than a week left before my departure, and I still don't have any decent photos. And I live on one of the most beautiful islands in the world... The guys and I decided to fix that - this morning Denis and Anya grabbed a car, and the eight of us set off to drive around the whole island. It all started with us arriving at Koko Head Park, which is named after the volcano you can see behind us. Without stopping at Hanauma Bay (a lagoon formed by another volcano, where various beautiful fish and giant Galapagos turtles now live), we moved on. The lava flows of the Koko volcano formed folds that look so picturesque today that the TV series Lost and the movie Pearl Harbor were filmed there. We climbed around there for about half an hour until we reached a giant "natural" pier that stretches into the ocean. Next, we drove past several beautiful beaches with white sand, turquoise ocean, and blue sky - just like in the movies)))) To be honest, after 2 months you get used to this scenery =) But it's one thing to be on the beaches of Waikiki, where Japanese tourists sunbathe side by side like seals... and quite another to be on the long, deserted sandy beaches of the East Shore (the eastern part of Oahu).

DDariamiata_breath · Oct 30, 2009Read

In Hawaii, it's customary to spend most of your free time by the ocean. It really is stunning there, just like in the movies—clean, with white sand and huge waves. I haven't tried surfing (I'm not a great swimmer), but I really loved bodyboarding. It's a gentler option =) You have a wide, short board, you have the wave, and you have yourself)) You lie down, swim toward the wave, turn around right before it hits, and it catches you and carries you for a while))) It feels like you're flying =) it's just awesome... it's also great to swim at sunset... honestly, it's just amazing there... you have to feel it. One of the most awesome beaches is Sandy Beach. I was there once, Lesha showed it to me. There are always huge waves there that cover you completely... and then, when they recede, you still don't have time to stand up because they drag you back into the ocean... and then they cover you again and toss you against the bottom... you can get tossed around like that for 5 minutes until you start choking))) I came out all scratched up a couple of times and thought I'd never go into the water again... but then I went back in anyway because the feeling is awesome!)) By the way, I should also thank Lesha for getting me hooked on Subway sandwiches... yummy =) There is one more place I have to mention. It's Hanauma Bay. Ulyana and I went there to snorkel on one of my last days on the island. The lagoon formed in the crater of an extinct volcano, and a bunch of fish, turtles, and sea creatures have made their home in the reefs... the whole bottom is reefs—rough, sharp, with hundreds of sea urchins. Walking on them is strictly forbidden, but you can look through a mask at the fish you can barely touch... But the biggest stroke of luck is meeting a Galapagos turtle. Ulyana found it first... it was a huge monster that I couldn't even wrap both hands around... we swam with it for about 10 minutes... Unfortunately, we didn't have an underwater camera with us, so I'll post photos from the Hanauma Bay website... For those who are really interested, there are 2 more places related to the ocean in one way or another... There's the Honolulu Aquarium (right across from the zoo and next to the beach) and the large Sea Life Park. I haven't been to either, but people say they're great =)))

ВБВиктория Базароваraymig · Jul 3, 2013Read

How quickly this month flew by! It feels like I haven't done anything special, but a third of the time has already passed. I've made so many new friends this month :-) I visited the University of Hawaii, and I really liked it; I wouldn't mind studying there :-) We went to a waterfall in the jungle and walked there completely barefoot; it was awesome. Mount Tantalus offers an insanely beautiful view of Honolulu at night. I don't think I've seen anything like it anywhere else. So many lights, a starry sky, the ocean in the distance, and the moon reflecting in it. One night, with a great group of friends, we went to a place called Black Point. It's a rock pool where waves crash against the stones. You're swimming, and these huge waves are crashing down from above :-) It's an amazing feeling. On one of my days off, I went to the Honolulu Zoo, where I liked the Galapagos tortoises, the graceful spotted giraffes, and the giant hippopotamus the most :-)