Manoa Falls
- Good for Kids: Yes
25 Reviews for Manoa Falls
The one thing I felt I had to see while in Hawaii was a waterfall. What can I say i am easy to please. The hike up to Manoa falls was fairly easy and quick. We were surrounded by thick green foliage that brought to mind Jurassic Park. Seriously, Jurassic park colored my entire trip. Go in some trusty shoes because it was a little muddy on our trek up there, so you might want to leave the khaki at home. I didn't but whats one pair of khaki's compared to a waterfall in the grand scheme of things.
There is a safety line at the falls as well as a do not cross sign but me and friends still crossed the line to get a closer view. The falls do not have that high of a wow factor but its definitely worth seeing.
Easy. Beautiful. Short Hike.
Has a very Jurassic Park feel to the beginning of it. Which transitions into more of an Endor Ewok habitat look (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Followed by an awesome Bamboo Forest two thirds of the way in.
Suggest wearing at least decent shoes or sandals, I've seen people attempt this in fashionable footwear and it wasn't pretty (neither them fallen on the trail nor their now diiiirrrty stylish shoes).
Like Diamond Head (and Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" or Colbie Callait's "Bubbly") a bit too overplayed, but still too great to pass up.
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This is an easy hike with a beautiful trail--so green and so lush you'll forget you're only minutes from the city. The falls are nice (nothing compared to Niagara), but I go for the bamboo forest and rainforest.
Grip footwear and insect repellent are a must. Don't go when it's raining or has been raining, the path gets muddy and slippery. I don't think you need a bottle of water for a 1.5 mile 1-hour hike, but some people are camels and others, cattle.
I've always wanted to swim in the pool below the falls, but paranoia of contracting Hep B or growing a third nipple get to me. One time I saw a guy propose to his girl in there. It was cool and unique--until I realized he brought his friend along to act as photographer. What girl wants red and sweaty pictures of herself in diseased waters accepting a ring?
Anyway, this is a fun hike and good workout. It'll make a plate lunch look guilt-free afterward.
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great half hour hike from honolulu into the jungle. dont wear flip flops ...path is muddy
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Easy hike with beautiful sights, HOWEVER, it's a TRICKY hike at the same time. Gotta go in the rainy season, so you could enjoy the fall you will find at the end of your hike. Don't go on the rainy season because the trail would be muddy as hell that if you slip and fall, you will be all muddy. BUT, if you go in the dry season, you would not see the waterfall at all. Maybe a drip or two. So, maybe going there 3-4 days after the heavy rainfall?? well, the windward side has always been rainy anyway! So, grab some hiking shoes with good grips!
BEST hike ever.
if you love green and being surrounded by it, this one's for you. the trail is a bit muddy b/c it's a humid env't. wear old tennis shoes, and be careful not to slip and fall on your bum. bring your camera. i went crazy with pictures here, and it's a pretty short hike. you'll hear birds chirping along most of the trail.
the waterfall at the end was kind of anti-climactic, but i didn't care, b/c i got to go back through the rainforest! despite the 9 mosquito bites i got, this remains my favorite hike so far.
parking is $5 if you park in the lot. there is a port-a-potty that STINKS, so make sure you find a toilet before going.
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This turned out to be quite a surreal day. As we were sitting on the bus on our way to Manoa Falls, this guy struck up a conversation with us. He lived in Manoa Valley. We asked him about the falls and at our last bus stop, which happened to be where he lived; He pointed us to the right direction. As my sis and I were about to head out, this lone woman asked if she could join us. Sure, why not? Then the guy said that we could all go over to his house for a beer. He pointed to the street below and said he lived at the very last house. His bike would be sitting outside. His friend would be coming over and could give us, three women, a ride back after the beer. So back to the hike, we hiked up this beautiful rain forest until we got to our destination, Manoa Falls. There wasn't much of a fall. It hadn't rained in a while. All you could see was a little bit of water trickling down. It didn't matter. I got my photo opp and it was a great hike. You could hear birds chirping away. I felt like I was in an enchanted forest. We decided against visiting the guy. The bus driver (same one that dropped us off) turned out to be a perv. He asked my sis to "come sit closer to me" said the spider to the .............You can finish off that sentence. Yes, please do visit the falls and stay away from horny ass men. LOL P.S. It wasn't muddy, but I did suffer some bug bites.
now i remember this hike too!! man, i getting all sorts of excited gong back to da island next week, woo hoo!!!
anyways, i remember it being all muddy. so shoes are probably a good idea for this one. if you read my last review, you know that i'm all about da slippas. the last time we did this hike, my cousin's slipper broke, and he went barefoot the rest of the way.
not an amazing waterfall at the end, but nice to look at. more scenery on the way there and back. and if it's a bit stuffy out, prepare to come home with mosquito bites all over your legs and arms, unless you don't have "sweet blood" or cover yourself with some bug repellent.
read a couple of the reviews, and they're charging for parking at this place too?!?! what the hell has happened, why does everyone in their momma gotta charge for every little damn thing! this place gets 3.5 stars.
Randomly one day, my friends and I decided that we wanted to take up hiking as a hobby. After searching the internet and consulting with our resident master hiker, we agreed that Manoa Falls hike would probably be best hike for us. So, armed with our Off bug spray and our water bottles, off we went.
The hike itself was pretty great. It's sometimes hard to believe that such a lush, tropical forest is minutes away from Downtown's Honolulu's concrete jungle. Even though I bit it coming down (I wasn't the only one, one of my friends managed to fall into a mud puddle - it was great up until I slipped and fell on my a@# - bachi!). The waterfall was in full effect when we got up there.
We felt really accomplished all sweaty and muddy- then about 20 cub scouts showed up looking like they just took a stroll in the park without a hair out of place and kinda burst my bubble.
Only gave Manoa 4 stars because there are plenty damn mosquitoes. :)
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The waterfall was more of a trickle when I went here this past Monday. Otherwise, the hike is great - beautiful scenery. My bf and I took a bunch of pictures and a short break at the waterfall and it took us about 1.5 hours to finish the hike. The $5 parking fee is well worth it.
This pretty waterfall does not even compare to some of the other waterfalls on O'ahu and Mau'i, but it holds a special place in my heart because I used to come here all the time when I was a student at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. This was before this trail was super popular and parking became an issue. We used to take a dip in the pool below the waterfall, but these days, I'm not sure I would do it considering the pollution that washes into the streams, especially after a storm.
It's a short, muddy, leafy, rainforest hike. Manoa stays pretty moist all year, so be prepared for the humidity and slippery surfaces. Definitely wear a ton of insect repellent, even on parts of your body that aren't exposed - you'd be surprised how mosquitoes just know EXACTLY how to get you!
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The question here is: are you going to get scared?
Sure you can take the nice little hike that's super easy. Of course you will be happier if you wear pants and bring bug spray. And feel free to pick the mountain apples and chow down. But if you want to see something that not many people see when they come to see the falls...
See the sign on the fence that says "Don't go in here"? Well if one were so inclined to hop on over and scale up the mountain a wee bit, you'd find a second waterfall. Is it worth it? Secrets are secrets for a reason. Oops. Somebody catch that cat.
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Someone obviously dipped me in mosquito pheromones while I was sleeping off a luau pig coma, because the moment I stepped out of the car they literally SWARMED ME. It was the locust scene out of Days of Heaven, I swear to God.
Other than that, a gorgeous hike. Really popular, however, so don't expect a fortress of solitude-type experience. It was crowded, despite the bug plague.
And the waterfall was lovely, but the slippery mud made for more than one precarious situation. Do not wear your Gucci loafers on this hike, unless Paris Hilton claims mud-covered as the new black.
And dip yourself in a vat of OFF bug repellent before you even think about going on this hike. Even coated heavily with spray, I was bitten at least twelve times on various parts of my body. You're been warned!
...
Directions from Waikiki: Drive on McCully Street to the mountains and then turn right onto Kapiolani Boulevard. Take a left onto University. Drive through the University of Hawaii campus. Turn right onto Manoa Road, which will eventually dead end at the trail start.
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Parking is free before 9am and you can finish the hike in less than an hour so get there at 8am and you're all set.
I liked the hike cuz it was easy and you get to see a little waterfall at the end.
This was a nice hike. Lovely scenery along the way. There are bathrooms at the beginning of the trail. Perhaps they are new? My boyfriend said it was one of the cleanest he'd been in. Considering it is in the woods, anyway.
We did remember to bring bug repellent with us and had no trouble with mosquitoes or other bugs.
We got there mid-morning and it was not overly crowded. There were less than 10 cars in the parking lot. But by the time we got back around 12:30ish, the number of cars had increased considerably.
Most importantly, this trail is slippery and gets rocky as you ascend. I was having some trouble with slippage and I was wearing sneakers. I saw a number of people heading up the trail in flip flops (not to mention the older Japanese woman wearing flats) and hopefully they made it okay without twisting an ankle or worse.
The waterfall is small, but impressive in height. Would be much more fun if you were still able to wade underneath it, but alas, you can only ogle and take photos.
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I remember this being a muddy hike.
It's a fun short hike, but I like the Hawaii Loa Ridge Trail better (need valid HI state ID to access).
This is a fairly easy hike, complicated only by the slippery rocks. The entire hike is surrounded by a Hawaiian jungle, and the waterfall at the end is amazing.
Wear comfortable shoes, and consider bug spray.
My first hiking experience and I loved it even though I was eaten alive by mosquitoes. The hike is relatively easy but there are spots where it can get slick. The vegetation is lush and you forget you are a few miles away from a major city. Shoes are a must even though I saw a few brave souls do it in flip flops and sandals. The falls at the top of the path is beautiful but you're not advised to swim in it because of the bacteria. You can easily reach the beginning of the trailhead by bus but you have to time it right to keep the wait times down.
Pros: One of easiest hikes to take newbies to Hawaiian waterfall, close to Honolulu, cool, nice vegetation.
Cons: Too crowded, way too many tourists, must pay $5 for parking (but this is also a positive because at least someone is kind of watching your car while you hike).
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Manoa Falls is supposed to be the waterfall used in Jurassic Park but I can't remember it for the life of me. It is definitely over 100' tall but there was little space for people to stand once they got to their destination. But the hike up there is absolutely gorgeous. Especially in the very beginning when you reach an opening in the forest--greenery, streambeds, meadows and forestry galore. It looked like it was straight out of a movie.
The hike was easy though it was made more difficult with the slippery mud, so if you're considering going bring bug spray and tennis or hiking shoes. The waterfall itself was pretty but there was many, many tourists (including myself) and many, many families with little kids along the path. We had to pay $5 for parking in the lower lot and remember, there are no restroom facilities so if you have to go take a visit to the Manoa Park about 3/4 miles away on the road to the trail. They have public, not-so-clean restrooms for your using pleasure.
They also provide bug spray @ the parking area in case you didn't bring any for yourself. And trust me, if you haven't sprayed yourself you should consider stopping for some spray. There are a gazillion bugs up there armed with some nasty bites. But again, definitely worth the trip.
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The hike is easy. The vegitation is lush and it's amazing that it's so close to civilization yet when your inside it, you feel like your in the amazon. Reaching the final destination brings you with a beautiful view of a lovely waterfall to complete your journey.
Stupid mosquitos bit the crap out of me even with the bug spray.
2 years earlier i didn't need to pay for parking, at least you get free spray and someone to watch over your car for 5$. Also 2 years earlier the trail wasn't as maintained and we had a rainstorm, turning the trail into a river. Funfunfun!
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We got there early around 8 a.m. and a lady preparing for a hike told us that the whole thing would only take us about 45 minutes and that you don't have to start paying for parking until 9 a.m. It's true!
The hike was nice. The entire time we were there, we saw less than 10 people. It's very tropical and wet in here... .wear pants so that you don't get bitten by mosquitos.
The trail is not too steep although some of the path may be slippery. Wear shoes with traction. At the very end, there is a beautiful tiny but tall waterfall. Very nice!
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All I have to say is...MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ON MOSQUITO REPEL- ANT!!!
We went in May... almost died there since there was a sudden, pouring rainstorm (I'm talking torrential rainfall like someone was pointing at you with a firetruck water hose) as we were hiking back ... everything was muddy and slippery, cold and dark (it was only like 10:30 in the morning).
I'm sure it would have been a nice hike without the rain... we were probably just very unlucky that day.
Oops, I forgot to mention the vicious mosquitos. They give nasty, extremely itchy bites. You have to really cover yourself in 2 or 3 layers of mosquito repellent if you dont want to get bit.
The Manoa Falls Trail is a must-see. It's only a fifteen minute drive inland from Waikiki. To visit the waterfall, you park in the residential area at the bottom of the mountain and climb up less than a mile.
The walk to Manoa Falls is gorgeous. Since I was staying on Waikiki Beach for vacation, it was the Hawaii I hadn't had the chance to see yet. We walked through the lush greenery of a rainforest and then as we got closer to the end, we walked through a bamboo forest. The trail ends at the waterfall. It's takes a little bit of effort to hike up there, but it was a completely peaceful and relaxing experience to be surrounded by nature.
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