The highly-rated Hanauma Bay State Park

Formed within a volcanic cone, Hanauma Bay is one of the most popular attractions of Honolulu. “Hana” is the Hawaiian word for “Bay” and “Uma” refers to the curves of the indigenous canoes. If you love marine life and coral reef, it is the best place to snorkel on the island of Oahu. Moreover, its beach was voted as the best in the United States in 2016!We’ve been to countless beaches across countries and seeing Hanauma Bay from above didn’t really excite us that much to spend on the entry fees for it (read notes), so we just loitered around and gave it a miss. I made sure to capture it from the top, though.Notes:

1. Park is open every day except Tuesday from 6am to 6pm. The charge for parking is flat at $1.
2. There is a fee to enter the bay – $7.50 and free for those under 12 yrs.
3. The entry fee does not include the snorkel fee, which is $20 for standard snorkel set.
4. If you are staying at one of the hotels at the Waikiki, you can reserve the shuttle to Hanauma Bay at $2.5 per way and it takes about 45 minutes.
5. For more info, visit their site here.