#saimin

Next to the parking lot, they sell dole whip and other pineapple treats. So be sure to treat yourself after that long hike! We got the Dole whip soft serve and sprinkled li hing mui on top. YUM.

Across the street from Diamond Head is the KCC Farmer's market (which only happens on Saturdays). The free parking lot was pretty full but because food consumption is not allowed on premises, there were a lot of people coming and going and we were able to find parking quickly. We ended up getting some baked abalone and fresh squeezed sugar cane juice! Both were a bit pricey but delicious.

Since we only stopped by the farmer's market for a post-hike snack, we headed for Ono's Seafood (below left) to pick up some poke for lunch! I got their Hawaiian style Ahi Tuna. We also stopped by Fresh Catch because we saw it featured on Diner's, Drive Ins, and Dives on TV in the hotel room just the night before haha. Here we got their Smoked Tako (below right) - and omg. It was probably my favorite poke we had all trip.

On the same street was also Lenoard's. It took almost an hour but it was worth the wait. We tried their Guava, Macadamia and Li Hing Mui malasadas.

Our next stop was Nu'uanu Pali lookout. It was extremely windy (see below) and a bit rainy so we didn't stick around for too long. The views were nice but it was also really cloudy. Parking was also $7. I would suggest just doing the scenic drive instead if the weather isn't great.

We moved on up the east coast to Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden which has free admission! We didn't have too much time to spend here so we only walked to the pond. Here we saw a large group of gold fish, where some guy was feeding them. We then took a short drive up to a lookout point and snapped a few photos before heading out to Kualoa Ranch!

We booked the Kualoa Ranch 2-Hour ATV Raptor Tour and arrived just in time for our check in. The name of the tour is misleading since we would drive UTVs not ATVs but it was still so much fun. Our tour guides were friendly and funny (we had Robert and Paulo!) and helped us take pictures when we stopped by each scenic point. My boyfriend and I were also able to switch driving at each stopping point too. They also had an 1-hour tour option, but I felt like you definitely need the 2 hours; time went by so fast!

Before heading back to Wakiki, we stopped by Adela's Country Eatery to pick up some cheesecake. They had a ton of different flavors. But we only grabbed one because each slice is huge. We tried the Lilikoi cheesecake and it was so so good. Highly recommend stopping by here if you can.

We ended our day with dinner at Shiro's Saimin. My boyfriend and I got the Chashu saimin and I got one that came with a cheeseburger on the side at the suggestion of a friend. YUP. A cheeseburger. Apparently that's a thing the locals do and I was so shocked that it actually paired really well. I almost liked the cheeseburger more than the saimin itself! haha