Makaha Beach and a Surprise Lunch on Oahu’s Remote Leeward Coast

Time to drop back in on Oahu and take you to the remote west side of the island.  To get there we left our base in Waikiki and headed northwest to the Farrington Highway where we had the ocean on one side and the Wai’anae Range on the other.

We made it to the end of the road where the young and  hardy – not us – hike the five miles to the westernmost part of the island – Kaena Point.

Instead, we drove back down to beautiful Makaha Beach.

Makaha Beach

Noted for its high surf during the winter, we found it relatively mild on our visit. There were only a few of us on the beach as you can tell by our footprints where we sank deep into soft golden sand.

I could have watched those waves roll in forever.

A Lunch Surprise

Afterwards it was time for lunch and I turned to the Lonely Planet guidebook.  We drove to the first choice off the beaten path but it was not for us. The rustic farm had a strange hippie vibe and Bob lamented that he didn’t recognize anything on the menu.  When we couldn’t locate our second choice we asked a local who instructed us to follow him for a good restaurant on the beach.  So we did.

He motioned for us to turn down a short road and we found ourselves at a military checkpoint. (This is not the first time we inadvertently wandered onto a military base on Oahu). But the young guard was friendly and after we showed ID, welcomed us onto the base, a playground reserved for military families.

The restaurant fronted the ocean and had a happy vibe.

I ordered a typical Hawaiian plate lunch with Kalua pulled pork, rice and slaw; Bob had fish and chips and we were both happy. Too bad we didn’t have room for dessert but we made up for it later.

After lunch we stopped by Poka’i Beach next door.  The waters were calm and protected and while Bob took a catnap I splashed around in the surf till it was finally time to go.

But before we leave I have to tell you the truth – the west coast of Oahu has a large homeless population.  We saw many little tents on stretches of Farrington Highway but the guide book had warned us so I wasn’t surprised.  It’s an unfortunate problem but I guess if you have to be homeless, this is the place to be.

We headed back to Waikiki for our last night there,

and managed to find some dessert.

It was good yes, but too rich – what I really wanted was shaved Ice. I found some the next day on our trek to the North Shore where we would stay for the second half of our time on Oahu.  Stay tuned for our adventures on the North Shore, Surfing Capital of the World!

Aloha!

Susanne