Malaekahana Campground - Oahu, Hawaii
Back in the day when I had no money but endless Air Canada flight passes from my Dad – the question wasn’t how far we could travel – it was how cheap we could be upon arrival. One week after I graduated from university, Reuven and I used a couple of free passes to travel from Halifax to Honolulu. We brought our camping gear so we could sleep on the beach and Reuven’s laptop so he could work on different projects and try to expense some of our meals. Needless to say, Hawaii is not the place to go when you want to travel on the cheap – we learned that quickly after two days of eating out in Waikiki beach. However, camping on the beach – something everyone should do at least once.
Malaekahana Campground on the far north shore of Oahu was by far the best campground we stayed at. It is the only campground in Oahu with 24 hour security which we later found was an absolute must as our car was broken into two days later at a different campsite. The campsite is operated by members of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association and is considered one of the safest campgrounds on the island.
Apart from the security and safety – the campground is absolutely breathtaking. This 37 acre wooded campground nestled on the beach has no pool, TV or phone – the only thing you hear is the famous north shore wind and huge waves crashing on the sand outside your tent. The 40 campsites have picnic tables, fire pits, washrooms and outdoor showers. The price - $5 per person per night.
The wind tried relentlessly through the night to take our tent off the ground but we slept like babies dreaming of floating along the Hawaiian shore. In the morning, we drank cold coffee, fresh mango juice and croissants with fresh pineapple jam we had bought at a local store the day before. We walked along the miles of beach and saw not a single person. Romantic. Breathtaking. Warm. Cheap. What more could you ask for?
