Hiking: "Mokolii" Chinaman's Hat, Oahu, Hawaii: Homemade Adventures

Hi welcome to Homemade Adventures. We are here at the top of Chinaman's Hat. How do we get up here? Watch the video and we'll show you how. All right let's go. If you like this video be sure to hit the subscribe button and click the bell to be notified when we upload new adventures. Chinaman's Hat on Oahu. Mokali'i also known among the locals as Chinaman's Hat because of its shape is a popular spot for taking pictures on Oahu's windward coast. The small island is located on the north end of Kaneohe Bay offshore of the Kualoa Regional Beach Park. Fun fact, Mokali'i means the little lizard in Hawaiian. It's also called Chinaman's Hat because of its cone shape which resembles the peasant's hat worn in rural China. How are you guys doing? So do you know how to steer? So the more you pull on one side you'll go to the opposite direction. So if you want to go left paddle on your right. If you want to point your nose to the right paddle more on the left. Besides a few lonely palm trees and two small beaches there isn't really anything else here but it's still a great place to visit if you like adventures and would like to have an island to yourself for once in your life. While most people only know Chinaman's Hat from postcards wall calendars or from looking at it from a distance it's a real charm to be able to actually go out there and explore. During low tide it is possible to walk right over but make sure you have a tide timetable with you so you know when to head back. The distance to Mokali'i from Kualoa Park is approximately 1,477 feet or 450 meters. It can take upwards to 45 minutes to make your way over there due to sometimes strong current and waves. You guys are doing great we're already halfway there. Chinaman's Hat has sea caves, two small beaches and one is secluded cove facing the ocean. It looks gorgeous out here. So if you walk across to the island make sure you wear some sort of reef shoes to protect your feet from cuts. Once you reach Mokali'i you can either walk around the island to the small beach facing the open ocean or climb to the top for a stunning view of the majestic Kualoa Mountains and the Windward Coast. It's approximately a 15 minute climb and it's a little strenuous but it leads through some thick brush dirt and some lava ledges but if you're in decent condition and you want to try you can probably make it to the top. Fun fact the island is also a seabird nesting ground so if you visit here please be aware and do not disturb the animals. From the island's peak you could also see the distinctive profile of Kamehameha's turtle or also known as the Makapu Peninsula. Legend has it that the turtle safeguards a secret underwater tunnel which is used by King Kamehameha I, Hawaii's warrior monarch, to reach the island of Molokai. Today the peninsula is home of a Marine Corps base. The reef is located around Chinaman's Hat supports a variety of marine life most of which are harmless to humans but do keep in mind that you may see a hammerhead or two along the way over. They're usually harmless but if you're scared of the idea to swim in waters that have hammerhead sharks you may want to stay on land. Besides its natural beauty Chinaman's Hat is also a mysterious place. According to the local legend the volcano goddess created the island by slaying a frightening dragon and setting its huge flukes in the water as a landmark. Make sure you use the rope on the way up so you don't fall all the way down. Here at the top of Chinaman's Hat we have the National Ocean Survey point. It tells us that we are at the top of Chinaman's Hat. We made it all the way up to the top of Chinaman's Hat in nine minutes. Simple hike as far as time goes. We did it at the middle of the day. It's approximately 2 p.m. Watch my footing. So what we're going to do now is discuss a little bit of it. So on the way up here we found that there was a couple spots that you had to climb a rope to go vertical up the rock face but there's only about maybe 15 feet worth of that. After that it was you reach the top. Look at that view up there. It is just gorgeous. You got Kualoa Ranch right over here. If you come all the way around the windward side of Oahu and then you got Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps base out there sticking out is the farthest left. Not sure if you can see in the video but all the way out between Kaneohe Bay and Rabbit Island you can see Maui in the horizon. It is just a gorgeous gorgeous day out here. Waves are approximately one to two feet. It is just unbelievable. I would like to thank a couple of our followers on Homemade Adventures for this awesome chest mount for the GoPro camera. Thank you Samantha and Tracy sir. All right time to head on down. There's base camp. Chinaman's Hat overview. It's a small island located off the Kualoa Regional Park on Oahu's windward coast. During low tide it is possible to wade over. Make sure you wear reef shoes and take a bodyboard or kayak with you. Once there you can hike to the island's peak for an amazing view or walk on the ocean facing beach. There are no facilities and no lifeguards on Chinaman's Hat. Make sure you watch your footing. Make sure you travel with a buddy. What did you think of the video? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section and don't forget to like, share and subscribe to Homemade Adventures for more great videos just like this one. There's no place I'd rather be. There's no place I'd rather be.