07-15-2012, 01:22 PM
quote:
Originally posted by macuu222
Green Sand Beach is the gem of the east side in my opinion (Kau beach). Hard to get to...but well worth the effort.
We took our first trip to green sand beach today. I enjoyed the novelty of the green sand (it really was beautiful, the way it had that golden shimmer when the sun hit it) but for those who have not been there, there are 3 ways to do it:
1) In a 4WD off road vehicle with high clearance.
2) Walk 5 mile round trip against a sandblasting wind.
3) Hire one of the local rides that hang out and offer this service ($10-$15 per person per way).
We chose option number one, driving a 4WD Jeep Wrangler. There is no singular path to the green sand beach. There are about 4 routes and they cross each other's paths. We tried to follow a local (great idea) but lost sight of him due to getting stuck behind a tourist in a rental. The path we took we later found out was one of the most dangerous routes. But the Jeep did well on it. After spending time at the beach and talking story with a local guy, we got the lowdown on the best route out of there and it took half the time and was about half the wear and tear on the vehicle. The key is to take the high "road" furthest away from the beach (seems counter intuitive) following the fence line when you get to it.
The beach itself was beautiful, but small, cramped and crowded. The wind was really high and the surf was very powerful. We rode a few waves in swimming but got beat up pretty bad doing it.
So I've crossed the green sand beach off my list but unless they pave the last 2.5 miles I won't be in a rush to get back there.