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Hawaii’s Chinaman’s Hat

chinamans hatAccording to Hawaiian legend, Pele’s sister Hi’iaka battled a fierce dragon lopping off its tail and leaving a piece of it behind which is known today as “Chinaman’s Hat”. It’s resemblance to the hats worn by Chinese farmers and peasants is what gave it the somewhat racist sounding nickname, but this popular landmark in Hawaii is actually called Mokoli’i which translates to “Little Lizard”.

Mokoli’i is an uninhabited islet just off the coast of Oahu, and is officially recognized as part of Honolulu. It is often found front and center on postcards and in photos of Hawaii, yet doesn’t receive nearly the amount of traffic as most tourist spots on our islands.

Active visitors in Hawaii looking for an eco-adventure will want to add a trek to Mokoli’i to their “To Do” list. You can get to “Chinaman’s Hat” from Kualoa Regional Park in about 20 minutes by kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard, and can even walk out during low tide as the water will only be knee high. Those choosing the latter will need to be on top of the tide schedules in order to make their way back before high tide. Most Hammerhead sharks can’t be bothered with people but they have been spotted in the area so if this makes you uneasy, you’ll want to opt for a kayak or paddleboard instead.

Once there, you can visit one or both of the two small beaches, check out a sea cave, or throw on a pair of sneakers and hike your way up to the top. Here you’ll be treated to a seemingly endless 360 degree view of the ocean and the incredible coastline. It takes about 25 minutes to swim the island’s perimeter, but will take much longer for snorkelers. The reef surrounding Mokoli’i hosts an impressive variety of marine life giving you one more reason to check out “Chinaman’s Hat”.

You can visit Mokoli’i via Kualoa Regional Park, which is located at 49-479 Kamehameha Hwy, Kahaluu. If you’d like to rent a kayak, canoe, or paddleboard, our concierge would be more than happy to help!