If you're not a strong rower would not recommend departing from Kailua because it will take away the fun. Instead, leave from Lanikai Beach but you have to get there early or you want find any parking. I prefer SUP over kayak because you can switch positions when paddling. Waves are easy to navigate as long as you look into the distance and find the path of least resistance. One side has a small Queen's Bath for 1or 2 people and the side has a nice cove to jump into. The Mokes has clearer water than mainland so be sure to take your snorkeling gear. read more

See all

this island is absolutely beautiful! its ~2miles off the coast from Lanikai beach and it has the "Queen's Bath" which was a small bath around the corner of island that you jump in for good luck. Pretty much the only way to get to this island is if you kayak or take a boat, otherwise good luck to you. Once you get here by kayak, you can snorkel around the island and see turtles which are sooo adorable! I don't recommend coming out to the island on your own unless you're an advanced kayaker cuz kayaking here to the island is freakin exhausting, and trying to get back is even more tiring depending on the wind conditions that day. Go with a tour guide company so you have a piece of mind coming trying to get across the ocean and back. read more

Do not go here. It is a protected sea bird sanctuary and should be left alone. How can the wildlife live in peace when all the human visitors are pulling up in your kayaks making tons of noise and wandering all over their home. Stay away. read more

Moku Nui Island. Probably the MOST fun place to kayak to. My boyfriend and I are the adventurous type and since we first tried out kayaking last october we were hooked! The neat thing about the island of O'ahu, other than the ease of access to nice beaches, are the small islands located off the windward sides of O'ahu. Our first kayak adventure was to chinaman's hat, this time we wanted to kayak longer so we chose the moku nui island off of Lanikai...and it was perfect. We got our kayak from Go Bananas again, this place will probably be our go to place for kayaking from now on. They always give great advice and helpful tips too. We actually wanted to head out on monday but were advised that there was a small craft advisory and the water would be really choppy and rough, so we went on a wednesday. Getting to the island wasn't too bad, it's a workout for sure but fun nonetheless. The water is crystal clear and amazing. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Tn3Fmn7AQK7gowEdRKbpjw?select=Frk2xGKjxbaEKLc2vPCUNQ#Frk2xGKjxbaEKLc2vPCUNQ Once we got there there were other kayakers on tours which was cool, because we weren't alone. The waves come in several different directions between the islands so it's best not to go swimming or risk being drowned or getting lost at sea, something no one wants right?! The island is so pretty even the sand is vibrant and nice. And it's unlike the sand now in Waikiki that's powdery and make your feet white. The sand here is REAL. yup and there's no powdery afterstep. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Tn3Fmn7AQK7gowEdRKbpjw?select=Frk2xGKjxbaEKLc2vPCUNQ#F-NlTcl5BHb07E7TFb2TJw It's actually a bird sanctuary, so respect their home and treat it nicely. They live in holes they burrow around the island, they won't bother you either. If you walk past a burrow you can see their feathers, but I would say just let them be...we're just visitors on their home, so act accordingly =) http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Tn3Fmn7AQK7gowEdRKbpjw?select=Frk2xGKjxbaEKLc2vPCUNQ#iZF4nuu5ZQ8b76ZIXKQaVQ Look at this! Amazing!! Being born and raised in Hawai'i and this was my very first time here. My boyfriend and I had so much fun here and I'm thrilled he loves to do these types of adventurous activities. We walked around the island a bit and took in the beauty from the other side. We hope to go here again and hike around the whole island on a calmer day. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Tn3Fmn7AQK7gowEdRKbpjw?select=skc7NbcCmjXovZElsF_AkA#skc7NbcCmjXovZElsF_AkA We stayed on the island for awhile exploring and taking pictures and then kayaked back to the inland we came from. I highly recommend kayaking here one of these days, seeing O'ahu from another island is such a wonderful feeling! It's a lot of fun too it teaches you team work if you're on a two person kayak. I hope you can experience the moku nui island someday, it will forever be an experience you will always remember. read more

See all

These twin islands can easily be seen from much of Kailua's beaches, especially Lanikai Beach, but I had wanted to actually kayak over there and see what there was on the islands. Sure, the islands may seem small from a distance, but there actually is quite a bit to see. The main challenge when it came to kayaking was dealing with the waves coming at you from both sides and not flipping over upon impact. And the winds and currents were also an issue as well. I was all right when it came to landing on Moku Nui's beach, where all the other visitors leave their kayaks and boats, but it was an absolute nightmare going outbound. I ended up flipping over several times and needed help from the very nice visitors to start heading back to Kailua Beach. And I ended up getting sick for a while. Probably should never kayak on your own to Moku Nui Island, as I saw that it is really meant more for intermediate and experienced users. But the views of the island as well as the rest of Kailua were totally worth it! You probably should expect to spend a minimum of 2-3 hours kayaking to and from the island and hanging around. No, you can't climb up to the top of the island due to the fact this is a bird sanctuary. Also, any kind of shelter and tents are not allowed here. In any case, please be very careful where you go, as there are people who have badly injured themselves or even been killed and swept away by the currents. read more

Mokulua Island is stunningly beautiful and secluded for the most part. Some areas are off limits due to it being a birds sanctuary. Paddled out on a 2 person kayak with my loyal friend on the most perfectly conditioned day! It was unbelievably flat and sunny. It is quite difficult to land and you don't want to get sucked between the two islands where the waves are at its peak. Even though we went during the week day, lots of commercial businesses landed ashore not too long after, so it got crowded pretty quickly. It's best to paddle out early morning. Jumping off the rocks is pretty dangerous especially on a rough day. Haven't had the opportunity to YOLO since I am pregnant, but maybe my next visit I'll be brave enough to get those shots and use the GoPro. Talked to a few people who were out there surfing and snorkeling. Some guy claimed he seen 3 sharks.. Fortunately I did not see any on our way back to Oahu unless they just didn't seem to bother. Thank you! On a side note, I've been really active getting involved with our community and non-profits. Found out there was an opportunity to paddle out and irradicate invasive species and plant native plants. So I hope to see some sort of progress during my next visit! read more

See all

Moku Nui is one half of two islands just off the coast from Lanikai beach. Moku Iki to the south is the second island and is entirely off limits. Moku Nui is a protected seabird sanctuary but the state does allow via permit people to land on the island but with areas designated off limits. Endangered Hawaiian Monk seals occasionally stop by to rest or on very rare occasions, give birth. Give these animals a wide berth as Hawaiian monk seal can and will mess you up if you get too close, then you have to paddle back to shore after you losing a fight with what amounts to a water bear, and then there's that gigantic fine for harassing a monk seal. The department of land and natural resources does have enforcement officers periodically stop by and check as well as tell people to take down shelters and patrol for banned alcohol consumption. As the island is a seabird sanctuary, leave only footprints and take only pictures. There are no amenities whatsoever on the island. You can rent a kayak or standup paddle board from a number of companies, but I believe only Kailua Beach Adventures legally sells the permits to land on the island. Renting from them, you can either launch from Kailua beach or Lanikai beach. Kailua beach is just under a 2 mile paddle if you avoid the reefs. Lanikai is about a mile depending where on the beach you launch from. The island has a sizable beach for landing your preferred watercraft, but it can get very busy leading to a huge number of watercraft pulled up on the shore leading to crowded conditions. Avoid landing in or launching from where the waves converge as a V on the beach. Sea life is viewable with masks and snorkels. The beach is sandy with calm waters over a mostly a sandy bottom, but the rest of the island is largely rocky with virtually no cover or shade. Wear sunscreen, bring water and a hat if you're inclined. Around the back of the island via a trail is a large cove where people jump off into the water. This is somewhat dangerous, but it's still a sight to see. Wear flip flops or slippers, or if you have them reef walkers as the once you get off the sand, the rocks get sharp. It is highly unadvised to take a kayak or paddleboard around the rear of the island as the waves can slam you into the jagged rock face. All in all, this is a nice place for tourists and locals who are at least somewhat fit to paddle out to and enjoy a few hours or to spend the day on. Don't forget that Popoia Island, or flat island is about 1.5 miles north and has a sizable number of protected shearwater birds that can also be visited during your time out on the water. read more

Moku Nui Island - View of the Koolau mountains from the island - Beaches Near Me - Lanikai Beach, Hawaii

See all

My coworker and I just kayaked here yesterday! Took us maybe 45 minutes to an hour to get out there. But the winds were kind of pulling us back. It was a work out! When we got there, there was about 20 other kayaks and people hanging out on the beach. If you go right around the island, you'll eventually reach a cliff side dead end and it's really dangerous. But if you go left, maybe about 7 minutes later you'll reach an area where people jump off the rocks. Please be careful and know your limits! People have died there. Kayaking our way back took us about 30 minutes. Make sure you bring lots of water! Can't stress that enough. And sunscreen & maybe a hat too. Note that we had our own kayak so we did not rent from anywhere, but there are places along the beach to rent from. read more

See all

Sunk a boat visiting the island. Transom broke. 4 of us had to swim ashore with lots of surf. We got more adventure than we bargained for. Be careful. read more

What an incredible adventure! The kayak trip out to the island is a bit challenging but so worth it once you pull up on the sandy beach and greeted by a sleeping seal! The tide pools are wonderous and the climbing is spectacular! read more

Moku Nui Island - The twin islands from our VRBO house - Beaches Near Me - Lanikai Beach, Hawaii

I had my eye on this island since day one of my trip to Hawaii. The idea of kayaking from the beach to Moku Nui seemed rather adventurous, and I was up for the challenge. My friends and I decided to rent kayaks from Kailua Beach Adventures and kayak from Kailua Beach Park. In reality that turned out to be further than my seasickness wanted to carry me. I would have been better off driving to Lanikai Beach Park and kayaking from there, especially because it was pouring rain on the day we went. Fortunately it cleared up a bit when we arrived to the island. What a beautiful view of the neighboring island! Definitely panoramic camera worthy. Be careful of the slippery or sharp rocks when touring the island. There is a cool spot where you can a bunch of crabs clinging to the inside of a crevice where the waves make loud noises. They look like a bunch of flat tarantulas crawling about... kinda freaked me out. I would recommend kayaking or paddleboarding to this island with others and not on your own, especially when the swell is intense. The waves can get pretty scary closer to the shore, and it's decently far out from the next closest piece of land. Happy travels to Moku Nui! read more

Great Place to Kayak to! Can be a little tricky trying to get on and off the island, but is a great little beach for sunbathing and some snorkeling. We Kayaked from Kailua Beach Park, which is quite a distance but so worth it. Took us almost one hour one way. A quicker launch would be from Lanikai beach, which is ALOT closer than our launch area. It is a sanctuary for birds, so therefore protected. There is a path that goes around the island, and on a nice calm day this little trail is quite safe. On a rough day it can be dangerous as waves crash over on the rocks on some parts of the path and can sweep you away. So be careful and gage the temper of the ocean that day. read more

Moku Nui Island - Moku Nui is on the left - Beaches Near Me - Lanikai Beach, Hawaii

I want to go back to Hawaii and kayak to the Mokes several times! My only regret was that we rented our kayak late in the day & it took so long to get to Moku Nui that we had limited time on the beach. What an incredible outdoor experience! Not for the out of shape or faint of heart: we left from Kailua beach so it was quite the distance to get out there against the waves and current (took us over an hour). You have to have the stamina and ability to get through the waves and over very shallow coral. But the payoff is worth it! Imagine crystal clear gorgeous waters, white sand beaches, little to no crowd, and a quiet experience. It's a bit difficult to launch kayak from the island to get back- we almost capsized. But on the way back we went with the current and waves (and even caught a few) and it took less time and effort. If you like the water & outdoors, put this on your MUST DO for Hawaiian vacation. read more

See all

Crazy workout but totally worth it! Rent a kayak and spend 30-45 m rowing out to this island. Chill out on the beach for a picnic or go exploring! Make sure you bring reef shoes (get them at ABC store for 11 bucks each if you buy two). If you head left there are a lot of cute little tidepools to explore. Eventually you'll reach a dead end area with a GREAT spot to dive off of. Maybe 10 feet or so jump? I'm a weak swimmer but it was totally a great experience jumping off the cliff. I ended up jumping several times. Just make sure you time it right and wait for the water coming in and out of the bay to reach a higher level as theoretically there are some rocks below you could hit but it's totally safe if you jump after a big wave comes in. I'd recommend getting some advice on timing from any experienced folk nearby before jumping in. Def One of the highlights of my vacation! Make sure you bring: - snacks - water - reef shoes if you go exploring - rocks are very sharp! read more

I have kayaked, swam, and paddle boarded to Moku Nui from Kailua, Lanikai, and Kailua, respectively, all good, all sun, surf, sand, reefs, turtles, fish, hiking, and sheer beauty, cheers! read more

Dangerous. Sharks, currents, sharp rocks, sharp reef. Too many people for it to be enjoyable anymore it's over run with tourists who don't know what they are doing and some one gets hurt every time I go out there. read more