When we were planning our trip to Hawaii, hiking in the rainforest wasn’t really on our radar. We wanted to go up to the top of Haleakala (the volcano) and hike a bit, to scuba dive, to take surf lessons, and to lay around by the pool… and that was about it.

Then we went to book some of the activities, and the woman helping us mentioned the rainforest hike. We figured since we weren’t driving the road to Hana, the hike would be a good way to see a bit more of the island.

It turned out to be amazing. We met up with our guide, Pasco, and three other couples in a park-and-ride and drove out to a farm, where we were given backpacks and various supplies to carry in them, then ventured into the rainforest. Pasco told us about the history of the Hawaiian Islands, taught us some Hawaiian words, and pointed out many of the plants and insects living in the rainforest. And, frequently he’d bound off into the brush, snag some kind of flower or leaf or bug, and then return to show us and talk about it.

He also made sure we got to two of the waterfalls before any of the other groups, so we got some pretty cool photos without lots of random people behind us (although I look like I’m holding on to Toby for dear life in the first one because my foot slipped and I was falling into the water!). The hike was relatively challenging — enough to work up a sweat and require a bit of extra effort at times, but nothing too hard. Then, at the second waterfall, we all got a surprise.

As the first couple was swimming out to get their photo taken, Pasco told us that the guy had asked ahead of time for a heads up on a place that would be good for “something special.” Turns out, he had carried an engagement ring in his pocket (none of us noticed he was swimming with only one arm!) and proposed to his girlfriend right next to the waterfall, while Pasco snapped photos! Well played, Rick.

I didn’t get any pictures of the proposal, but we did get a few photos of ourselves in the same spot afterward. Then most of us jumped off that rock on the left side of the picture into the (deep) water below. I was completely terrified, and managed to inhale a bunch of water.

But, I lived. And after a leisurely lunch — sandwiches, chips and chocolate-chip cookies were part of the deal — we went to the largest waterfall, which was pretty crowded.

Still, we had time to take lots of photos, splash around in the water and go under the waterfall, which was awesome. The hiking immediately afterward was a bit more challenging, because it was steeper (I had to use my hands) and parts were close to the edge, but it was still fun. I am pretty sure that was the spot where my brother slipped while hiking when he was about 8 — and still insists that was the day he “almost died.” (He didn’t).

 

We all managed to finish without any brushes with death, and we treated ourselves to refreshments from the farmstand at the end of the trail — a pineapple-banana smoothie for me, a fresh coconut for Toby, and out-of-this-world coconut candy for everyone.

Even though we hadn’t originally planned to do the hike, I’m really glad we did — we had a fantastic time, got to take in a lot of gorgeous scenery, met some fun people and even learned a bit about Hawaii. I would definitely recommend doing a hike through Hike Maui if you are on the island. But I would also recommend bringing a waterproof camera or waterproof bag for your phone — Toby accidentally dropped my phone (which took all these photos) in the water at the last waterfall, so we had to let it hang out in a bag of rice for a while. And no one wants that!