During this adventure you’ll experience kayaking on the ocean and get a great view of the Ko’olau Mountain Range and Kaneohe bay on the East side of Oahu.

Chinaman’s Hat, or more formally called Mokoli’i, is a basalt islet just off the Windward coast of Oahu. It’s between a 15-30 minute paddle out to Mokoli’i, then you can choose to hike around the islet or up one of the defined trails. Be sure to stay on the trail and pick up any litter.

The island is also a bird sanctuary and has heaps of fluffy baby chicks in the spring time, so respect the local wildlife. Look, but don’t touch, they are pretty cute and fluffy.

The whole experience of paddling out to Chinaman’s hat as well as hiking up and back takes about 3 hours without rushing things. The views you’ll get will be reminiscent of movies like Jurassic Park, Battleship, 50 First Dates and many more since plenty of movies were filmed in Kualoa Ranch, just across the way.

What to Expect

Pick up the kayaks from the Kailua Storefront, our friendly team will be there to guide you through strapping the kayak on your vehicle and provide you with all the necessary equipment. All you need is a 4-door car to transport it.

From there, it is about a 30 minute drive from where you will launch at Kualoa Regional Park, just a short paddle from Chinaman's Hat island. You'll get kayaks, seat backs, life vests, dry bags safety equipment and private instruction before you set out on your own to experience Chinaman's Hat.

Experience this one of a kind Oahu adventure with plenty of epic views. We suggest this tour for individuals who are experienced in kayaking or are comfortable kayaking in the ocean. The water is clear and surprisingly shallow, so you’ll be able to see that turquoise blue hue that Hawaii is known for. Normally there are small rolling waves or no waves at all due to the reef that extends for a good 100 feet or so from the shore. This makes it easy to launch your kayaks and not have to battle large waves to get out to Mokoli’i.

Once landed on the Chinaman's Hat shoreline, enjoy a light hike around the circumference of the island. The hike to the top is accessible by experienced adventurers only and has an advanced climb on the last section. Be extremely cautious if attempting.

Once back to the shoreline and into your kayak, it is an easy paddle back to the starting point.

Included

• Kayaks, paddles, backrests
• Ocean Kayaking Experience and Hike combo.
• You will be required to sign a liability waiver.
  
• Life jackets
• Dry bags
• On-shore instruction
• Waterproof Map

What to Bring

• Wear Sunscreen
• Bring/wear water shoes or athletic shoes if you want to hike around on Chinaman’s Hat.
• If you bring snacks and water, be sure to pack out the trash.
• Please leave valuables at home.