The local's guide to Hawaii

Coconuts, lilikoi, and a famous shrimp truck
After lighting a few sticks of incense and driving back down the hill, we stopped at Shark's Cove — an inlet of reefs perfect for snorkeling when the waves are low. (Note: I've seen several sea turtles and some unusual, brightly colored anemones here, but never a shark).

Further down the road we pulled into Sunset Beach and Pipeline — well-known for their winter surf competitions.

Back in the Jeep we followed the coastline, passing a story-high carved wooden tiki head and the Turtle Bay Resort and golf course, and stopped to buy fresh coconuts, lilikoi (passion fruit), pineapple, guava and strawberry guavas from a vendor on the side of the road.

Jennifer Carlile / MSNBC.com Giovanni's shrimp truck is seen in Kahuku, on Oahu. His famous garlic recipe is served from the other side of the truck, where customers crowd the plastic tables and chairs.

Having built up our hunger under the sun and in the waves, we stopped at Giovanni's famous shrimp stand in Kahuku, an area known for its acquaculture shrimp farms.

At least a dozen trucks hawking fried shrimp and rice dot the coastal road here, but Giovanni's white, grafittied caravan is the original, and no  one can beat his secret, chunky garlic recipe. Lemon butter and a spicy version are also served, but be warned the latter is advertised as "super hot, NO REFUNDS." In swimwear and towels, we took a seat on the white plastic chairs and tables and chowed down on some good grindz.

Valley of the Temples
Stuffed and worn out, we headed around the windward coast, stopping at several beaches and bays to stretch our legs on the sand and take photographs. Between Kahuku and China Man's Hat — a small island shaped like its namesake just off Kualoa Ranch — the land is sparsely populated, tropical and just plain beautiful.

Before heading across the island and back into Waikiki, we stopped at the Valley of the Temples in Kahaluu.

At the foot of the 2,000-foot high, curtain-like cliffs of the Ko'olau mountain range, and next to a vast cemetery, is the Byodo-In Temple, a replica of the 950-year-old Byodoin Temple near Kyoto, Japan.

Built in 1960 to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese workers in Hawaii, the temple houses a Lotus Buddha, peace bell, meditation house and koi ponds with peacocks strutting about.

Always a haunt of off-the-beaten-track tourists, it has seen a recent spike in visitors since being cast in the TV show "Lost" as the home of the Korean woman Sun's powerful father.

Slide show   Around the World From East to West, images of fantastic getaways across the globe more photos

Crossing the island and heading back into Waikiki, we finished off a perfect day with a seaside drink at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, often called the "First Lady of Waikiki", as it was the island's first hotel, built in 1901.

That evening as I looked out over the ocean, I saw for the first time the famed green flash of light that occurs just as the sun drops below the horizon.

Jennifer Carlile is a writer and cover producer based in London. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Political Science and a Master’s degree in Italian from Middlebury College in Vermont. She has also lived in Italy and Austria.

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