This was a lovely experience—a simple way to explore the island and experience it in a more intimate way while leaving less of an impact.
Staying at a resort is expensive, and feels so removed from the culture, people, and personality of a place.
The van has everything you need—with a gym membership and/or the use of facilities at public beaches, it was easy to explore the island and set up camp at different beaches.
It’s important to be mindful of where you park during the day, to charge the solar panels that power the generator. I used the fridge for snacks and cold drinks, and there is also a table/sitting area plus the bed in the back. I loved the lights with different color settings inside the van—it made tucking myself in while listening to the ocean and reading a good book feel extra luxurious. The mattress and pillows are comfortable. As someone who’s slept under a tarp on the ground backpacking in the PNW, this setup feels luxurious without being too far removed from what makes camping so special—simplicity.
As with any camping/van-life situation, it’s important to know where it’s safe and legal to park overnight. Brett gives good suggestions re: the best places to explore (and avoid).
I loved the nights I stayed at Malaekahana Beach Campground—there are limited vehicle campsites. In the future, I will plan to book site further ahead of time. It’s well located, safe, inexpensive, beautiful, and offers a lovely beach with decent swimming and some surfing/boogie boarding. There are a few other public beach areas along the North Shore that were convenient, safe, and beautiful to park at. Hale’iwa Beach Park has street parking it was safe to park in overnight. It was fun to drive around, explore, and scope things out.
I will be back with my 11 year old next time!