Yesterday was too gorgeous not to get out of the office! We headed to Kualoa Ranch where the Koolau Mountains are at their best–majestic, tall and commanding.

We met up with one of our Hawaii tour groups on the Oahu Circle Island Eco Tour. (Click here to learn more about the Full Day Circle Island Eco Adventure Tour.)

Kualoa Ranch Tours

Kualoa Ranch offers a variety of fun things to do on Oahu, like horseback riding and ATV adventures through the valley. We recently launched a variety of easy-to-book tours at Kualoa, including:

• Horseback
• ATV
• Movie Sites & Ranch
• Jungle Expedition
• Ocean Voyaging
• Secret Island (includes Ocean Voyaging Tour and counts as two 1-hour tours)
• Ancient Fishpond & Gardens
• Legends & Legacy
• Hula Lessons

If there’s one lesson everyone learns when they’re vacationing in Hawaii, it’s to be prepared for the sun! We recommend wearing sunscreen and bringing drinking water on your day trips. Don’t forget your sunglasses and a camera, too!

Secret Island at Kualoa

One secluded area on Windward Oahu that is owned and operated by Kualoa Ranch is Secret Island, which requires access via boat ride and has a beautiful, quiet beach where you can swim, sunbathe, and kayak.

While on the Secret Island Boat Ride, look “mauka” (toward the mountains) for a stunning view of Oahu’s Koolau Mountain Ridge. Check out more on our previous blog post.

The scenic drive home

Leaving Kualoa, highway 63 will take you either North toward La’ie or South toward Kailua. It’s one of the most scenic drives on Oahu–along the way you’re right next to the beach or directly below mountains. It’s one of my favorite highways on Oahu!

Windward Oahu on Highway 63

Read more: Kualoa Ranch and Chinaman’s Hat Video

ABC TV’s hit show “Lost”, which has filmed in Hawaii for the last 5 years, has begun shooting the 6^th and final season. Since the popular show aired its first episode in September 2004 it has become some what of a cult classic with audiences eagerly awaiting each week’s installment. With popularity increasing each year, the effect on Hawaii tourism has been palpable as visitors flock to the Island of Oahu to see their favorite locations. During the first year alone “Lost” acquired 16 million viewers each episode and that equates to a lot of people viewing the beautiful scenery of Hawaii.

Byodo-In Temple

Believe it or not, filming locations in and around Honolulu have been used as stand-ins for spots around the world. With a wee bit of set dressing, Honolulu has been portrayed as New York, California, South Korea, Iraq, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Paris, Thailand, and Australia. The Honolulu Convention Center was recently used as the Sydney International Airport. Another prominent location on Oahu utilized for filming was the Byodo-In Temple. The famous beach where the plane crash took place is actually Mokule’ia Beach, situated along the North Shore of Oahu.

Sunset Beach - North Shore beaches

Locals not only spot the film crews regularly but LOST actors are a common sight on the island as well. Don’t be too surprised if you find yourself walking down the street and run into some familiar “LOST” faces.

After the final segment airs in May 2010 both fans and locals will nurse the wounds of loss as the weekly viewing population bids farewell to a friend and the State gets use to a lot less worldwide exposure.

For those of you who want to see some of the filming locations in person, reserve seats on our 4A – Lost & Famous Films Experience Tour. Filming Locations for Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, Mighty Joe Young, Tears of the Sun, Baywatch, and Gilligan’s Island will also be included in the tour.

TV show LOST film location

Read more: Who Will Be Lost Without “Lost”