Chronicle News Editor Rose Cisneros traveled O’ahu, Hawaii recently. She spent 10 days soaking up the experiences the island has to offer. This is part of her series.

The adventure bug had bitten me. After that first day spent hiking to Lulumahu Falls, I was hooked.

I wanted to see more of the natural beauty O’ahu has to offer.

Manoa Falls was our next adventure.

The 1-mile trail leading to the falls is labeled as beginner-friendly.

The hike is relatively easy, but we did have to be cautious of slipper mud and rocks.

Manoa Valley sits to the right of the trail and is home to some of the biggest trees I’d ever seen. These would give the California redwoods a run for their money.

After about a 45-minute climb, we reached the falls.

The 150-feet tall waterfall - about the height of a 14-story building - seems much taller as it disappears into the trees.

The water was trickling down the falls, as it hadn’t rained as much as usual while I was there. Still, swimming in the pool below the waterfall is highly discouraged because there is a threat of becoming infected with Leptospirosis.

The bacteria can cause flu-like symptoms which last up to 2 weeks. Not a risk I was willing to take.

Luckily, I was able to get my swimming fix at Hanauma Bay.

Hanauma Bay State Park is part of the nature preserve located along the southeast coast in the Hawaii Kai neighborhood of East Honolulu.

As one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island, it has suffered from overuse.

To protect the bay’s delicate reef ecosystem, the park limits the amount of visitors allowed each day. We got there early to make sure we were allowed in.

The park requires each visitor to watch a 10-minute video on how to respect the reef and the wildlife we would encounter while snorkeling.

Walking down a steep hill to the beach, I got my first glimpse of the bay.

It was breathtaking. The blue-green color of the water didn’t seem real.

My cousin and I quickly put on our snorkeling gear.

Even with the heat of the afternoon sun, the water in the bay was freezing.

Early April is still wintery.

It was too cold for my cousin, but I powered through. I didn’t want to miss a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I wasn’t disappointed. I saw sea urchins, anemones, an octopus and lots of brilliantly colored fish.

My heart almost jumped out of my chest when I encountered a parrotfish as big as I am.

They have a hard “beak” which allows them to scrape algea from rocks and coral. I could hear it tapping against the coral.

I gave the fish a wide berth, thanking my stars it hadn’t been a shark I’d almost smacked into.

Next: Ko Hana sugarcane rum distillery