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Honolulu & O’ahu : Overview & Top 10

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Honolulu & O’ahu

O’ahu is the most populous of the Hawaiian islands, and its conjoined hubs are the city of Honolulu and the world-famous Waikīkī Beach. The vast majority of visitors make Waikīkī their base, venturing out on day trips to take in Honolulu’s many cultural attractions, Pearl Harbor, and other parts of the island. The family-friendly beaches and parks of the South hore and Kāne’ohe District are in striking distance of Honolulu, while diehard surfers head for the North Coast. The Polynesian Cultural Center is also an easy day trip from the city.

  • If a comfortable, attractive room in a chic O’ahu area is your cup of tea, this could be the B&B for you. The hosts are warm and knowledgeable; the location across from Lanikai Beach excellent. Each unit has kitchen facilities.

  • “May Day is Lei Day” say the lyrics of a popular Hawaiian song. Not that anyone in the islands needs an excuse to make, wear, or give a lei , but May 1st is the day when master lei makers showcase their amazing skills.

  • Traditionally made of feathers from now mostly extinct or endangered native birds, the art continues using feathers from common birds.

  • There’s no more enduring symbol of Hawai’i than the lei (garland). In the past, permanent lei were made from shells, seeds, bone, and feathers, and temporary lei from vines and leaves. Today, colorful and fragrant flowers like plumeria and tuberose are most associated with this craft.

  • These range from puka-shell lei , wildly popular in the 1970s, to museum-quality Ni’ihau-shell lei , worth many thousands of dollars.

  • This lovely cocktail lounge is home to jazz of the kind you can both sing and dance to. No cover; pricey drinks.

  • Lili’uokalani Botanical Gardens

    Bequeathed to her people by the last monarch of Hawai’i, the garden focuses on native plants. The site includes portions of Nu’uanu Valley.

    Lili’uokalani Botanical Gardens
  • This garden was a retreat for the queen, where she picnicked to the tinkling sounds of Nu’uanu Stream.

  • Exhibitions and sales of various art societies. The work is often very affordable.

  • During February’s Chinese New Year celebrations, the Lion Dance is performed all over Hawai’i. Acrobatic dancers don a lion costume and perform a dance to a steady – and very loud – drum beat designed to ward off evil and spread good fortune. Spectators fill red and gold envelopes with dollar bills and feed them to the lion to ensure future prosperity.

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