DK Travel : 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.

Pizza Bob’s

Pies, salads, and sandwiches, as well as pizzas.
Plate Lunch

Meat, two scoops of rice, and macaroni salad. Those are the three essential elements of the plate lunch. Sold on every street corner in Hawai’i, it represents the melding of cultures, and the meat comes in many varieties, from teriyaki beef to pork and variously prepared chicken.
Plumeria Beach House

This oceanfront, indoor/outdoor restaurant is family-friendly and well known for lavish buffets.
Pohole

These bright green, crunchy, and delicious ferns grow in East Maui and are often served with tomatoes.
Poi

The staple of the Hawaiian diet, poi is made by pounding to a paste the corm of the taro or kalo plant – a task that is strictly a male preserve. Traditional Hawaiians believe their culture to be descended from a kalo plant, signifying the symbolic importance of this food.
Pōka’i Bay

Beautiful, tranquil Pōka’i Beach County Park is the most welcoming swimming and snorkeling beach along the Wai’anae Coast. It’s safe year round because of the protection of a long breakwater. The bay’s name, “night of the great one,” is rooted in the story of a voyager from the south, Pōka’i, who is said to have planted the first coconut grove on the island on this site.
Pōka’i Bay Beach

This beautiful beach is the calmest and safest place for swimming in Wai’anae, so it’s no surprise to find it frequently thronged. It also has an unfortunate but deserved reputation as a place where car break-ins and beach burglaries occur, so take extra care with your belongings.
Polo at Waimānalo and Mokulē’ia

Polo came to Hawai’i with the moneyed elite, and two polo grounds continue to operate on O’ahu. Matches are held at 2pm on Sundays.
Polynesian Cultural Center

On the north shore of O’ahu, this center is the place to explore the rich traditions of Polynesia, such as the pageantry and cuisines of Hawai’i, Tahiti, Tonga, and other Pacific islands.
Polynesian Migration

Scholars believe that Marquesan voyagers first came to Hawai’i as early as the 4th century, with Tahitians arriving later, in the 13th. It was these two great waves of migration by skilled Polynesian seafarers that first populated the Hawaiian islands.

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Restaurant price categories

Price categories include a three-course meal for one, a glass of house wine, and all unavoidable extra charges including tax.
- under $20
- $20–$30
- $30–$45
- $45–$60
- $over $60