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.

Sandy Beach

“Sandy’s” is the bodyboarding capital of O’ahu. Unfortunately, it is also the site of a lot of serious accidents and frequent rescues. A steep drop-off at the sand’s edge means that waves are always pounding here, so only the most experienced should take on this surf, and everyone should take care of the treacherous back-wash, which frequently catches waders off-guard.
Sandy Beach

Renowned for the constant winds that make kite-flying a feature, Sandy Beach also has wicked waves, which routinely slam un-suspecting waders and body surfers into the rock-hard sand. This much-used beach is, therefore, one to treat with respect. So rule number one is: don’t turn your back on the ocean – here or anywhere else, for that matter.
Sans Souci

Grown up around a small resort where Robert Louis Stevenson stayed in the 1880s, Sans Souci is good for swimming, bodysurfing, and boogie boarding. Safe, calm, and shallow, it’s popular with families and also with the gay community.
Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar

Sushi bar, fine dining restaurant, happening cocktail lounge, karaoke palace – Sansei is all these. The name means third generation and implies the East-West sophistication that the grandchildren of the immigrant generation have achieved.
Schrader’s Windward Marine Resort

In a rural setting on a peninsula 30 minutes from Waikīkī, these modest cottages include complimentary snorkeling and kayaking expeditions. Ask for a unit that opens onto Kāne’ohe Bay if you’d like to catch dinner off your lanai ! One-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom accommodations with kitchenettes are available.
Scoozee’s

Good, simple Italian American food, with fantastic breads and exemplary martinis.
Sea Breeze Parasailing

Operator based at Maunalua Bay.
Seed Lei

Simple, single-stranded Job’s Tears and intricately crafted wiliwili-seed lei are popular examples of this type.
Serenity Spa Hawai’i

Located in the The Outrigger Reef on the Beach, you can charge your spa services to your room if you’re a guest at any of the 23 Outrigger or ’Ohana properties. Massages are offered poolside, while pampering wedding packages are a popular way to feel treated like ali’i (royalty).
Shave Ice

It has other names in other places – snow cone is one – but it is simply small chips of ice, flavored with one or more of myriad syrups, served in a paper cone. Cool and refreshing on a hot summer day, the rainbow variety shave ice has become a virtual symbol of Hawai’i.

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Hotel price categories

For a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges.
- under $100
- $100–$200
- $200–$300
- $300–$400
- over $400
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