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.

The Waikīkī Trail

Morning

Don’t waste your time wandering around with a map on your first day in Waikīkī. Instead, take the highly regarded free tour along the Waikīkī Historic Trail, led by members of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, who will introduce you to sites of importance to the host culture. The tour starts at 9am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The meeting point is by the waterfall at Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center (call 737 6442 for more details).

The trail was the brainchild of the late visionary George S. Kanahele, a pioneer of cultural tourism. It’s marked by a series of sculpted surfboards imprinted with photographs, maps, and information at 23 locations around the neighborhood.

Stopping points include a former residence of Queen Lili’uokalani; the villa of Chun Afong, who was Hawai’i’s first Chinese millionaire; the vast coconut grove of Helumoa; and a war camp of Kamehameha the Great.

Late Morning

The tour lasts about an hour-and-a-half, after which you have plenty of time to stroll some more or do some shopping.

Stop for lunch at the Hau Tree Lanai at the east end of Waikīkī. Here you can sit right where Robert Louis Stevenson did in 1893 as he penned stories about the South Pacific.
The Wonderlounge

Honolulu’s dressy Cosmo-drinking crowd gathers here to flirt and dance to a backbeat of DJ music in various genres.
Tokkuri-Tei

A Japanese izakaya (tavern) with an innovative East-West menu.
Tony Roma’s Famous for Ribs

Roll up your sleeves for a full-body rib experience. The choice includes classic baby backs and red hots, plus onion loaves.
Tourism

They came first by ship and then by airplane, and by the late 1950s tourists were coming in increasing numbers, seeking the warmth and exotic beauty of Hawai’i, a place within easy reach of the West Coast of the U.S. mainland. Today, the islands host more than seven million visitors each year, arriving from every corner of the globe.
Tradewinds Gallery

More than 60 local artists are represented here. Their original works in two and three dimensions are on sale along with more reasonably-priced prints and reproductions.
Traditional Hawaiian Chant

As an oral tradition, Hawaiian stories and family histories were related through chant (oli ). Ranging greatly in style, oli are used for scores of reasons, from prayers and lamentations to requests for permission to gather flora.
Transpacific Yacht Race

Better known simply as the Transpac, dozens of yachts race from the California coast to Hawai’i every other July.
Tropical Fruit

Chefs make excellent use of pineapple, papaya, guava, liliko’i , and lychee in salsas, sauces, and desserts.
Tropical Fruit

Mango, papaya, guava, liliko’i (passion fruit), bananas, and, of course, pineapple. Pure and simple right off the tree, blended into a delicious fruit smoothie, or transformed into an amazing dessert, these are truly paradisiacal flavors.

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Price categories include a three-course meal for one, a glass of house wine, and all unavoidable extra charges including tax.
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