Honolulu (Oahu), HI

Nearby areas in Honolulu (Oahu), HI

Waikiki

A bit southeast of Honolulu, this is where all the action is - at the beach by day and at the bars and nightclubs after sundown. The largest tourist destination in Hawaii, it's a long stretch of postcard perfect white-sand beach with fashionable hotels set against the scenic background of Diamond Head lining the shores. This is the perfect destination for people who want the Hawaiian vacation of movies and advertisements, with luaus, hula, and day after day of beach bumming. By midday, the beach is teeming with people, but if you make it out for a sunrise stroll you'll find a solitary vision of paradise on earth.

Pearl Harbor

This is the place that lives in infamy, where the USS Arizona Memorial floats directly over the massive warship Arizona, lying in the shallow waters where it sank in 9 minutes, taking 1,177 sailors down with it when it took a direct hit from Japanese fighter planes.

Manoa Valley

This location has vintage kamaaina (native-born Hawaiian) homes, the Lyon Arboretum which is one of Hawaii's premier botanical gardens, the Manoa Falls, and the University of Hawaii.

Windward Coast

The island's eastern side parallels the entire length of the looming Koolau Range, which sometimes edges so close to the shore that it seems about to shove you into the sea as you drive along the coastal road. The white-capped waters are a favorite with the windsurfers and sailors that flock to this blustery shore.

Leeward Coast

The island's western side is hot, dry, and spectacular. Big beaches, steep cliffs, and wilderness hem the last bastions of native Hawaiians - the rustic villages of Nanakuli, Waianae, and Mekaha. It's a wonderfully tourist-free area, seldom visited by anyone except surfers heading for Yokohama Bay and nature-lovers exploring the coastal wilderness.

For more information about Honolulu (Oahu), HI

Oahu Visitors Bureau

733 Bishop Street, Suite 1872, Honolulu, Oahu, HI 96813; Phone 808-524-0722 or toll-free 877-525-OAHU; Fax 808-521-1620.