Oahu Travel Guide

The Abundant Capital

There was a time when Oahu was Hawaii. When visitors thought of the Islands, they thought of Waikiki. They arrived at Honolulu Harbor or Honolulu International Airport and stayed on Oahu. People in Hawaii wondered how to draw more of them to the other islands to share the wealth. Times have changed. Now Waikiki and the rest of Oahu have to promote themselves heavily to make sure visitors don't jet directly to Maui and the Big Island and miss Honolulu altogether.

We understand the temptation to skip Oahu for the less-crowded shores of Maui or the Big Island. Oahu is hardly a deserted tropical island. Honolulu is a city with 831,000 inhabitants. There are crowded freeways, high-rises, factory outlet malls and all the accouterments of modern American life.

Even Waikiki is urban. Land is so valuable there that every bit of street frontage is built on. It's a pedestrian experience‹sidewalks, stores, noodle shops, bars. As a place to stroll, it's pleasant enough‹warm, hospitable, clean and reasonably secure. People who dream of coming to Hawaii and walking barefoot on the sands of an empty beach, however, are startled when confronted with Waikiki's buses and taxis and pedestrians, with every other person either on a scooter or talking on a cell phone.

Still, it's a mistake to listen to those who say Oahu has been ruined by development. Its urbanization has come because people enjoy comfortable places to stay, interesting shops, pulsing nightlife and restaurants of all price ranges and tastes. Above all, Waikiki has become a shopping district, full of luxury boutiques and large malls like other cosmopolitan cities. Yet, Waikiki still has a mile and a half of splendid white-sand beach and sunsets so dazzling they are a cinematic cliché.

Not all of Oahu is paved. Not far beyond the urban core or just offshore, natural beauty abounds. The island has 64 beach parks, two mountain ranges with spectacular waterfalls and hidden pools usually accessible by a short hike, three botanical gardens, an arboretum and a marine preserve where even a beginning snorkeler can feel like a Jacques Cousteau.

Honolulu is the historical and cultural center, serving as the capital of the monarchy, the territory and the state. Most Hawaiian history has been played out here and is still being made, during the debates at the newly refurbished Capitol Building, in the high-rises of downtown, along the waterfront, through the alleys of historic Chinatown. The city is home to the state university, several museums and the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

For the active traveler, Oahu can be an education and an unending fascination. Imagining Pearl Harbor and the magnificent reefs along the South Shore before development, one can see natural beauty and understand why, since the beginning, everyone has been gathering here.

A note on topography: Every island has a wet and dry side. Honolulu is on the dry side, probably the driest spot in Hawaii. It does rain far more often on the windward side, in the beach and bayfront communities of Kailua and Kaneohe. If you plan to stay in one of the bed-and-breakfast accommodations on the windward side, it's wise to avoid the rainy season, November through March.

It's also stormy during the winter on Oahu's North Shore. Surf can go as high as 20 feet to 25 feet. If the surf is running high, it's awesome to watch, but stay out of the water. In summer, however, the North Shore beaches are often smooth as glass, great for swimming and snorkeling. The surf has moved to the South Shore.

On Oahu's Central Plain, the sugar crop is rapidly giving way to housing and a resort area called Ko Olina. Eventual plans call for half-a-dozen hotels and an infrastructure to rival Waikiki. There's only one hotel, a spa resort with a golf course now, though, and we imagine most travelers would feel isolated there.

Waikiki offers luxurious resorts, but numerous condos provide a money-saving option. Hit the beach, the sights, the shops, the restaurants and the nightclubs. Explore the island‹take the bus for $1, perhaps the greatest travel bargain anywhere. Enjoy the abundance of Oahu.