OahuOahu is the third largest of the islands of Hawaii (the Big Island and Maui are both larger), located in the United States of America, and the most popular tourist destination. ==Regions== Most visitors to Oahu stay near the capital city of Honolulu and the beaches of Waikiki. The rest of the island is less visibly touched by tourism, with only a few B&B's among the houses and natural sites on the Windward Coast and the endless beaches and small local towns of the North Shore (Oahu)|North Shore. *Honolulu *Central Oahu (Oahu)|Central Oahu *North Shore (Oahu)|North Shore *Windward Coast (Oahu)|Windward Coast *Leeward Coast (Oahu)|Leeward Coast ==Get in== Flights land at Honolulu International Airport just outside of downtown Honolulu. Free Wiki-Wiki (Hawaiian for 'quick') shuttle buses operate between the Main Terminal and Interisland Terminal every 15 minutes. TheBus routes #19 and #20 run between the airport and the Waikiki. Fare is $2.00 for adults, exact change, and space for baggage is limited. ==Get around== Car rentals are available at the airport and various locations downtown. A car is worth having for visits to the North Shore or if you are staying outside of Honolulu/Waikiki. The Oahu bus system, officially called "The Bus," runs between almost all towns and to most tourist destinations. The Bus fare is $2, which will get you anywhere on the island The Bus goes. ==See== *Polynesian Cultural Center. Daily cultural shows and demonstrations. *Arizona Memorial *The Bishop Museum *'Iolani Palace. The only royal palace on US soil and the seat of the Hawaiian government until the 1960s. *Queen Emma's Summer Palace ===Beaches=== *Sunset Beach, home of every surfers' dream -- the Banzai Pipeline, *Waimea Bay Beach and Waimea Falls Park *Kailua Beach Park for great Wind- and Kite-surfing *Kualoa Regional Park *Kahana Bay Beach Park *Lanikai Beach, small stretch of beach, good for snorkeling, kayaking ===Gardens and views=== *Diamond Head State Park (excellent view of Honolulu and the surrounding area) *Round-Top Forest Reserve (excellent view of Honolulu and the surrounding area) *Valley of the Temples. Japanese temples, including *Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden, in Kane'ohe *Nu'uanu Pali Lookout. *Hale'iwa Historical town. *Pu'u O Mahuka. National historical sight and Hawaiian holy site. * '''Byodo-in''' 47-200 Kahekili Highway (''about 5 minutes from Kaneohe''). 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM daily. Situated against the backdrop of steep green cliffs is a recreation of the 900-year-old Byodo-In Temple in Kyoto. The temple grounds include a nine-foot Buddha statue and the three-ton Peace Bell. Byodo-in is located in the back of the Valley of the Temples cemetery. Admission $2. ==Do== *Windsurfing, surfing and body-boarding at Waikiki and (much less crowded and scenic) North Shore and Kailua Beach. *Snorkeling and diving trips leave from Waikiki and most hotels. *Horseback riding on the North Shore and Windward Koolau Range *Hiking all over the island: in particular, Diamond Head State Park (excellent view of Honolulu and the surrounding area). Also visit Lanikai's Pillbox (left over from WWII sitting above Lanikai. Gives spectacular view of Waimanalo, Koolau's, Kailua and the Mok's sitting in the distance). *Kayak on the Windward side to the Mok's which is a Bird sanctuary and also offers encounters with turtles which have made a huge come back in the Windward bay area. *Driving tour around East-side of island gives spectacular views. Stop several times along the route to see blowhole, swim in secluded cove, hike up to the Lighthouse for amazing views or check out ancient Hawaiian drawings and Heeiaus. *Driving tour over the Pali Highway; be sure to visit the Pali Lookout. *Drive up to the Round-Top Forest Reserve. (excellent view of Honolulu and the surrounding area) ==Buy== '''ABC Stores''' Can be found all over Waikiki and carry everything from snacks and sodas, to T-shirts and Hawaiian souvenirs of all kinds. ===Shopping Malls=== Shopping malls are mostly everywhere in the major districts. Here are some better-known shopping malls on Oahu that are easily accessible by car or bus. * '''Ala Moana Center''' is the largest shopping mall in Hawaii and the largest open-air shopping mall in the world. With about 250 stores on four levels, a food court with many different cuisines, and everything from the practical (groceries and medicine) to high-fashion (Chanel, Prada, etc.), you can find almost anything that you might be looking for. * '''Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center''' is the main shopping mall in Waikiki, with levels of many tourist-oriented shops and restaurants. Among the main attractions are the local branch of the Cheesecake Factory. * '''DFS Galleria (Duty Free Shops)''' is a shopping court built around a cruise theme. Included in the mall is one of the largest duty-free shops in the state. * '''Waikiki Shopping Plaza''' on Kalakaua Avenue includes five levels of small shops, including a food court on the lower level. * '''Aloha Tower Marketplace''', near Aloha Tower on the downtown Honolulu waterfront is best known for several well-known restaurants, such as Gordon Biersch and Don Ho's Island Grill. * '''Kahala Mall''', just off H-1 in the Kahala district, is known for its more upscale shops. It is anchored by Macy's, Barnes and Noble Bookstore, and an 8-plex movie theatre. * '''Koko Marina Shopping Center''' is one of the main shopping centers in East Honolulu, with smaller shops and restaurants and a 10-plex movie theatre. * '''Pearlridge Center''', on Kamehameha Highway in Aiea, is the main shopping mall in Leeward Oahu. It is actually composed of two separate buildings, one anchored by Sears and Macy's in the other, connected by the SkyTrain, a monorail that runs between the two malls and which is the only monorail in the state. * '''Waikele Center''', one mile west of the H1-H2 interchange, is made up mostly of big-box retailers such as CompUSA, KMart, Borders, Lowe's, and the Sports Authority. Across Lumiaina St. from the mall is the '''Waikele Outlet Center''', made up of factory outlet stores from such names as Levi's, Oshkosh B'Gosh, and Calvin Klein, to name a few. ==Eat== *'''Ahi''' is yellowfin tuna, a good tasting fish with firm meaty flesh that is red when raw. Ahi can often be found served as a steak, sandwich or as sashimi (Japanese-style raw fish). *'''Mahi-Mahi''' (dolphinfish) is a tuna-like fish served as a steak, sandwich, or in almost-raw thin strips *'''Ono''' is a Hawaiian fish. The name is also the Hawaiian word for 'delicious', and it is. *'''Teriyaki chicken''' is chicken marinated in a soy sauce based marinade and barbecued, a local favorite. *'''Plate lunch''' is a generic term for a typical local fast-food-style meal. It usually includes an entree such as beef stew, kalua pig (Hawaiian-style pork), or teriyaki chicken with scoops of potato or macaroni salad and rice. Rainbow Drive Inn (on Kapahulu Avenue just outside Waikiki) and L&L Drive Inn (various locations around the island) are popular plate lunch spots. See Also Hawaii. ===Budget=== * '''Zippy's''' is a local chain of combination drive-inn and sit-down restaurants that are found in many areas on Oahu. They provide a wide variety of food (including plate lunches, see above) at reasonable prices. Most are open 24 hours and as such are very popular late-night spots to hang out. Zippy's signature dish is their chili, which they prepare in many different ways: served over rice, or over a burrito, or over french fries, to name a few. http://www.zippys.com ===Mid-range=== *Duke's *Cheesecake Factory on Diamond Head end of Wakiki ===Splurge=== *[http://www.samchoy.com/restaurants/ Sam Choy's] "Never trust a skinny chef." Locals and tourists alike love Sam Choy's. Known for his hearty portions and unique blend of island flavors, this talented chef is a local celebrity! *[http://www.roysrestaurant.com/ Roy's Restaurant] *[http://www.johndominis.com/ John Dominis] Perfect place to celebrate a special occasion. Posh atmosphere includes an indoor koi pond and beautiful Waikiki ocean views. Friday nights offer a special bonus- the sky over Waikiki is lit by fireworks. *[http://www.alanwongs.com/kingstreet/kingstreet1.html/ Alan Wong's] *Hoku's ==Drink== ==Sleep== Outside of Honolulu there are very few hotels on the island. The Windward Coast has a number of B&Bs as well as ''Ohana Hale'' (literally "Family House"), guest house rented out by local families. ===Budget=== *'''Backpackers Vacation Inn and Plantation Village''' 59-788 Kamehameha Highway, Haleiwa, Oahu 808.638.7838 (''Fax 808.638.7515 Email bpacker@maui.net''). Dorms, rooms, and cottages. Walking distance from three great beaches (Sandy, Wahamai Beach & Waterfalls, and Shark's cove) $17-$20 per person. http://www.backpackers-hawaii.com/ ===Mid-range=== *'''Manoa Valley Inn''', 2001 Vancouver Drive Honolulu, Phone: 808.947.6019 (''Fax: 808.946.6168''). 8 B&B rooms in a large cottage. ===Splurge=== *'''Turtle Bay Resort''', 57-091 Kamehameha Highway Kahuku, Oahu Tel: 800-203-3650, 808-293-8811 (''Fax: 808-293-9147''). One of the only large resorts on the North Shore. $150-$300 *'''Halekulani''', one of the nicest (and most expensive) hotels on Oahu. Located right on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. First page | Prev | Next | Last page |

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