Honolulu, in southeast Oahu, is Hawaii’s state capital. The imposing Aloha Tower lighthouse greets arriving visitors with its Gothic architecture, while Ala Moana Park, with its serene beach, offers a break from the city’s bustle. History is the everywhere here, and you can step into the past at iconic sights such as Pearl Harbor, or explore the restored 19th-century homes in the Mission Houses Museum.
Head to one of Honolulu’s beachfront cafes to sample pokē, a lightly spiced raw-fish salad, washed down with a freshly made tropical-fruit smoothie, before watching a smoldering sunset from an idyllic vantage point on palm-fringed Waikiki Beach.
A Honolulu vacation means soaking up Hawaiian sunshine on palm tree-lined beaches by day and romantic evenings watching the sun dip into the Pacific Ocean. So grab your surfboard, book your Honolulu hotel and step into a true tropical paradise.
Golden beaches
Of all Hawaii’s beaches, none is more famous than Waikiki Beach, a narrow 1½- mile stretch bordered by high-rise Honolulu hotels and watched over by Diamond Head mountain. When the waves are high, sun-tanned surfers paddle out into Waikiki’s Mamala Bay, making for great entertainment even for those preferring to watch from their beach blankets. Between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu Ala Moana Beach offers smaller crowds and calmer waters for swimming, while Hanauma Bay, on Oahu’s easternmost shore, is popular with snorkelers.
Island romance
Stroll the stalls of Chinatown’s open market, gathering up fresh-cutorchid bouquets or plumeria leis (typical Hawaiian garlands). Waikiki Beachis a favourite spot for couples to take surfing lessons or for just soaking up some sun. Reserve space at a classic Hawaiian luau partyand learn to hulaat resorts throughout Honolulu. For a more laid-back evening, dine at 5-diamond La Mer in Waikiki, famous for French preparations of Hawaiian ingredients and sunset views of Diamond Head. End your romantic Honolulu vacation sipping mai tai cocktails in a beachside hotel, overlooking a brilliant red sunset.
Polynesian past
A visit to downtown Honolulu reminds visitors of Hawaii’s history as an independent nation. The ‘Iolani Palace, America’s only imperial residence, highlights Polynesian history through its Victorian galleries and sparkling royal jewellery collections. Across the street, the King Kamehameha I statue stands before the Kawaiaha’o Church, built from 14,000 coral blocks, and Mission Houses Museum, where New England missionaries settled in 1820. For a taste of more recent history, visitors can take the short bus ride to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial, which marked the beginning of America’s involvement in the Second World War.
