• Introduction
• Oahu
• Kauai
• Maui
• Big Island
• Off the Path: Lanai and Molokai
• Hawaii's Restaurant Revolution
• A Glossary of Hawaiian Cheap Eats
• Itineraries
• When to Go
• Getting There & Around

Oahu

Bustling Oahu, called the Gathering Place, mashes up tropical beauty, cultural sites, and the buzz of Hawaii’s biggest city, Honolulu.

Oahu tends to get a bum rap. Aside from Pearl Harbor, it’s most famous for Waikiki, the iconic strip of sand in Honolulu where Duke Kahanamoku taught movie stars to surf. In the late 1970s, Waikiki sprouted a near solid line of high-rise hotels, resulting in serious beach erosion and elbow-to-elbow sunbathers. The less developed “outer” islands suddenly became more fashionable, and the world’s most famous beach began to sink into shabbiness. But it deserves a second look.

In the last few years Waikiki has cleaned up its beachfront and the hotels have spent millions on refurbishment. Glitzy designer boutiques now line Kalakaua Avenue and the formerly grotty Lewers Street has been reborn as slick Beach Walk.

Serious diners will find in Honolulu many of Hawaii’s can’t-miss restaurants. Planted in a strip mall, elegant Alan Wong’s Restaurant (808-949-2526) riffs on regional cuisine with creations like a mini loco moco (see A Glossary of Hawaiian Cheap Eats) topped with quail egg, or mochi-crusted pink snapper. In Waikiki’s La Mer (808-923-2311) at the Halekulani hotel, locals and tourists alike splurge on chef Yves Garnier’s French specialities made with fresh island ingredients.

For nightlife, head to Chai’s Island Bistro (808-585-0011), a tasty Pacific Rim fusion restaurant that also showcases top Hawaiian musicians. The thirtyninehotel (808-599-2552) is an art gallery by day and club by night in newly bohemian Chinatown. Or opt for the classic, surfing-themed Duke’s Waikiki (808-922-2268) in the Outrigger Waikiki hotel – so corny it’s cool.

Oahu specializes in amenity-laden, expansive resorts. The iconic Royal Hawaiian (www.royal-hawaiian.com), built in 1927 in quasi-Moorish style and wrapped in acres of lush landscaping, still sits like an elaborate garden hat amid the high-rises of Waikiki. A recent top-to-bottom makeover restored the glamour quotient to the “Pink Palace of the Pacific” while adding witty touches like pink-and-silver wallpaper. Down the beach, the equally fabled Halekulani (www.halekulani.com) offers indulgently large rooms, most with ocean views. The Diamond Head suites have echt postcard views of their namesake volcanic crater. As a bonus, the room rate includes admission to cultural attractions such as Doris Duke’s Shangri La estate and Iolani Palace.

Behind the Halekulani, its less pricey sister, the chic Waikiki Parc (www.waikikiparc.com), houses a Nobu restaurant. By the eighth-floor pool, the hotel often screens movies or offers complimentary wine and canapés after sundown. The 1950s-era Outrigger Reef on the Beach (www.outrigger.com), just east of the Halekulani, offers a million-dollar location minus the lofty rate. The hotel and its spa recently scored a renovation, but fortunately for travelers, the well appointed rooms stayed the same price.

A mere 15-minute drive east from Waikiki is the Kahala Hotel & Resort (www.kahalaresort.com), bordered by the Diamond Head and Koko Head craters. The resort combines the isolated peace of an outer-island stay with easy access to Honolulu. The hotel has hosted every U.S. president since Lyndon Johnson and as many royals. None of the ample rooms has a bad view.

Honolulu also possesses ample cultural attractions – for those who can pry themselves off the sand. At the Bishop Museum (www.bishopmuseum.org), the just-reopened Hawaiian Hall presents the world’s most comprehensive collection of Hawaiian artifacts. The Honolulu Academy of Arts (www.honoluluacademy.org) contains more than 50,000 works, including a stunning collection of Japanese ukiyo-e (woodblock) prints. The art academy partners with the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art to offer tours of Shangri La (www.shangrilahawaii.org), the home the famous heiress built in the 1930s for her vast Islamic art collection. To gain an understanding of Hawaii’s past – when it was still ruled by a monarchy – visit the Iolani Palace (www.iolanipalace.org). The former royal residence has been transformed into a museum filled with period furniture and crown jewels.

For all their buzz, Waikiki and its environs amount to just a fraction of Oahu. On the lush eastern Windward coast, a 30-minute drive from Waikiki, lies one of the island’s best swimming beaches, Lanikai. Anchored by the town of Kailua, the peaceful area cradles elegant homes alongside funky B&Bs like Hawaii’s Hidden Hideaway (www.ahawaiibnb.com), which supplies beach towels, mats, and chairs at no charge. Over on the noncommercial west (Leeward) side of the island, Wild Side Specialty Tours (www.sailhawaii.com) leads intimate expeditions out of Waianae Harbor to swim with wild dolphins.

Along the North Shore, about 40 miles from Waikiki, the world’s top surfers battle 30-foot waves at famed spots like the Banzai Pipeline and Sunset. Amateurs can watch the pros from the beach, or if it’s summer (when the waves are docile), give surfing a go. An essential North Shore stop is Giovanni’s White Shrimp Truck in Kahuku for grilled, fresh-from-the-sea shrimp served with corn on the cob. There is only one resort on the North Shore, but luckily for travelers, it is a terrific one: The 880-acre Turtle Bay Resort (www.turtlebayresort.com) offers two of the island’s best golf courses (designed by Arnold Palmer and George Fazio), plus a surf school, tennis courts, and a fantastic spa.

See Hawaii Travel Guide