Waikiki Beach looking toward Diamond Head.  Photo courtesy of Nancy Williams ©

 Oahu Vacations Overview

Summer temperatures range from 85 to 87°F, with night time lows of 70 to 74°F. Winter temperatures range from 70 to 74°F, with night time lows from 65 to 69°F.

Oahu has many faces--from Waikiki Beach with its luxury shopping, night life, and the unmistakeable view of Diamond Head, to the windswept North Shore with its world-famous surfing, to the nature preserves at Haunama Bay, to the historic sites in Pearl Harbor.

Oahu has so much more to offer than most people realize. Don't let preconceptions and stereotypes mislead you.

Waikiki and Honolulu are where most of the resorts on Oahu are located, but there's much to explore around the rest of the island.

A mountain range called the Ko'olaus separate Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, and Waikiki from the less-populated windward side of the island.

Drive north up the highway in the central valley and you'll come to the North Shore, famous for giant waves.
 

 Honolulu

The city of Honolulu is home to Honolulu Airport, where most visitors land. It's the business center of Hawaii, but also offers much for the visitor in terms of great restaurants, night life, museums and historic sites.

The city of Honolulu envelops the Waikiki Beach area.  To the northeast, across Ala Wai, you'll find many small businesses, and the University of Hawaii campus.  To the northwest is Honolulu's main business district, the main airport, and the yacht harbor near Ala Moana.

To the right is a photo of downtown Honolulu at night, from the water. In the center you'll see the landmark Aloha Tower, built in 1926. Today the Tower is surrounded by the Aloha Tower Marketplace, consisting of many shops, boutiques, and restaurants.

Perhaps a mile from Waikiki Beach, the H1 highway runs between the mountains and Honolulu, joining the city with Hanauma Bay at the south end and Pearl Harbor and the north shore. If you're planning to drive from Waikiki to other parts of the island, plan carefully, as Honolulu's rush hour does bring the H1 highway to a crawl.

Photo courtesy of Oahu Tourist Board

 Waikiki Beach

Framed by Honolulu and the Diamond Head crater is Waikiki Beach, where most Oahu resorts are located. The beach itself is a gentle crescent, with very mild, predictable waves...perfect for the beginning surfer. Behind the beach is Kalakaua Avenue, home to first-class shopping and many restaurants among the Waikiki Beach hotels. Waikiki is the most popular destination on Oahu, with its luxury shopping boutiques, restaurants, and most of Oahu's hotels. The main street is Kalakaua, which runs next to the beach. Most of the high-end hotels are either right on Kalakaua in the middle of the beach, or between Kalakaua and the beach at the northwest end. The northwestern hotels are actually on the beach; the hotels in the middle are immediately across the street from Waikiki Beach. You'll find a number of lesser-priced hotels; still within an easy walk of the beach, you're generally trading off the view and proximity to the beach for the price.

At the northwest end of the beach, we recommend the famous Royal Hawaiian hotel (also known as the "Pink Palace of the Pacific"), the Sheraton Waikiki, the historic Sheraton Moana Surfrider, the Outrigger Waikiki and Outrigger Reef, and the Halekulani.

At the center of Waikiki Beach, we recommend the Hyatt Regency and the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani. Further south of Waikiki beach, beyond Kapiolani Park, are two luxury hotels we recommend as well: the W Honolulu and the Kahala.

East Shore

Most visitors to Oahu never get to the East Shore--but that's a shame...the Travel Channel ranked Lanikai Beach #1 in its list of Top Ten Hawaiian Beaches, and it's one of the most popular places on the island for photo shoots. Perhaps that's partly because so few visitors know about it...

Also on this side of the island is Hanauma Bay, a protected marine life conservation area. Only 10 miles from Waikiki, the bay was formed when the exterior wall of an ancient volcano crater collapsed, allowing the ocean to flood it. The bay is very calm, with a diverse population of sea life, making it perfect for snorkelers.

At Makapu'u Beach, you can see the U.S. Coast Guard lighthouse on top of Makapu'u Point, 600 feet above the ocean, and also visit Oahu's famous Sea Life Park, a marine attraction and educational facility.

The North Shore

The North Shore is perhaps best known for surfing, with waves in winter reaching in excess of 20 feet high in areas such as `Ehukai Beach (also known as the Banzai Pipeline) and Waimea Bay.

Each year at Waimea, the Quicksilver Eddie Aikau Invitational (a popular big-wave contest), is held. In the summer, the sea is calmer, making the 20 miles of beachfront ideal for fishing, swimming, snorkeling and diving.

Further north lies Turtle Bay, with the secluded Turtle Bay Resort and its two championship golf courses--the site of the PGA TOUR Champion's Tour Turtle Bay Championship Event. Just past Turtle Bay is the Polynesian Cultural Center, one of the most popular attractions in Hawaii.
 

The north shore of Oahu is a mecca for surfers in search of the ultimate wave.

Visit one of the many surf shops in Haleiwa, but be warned: the north shore surf is for accomplished surfers only--especially in the winter months, when the waves reach in excess of 20 feet.

Adventure seekers can also find that adrenaline rush out of the water: skydiving is available at Dillingham Airfield.

Waimea Bay is home to the largest, most spectacular surf in the world. It's a frequent site of several surf contests each year, including the prestigious Quicksilver Eddie Aikau Memorial Big Wave Classic, a competition held only when the waves crest over 20 feet. In recent years, waves in winter have been said to exceed 50 feet on occasion.

Not only can visitors watch expert surfers in the winter months, but migrating whales can be seen off the coast in this area from January through March.

Many visitors come to the beaches of the North Shore to escape the crowds of Waikiki, to spectate, and in the summer months when the seas are quite calm to swim and snorkel.

Further north near Kawela Bay is Turtle Bay Resort, set on 880 acres of oceanfront, and boasting a spa and two of the best golf courses in all of Hawaii: the Arnold Palmer and the George Fazio.

Continuing along the north shore eastward from Turtle Bay, you'll come to one of the most popular tourist destinations on Oahu, the Polynesian Cultural Center. Here, you can learn about the cultures of all of the Polynesian islands, including not only Hawaii but also Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, the Marquesas, and more. You'll see displays and performances from each of the major Polynesian island groups, an authentic luau, and the Rainbows of Paradise canoe show
 

West Shore

Go a little ways west of Honolulu and Waikiki and you'll discover the 43-acre Ko Olina marina and the Paradise Cove Luau. At Kapolei, the 29-acre Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park is bordered by the natural cliffs of the Waianae Range, and features an enormous wave pool and 65 foot high free-fall slides.

The Makaha Valley hosts a 17th century temple dedicated to the Hawaiian God Lono, and used as a site for worship and human sacrifices.

And at Makua, the enormous Kaneana lava cave was reputed to be the home of the shark-man deity known as Nanaue.

On the west side of Oahu, we recommend the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa at Ko'olina, where you can enjoy golf, snorkeling, scuba, and SNUBA, and take part in their Dolphin, Whale and Snorkel Adventure.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Williams ©

Pearl Harbor 

Many visitors to Oahu will want to visit the historic World War II sites at Pearl Harbor--the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, the U.S.S. Bowfin, and the U.S.S. Battleship Missouri. Pearl Harbor is just a short drive northwest of Honolulu. The U.S.S. Arizona Memorial is managed by the National Park Service, and was built over the remains of the battleship of the same name, sunk in the initial attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941.