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Honolulu

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Honolulu [1], on the island of Oahu, is the capital and largest city of the state of Hawaii. It is the center of government, transportation, and commerce for the state, and home to its best known tourist destination, Waikiki Beach.

Culture and History

Honolulu is a thriving city, with beaches that draw crowds from around the world. The name Honolulu means "sheltered bay" in Hawaiian, and its natural harbor catapulted this humble village on the southern shore of the island of Oahu to importance when, in 1809, King Kamehameha I moved his royal court from the island of Hawaii to Oahu. Its ideally located port made Honolulu a perfect stop for merchant ships traveling between North America and Asia.

Eventually, in 1845, Kamehameha III officially moved the kingdom's capital from Lahaina on Maui to Honolulu. At the same time, descendants of missionaries who arrived in the early 1800s established their headquarters in Honolulu, making it the center of business. The late 1800s and early 1900s saw the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, annexation by the United States, and an attack by the Japanese on nearby Pearl Harbor, but Honolulu's stature never wavered.

Today, with nearly one million people in its metropolitan area (80% of the state's population), Honolulu is the cultural, industrial, commercial, and governmental center of Hawaii, with Waikiki Beach the epicenter of the tourist industry. This is definitely not the place to go for a "get-away-from-it-all" Hawaiian vacation. It is as fast-paced and dynamic as any city, with all its problems such as heavy traffic, drugs, crime, and homelessness. But Honolulu has not entirely lost the charm of the Islands' laid-back atmosphere and culture.

Districts

Honolulu extends inland from the southeast shore of Oahu, east of Pearl Harbor to Makapuu Point, and incorporates many neighborhoods and districts. You'll most often hear people refer to these districts by name -- Waikiki, Manoa, Kahala, Hawaii Kai and so on -- as though they're not part of the same city. Technically, they are. In fact, the municipal government of Honolulu covers the entire island of Oahu, including its outlying suburbs.

This guide focuses on attractions and accommodations located in Honolulu proper; for more information on Oahu's outlying communities, see the Oahu article.

For a closer look at a couple popular destinations:

Travel to Honolulu & Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Honolulu

Honolulu International Airport (IATA: HNL), [2] is the main aviation gateway for the Hawaiian Islands. The main terminal is served by most major American airlines from the mainland U.S., and by many international airlines from other countries around the Pacific Rim. Its Inter-Island Terminal is the home base of Hawaiian Airlines [3] which offers frequent local service to the other Hawaiian islands. It is quite a walk between terminals, so be sure to take the free Wikiwiki Shuttle that runs every few minutes. It's easy to miss it so be sure to ask somebody where it is.

The Airport Waikiki Express provides shuttle service to hotels in Waikiki every half hour ($9/$15 one-way/round-trip). City buses #19 and #20 ($2 Adult, no change given, bills and coins accepted) also come to the airport once every half-hour, going through Aala Park downtown and on to to Waikiki. You can catch them on the outside second level of the international and domestic departure terminals.

The best way to get to Waikiki by rental car (where your hotel is most likely to be) is to follow signs for H-1 east, then follow H-1 east about 2 miles to exit 18A (Waikiki/Nimitz Highway). Follow Nimitz Highway (which turns into Ala Moana Boulevard past downtown Honolulu) straight into Waikiki. You will pass through Honolulu's industrial district, along Honolulu Harbor, and past downtown Honolulu and the Ala Moana Shopping Center.

By ship

Cruise ships frequently link Honolulu with the US mainland.

Tours & Getting around Honolulu

Navigating

Unlike other cities on the U.S. Mainland, Honolulu is not laid out in a strict compass-point grid. Its street system conforms in large part to the shorelines, valleys, and ridges, with lots of twists and turns. It can be confusing for people used to straight grid systems. However, at the same time, it is not that difficult to navigate in, as long as you are familiar with the major arterials and terminology below.

Because it is difficult to differentiate north and south on an island, directions are normally given in terms of local landmarks. The most common terms that you will run into are mauka (MOW-kah) meaning "toward the mountain" and makai (mah-KIE) meaning "toward the sea". In the case of Honolulu, which is located on Oahu's south shore, "mauka" is a rough north, and "makai" roughly south. You will also hear Ewa (EH-vah) and Diamond Head used a lot, in relation to downtown Honolulu, the former roughly means "west" (toward the town of Ewa on the southwest shore of Oahu) and the latter roughly means "east" (toward the famous landmark crater on the southeast shore).

Highway signs, however, will use standard compass directions, so if you are asked to go Ewa-bound on the freeway, look for the on-ramp to H-1 west.

It is a very good idea to invest in a good map of Honolulu before doing extensive driving. Members of the American Automobile Association (AAA) can request fold-out maps for free from their local office. Rand McNally paper fold-out maps are available in many stores; for more extensive coverage you can also purchase Bryan's Sectional Maps (a popular choice among locals) at most bookstores for about $9.50.

Major arterials

Most major streets in Honolulu run 'Ewa–Diamond Head (as described in the preceding section, roughly east-west). There are two main highways in Honolulu: Nimitz Highway (Hawaii 92) which runs from Pearl Harbor past Honolulu Airport to downtown Honolulu and Waikiki; and Interstate H-1 which runs mauka (mountain-ward) of downtown.

H-1 is some distance away from Waikiki itself and you need to go onto surface streets to and from Waikiki. If you need to access H-1 west from Waikiki to go someplace outside of the city, there are three main routes:

  1. Go mauka to Ala Wai Boulevard and follow it 'Ewa-bound to McCully Street. Follow McCully mauka for about 1 mile; it will take you over H-1. At the foot of the bridge, turn left on Dole, then left again onto Alexander to the freeway onramp.
  2. Follow Kuhio or Kalakaua Avenue Diamond Head-bound to Kapahulu Avenue. Follow Kapahulu mauka for about 1 mile, it will take you under H-1 and lead you to the freeway onramp.

To get back to Waikiki from H-1 east, take either of these routes:

  1. Take exit 23 (Punahou Street). Turn right on Punahou, and stay in lane #3 from the left. This lane is right-turn only onto the left side of Beretania. Take an immediate left onto Kalakaua Avenue from Beretania. Follow Kalakaua into Waikiki.
  2. Take exit 25A (King Street). After merging onto King Street, stay to the right. Take the second right onto Kapahulu Avenue (follow signs to Waikiki). Follow Kapahulu into Waikiki.
  3. Take exit 24A (Punahou Street). Stay straight to merge onto Bingham Street. Turn right onto McCully Street and make a slight left. Follow McCully to Waikiki.

There are also several routes from H-1 to downtown and back. To get to downtown from H-1 east, use one of these routes:

  1. Take exit 21B (Punchbowl Street). This will take you to the Capitol area.
  2. Take exit 21A (Pali Highway). Turn right onto Pali Highway, which will curve to the left and become Bishop Street. This will take you to Chinatown.
  3. Take exit 22 (Kinau Street). Turn right onto Ward Avenue, then turn right onto Beretania Street. This will take you to the Capitol area and Chinatown.
  4. Take exit 20B (Vineyard Blvd). This will take you to northern downtown.

To get to H-1 west from downtown, use one of these routes:

  1. Go north on Punchbowl Street (from the Capitol area), which will merge into a ramp at the end of the street. At the fork at the end of the ramp, go left.
  2. Go north on Alakea Street (from Chinatown), turn left onto Beretania Street, turn right onto Pali Highway, turn left onto School Street, and turn left onto the H-1 ramp.
  3. Go east on Kinau Street, turn left onto Piikoi Street, turn left onto Lunalilo Street, then turn left onto the H-1 ramp.
  4. Go west onto Vineyard Blvd, which will become Halona Street after the H-1 overpass. Turn left onto the H-1 ramp.

In central Honolulu, the two main streets are King Street and Beretania Street. The two streets are one-way for most of their route; King Street runs from 'Ewa to Diamond Head, and Beretania Street from Diamond Head to 'Ewa. Both streets run through downtown Honolulu. Despite their rough west to east orientation, addresses on these streets are designated North and South respectively; the dividing line between the two is Nuuanu Avenue in downtown Honolulu, which runs mauka-makai. Ala Moana Boulevard is a key route leading out of Waikiki to Downtown Honolulu. Past Honolulu Harbor, Ala Moana becomes Nimitz Highway and runs all the way to the airport and beyond. Tree-lined Kapiolani Boulevard is another major thoroughfare traversing east-central Honolulu, linking the Waikiki district and points east with downtown Honolulu.

In Waikiki, the three main streets, from makai to mauka, are Kalakaua Avenue (one way Ewa to Diamond Head, along Waikiki Beach), Kuhio Avenue (two-way), and Ala Wai Boulevard (one way Diamond Head to Ewa, along the Ala Wai Canal).

Traffic

Traffic in Honolulu, and on Oahu in general, is a persistent problem. With almost one million people living in a relatively small space, and only a few main routes serving the major populated areas on the island, a single traffic incident has the potential to induce gridlock across the entire island. The likelihood of such traffic jams is relatively low, but someone visiting Oahu and traveling during a weekday should be aware of traffic problems. Normal weekday rush hour in Honolulu is 6 to 8 a.m. going inbound and 4 to 7 p.m. going outbound. Expect heavy traffic on Interstates H-1 and H-2, Nimitz Highway/Ala Moana Boulevard, and the surface streets in downtown Honolulu and Waikiki. Traffic is less heavy during the summer and over the holidays when the University of Hawaii at Manoa is not in session. All in all though, driving on Oahu is pleasurable once you get off of the Interstates. Having a car on Oahu gives a visitor a chance to visit the whole island in just a few days. Once you get a little ways inland the traffic is not too bad and in the agricutural areas, there is little traffic. Unless you are familiar with this climate, convertible tops should be up when the sun is intense, or you will soon burn to a crisp. Locals will look at you and shake their heads and warn you about this. Heed their advice.

Buses to Honolulu

The local bus service in Honolulu is called, with remarkable succinctness, TheBus [4]. Fares are $2 for adults, $1 for children and seniors(no change given - dollar bills accepted). TheBus runs intercity services to other parts of Oahu as well. Ask for a free transfer ticket if you are continuing on another bus. Monthly bus passes are available at 7-Elevens and supermarkets. Monthly bus passes begin on the first of each month and cost $40(all-you-can-ride) regardless of which day of the month you purchase the pass. The best value for The Bus is to get a $20 4-day Discovery Pass [5], which can be purchased at an ABC Store. You scratch off the Month and day of your first use and each subsequent day (up to four total days) and enjoy unlimited rides. You can use the pass to take any bus including the Circle Island route and see the entire island. It is way better than renting a car. Yearly bus passes are also available for $400. Most buses in the 500+ fleet are equipped with bike racks that can hold two bikes. Buses are also wheelchair accessible. Larger groups may want to tour the city via charter bus [6].

By taxi

A taxi ride from Honolulu International Airport to Waikiki will cost around $30 to $40 plus tip. Taxis are locally regulated, so fares will be the same regardless of the company. Some taxi companies also offer tours around the island of O'ahu.

  • Pony Taxi & Tours, +1 808 944-8282, offers metered taxi service exclusively using late-model Lincoln Towncars and Cadillacs. Tour arrangements are available.

By Boat

Also operating from Barbers Point to the Aloha Tower in Honolulu is TheBoat [7]. Fares are $2 one way and is a very cost effective way of seeing the shoreline of Honolulu and surrounding areas. There is a snack shop on board. Transit time is approximately one hour.

Honolulu attractions and sightseeing

Also see Oahu for details on attractions located outside Honolulu proper.

Beaches

  • Waikiki Beach. Covered in the Waikiki article.

Military Memorials

  • Battleship Missouri Memorial. On Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. See Arizona Memorial below for directions. +1 808 423-2263, [8]. Every day 9AM - 5PM (ticket window closes at 4PM). Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. A perfect companion to the USS Arizona Memorial, this battleship is best known the site where World War II ended when the Japanese military surrendered to the Allied forces. Tickets may be purchased at the nearby U.S.S. Bowfin Museum; visitors board buses to the USS Missouri itself. No private non-military vehicles can cross the Clarey Bridge to Ford Island without a pass. Adults $16, children under 12 $8.
  • USS Arizona Memorial, 1 Arizona Memorial Place(From Waikiki, H-1 west to exit 15A (Arizona Memorial, Stadium), onto Kamehameha Hwy. (Hawaii 99); or Honolulu public transit buses #20 and #42), ☎ 808-422-0561(fax: 808-483-8608), [9]. Daily 7:30AM-5PM; Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. This memorial, built over the hull of the sunken battleship USS Arizona, commemorates the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which brought the U.S. into World War II. It also serves as the final resting place for many of the 1,177 who died here. Visitors view an interpretive film, then board ferry boats which run from the visitor center to the memorial. Tickets are given out on a first-come-first-served basis and are limited; tickets may run out by noon on busy days. Expect wait times of about one hour.Free admission.

    Destinations in Honolulu:

    Honolulu - Downtown / Honolulu - Waikiki /

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    This page was last edited at 05:42, on 12 December 2008 by Wikitravel user Cacahuate. Based on work by Omar P, Carson Roen and David, Wikitravel user(s) Biggie54, Girlswhosurf and PerryPlanet, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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