Located on the island of O’ahu, Honolulu is Hawaii’s largest and most visited city. Offering visitors a pleasant year round climate, wonderful sandy beaches, a variety of fun things to do and see along with some terrific high end shopping, it is no wonder that thousands of visitors flock to the city every year. If Honolulu is on your vacation list this year why don’t you:
1. Attend a Luau, the traditional Hawaiian family feast and party.
Enjoy traditional Polynesian dancing, including the hula. Feast on native dishes. Learn how the imu or fire pit roasts an entire pig underground. See the fire knife dancers spin and twirl their burning batons. There are several luau’s to choose from starting from $50 US per person.
Polynesian Cultural Center: www.polynesia.com
Germaine’s Luau www.germainesluau.com
Paradise Cove www.paradisecove.com
For more information on luau’s: http://www.germainesluau.com/luau.htm
2. Visit Pearl Harbor.
On December 7, 1941 the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor brought the US into WWII. Pearl Harbor has been a symbol of American courage ever since. Tour a WWII submarine, the USS Bowfin or visit the historic “Mighty Mo” (the USS Missouri) the famous battleship where the Japanese surrender that ended the war took place.
Go to the Pacific Aviation Museum and see six planes used in WWII air combat. Drive by the airstrip where Amelia Earhart was last seen alive.
Make the pilgrimage to the Arizona memorial and see the remains of the sunken battleship, USS Arizona, the final resting place of many of the men killed on that fatal day in 1941.
There is free admission to the Arizona Memorial, but go early as access is through a timed admission and tickets are usually gone by noon.
Admission is charged to the USS Bowfin ($10 US), the USS Missouri ($16 US, guided tours are extra) and the Pacific Aviation Museum ($14 US). An all day admission package is available for all three sites for $37 US per person.
Pacific Aviation Museum: http://www.pacificaviationmuseum.org/visit.PHP
USS Missouri: http://www.ussmissouri.com/Visit.aspx
USS Bowfin: http://www.bowfin.org/website/index.cfm
http://www.bowfin.org/website/bowfin/sub_facts/subs_7dec/subs_7dec.htm
Arizona Memorial: http://www.nps.gov/usar/
http://www.pearlharbormemorial.com/site/pp.ASP?c=fqLQJ2NNG&b=386117&msource=gusarw06
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-a/bb39-v.htm
3. Spend the day at the beach
Soak up the sun on one of O’ahu’s fifty public beaches. Swim in the ocean, snorkel, body surf, parasail, kayak, surf, go sailing or just enjoy the sun, water and sand. There are plenty of things to keep you busy at the beach. There is a public beach within walking distance from most Waikiki hotels and there are several other beaches easily accessible by city bus or day tours that offer not only transportation to/from the beach but the use of snorkeling and other equipment.
http://www.aloha.com/~lifeguards/bech_dir.HTML
www.hawaiianwatersports.com
www.sailingcat.com
www.scubaoahu.com
http://www.hhsurf.com/hh/index.HTML
http://www.kailuasailboards.com/index.HTML
www.snorkelbob.com
4. Swim with the Sharks
See real sharks in their natural habitat from inside a shark cage. The cage is safe, made of Plexiglas and metal, sturdy enough to keep out even the most determined shark. The sharks are as curious about us as we are about them and it is not uncommon for them to come when they hear the sound of the boat. See Galapagos and Sandbar sharks up close. No diving experience is required. Shark encounters cost $105 US per person.
www.hawaiisharkencounters.com
http://www.hawaiisharkencounters.com/sharks.ASP
http://www.hawaiisharkencounters.com/hawaii_sharks_inshore.ASP
Or if you are not brave enough to go into the water with sharks, how about viewing the marine life from inside a submarine? The Atlantis submarine takes you down over 100 feet below the surface where you will see turtles, sharks, fish and other marine life from the safety of a modern air conditioned submarine. Prices start at $80 US per person for the 48 man submarine where every seat is a window seat.
http://www.atlantissubmarines.com/oahu.cfm
If you are looking for a tamer adventure, how about taking a whale watching tour? During the winter months in Hawaii the North Pacific Humpback whales give birth to their young. Take one of the many whale watching cruises and see the magnificent hump backed whales, dolphins and maybe even a sea turtle while enjoying a pleasant cruise on the ocean.
http://res.atlantisadventures.com/tour_info.PHP?site=9&tour=79
http://sailhawaii.com/
http://www.sailingcat.com/hawaii_whale_watching_tours.ASP
http://www.hawaiiactive.com/category/oahu-cat-whale.HTML
http://www.hawaii.com/visit/oahu/activities/whalewatching
www.dolphinexcursions.com
www.oceanjoycruises.com
5. Hike up to the rim of a volcanic crater.
Hike up to the rim of the Diamond Head Crater, the most famous landmark in Honolulu. Enjoy the fabulous view of Waikiki and Honolulu from the rim of this dormant volcano. This hike is not for the out of shape, there is nearly a mile (.08 mile or 1.3 km) of switch back trail and 271 very steep steps you must climb to reach the summit. But it is worth the climb. Bring a bottle of water and wear hiking shoes. Don’t worry the volcano hasn’t erupted for over 300,000 years. Admission to park: $5 US per car or $1 per person on foot.
http://hawaii.kulshan.com/Hawaii/Honolulu_County/Ohau_Island/Honolulu/Outdoors/Diamond_Head_State_Monument.htm
http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/oahu/index.cfm?park_id=15
How ever you choose to spend you time in Honolulu I can guarantee you will never run of interesting and exciting things to do.
