David Armstrong [email protected] www.cruiseplannerslv.com 702-823-5763 HONOLULU, HI OVERVIEW Introduction Visitors to Honolulu may hear that, because it's Hawaii's largest city, it is less "Hawaiian" than the rest of the state. The high-rise office buildings and busy traffic of Honolulu don't match people's romantic ideal of what Hawaii should be—remote, palm-fringed beaches and lavish resorts. In truth, Honolulu is probably the most Hawaiian part of the state, because it best reflects the reality of today's Hawaii. Honolulu contains a multicultural mix of people, a beautiful landscape of greenery and ocean, and a place where amazing events have unfolded—many of them recounted in the city's historic sites and museums. All that's exciting about big-city life—theater, opera, museums, shopping, nightclubs, fine dining—is set against Honolulu's backdrop of majestic mountains, lush rain forests and sweeping vistas. With Waikiki along one edge of the city, travelers to Honolulu even have a beach resort. Waikiki remains Hawaii's busiest tourist spot and makes a good departure point for exploring recreational possibilities in Honolulu and the rest of Oahu. Active travelers can ramble through a rainforest and discover ancient religious shrines, swim with the green sea turtles off Waikiki Beach and surf past Diamond Head. Other activities include hiking a coastline trail, watching for humpback whales, visiting World War II memorials or playing a round of golf at a variety of public and resort golf courses. Visitors to Honolulu can choose from the best of both worlds—the city's bustle and the beauty of nature. Sights—USS Arizona Memorial; Waikiki Beach; Polynesian Cultural Center; National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific; watching the sunset from one of the hotel lounges fronting the ocean. Museums—Iolani Palace; Bishop Museum; Honolulu Museum of Art; Spalding House. Memorable Meals—The fresh fish specials at Alan Wong's Honolulu; the delectable fusion of flavors in the pho at The Pig and the Lady; afternoon tea at The Veranda. Late Night—Live jazz at Lewers Lounge; dancing at Rumors nightclub; mingling with local hipsters at the Mai Tai Bar. Walks—Hiking through rain forest and bamboo groves at the Hawaii Nature Center; climbing to the top of Diamond Head; strolling among the noodle shops and street vendors of Chinatown; hiking the trail at Makapuu Point Lighthouse. Especially for Kids—Critter Encounter at the Waikiki Aquarium; children's programs at the Hawaii Nature Center; hands-on exhibits at the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center and the Bishop Museum. Honolulu is on the south shore of Oahu and it dominates the island. The city's government administers all of Oahu, and Honolulu is also the state's capital. Oahu itself is a volcanic mass divided into sections by two separate mountain ranges. Both ranges run northwest to southeast: the Waianae Range on the western side of the island, and the Koolau Range to the east. The Koolau separates the city of Honolulu with its hotel-choked neighborhood of Waikiki from the windward side of the island and the towns of Kailua and Kaneohe. Honolulu's neighborhoods have distinctive identities. The office buildings of downtown Honolulu are just north of Honolulu Harbor. To the south of downtown is Waikiki, which is bordered to the east by Diamond Head. Makiki, to the north of downtown, surrounds the Punchbowl, a crater that is the home of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The history of Honolulu is really the history of Oahu. The island was an independent fiefdom controlled by a succession of Polynesian chiefs until the 1780s. That's when the ambitious king of Maui, Kahekili, conquered Oahu and killed its chief—his own stepson—in a bid to enlarge his territories. After Kahekili's death, his sons battled one another for control of the islands. This division made it easier for the now-legendary Kamehameha I to conquer all of the Hawaiian Islands. With the help of Westerners with firearms, Kamehameha's troops took Oahu in 1795 in a rout that ultimately forced the defenders to flee to the mountains behind Honolulu and over the cliffs at Nuuanu Pali. His court was set up in Waikiki, then moved to Honolulu in 1809. By the 1840s, Honolulu was a busy port town doing a brisk trade in the sandalwood harvested on the island. Sandalwood later gave way to sugar, and laborers from China, Japan, Portugal and the Philippines were brought in to work the plantations. After U.S. sugar companies engineered the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, which led to the U.S. annexation of the Hawaiian Islands in 1898, Oahu's Pearl Harbor became the centerpiece of U.S. naval operations in the Pacific. On 7 December 1941, a squadron of some 400 Japanese planes attacked the base, killing more than 2,400 people and marking the entrance of the U.S. into World War II. With the advent of jet travel in the postwar years, Honolulu became the gateway for millions of paradise-seeking vacationers, and developers began building the towering hotels of Waikiki. Location Ships sail into Honolulu Harbor and dock at the cruise ship terminal, which is within walking distance of Chinatown and downtown Honolulu. The landmark Aloha Tower, which has welcomed seaborne visitors for decades, is nearby. Cruise ships dock at Piers 2 and 11. The Aloha Tower Marketplace, a pretty tile-roofed complex, occupies Piers 5-11. A tourist information booth is there, as well as shops and restaurants. The tower's 10th-floor observation deck offers spectacular ocean and mountain views from 9 am-5 pm daily. Most cruise lines provide transportation between the airport and the port for passengers who begin or end their cruise in Honolulu. You can also arrange your own transportation to the terminal. A variety of worthwhile shore tours and other activities are available. Several tour companies offer bus excursions around the island that take you to some of Oahu's most scenic and interesting areas, such as Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, the Halona Blowhole and Pali Lookout. There are also tours that visit single destinations such as Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Cultural Center. Getting right back on another boat may not appeal to some landlubbers, but many enjoyable offshore excursions are available, from sunset sails off Waikiki (often with drinks included) to full-blown dinner cruises with a show. Consider a whale-watching trip when Hawaii's beloved humpback whales are nearby (December-May). Do-it-yourselfers may want to stretch their legs with a walking tour of either Chinatown (practically across the street from Honolulu Harbor), with its neighborhood of art galleries and restaurants, or the adjacent downtown area, taking in Iolani Palace, King Kamehameha's statue and the Hawaii State Capitol. Check with your travel advisor for additional information. If your cruise begins or ends in Honolulu, investigate cruise-hotel packages: Most ships offer them for passengers who want to spend an extra day or two in the city. Most cruise lines also offer Oahu tours for disembarking passengers whose planes depart late in the afternoon from Honolulu. Free local print guides abound—check in any major shopping area for a display with maps, shopping guides, dining guides and discounts. The mini-maps at the back of the brochures are up to date, detailed and perfect to tuck in a purse or pocket on a day trip. Potpourri The Royal Hawaiian Hotel was the Western White House for U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Poet and writer Robert Louis Stevenson lived in Hawaii for some time and was befriended by King David Kalakaua and the Princess Victoria Kaiulani. Their Scottish heritage was their common bond. Hawaii's federal roads are referred to as interstates, although technically they are intrastate arteries built to connect its military bases. Iolani Palace had electricity and telephone service before the White House. An average of 5,000 guests per day and 1.8 million guests annually visit the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Honolulu's Royal Hawaiian Band performs more than 300 times a year at various state, city and military functions. Started by King David Kalakaua, it is the only band in the U.S. with a royal legacy. In Hawaii, May 1 is Lei Day. In Honolulu, it's celebrated with a lei-making contest and all-day festival in Kapiolani Park. Mark Twain once called Hawaii the "loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean." SEE & DO Sightseeing The best way to see Honolulu is to first decide what most interests you and then group your choices according to their physical location. You might spend a morning exploring Chinatown, stop for lunch at one of the many excellent Asian restaurants there, and relax on the beach at Ala Moana or Waikiki in the late afternoon when the sun's rays are less intense. Or you might plan tours of Iolani Palace and the Mission Houses Museum, eat a picnic lunch on the Palace grounds and spend the afternoon trekking on one of the Hawaii Nature Center's short rain-forest trails. Whatever you decide to do, remember not to rush. Outside the city, Oahu is a laid-back island, so relax and take things slowly. If you're driving, make sure to allow extra time to navigate the highway system during the rush hours of 7-9 am and 3-6 pm during the week. It can easily take an hour to get from Honolulu to the airport during those busy times. Historic Sites Aloha Tower 1 Aloha Tower Drive Before the days of air travel, this historic 10-story building welcomed Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 visitors arriving by sea.