Introduction
Although Oahu is only the third largest of the Hawaiian islands - its six hundred square miles are dwarfed by the four thousand square miles of the aptly-named Big Island - it's home to almost 900,000 people, or roughly eighty percent of the state's population. Half of those in turn live along a narrow strip of Oahu's southeast coast, in the city of Honolulu, while the economic powerhouse that keeps the whole Hawaiian economy going is even smaller and more crowded still - the tiny, surreal enclave of Waikiki, three miles east of downtown.
After a century of mass tourism to Hawaii, the very name of Waikiki continues to epitomize beauty, sophistication and glamor. Of course, squeezing enough tower blocks to hold 100,000 hotel beds into a mere two square miles leaves little room for unspoiled tropical scenery. The legendary beach, however, remains irresistible, and Waikiki offers a full-on resort experience to match any in the world. Around six million visitors per year spend their days on the sands of Waikiki, and their nights in its hotels, restaurants and bars; for many of them, barring the odd expedition to the nearby Ala Moana shopping mall, the rest of Honolulu might just as well not exist.
All of which suits the average citizen of Honolulu, for whom Waikiki is a small and seldom-visited suburb, just fine. Honolulu is a distinctive and remarkably attractive city in its own right. The setting is gorgeous, right on the Pacific Ocean, and reaching back into a succession of spectacularly lush valleys cut into the dramatic pali (cliffs) of the Ko'olau Mountains. Downtown Honolulu, centered around a group of administrative buildings that date from the final days of the Hawaiian monarchy, nestles at the foot of the extinct Punchbowl volcano, now a military cemetery. As well as boasting top-quality museums such as the Bishop Museum and the Academy of Arts, it also offers superb rainforest hikes, especially in Makiki and Manoa valleys, just a mile or so away. Immediately to the west stands the livelier Chinatown, and five miles further is the airport, just before the sheltered inlet of Pearl Harbor.
Thanks to massive immigration, the population of modern Hawaii is among the most ethnically diverse in the world, and Honolulu's status as a major international crossroads makes it an extraordinarily cosmopolitan city to visit. Only perhaps 2 percent of its inhabitants are pure Hawaiians, while another 20 percent claim at least some Hawaiian blood. The rest of the population includes the 26 percent who identify themselves as Caucasian, 16 percent Japanese, and 15 percent Filipino, though as over half of all marriages are classified as inter-racial such statistics grow ever more meaningless. In addition, almost as many tourists these days travel eastward to reach Hawaii, especially from Japan and Korea, as travel west from North America. Once there, you'll find that almost everyone speaks English. As a rule the Hawaiian language is only encountered in the few words - such as aloha ("love"), the all-purpose island greeting - that have passed into general local usage.
Around the island
All the Hawaiian islands are the summits of a chain of submarine volcanoes, poking from the Pacific more than two thousand miles off the west coast of America. Each has continued to grow for as long as it remained poised above a stationary "hot spot" in the earth's crust, and then, as it has drifted away to the northwest and lost its steady supply of fresh lava, has begun to erode back beneath the ocean.
Oahu is what's known as a "volcanic doublet" in that it consists of two separate but overlapping volcanoes. Roughly speaking, the island is shaped like a butterfly, with its wings formed by the volcanoes of the Wai'anae Range in the west - which first emerged from the waves around six million years ago - and the wetter, higher Ko'olau Range in the east. In between lies the narrow, flat Leilehua Plateau, with the triple lagoon of Pearl Harbor at its southern end. The symmetrical outline of Oahu is only spoiled by the more recent eruptions that elongated its southeast coastline, producing craters such as Punchbowl, Diamond Head and Koko Head, and thrusting the island out towards Molokai and Maui. Geologists see the fact that volcanic activity was taking place on Oahu as little as ten thousand years ago as suggesting that further eruptions may still be possible.
Just across the Ko'olaus from Honolulu, the green cliffs of the windward coast are magnificent, lined with safe, secluded beaches and indented with remote time-forgotten valleys. Towns such as Kailua, Kane'ohe and La'ie may be far from exciting, but you're unlikely to tire of the sheer beauty of the shoreline drive - so long as you time your forays to miss the peak-hour traffic jams.
Mere mortals can only marvel at the winter waves that make the North Shore the world's premier surfing destination; for anyone other than experts, entering the water at that time is almost suicidal. However, Waimea, Sunset and 'Ehukai beaches are compelling spectacles, little Hale'iwa makes a refreshing contrast to Waikiki, and in summer you may manage to find a safe spot for a swim.
Although the west or leeward coast of Oahu also holds some fine beaches - including the prime surf spot of Makaha - it remains very much off the beaten track. There's just one route in and out of this side of the island, and the locals are happy to keep it that way. As you travel around, keep in mind that no one owns any stretch of beach in Hawaii. Every beach in the state - defined as the area below the vegetation line - is regarded as public property. That doesn't mean that you're entitled to stroll across any intervening land between the ocean and the nearest highway; always use the clearly signposted "public right of way" footpaths. Whatever impression the large oceanfront hotels may attempt to convey, they can't stop you using "their" beaches; they can only restrict, but not refuse to supply, parking places for non-guests.
About the Author
Greg Ward is also author of the Rough Guides to Maui, Big Island, Hawaii, the USA and Brittany & Normandy.
--This text refers to the
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