Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii. It is located on the island of Oahu. For most visitors to Hawaii it will be the first place they go to and it will give them their first impressions of the islands. There are many hotels located all throughout Waikiki Beach, overlooking it's beautiful scenery. There are fine restaurants to try as well. Along the beach, there are many shops with lots of neat things to buy as souvenirs.
The places you will surely want to go to when you are here include Chinatown, Waikiki Beach, and Manoa Valley. There are also many fun activities available for tourists, like canoing, snorkeling, surfing, horse-back riding along the beach, shopping at Waikiki Beach, dining at fine restaurants, pigging out at the luau... you name it! Be sure to check out all the ABC Stores located all throughout the city.
"No Ka Oi!" -roughly translated, "The Best!" That's what the locals maintain about the island of Maui, second largest in the Hawaiian chain. If the urban sprawl of Honolulu (didn't you go on vacation to get away from traffic?) is not to your liking, Maui may be just the place for you.
It is a paradise of gorgeous beaches and sprawling sugarcane fields. Dominating the island is the enormous volcano Haleakala ('House of the Sun'), one of the best places in the world for sky-gazing.
The accomodations on Maui range from posh resort hotels to condos and bed & breakfasts. There is opportunity for hiking (Haleakala and the West Maui Mountains), golfing, and every watersport imaginable. The islands of Lana`i and Moloka`i are easily accessible.
You just may never want to leave!
Waikiki Beach is usually crowded but is a very nice area where one can swim, canoe, surf and snorkel. The areas towards Diamond Head are near to the expansive picnic and recreational facilities, including those of Kapiolani Park.
Yes, the surfboards and swimsuits have shrunk and the high-rise forest has grown, but folks still come here for the same reasons as always: to soak up the tropical sunshine, to splash around in the surf, and to engage in that unique Waikiki tradition — the outrigger canoe ride.
Waikiki has fantastic shopping and the atmosphere of the whole place is undescribable. Theres world reknown designer stores, the international marketplace and thousands of other shops. A short 5 minute drive from Waikiki Beach is one of USA's biggest shopping centers, Ala Moana Shopping Center. Housing over 300 stores, theres always something for everyone.
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