Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Finding Your Way Around, Oahu-Style
Mainlanders sometimes find the directions given by locals a bit confusing. Seldom will you
hear east, west, north, and south; instead, islanders refer to directions as either
makai
(ma-kae), meaning toward the sea, or
mauka
(mow-kah), toward the mountains. In Honolulu,
people use
Diamond Head
as a direction meaning to the east (in the direction of the world-
famous crater called Diamond Head), and
Ewa
as a direction meaning to the west (toward
the town called Ewa, on the other side of Pearl Harbor).
So, if you ask a local for directions, this is what you're likely to hear: “Drive 2 blocks makai
(toward the sea), then turn Diamond Head (east) at the stoplight. Go 1 block and turn mauka
(toward the mountains). It's on the Ewa (western) side of the street.”
THE ISLAND OF OAHU IN BRIEF
Honolulu
Hawaii's largest city looks like any other big metropolitan center with tall buildings. In fact,
some cynics refer to it as “Los Angeles West.” But within Honolulu's boundaries, you'll find
rainforests, deep canyons, valleys and waterfalls, a nearly mile-high mountain range, coral
reefs, and gold-sand beaches. The city proper—where most of Oahu's residents live—is ap-
proximately 12 miles wide and 26 miles long, running east to west, roughly between Diamond
Head and Pearl Harbor. Within the city are seven hills laced by seven streams that run to
Mamala Bay.
Surrounding the central area is a plethora of neighborhoods, ranging from the quiet sub-
urbs of
Hawaii Kai
to kamaaina (old-timer) neighborhoods such as
Manoa.
These areas
are generally quieter and more residential than Waikiki, but they're still within minutes of
beaches, shopping, and all the activities Oahu has to offer.
WAIKIKI
Some say that Waikiki is past its prime—that everybody goes to Maui now. If it has
fallen out of favor, you couldn't prove it by us. Waikiki is the very incarnation of Yogi
Berra's comment about Toots Shor's famous New York restaurant: “Nobody goes there any-
more. It's too crowded.”
When King Kalakaua played in Waikiki, it was “a hamlet of plain cottages . . . its excite-
ments caused by the activity of insect tribes and the occasional fall of a coconut.” The Mer-
rie Monarch, who gave his name to Waikiki's main street, would love the scene today. Some
five million tourists visit Oahu every year, and 9 out of 10 of them stay in Waikiki. This
urban beach is where all the action is; it's backed by 175 high-rise hotels with more than
33,000 guest rooms and hundreds of bars and restaurants, all in a 1½-square-mile beach
zone. Waikiki means honeymooners and sun seekers, bikinis and bare buns, a round-the-
clock beach party every day of the year—and it's all because of a thin crescent of sand that
was shipped over from Molokai. Staying in Waikiki puts you in the heart of it all, but also
