Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
business, and government center of
Hawaii. On the waterfront stands
the iconic 1926 Aloha Tower, now
the centerpiece of a harborfront
shopping and restaurant complex
known as the
Aloha Tower Mar-
ketplace.
The whole history of
Honolulu can be seen in just a few
short blocks: Street vendors sell
papayas from trucks on skyscraper-
lined concrete canyons; joggers and
BMWs rush by a lacy palace where
U.S. Marines overthrew Hawaii's
last queen and stole her kingdom;
burly bus drivers sport fragrant
white ginger flowers on their dash-
boards; Methodist churches look
like Asian temples; and business-
men wear aloha shirts to billion-
dollar meetings.
MANOA VALLEY
First inhab-
ited by white settlers, the Manoa
Valley above Waikiki still has vin-
tage
kamaaina
(native-born) homes,
one of Hawaii's premier botanical
gardens in the Lyon Arboretum, the
ever-gushing Manoa Falls, and the
320-acre campus of the University
of Hawaii, where 50,000 students
hit the topics when they're not on
the beach.
TO THE EAST: KAHALA
Except
for the estates of millionaires and
the luxurious Kahala Mandarin
Oriental Hotel (home of Hoku's, an
outstanding beachfront restaurant),
there's not much out this way that's
of interest to visitors.
East Oahu
Beyond Kahala lies East Honolulu
and suburban bedroom communi-
ties like Aina Haina, Niu Valley,
and Hawaii Kai, among others, all
linked by the Kalanianaole High-
way and loaded with homes, con-
dos, fast-food joints, and shopping
malls. It looks like Southern Cali-
fornia on a good day. There are only
a few reasons to come here: to have
dinner at
Roy's,
the original and
still outstanding Hawaiian Regional
Cuisine restaurant in Hawaii Kai;
to snorkel at
Hanauma Bay
or
watch daredevil surfers at
Sandy
Beach;
or to enjoy the natural
splendor of the lovely coastline,
which might include a hike to
Makapuu Lighthouse.
The Windward Coast
The windward side is the opposite
side of the island from Waikiki. On
this coast, trade winds blow cooling
breezes over gorgeous beaches; rain
squalls inspire lush, tropical vegeta-
tion; and miles of subdivisions dot
the landscape. Vacations here are
spent enjoying ocean activities and
exploring the surrounding areas.
Finding Your Way Around, Oahu Style
Mainlanders sometimes find the directions given by locals a bit confusing.
Seldom will you hear the terms 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 mean-
ing 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.”
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