Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Waikiki is just a 15-minute drive
away.
KAILUA The biggest little beach
town in Hawaii, Kailua sits at the
foot of the sheer green Koolau
Mountains, on a great bay with two
of Hawaii's best beaches. The town
itself is a funky low-rise cluster of
timeworn shops, vacation homes,
and B&Bs.
KANEOHE Helter-skelter sub-
urbia sprawls around the edges of
Kaneohe, one of the most scenic
bays in the Pacific. A handful of
B&Bs dots its edge. After you clear
the trafficky maze of town, Oahu
returns to its more natural state.
KUALOA/LAIE The upper
northeast shore is one of Oahu's
most sacred places, an early Hawai-
ian landing spot where kings
dipped their sails, cliffs hold ancient
burial sites, and ghosts still march
in the night. Sheer cliffs stab the
reef-fringed seacoast, while old fish-
ponds are tucked along the two-
lane coast road that winds past
empty gold-sand beaches around
beautiful Kahana Bay. Thousands
“explore” the South Pacific at the
Polynesian Cultural Center, in
Laie, a Mormon settlement with its
own Tabernacle Choir of sweet
Samoan harmony.
The North Shore
Here's the Hawaii of Hollywood—
giant waves, surfers galore, tropical
jungles, waterfalls, and mysterious
Hawaiian temples. If you're looking
for a quieter vacation, closer to
nature and filled with swimming,
snorkeling, diving, surfing, or just
plain hanging out on some of the
world's most beautiful beaches, the
North Shore is your place. The artsy
little beach town of Haleiwa
and the surrounding shoreline seem
a world away from Waikiki. The
North Shore boasts good restau-
rants, shopping, and cultural activi-
ties—but here they come with the
quiet of country living. Be fore-
warned: It's a long trip—nearly an
hour's drive—to Honolulu and
Waikiki, and it's about twice as rainy
on the North Shore as in Honolulu.
Central Oahu: The Ewa Plain
Flanked by the Koolau and
Waianae mountain ranges, the hot,
sun-baked Ewa Plain runs up and
down the center of Oahu. Once
covered with sandalwood forests
(hacked down for the China trade)
and later the sugar-cane and
pineapple backbone of Hawaii, Ewa
today sports a new crop: suburban
houses stretching to the sea. But let
your eyes wander west to the
Waianae Range and Mount Kaala,
at 4,020 feet the highest summit on
Oahu; up there in the misty rain-
forest, native birds thrive in the
hummocky bog.
Leeward Oahu: The Waianae
Coast
The west coast of Oahu is a hot and
dry place of dramatic beauty:
white-sand beaches bordering the
deep blue ocean, steep verdant
green cliffs, and miles of Mother
Nature's wildness. Except for the
luxurious J. W. Marriott Ihilani
Resort & Spa in the Ko Olina
Resort, you'll find virtually no
tourist services out here. This side
of Oahu is seldom visited, except by
surfers and those coming to see nee-
dle-nosed Kaena Point (the island's
westernmost outpost), which has a
coastal wilderness park.
2 Getting Around
BY CAR Oahu residents own 600,000 registered vehicles, but they have only
1,500 miles of mostly two-lane roads to use. You can avoid the gridlock by driv-
ing between 9am and 3pm or after 6pm.
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