One of the most beautiful places on earth that I have been visiting is the island of O'ahu. Growing up in Sweden, a country where the ice age decided to stay, I decided to do some travelling to warmer places.
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O'ahu, which is the most known island among the Hawaii islands hosts well-known places such as Honolulu, Waikiki and Diamond head.
Honolulu, located south of the island and is the capital has only tall buildings, business districts and universities. Every day after 10pm, when the universities close, Honolulu is completely empty until sun rise.
Waikiki, next to Honolulu, is the party district of O'ahu where thousands of students crowd in bars and restaurant together with tourists from, mainly, Asia. Every night, year round. Waikiki never sleeps and is fun to visit if staying on the island for a short period of time. The down side with Waikiki is the prostitution and drugs which, indeed, take away some of the city's charm.
You will find the most famous volcanic crater in the world, Diamond Head, located on the south-east coast of O'ahu at the end of Waikiki overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In the Hawaiian language, Diamond head is called "Laeahi" which means "brow of the tuna". Diamond head makes one of the best hikes in O'ahu and the climb takes about two hours. But bring a lot of water since the sun and the open landscape makes it a very hot hike. Even if it is a volcano, it has been extinct for more than 150,000 years. So no one has to be worried that it will erupt anytime soon.
1 1/2 hour drive north, you will hit the North Shore and Waimea bay. At Waimea bay, you can watch surfers tackling the highest waves in the world while relaxing on one of the many beaches. However, the most famous surfing spot, located next to Waimea bay on the North Shore, is called "pipeline" where the World Championship in Surfing is hosted every year. Usually, only professional surfers dare to surf at this location due to very strong current and knife sharp rocks. Many people have died along the years trying to master the waves of the "pipeline".
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My very favorite spot in O'ahu is Kailua where I rented a house on the beach for 3 years while studying my BSCS and MSIS. Kailua is also famous since here, the legend Robbie Nash, grew up learning how to windsurf. The beach offers a lot of wind but almost no waves. Ideal for windsurfers.
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O'ahu offers some of the best golfing in the world. One of the best courses I have played is Turtle bay golf course located on the North Shore. A bit expensive but definetely worth it!
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Inland O'ahu offers a lot of mountains. The island consists of two mountain ranges, one on the east side called "Koolau" and one on the west side called "Waianae", both streching from south to north. Between the mountain ranges, you will find beautiful green valleys where you will find the famous Dole pineapple plantation.
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Rent an apartment or house on the North Shore where it is calm, green and a little less touristic than south shore. When visiting O'ahu it is necessary to rent a car to be able to see everything the island has to offer.
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Next to Waimea bay on the north shore, is a very small village with only one restaurant serving the best hamburgers and fries. A must if visiting north shore.
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If you are young and looking for party, night and day, Waikiki is the place for you. If you just want a relaxing vacation, north shore is the perfect place.
If you are into diving, electric beach offers the best opportunity to see wild dolphines. But you have to be up very early in the morning since they are usually spotted between 6am and 9am. But the earlier you are in the water, the higher the chance/risk that you encounter sharks.
Be out of the water before the sun goes down. When the sun is seen at the horizon, the sharks swim close to the beaches looking for food.
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Published on Thursday April 6th, 2006
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Fri, Apr 07 2006 - 04:22 PM
 by mistybleu
Nice report, good effort.
Amanda |
Fri, Apr 07 2006 - 06:33 AM
by marianne
Hi Andréas,
So much better, really good information and well-written. Good warning about the sharks
Marianne |
Fri, Apr 07 2006 - 04:43 AM
 by rangutan
| A first report an very good start. Bit short though but some nice tips and this one of few reports from Hawaii so some may rate higher. A few pictures would expand the report nicely, perhaps follow. Thanks for uploading a report on this "new-to-us" location. |
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