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Hawaii Islands (Oahu [Southeast]) |
| Waikiki
Beach |
| Built
on a reclaimed swamp, Waikiki is very nearly an island, all but
separated from Honolulu between the sea and the Ala Wai canal (which
provides the drainage to make its incredible highrise profusion possible).
Once home to King Kamehameha I, the site may be venerable, but these days
its raison d’ętre is rampant commercialism. You could, just
about, survive here with very little money, buying snacks from the
omnipresent ABC convenience stores, but there would be no point –
there’s nothing to see, and the only thing to do apart from surf and
sunbathe is to stroll along the seafront Kalakaua Avenue and shop.
The most striking thing about the parallel Waikiki
Beach is how narrow it is, a thin but somehow attractive strip of
shipped-in sand. Compared to other Hawaiian beaches, it’s overcrowded
and small, but then it serves a different function; no one is trying to
“get away from it all,” they’re there to be seen.
Two possible diversions on the eastern fringes of
Waikiki are Honolulu Zoo (daily 9am–5.30pm; $6), where you can
walk through a mock African savannah set against the magnificent backdrop
of Diamond Head, and the more expensive oceanfront Waikiki Aquarium
(daily 8.30am–5pm; $6), which as well as holding sharks and monkfish
seals has a tank devoted to the many-hued reef fish of Hanauma Bay. |
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| Diamond
Head |
| Waikiki’s
most famous landmark is the pinnacle of Diamond Head, just to the
east. Named for the erroneous belief of a party of English sailors that
they’d found diamonds on its slopes, it’s another extinct volcano. The
lawns of the crater interior are oddly bland, almost suburban in fact, but
a straightforward hiking trail leads up a mile or so to the summit, and a
panorama of the whole coast, passing through a network of tunnels built by
the military during World War II. TheBus #22 and #58 stop on the road
nearby.
Eating |
Honolulu
and Waikiki offer so many food possibilities that recommendations
are inevitably highly personal. For fine dining, all the larger Waikiki
hotels have good restaurants, and Restaurant Row near the harbor in
Honolulu is a good bet. There are excellent fast-food malls in the Ala
Moana Center, and the much cheaper and more exotic Maunakea
Marketplace on Maunakea Street in Chinatown, while Waikiki’s Kuhio
Avenue is lined with snack outlets and fast-food franchises.
- Arancino,
255 Beach Walk, Waikiki (tel 808/923-5557). Good Italian trattoria
in the heart of Waikiki, with plenty of pasta, pizza and seafood
specialties.
- Caffe
Pronto, 131 Kaiulani Ave,
Waikiki (tel 808/923-0111) and 1778 Ala Moana Blvd (tel
808/949-0844). Bright, cheerful takeout with a small seating area,
best for its fine early-morning coffees. Daily 6.30am–11pm.
- Canellia
Buffet, 930 McCully St
(tel 808/951-0511). Korean buffet restaurant a mile north of
Waikiki, where you select slices of marinated beef, chicken or pork
and grill it yourself at the gas-fired burners set into each table.
Open daily for lunch ($13) and dinner ($18).
- Internet
C@fe, 559 Kapahulu Ave,
Waikiki (tel 808/735-JAVA). 24-hour coffee shop that serves great
cinnamon buns and offers internet access and even “psychic
nights.”
- Maxime,
1134 Maunakea St (tel 808/545-4188). Bright, clean, pastel-pink
Chinatown restaurant serving very inexpensive Vietnamese food,
especially pho (noodle soups).
- Oceanarium,
Pacific Beach Hotel, 2490 Kalakaua Ave, Waikiki (tel
808/922-1233). Simply furnished restaurant with a big gimmick: you
gorge yourself beneath the goggling eyes of 400 live fish, plus the
occasional scuba diver. Open for all meals, with noodles, burgers
and sandwiches, and full surf ’n’ turf dinners.
- Perry’s
Smorgy, 2380 Kuhio Ave,
Waikiki (tel 808/926-0184). All-you-can-eat buffets, indoors and
alfresco (with hordes of scavenging birds). Bargain prices – $5
breakfast (7–11am), $6 lunch (11.30am–2.30pm), $9 dinner
(5–9pm) – but the food is bland in the extreme. A second
location is at the Outrigger Coral Seas, 250 Lewers St.
- Texas
Rock ’n’ Roll Sushi Bar,
Hyatt Regency Hotel, 2424 Kalakaua Ave, Waikiki (tel
808/923-7655). High concept, postmodern restaurant-bar, with a
bizarre menu that combines traditional sushi at reasonable prices
with duck, barbecued beef and chicken – there’s even BLT sushi
rolls.
Entertainment and nightlife |
Most
of Honolulu’s nightlife is concentrated in Waikiki, where
fun-seeking tourists set the tone. On the whole, the available
entertainment is on the bland side. Hawaii tends to be off the circuit for
touring musicians, so if you enjoy live music you’ll probably have to
settle for little-known local performers (rising stars of contemporary
Hawaiian music tend to prefer to keep their credibility by not playing in
Waikiki too often). Look out also for special events at downtown’s
beautifully restored Hawaii Theater, 1130 Bethel St (tel 808/528-0506). As
for bars, Chinatown has the most raucous in town, but they’re way
too hair-raising for most tastes.
- Duke’s
Canoe Club, Outrigger
Waikiki on the Beach, 2335 Kalakaua Ave (tel 808/922-2268).
Smooth Hawaiian sounds wash over this oceanfront Waikiki cocktail
bar nightly from 6pm and 10pm to midnight – including big-name
“Concerts on the Beach” Fri–Sun 4–6pm – with no cover
charge.
- Hula’s
Bar and Lei Stand,
Kalakaua Ave and Kapahulu (tel 808/923-0669). Waikiki’s most
popular gay venue, offering videos and dance music inside and
outdoors. Open daily 10am–2am.
- La
Mariana Sailing Club, 50
Sand Island Access Rd (tel 808/848-2800). Waterfront restaurant with
a wonderful 1950s feel, hidden away amid Honolulu’s docks, and
featuring live Hawaiian music at weekends.
- Moose
McGillycuddy’s, 1035
University Ave (tel 808/944-5525). Trendy students flock to this
no-cover Honolulu rock ’n’ roll venue on weekends, but there’s
something on most nights. The Waikiki branch, at 310 Lewers St,
features mainstream sounds, with a $3 cover charge on weekends.
- Wave
Waikiki, 1877 Kalakua Ave
(tel 808/941-0424). Loud heavy rock, live and on record, 9pm–4am.
Maps |
Waikiki & Diamond Head |
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