Oahu

Honolulu and Waikiki

Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii and the most populous city in the Pacific outside of the US mainland. Waikiki — the famous resort district on the south shore — sits at its eastern edge, a crescent of white sand beach backed by a dense collection of hotels, restaurants and shops that feels simultaneously glamorous and slightly overwhelming on first arrival.

The beach itself is genuinely beautiful — warm, swimmable water, consistent surf and the dramatic backdrop of Diamond Head crater rising behind the eastern end of the strip. Surfing lessons are available directly on the beach from multiple operators; the gentle shore break at Waikiki is one of the best places in the world to learn. The ancient Hawaiian sport of surfing was practised on this exact stretch of coastline for centuries before Duke Kahanamoku introduced it to the world in the early twentieth century.

Kalakaua Avenue, the main street running behind Waikiki Beach, has everything from high-end retail to casual plate lunch counters. For food that is local rather than tourist-facing, walk a few blocks inland to Kapahulu Avenue — Leonard's Bakery for malasadas, the local Portuguese doughnuts that are essential eating in Hawaii, and Ono Hawaiian Foods for traditional Hawaiian plate lunch including kalua pork and poi. The International Market Place has been significantly redeveloped and now houses serious dining alongside the retail.

Diamond Head

Diamond Head State Monument — the iconic tuff crater that defines the Honolulu skyline — has a trail to the summit that takes around ninety minutes return and rewards the effort with panoramic views of the south Oahu coastline from Koko Head to Honolulu. The trail gains 560 feet through the crater interior, passing through tunnels and up switchbacks cut into the crater wall during the Second World War when the crater was used as a military observation post.

Book timed entry reservations in advance at hawaiistateparks. reserveamerica.com — the crater car park is small and the site is extremely popular. Go in the early morning for cooler conditions and better light. The parking fee is separate from the entry fee and both must be pre-booked.

Pearl Harbor

The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is one of the most significant historical sites in the United States. The battleship USS Arizona sank in nine minutes on 7 December 1941 during the Japanese attack, taking 1,177 of her crew with her. The white memorial structure, built across the sunken hull, sits above the ship — oil still seeps slowly from the wreck, visible as small rainbow slicks on the surface of the harbour. The experience of standing above the ship, reading the names of the dead on the marble wall, is genuinely affecting.

The boat trip to the memorial is free but timed entry tickets must be reserved in advance at recreation.gov — they are released 56 days ahead and go quickly for popular dates. Arrive at the visitor centre early regardless of your reservation time; the museum and exhibits before the boat trip are extensive and worth allowing proper time for. The USS Missouri — on which Japan signed the surrender documents in 1945, ending the war — is moored nearby and is a separate ticketed attraction that completes the historical arc from attack to surrender in a way that is deeply resonant.

The USS Bowfin submarine museum and the Pacific Aviation Museum are also on the Pearl Harbor historic site. A full day allows for all four attractions; most visitors find two is sufficient for Arizona and Missouri together.

Hanauma Bay

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, east of Diamond Head, is a horseshoe- shaped bay formed in the crater of an extinct volcano, now flooded by the sea. The bay is a protected marine life conservation area and the snorkelling is exceptional — clear water, abundant fish including green sea turtles, and the kind of accessible reef that requires no diving certification or significant swimming ability to enjoy.

Entry is strictly controlled to protect the reef. Timed entry reservations are required and must be booked online in advance; the bay is closed on Tuesdays. Before entering the water, all visitors must watch a short conservation video. Reef-safe sunscreen only is permitted — Hawaii law prohibits sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, which damage coral. Buy reef-safe products before you arrive; they are widely available in Honolulu.

The North Shore

The North Shore of Oahu — roughly an hour from Honolulu — is the spiritual home of big wave surfing and a completely different world from Waikiki. The town of Haleiwa is a relaxed, slightly bohemian surf town with excellent shave ice, good coffee and independent surf shops. The beaches along Kamehameha Highway between Haleiwa and Sunset Beach are, from November to February, the site of some of the largest surfable waves on earth.

Banzai Pipeline — Pipeline to surfers — breaks over a shallow coral reef producing a perfect, extremely dangerous hollow wave that is the most filmed surf spot in the world. The beach at Ehukai Beach Park gives a direct view of the break from the sand; this is where the world's best surfers come each winter and watching from the beach is free, remarkable and available to anyone. Do not attempt to swim here in winter — the shore break and the rip currents are genuinely life-threatening.

Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay complete the three major North Shore breaks. Waimea Bay is one of the few places on earth where waves regularly exceed 30 feet; the Eddie Aikau invitational is held here only when waves reach 40 feet, which happens irregularly and unpredictably. The jump rock at Waimea Bay — a large boulder on the western side of the bay — is a local tradition for jumping into the bay in summer when the water is calm.

Ted's Bakery on Kamehameha Highway near Sunset Beach is the best food stop on the North Shore — the chocolate haupia cream pie is extraordinary and the plate lunches are excellent value.

Kailua and the windward coast

Kailua, on the windward northeast coast, has what many consider the finest beach on Oahu — Kailua Beach is wide, flat, lined with ironwood trees and faces steady trade winds that make it ideal for kayaking and windsurfing. The water is clear, the crowds are lower than Waikiki and the town itself has good independent restaurants and cafes. The Mokulua Islands — two small offshore islets visible from the beach — can be reached by kayak and have small beaches worth landing on.

The drive over the Pali Highway from Honolulu to the windward side passes through the Ko'olau Mountains via the Nu'uanu Pali Lookout — a viewpoint at nearly 1,200 feet with views down the sheer green cliffs to the windward coast and the ocean beyond that is one of the finest panoramas on the island. Stop here.

Getting around Oahu

Oahu is the only Hawaiian island where a car is not strictly essential. The TheBus public transport system covers most of the island and the main tourist areas adequately, and rideshare is widely available in Honolulu and Waikiki. For the North Shore and the windward coast, a hire car makes the day significantly easier and gives the flexibility to stop at beaches along the highway. Traffic in Honolulu during morning and evening rush hours is genuinely bad — plan around it.