Explore Hawaii
Three-quarters of Hawaii’s population live on OAHU, which has monopolized the islands’ trade and tourism since European sailors realized that Honolulu offered the safest in-shore anchorage for thousands of miles. Eighty percent of visitors to Hawaii arrive in Honolulu and many remain for their entire vacation. Oahu effectively confines tourists to the tower-block enclave of Waikiki, just east of downtown Honolulu; there are few rooms anywhere else.
While overcrowding and development make it hard to recommend Oahu over its neighbours, it can still give a real flavour of Hawaii. Oahu has some excellent beaches, with those on the North Shore a haven for surfers and campers, and the cliffs of the windward side are awesome.
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Sea sports and safety
Sea sports and safety
The nation that invented surfing remains its greatest arena. The sport was popularized early in the twentieth century by Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku, using a 20ft board; these days most are around six feet. As a rule, the best surfing beaches are on the north shore of each island. Windsurfing and kitesurfing, too, are hugely popular, in similar locations, while smaller boogie boards make an exhilarating initiation. Snorkelling and diving are top-quality, although Hawaii’s coral has fewer brilliant hues than those seen in warmer equatorial waters.
Bear in mind, however, that drownings in Hawaii are all too common. Waves can sweep in from two thousand miles of open ocean onto beaches that are unprotected by any reef. Not all beaches have lifeguards and warning flags, and unattended beaches are not necessarily safe. Watch the sea carefully before going in, and never take your eyes off it thereafter. If you get swept out, don’t fight the big waves; allow yourself to be carried out of the danger zone, then when the current dies down swim back to shore.
