Chinatown and Downtown Honolulu are among Hawai‘i’s most storied neighborhoods, with rich histories that date back hundreds of years. Chinatown, just ‘Ewa of downtown Honolulu, was home to thousands of Chinese immigrants who worked on Hawai‘i’s sugar plantations in the 1800s; it nearly burned down in 1900 during attempts to combat the bubonic plague. Years […]
Oʻahu has it all—stunning beaches, picturesque hiking trails, award-winning restaurants, museums and cultural sites, and bustling city life. It’s hard to just spend a single day on this island, the third largest of all the Hawaiian Islands and easily the most populated. (Oʻahu is home to roughly 1 million people—or two-thirds of the state’s population.)
If you’re looking for a more down-to-earth, humble alternative to the sand-dusted, Instagram influencer-laden streets of Kailua, Kāneʻohe is your best bet. Located on Oʻahu’s windward side—it’ll be the first town you see as you exit through the Koʻolau Mountains on the H-3 or Likelike Highway—this residential district is surrounded by lush foliage and an
Itching for a weeklong getaway after one too many winter days trapped inside, I found myself scanning flights in search of somewhere warm. My interest was immediately piqued when I stumbled upon a nonstop round-trip flight to Oʻahu on Hawaiian Airlines. I spent much of 2019 flying back and forth between the East Coast and
O‘ahu has a few coastal communities where you can shop, eat and hit the beach all in the same day—and without a car. But Kailua, the once-sleepy community on the island’s Windward Side, is arguably the most diverse, with art galleries, hip coffee shops, beachy boutiques, world-class beaches and the largest wetland in the Islands—all
For the most part, Ala Moana Center is getting back to normal. Its parking lots are no longer empty, shoppers—some visitors, others kamaʻāina (residents)—fill its once deserted open-air passageways. Most shops have once again reopened their doors and, for the most part, are back their normal hours of operation. A mix of locals and visitors can be
Maybe you’ve been to the Islands before. Or maybe it’s your first time. Either way, Honolulu, the state’s largest city, is a great place to start your Hawaiʻi vacation. It’s as diverse as a city can get: golden beaches next to expansive shopping malls, ethnic neighborhoods juxtaposed against urban sprawl, hole-in-the-wall eateries doors down from nationally
With a mishmash of auto body shops, breweries, tattoo parlors and other businesses, Queen Street, which runs from Kakaʻako to Downtown Honolulu, packs a lot into its just-over-a-mile stretch. While known for its large population of industrial services—automotive shops, large-scale storage and transmission repair shops are the norm—there’s a new wave of businesses rising from
If any one thing defines Hawai‘i to travelers, it would be our beaches. The Islands boast some of the most diverse stretches of oceanfront, from the jet-black sands of Punalu‘u on Hawai‘i Island to the otherworldly red landscape of Kaihalulu Beach in Hāna on Maui. And there’s so much to do on these beaches, from
The Hookipa Terrace restrooms located near GEN Korean BBQ House. Photo: Kayla Rivera It’s probably the most important question you can ask. For starters, there are six main bathrooms at Ala Moana Center (the ones inside retail shops don’t count). Center Court near Centerstage (the biggest) In Makai Market Food Court In The Lanai between
Photo: Courtesy of Flip Flop Makers Design your own slippers (or flip flops) at this family-owned business, which started in 2011 on Hawaii Island. (The business is now called Flip Flop Makers, but the Ala Moana store still bears the original name.) You can customize a pair with adornments—flowers, cute animals, jewels—to the straps, too. Kids will
Known as The Gathering Place, Oahu is home to both the bustling, cosmopolitan center of Honolulu, as well as the North Shore and its pastoral charm. From internationally renowned surfing to breathtaking mountain vistas to creative East-meets-West dining experiences, there’s a world of things to do, see and eat on this oasis in the middle
