Travel to Honolulu

Travel to Honolulu

Honolulu is easily the biggest city in the Hawaiian islands and one of the United States most touristy, owing to the dazzling beaches, vibrant nightlife and multitude of city and nearby natural attractions. It also boasts one of the worlds most beautiful beaches, Waikiki Beach; a two-mile sandy strip that is a well-known tourist haven.

Transportation to Honolulu

Honolulu International Airport is the main gateway to Honolulu and the Hawaiian islands, with major carriers flying in from all over North America, Europe and Asia. The airport has three modern terminals (Overseas, Commuter and Interisland); the latter of which handles flights between the main islands. Transport options to downtown and Waikiki from the airport are excellent, with buses, shuttles, hire cars, taxis and limousines all available.

What to see

Waikiki Beach is the star attraction and just about everyone visiting Hawaii will want to see it at one time or another. The bathing, swimming and surfing here are superb and at night, the many hotels and restaurants abutting the beach provide a great backdrop and an exciting atmosphere. Other worthwhile attractions include Chinatown, the historic Iolani Palace and the Aloha Tower in downtown as well as the Punchbowl Crater just beyond it.

Daytrips

Oahu is loaded with sights including Diamond Head just to the south of Waikiki Beach. This is one of the islands best natural attractions and is very accessible from Waikiki. There are several other world-class beaches all around the island and only a short drive from Honolulu including Slaughterhouse Beach and Hookipa Beach; the latter is great for windsurfing. The Makiki Valley is just inland and also worth a look, while Mount Tantalus offers some of the grandest views on the island.

Activities and leisure

With all the class beaches in Honolulu including that of Waikiki, it would be criminal not to emphasise how great the water sports action is here. Everything can be sampled, from swimming and surfing to great snorkelling near Diamond Head and all sorts of fun banana boat-type rides. Honolulu also boasts excellent shopping at its many glitzy malls.

Safety issues

Driving and water sports place visitors at a greater risk of having an accident, while certain areas of Honolulu are not entirely safe to walk around at night. Add to this the extreme cost of any type of healthcare on the island as well as the potential for losing luggage and money. We recommend that you take out travel insurance for you and your family when visiting Honolulu.