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Drive around Hawaii’s Oahu reveals many wonders

North America » United States

By Marc Atchison

The coastline in Oahu is breathtaking.

HONOLULU, HAWAII - The day we decided to explore Oahu by car started like most others on this, the most populated of all the Hawaiian islands – with a beam a sunshine punching through some low-lying clouds, “Those clouds will soon disappear and we’ll have a perfect day for exploring,” said Cheryl, the local guide we hired for the day.

As we have stressed so many times on this site, employing the services of a local guide, usually for less than the cost of a dinner for two, introduces you to some points of interest you might otherwise miss and can actually save you money because guides will point you to local restaurants that charge far less than tourist traps.

It didn’t take long for Cheryl to prove her worth when she pulled into a parking lot opposite a non-descript restaurant called Boots and Kimos in the surfer dude town of Kailau. Over the biggest order of pancakes – covered in a sweet ice cream sauce – we had ever seen, Cheryl chartered our course for the day.

“We’ll stop at some of the beaches in this area and then make our way back to Honolulu,” said the spirited Cheryl, who promised to show us the “real” Oahu, much of it located well away from the tourist areas around Waikiki Beach.

A short while later, while driving along rollercoaster roads lined with African tulips and breathtaking ocean views, we arrived at Lanikai, a beach area not known to most tourists and where locals paddle their canoes and kayaks in shallow calm waters on beaches lined with multi-million dollar homes.

“Most of the homes in this area cost around $2 million,” said Cheryl, who quickly added, “but some have been known to sell for as much as $24 million.”

Lanikai, according to our delightful guide, is really a misspelled Hawaiian word which was meant to mean “beautiful water.”

“The Hawaiian word is kailani but a developer misspelled it and that’s how this area became known as Lanikai, which really has no meaning in Hawaiian.”

Cheryl told us all the beaches in Hawaii must allow public access and that Lanikai offers the best stretch of sand on Oahu, “but few tourists know about it.”

Few tourists also know about Nuuanu Pali State Park, which sits high in the volcanic mountains that ring Honolulu and offers some of the best views of Oahu imaginable. While heading to the sacred park where the battle of Nu’uanu Pali was fought by Hawaiian tribes in the late 1700s during a unification battle, Cheryl told us there’s only two words used by Hawiians when giving directions to tourist drivers.

“They’ll point you in the direction of the mauka (mountains) or the makai (sea). There’s no where else to tell people to go,” she laughed.

Soon we were climbing high into the “mauka” to reach Nu’uanu Pale, a place where the wind is so fierce that it can stop people in their tracks. A group of Asian tourists were testing their strength against nature’s wind tunnel but were fighting a losing battle.

The old road where the winds are strongest is open only to pedestrian traffic now but a new road snakes around the mountain and brings tourists to this point from downtown Honolulu – just 10 minutes away.

“Although it’s so close to Honolulu, not many tourists come here,” said Cheryl, who added that those who do are introduced to an important period in Hawaiian culture, not to mention some of the most spectacular views of Hawaii’s largest city.

Shopkeepers offer beautiful lei to tourists for just a few dollars.

Heading back to Honolulu a short time later, our guide pointed out Queen Emma Palace, home of one of the islands’ last monarchs, and told us that the Hawaiian language is making a strong comeback thanks to the efforts of local historians and teachers.

A fiercely proud Hawaiian, Cheryl said it’s important to preserve the rare language of her ancestors.

“There’s only about 1,000 pure-blooded Hawaiians left,” she said. “Keeping our culture alive through our language is a goal started 30 years ago by local scholars. Now the University of Hawaii offers courses and they have become to most sought-after at the school.

“Hawaiian language training is also offered in the public and private school systems and that guarantees our beautiful language will survive for many more generations,” she said beaming.

You can’t drive anywhere in the Rainbow State without seeing lovers strolling hand-in-hand or locked in a loving embrace. That’s because Hawaii remains the No. 1 honeymoon destination in the world and weddings make up a major part of the state’s tourist industry.

“We’ve also become a major family destination – the honeymooners bring their kids back,” Cheryl said laughing.

Soon we were making our way along Honolulu’s handsome streets, where old colonial buildings share space with gleaming new office towers. Hawaii is a suit-less society and few suits are ever seen, even in the city’s financial district where business attire consists of shorts, Hawaiian shirt and a briefcase. You can pick out the chief executives – they’re the ones wearing the Tommy Bahama shirts.

As we passed the pedestrian mall on Fort St., Cheryl suggested we might like to return later to take advantage of the shops and restaurants located there. Fort St., is where the city’s colorful Chinese community calls home.

On Maunakea St., Cheryl insisted we stop and park so we could visit the shops where the famous floral necklaces known as a lei are assembled in the many small shops that line the street.

Women huddled in cramped quarters make the traditional lei, used as a greeting dating back to when Polynesian invaders first landed here. While still used as a greeting, the lei is often given as a gift between Hawaiians and is used at weddings.

The lady in one of the shops told us that a lei can cost as little as $2 but, depending on how rare the flowers that make up the garland are, can quickly reach $20 each.

As she weaved the flowers together – it takes about 30 minutes to make one lei - the lady said the proper way to wear the floral necklace is centered on the shoulders. The most commonly used pedals used in a lei come from the ginger plant but most other floral varieties found in this botanical state are also used.

Tourists test their strength against Oahu’s mighty winds.

Aloha Town is a revitalized area of the city where old terminal buildings have been transformed into souvenir shops and chic restaurants and where the city’s new cruise terminal is located.

We were now headed in the direction of Waikiki Beach along Ala Moana Blvd., and soon came upon an area where surfer purists come to pay homage to the early pioneers of the pastime that has become Hawaii’s national sport.

The beach at Waikiki was surprisingly narrow and full of tourists and surfers, who were patiently waiting for a wave to carry them on a joy ride. There’s a large movie screen on the beach where surfers gather after a day’s fun. At the south end of Waikiki, a statue has been erected in Kapiolani Park to pay tribute to the earliest surfers. Tourists fight for space to have their photographs taken in front of the bronze statue that just seemed to appear overnight, according to Cheryl.

Kapiolani Park is also home to a large zoo and aquarium and many other statues honoring former Hawaiian rulers.

No matter where you drive in Honolulu you’re never out of sight of Diamond Head, the natural volcanic wonder that is best seen from the air when arriving here.

As we made our way back to our hotel, Cheryl drove down Kalakaua St., an area of the city where high end hotels and shops are located and some of the city’s best restaurants can be found.

“As you can see, food is an important component to our lives,” said the plump Cheryl. “Many chefs are returning to Hawaiian traditions in their menus and that means lots of fresh fish combined with fresh fruit.

“Here’s a list of some of our best local restaurants and they won’t over charge you,” said Cheryl as she deposited us at our hotel and bid farewell.

Discovering things on your own is a lot of fun while on vacation but you’ll discover a lot more with the help of a guide.

INFORMATION

- To find out more about Hawaii, go to www.gohawaii.com

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