Oahu
The Hawaiian Icon
Though it’s sometimes dismissed by island aficionados as either too populated or too Vegas-y to be a proper vacation destination, Oahu is in many ways the most Hawaiian island of the archipelago. Legendary, one-of-a-kind sights like Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbor, and the North Shore surf breaks make Oahu a must-see, even if only for a few days en route to Maui , Kauai , or the Big Island . This is the Hawaii of classic TV and movies, from the Tiki idol episode of the Brady Bunch to Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in the movie From Here to Eternity, with appealing retro-Polynesian style all over the island. In 2008, Oahu also received a very welcome publicity shot in the arm when native son Barack Obama, the pride of Makiki (a neighborhood in the capital city of Honolulu, on the south side of Oahu), was elected President of the United States.
Surfers need no more compelling reason to book a trip to Oahu than the promise of being able to ride the waves that crash on the fabled North Shore. When winter brings 30-ft. (9m) swells, the worldclass breaks of Waimea Bay, the Banzai Pipeline, and Sunset Beach are for experts only. In summer, the waters are much calmer, and these become idyllic snorkeling spots. The funky town of Haleiwa is known as Surf City, U.S.A., with all the midcentury memorabilia and hangloose atmosphere you’d expect—a little kitschy, but fun.
Of course, you haven’t seen Oahu until you’ve done Waikiki beach. Essentially a suburb of Honolulu, Waikiki’s famous pinksand beach is lined with glitzy hotels, excellent dining and shopping, and great placesto people-watch. It’s hard to find any kind of Polynesian soul in Waikiki, but the dramatic promontory of Diamond Head volcano, at one end of the beach, is an undeniably iconic symbol of Hawaii. All along the beach here are watersports vendors offering everything from snorkeling equipment rentals to outrigger canoe excursions.
Oahu’s “day of infamy”—the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941—is chillingly recalled at the USS Arizona Memorial (www.nps.gov/usar). The monument spans the sunken remains of the ship where 1,177 crew members died during the Japanese aerial attack. Also at Pearl Harbor, the enormous USS Missouri battleship (www.ussmissouri.com), where Japan signed its surrender in 1945 to end World War II, is now open to the public as a museum ship.
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Since the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama tourism has become a lucrative addition for island guides—as much a part of the modern Oahu experience as surf lessons on Waikiki beach or visiting the Arizona memorial. For a fee, entrepreneurial locals will sell you a map that marks all the places on Oahu where the various generations of Barack’s family have ever set foot, and organized tours will take you to the 44th president’s favorite burger joint, Kua ’Aina Sandwich Shop (66-160 Kamehameha Hwy.; & 808/637-6067), or bodysurfing spot, Sandy Beach, on Oahu’s southeastern tip.
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www.gohawaii.com/oahu or www.visit-oahu.com.
Airport: Honolulu International.