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Oahu...

Home to Honolulu's famed Waikiki Beach, spectacular hotels, a mélange of cultures, a myriad of night spots and a wealth of shopping, Oahu is also home to some of the most spectacular scenery in Hawaii....

This island is a tropical paradise offering dramatic seascapes, white sand beaches and lush never-ending valleys. Climb Diamond Head for a panorama of paradise; snorkel at Hanauma Bay, a state-protected fish sanctuary; visit Iolani Palace to bring to life Hawaii's royal past; and Pearl Harbor's USS Arizona Memorial. Check out the famous surf spots on the North Shore and stroll through the town of Haleiwa. From water sports, touring and night life to sophisticated shops and restaurants, Oahu truly has it all.

Oahu in Pictures.....

(Click on a picture to enlarge)

Honolulu is the largest city in the world -- at least it has the longest borders. According to the state constitution any island (or islet) not named as belonging to a county belongs to Honolulu. This makes all islands within the Hawaiian Archipelago, that stretch to Midway Island (1,500 miles northwest of Hawaii) part of Honolulu. Honolulu is about 1,500 miles long or more distance than halfway across the 48 contiguous states.

Some of the Beaches of Oahu...

South Shore Beaches		North Shore Beaches
This coastline is known for its many family beaches like Ala Moana Beach - also, the state's principal and renown tourism "mecca," Waikiki. Activities like snorkeling, tide pooling, swimming, and any general ocean recreation are all popular on the South Shore. This shore is a good place to learn and improve your aquatic skills.		This coastline, blessed with pristine white sand beaches, is known for its world-class surfing, body boarding, and body surfing. Listen to surf reports on the radio and television about approaching swells and surf forecasts. Check out the local conditions from lifeguards, surfers or fisherman before you enter into the water.
Waikiki Beach	Ala Moana Beach	Sunset Beach	Waimea Bay Beach

Probably the most famous beach in all of Hawaii, Waikiki Beach is usually crowded but is a very nice area where one can swim, canoe, surf and snorkel. The areas towards Diamond Head are near to the expansive picnic and recreational facilities, including those of Kapiolani Park.	One of the finer, all around family parks on Oahu, Ala Moana - which is Hawaiian for the Path to the Sea - consists of a beach and general recreation area of more than one hundred acres -- when combined with the adjacent "Magic Island" - Aina Moana's - thirty lovely acres.	Sunset Beach Park is one of the better surfing sites on Oahu, if not in the world. During the Winter fifteen to twenty foot waves are not uncommon. When becalmed the ocean is great for swimming and snorkeling. Be very careful of the "Sunset Rip" - newcomers to this beach should check out where this and other hazards are.	Waimea Bay Beach Park is home of the largest, dangerous, most spectacular, rideable surf in the world. When the surf's up, often to thirty plus feet, even just the inshore break can be big - sometimes even as high as twelve feet. There's also a strong rip current running out at the center of the bay that can be treacherous.
East Shore Beaches		West Shore Beaches
This coastline known as the Windward coast has lush tropical beach settings which are favorite locations for windsurfing and sailing enthusiasts. With tradewinds, Northeast winds blowing inshore 90 percent of the year, watch out for the Portuguese man-of-war (stinging blue jelly-like fish - Physalia); they can pose a problem for beach-goers. From June through September there are incidents of stinging limu (seaweed) along beach front on the Mokapu Peninsula in Kaneohe Bay and Kailua Bay, especially at Kailua Beach Park.		This coast is more arid than the Windward coast and has many excellent beaches. This coast is known for its great offshore fishing spots. This shore is in the driest areas of Oahu. Be sure you and any keiki (children) who might be with you drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Be sun safe and sensible. From June through September there are incidents of stinging limu (seaweed) along beach front near Ewa. Heed postings and warnings about it. Box jellyfish regularly "swarm" to Hawaii's Leeward shores about ten days after the full moon.
Makapu Beach	Kailua Beach Park	Makaha Beach Park	Poka`i Bay Beach

This is an excellent beach, some call it a "paradise," for body surfing, paipo and body boarding (as long as the boards have no skegs). Be sure to ask lifeguards about conditions during the Winter as the big surf can often be very dangerous.	Kailua Beach Park is a generally wonderful place to enjoy swimming and beach recreational activities. It has a very nice, fine sandy beach. There are generally no significantly hazardous ocean or beach conditions.	Makaha Beach Park is named for the area which surrounds it. An infamous band of bandits living deep in the valley terrorized the area in years long past. Today Makaha's claim to fame is its international renown as a superb site for surf boarding.	Poka`i Bay and the immediate area nearby was named after a legendary Hawaiian high chief. Poka`i reputedly transported the first coconut palm tree in the great migration from Kahiki to Hawaii. Its sandy beach is stable even during Fall and Winter.

The Hotels of Oahu...