Beautiful beaches, hiking trails and sights all within one city and worth a day’s look on foot.
The idea of walking around a city is not most travelers’ idea of a week in Hawaii. But Honolulu is well worth a day’s look on foot.
Related article: Top 10 Hawaiian vistas
It is lovely, diverse and compact – with beaches, hiking trails and a United Nations scene of cuisine on offer. Plus, the handbook to 30-something intellectualism, Monocle, put Honolulu as the world’s 11th best in terms of quality of life (the only US city on the list).
Here is one classic scenario of stretching your legs around the streets of Honolulu.
‘Iolani Palace
Begin a day with a 45-minute self-guided or 90-minute guided tour of the United States’ only royal palace, the stunningly ornate, palm-surrounded, Victorian-era building that housed the last Hawaii king and queen until the overthrow of the Hawaii kingdom in 1893. Afterwards it served as the state capitol until 1967 – a year later the TV show “Hawaii Five-O” supposedly set up its police department in the building. It was surprisingly modern from the get-go, with hot water and electric lights before the White House even had electricity. Note: It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Downtown sights
The palace is in the heart of the compact, appealing downtown. Follow King St northwest to pedestrian-only Fort Street Mall, then head southwest to the water. Take the (free) elevator to the top of the four-storey 1926 Aloha Tower to check out the historic murals of old Honolulu and get a harbour-front view. Just south is one of the city’s best museums, the Hawaii Maritime Center, which covers the state’s sea connections from Captain Cook to windsurfing. Visitors can also visit the Falls of Clyde, the world’s last four-masted, four-rigged ship (built in 1878).
Chinatown
Honolulu’s Chinatown – a short walk north (via Fort Street Mall then North Hotel Street) – is a lively scene of noodle shops, noodle factories, herbalists, markets and temples that date from the days when the first Chinese immigrants moved here during the Civil War. Stop in Oahu Market, at N King and Kekaulike Sts, for a bubble tea, then sit down for sizzling butterfish or plump Shanghai noodles at the classic Little Village Noodle House.
Manoa Falls Trail
Assuming you have already seen Pearl Harbor – and technically it is outside Honolulu – fill a part of the afternoon with a short 1,300-yard hike to Manoa Falls. It is near Barack Obama’s old neighborhood of Makiki Heights – and a great short walk above a rocky streambed lined with mahogany and orange African tulip trees. The falls drops 100 feet. It is lovely but not to be swum in. Drive, taxi or take the Bus 5 Manoa Valley from the Ala Moana Center in Central Honolulu, south of downtown.
Dinner dive
After the hike, save your appetite for one of the city’s most surprising meals. Side Street Inn, in Central Honolulu, looks like heck from outside – something of a sports-bar with a menu to be avoided. Do not. It is a local hangout that is famous for its kalbi short ribs and pan-fried pork chops.
Tiki Bar
Resistance to the tiki is futile in these parts. End the day at the irreverent and unbelievably kitschy 1950s joint La Mariana Sailing Club (50 San Island Access Rd) by the lagoon overlooking the airport. It is filled with yachties and long-time locals, with killer mai tais to fuel dreams of sailing to Tahiti.
The article ‘A perfect day in Honolulu, Hawaii’ was published in partnership with Lonely Planet.