Travel Blog

Information on Visitors Guide To Oahu

Many millions of visitors each year land at Honolulu International Airport expecting a holiday of a lifetime on these islands. Soon after landing, most visitors hop in a cab or bus sent from the hotel and begin the journey past downtown Honolulu and on to their reservation at a Waikiki hotel. The area of Waikiki has everything there and most visitors enjoy the busy streets and entertainment provided there. The excitement of discovering Waikiki is so intense that most visitors never escape its imaginary borders. Every year over 6 million visitors miss out of sights, which local residents find most winsome and all of them lie within a radius of 2 square miles of Waikiki.

For those travelers interested in seeing Oahu through its residents’ eyes, please read on.

Firstly there is the Magic Island Beach Park, which can be found a short distance from the Ala Moana Shopping Center, and is a very popular Waikiki destination. The things that you would find in this park include two beaches, a 3-mile stretch of jogging path and tennis courts, and more. This is a favorite spot for locals too and it is quite usual to see large families gather to eat with each other, enjoying the beautiful weather and their own company. Magic Island beaches are unlike many, un-crowded so it can be a relaxing experience and many people decide to have a barbecue while they are there.

The Contemporary Museum - This beautiful museum is not very large by museum standards and is situated high up on a ridge that offers spectacular vistas - it can be found on Makiki Heights drive. This small museum is still large enough to contain five galleries and beautifully sculpted gardens to enjoy. 5 acres and offer visitors unparalleled views of Honolulu.

Leong’s Café – When tourists are particularly keen to relish some authentic Hawaiian cuisine, they take lu’au as something, which is much more than just fun. However, if you are looking out to taste some delectable foods cooked in typical Hawaiian style, then you can never miss out on Leong’s Cafe located at 2343 North King Street. Some renowned cuisine that you get here includes kalua pig, lu’au stew, lomi lomi and more and both the local residents as well as foreign tourists have been frequenting this place for more than 5 decades.

Champion Malasadas – There is a local dish called Malasadas which are fancied so much by the people that Fat Tuesday has been renamed as Malasadas Day all across Hawaiian Islands. One of the best and most famous bakeries is Champion Malasadas located at 1926 South Beretania Street. Worth every penny that you spend on it, these Portuguese donuts do not have a hole and you can have it with or without fillings and they are extremely lightweight.

Honolulu Chinatown - A walk through the streets of Chinatown in like a walk into another time and place. Irrespective of what you are looking for, Chinatown can offer dim sum, fresh produce, handmade leis or the ultra modern lounges. Unusual and interesting produce and products can be purchased here, most of which you would be hard pushed to find in a normal American grocery. While many visitors take guided tours, it is just as easy (if not more so) to wander through the streets, taking in the atmosphere and stopping whenever you feel the need.

In case you are keen to enjoy Oahu the way a local does, spend more time outside Waikiki. Explore all or some of the points of interest as mentioned above and you would know why Hawaii is called a paradise on earth.