Oahu Travel Guide

Three-quarters of Hawaii's population live on OAHU , which has monopolized the islands' trade and tourism since the first European sailors realized that Honolulu offered the safest in-shore anchorage in thousands of miles of ocean. Over eighty percent of visitors to Hawaii still arrive in Honolulu - albeit by air now, rather than by sea - and most remain for their entire vacation. Oahu effectively confines tourists to the tower-block enclave of Waikiki , just east of downtown Honolulu; there are few rooms anywhere else. In much the same way, the military are closeted away in relatively inconspicuous camps. On any one day, the numbers of military personnel and tourists on Oahu are roughly the same.

Overcrowding and rampant development mean Oahu can't be recommended over the Neighbor Islands (as the other Hawaiian islands are known), but it can still give a real flavor of Hawaii. There are some excellent beaches , with those on the north shore a haven for surfers and campers, and the cliffs of the windward side are awesome.