Oahu

Many parts of Polynesia were settled around 1000 BC, but Hawaii was not colonized until 500 AD. The island's earliest inhabitants included the Tahitians, who repeatedly sailed the 4350 km (2700 miles) across the pacific to bring supplies and people to Hawaii. Animism was popular with Hawaii's early inhabitants, but it became even more significant after a powerful kahuna (priest) introduced human sacrifices and a kapu system of taboos in the 12th century. The new rules helped deify the local royalty.

James Cook was the first European who arrived at Hawaii. The locals mistook him for the god of harvests, but a year later his favoritism had diminished so far that he was killed in a dispute with tribes-people on the main island of Hawaii. Around the same time, several rival chiefs, one of which was Kamehameha the Great, were fighting for control of Hawaii. Kamehameha eventually occupied all the islands in the archipelago and created the first united Hawaiian kingdom. Oahu was the last was the last independent island to fall in 1795. Kamehameha moved his residence to Honolulu in 1809 to be able to control the lucrative trade with visiting merchant ships. By the time Kamehameha the Great died 10 years later, Honolulu had become the booming center of Hawaiian commerce.

In the 1820's, Honolulu's first brothels were opened to patronize the crews of visiting whaling ships. Soon, however, missionaries started arriving, who used their influence with the royals to force Honolulu's sex industry to a halt. Later many of the missionaries concentrated on the city's lucrative commerce. In the 1830's, sugar plantations were established and soon they became Hawaii's major industry. Laborers that were needed on the plantations arrived from all over the world and stood at the base of the islands' ethnic diversity.

In 1845 Kamehameha III decreed that Honolulu became Hawaii's capital in favor of Maui, which had served that task to that date. He created a national legislature, established religious freedom and settled an errant land deal with a British commander. The king's successors faced a growing domination of Hawaiian affairs by Western expatriates. The islands' last male monarch was King Kalakaua. He composed the national anthem, which is now used as Hawaii's state song and he revived local traditions, such as hula dancing. During his reign, Kalakaua built up massive debts and had to relinquish much of his power to the sugar barons in order to face off bankruptcy.

Kalakaua died in 1891 and Queen Liliuokalani came to power, but two years later, a group of American businessmen seized control of Hawaii. They declared the islands to be a 'republic'. Then US President Grover Cleveland disapproved the coup, but did nothing to restore power to native Hawaiians. In 1898, Hawaii was formally annexed by the USA.

By the beginning of the 20th century, Hawaii's indigenous population numbered only about 50,000, as many of them had been decimated by foreign diseases. Around the same time, some 70,000 Japanese arrived, to work on the sugar and pineapple plantations. This accounts for the high proportion of Japanese in Hawaii's current population.

In 1941, Japanese warplanes bombed Pearl Harbor, prompting the US to join WWII. For the duration of the war, Oahu served as the US Pacific command post. The suspicious Americans began a clampdown on the resident Japanese population. After WWII, Oahu's waterfront was the subject of a six-month strike by unionists who wanted fairer deals for native laborers. As a result, effective political opposition to the non-native landowners was launched. On 21 August 1959, some 90% of the islanders voted for statehood and Hawaii became the 50th state of the USA.

Calls for some form of self-determination and reinstitution of the monarchy have been consistent ever since. Some native Hawaiian groups want financial reparations, or independence but all they got so far was a formal apology from President Clinton in 1993, when the centenary of the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani was remembered.

Honolulu is the largest city in Hawaii. It is on the southern coast of Oahu and it is Hawaii's administrative and cultural center. The Pacific's major leisure and pleasure destination is Waikiki, also on Oahu and the island's northern shore features huge swells that provide some of the world's biggest surf. At Pearl Harbor you can see evocative WWII memorials and Oahu's multicultural mix provides unique streetscapes and restaurant kitchens.

Oahu measures some 1538 km² (594 sq miles). The island's makai (ocean side) you'll find extensive white sand beaches, the sweet smell of the ubiquitous hibiscus, fantastic surf possibilities and friendly islanders shaking their shakas. Oahu is often nicknamed 'The Gathering Place'.

When to Go

Oahu has a warm climate throughout the year, but most tourists arrive during the winter, as they escape the cold weather in the northern hemisphere. The average daily maximum temperature in Honolulu is 29°C (84°F) and the minimum is 21°C (70°F). The amount of rainfall increases with altitude. Low-lying Waikiki receives an annual average of only 63.5 cm (25 inch), while the Upper Manoa Valley, north of Honolulu gets six times as much rain over the same period.

If you prefer peace and quiet, you should visit Oahu between April and December. During that time, you can also take advantage of the lower prices that many hotels charge in the low-season. The summer is also the best time for windsurfing, as the huge swells die down.

The numerous festivals and other celebratory events that take place in Oahu are spread evenly over the year. They reflect the island's cultural diversity. The last Monday in May honors US soldiers killed in battle with Memorial Day. The 50th State Fair takes place in May and June over a period of four weeks. It features countless games, rides and exhibitions at Aloha Stadium. The 4th of July is Independence Day in the USA. It is celebrated with some big fireworks displays. The first Monday in September is Labor Day. Also in September, Aloha Week is held. The event celebrates all things Hawaiian, including canoeing and hula dancing.

The discovery of America is remembered on Columbus Day, the second Monday in October. During the Hawaii International Film Festival in November, you can see the work of Pacific Rim and Asian filmmakers. The prestigious Triple Crown of Surfing competition starts in November too. It comprises three professional surf events on Oahu's north shore. During election years, the second Tuesday of November, Election Day, is a public holiday. 11 November salutes America's former soldiers with Veterans' Day and the fourth Thursday in November is Thanksgiving. The Honolulu Marathon in December is the second-biggest running event in the USA. 25 December is Christmas Day.

New Year's Day is followed by Martin Luther King Jr Day on the third Monday of January. Between mid-January and mid-February, traditional 'lion' dances and a cacophony of fireworks mark Chinese New Year. The focus of the celebrations is Honolulu's Chinatown. The Narcissus Festival, which follows, lasts for five weeks. Also in January, the Morey Bodyboards World Championship is held. During the championship, competitors tackle the near-perfect tubes of the famous Banzai Pipeline. The Cherry Blossom Festival in February, acknowledges the Oahu's Japanese culture. The third Monday in February is Presidents' Day. In late March, or April, Easter weekend is an important holiday.

Places of interest

The capital of Oahu is Honolulu. Some of the most interesting towns on Oahu include Kailua, Kāne'ohe, Laie, Makaha, Waikiki and Hawaii's Plantation Village of Waipahu. Hanauma Bay, Oahu's North Shore, Oahu's Windward Coast, Pearl Harbor, Sunset Beach, Ala Moana Beach and Ko Olina Beach Park are also well worth a visit. Other places of interest include Ala Moana Center, Bishop Museum, the Honolulu Museum of Art, 'Iolani Palace and Kualoa Ranch.

For good views over Oahu's windward coast, you should visit the Nuuanu Pali Lookout in the island's southern Koolau Range. It sits on the 360 m (1200 feet) high location, where Kamehameha the Great routed Oahu's warriors during his invasion of Oahu in 1795.

Other activities

Oahu's sea-related activities include swimming, surfing, boogie-boarding, windsurfing, ocean kayaking and snorkeling. Scuba diving facilities are available at Three Tables and nearby Shark's Cove. Deep-sea fishing is also popular. Black and Pacific blue marlin are among the favored catches. There are some 50 beach 'parks' on the island. Half of them are patrolled and equipped with toilets and showers.

Oahu offers numerous hiking possibilities. The trail to the summit of Diamond Head is the most popular one, but the scenic route around Kaena Point in Oahu's west and the network of tracks to Tantalus and the Makiki Heights just outside Honolulu, receive many visitors too. Running can be practiced almost anywhere on Oahu, while golfers can choose from a wide range of golf courses.

Culture

Life on Oahu resembles very much life in the US and includes all the mainstream rock music, corporate branding and junk food. Traditional Hawaiian culture, however, has managed to reinvigorate itself since the 1970's and you will find many places where you can learn hula dancing, Hawaiian-language, mythology-focused art and lauhala weaving, which involves pandanus leaves entwined into baskets and mats. Indigenous instruments like the pahu hula, or knee drum and old-style lei, which are garlands made from fragrant plumeria and tuberose, are now a prominent part of Hawaii's culture.

Oahu's ethnic diversity is prominent in the Japanese raku-style ceramics, Chinese markets and Buddhist temples you can see at many locations. Several distinctive music instruments have developed on the islands, including the ukulele or 'jumping flea', which was derived from a Portuguese instrument and the steel slack-key guitar.

Islanders greet each other with the shaka sign. It is made by folding the three middle fingers down to the palm, extending the thumb and little finger and giving the hand a shake. Most Hawaiians are Catholics, but others belong to faiths such as Mormonism and Congregationalism. You can also see Buddhist, Shinto, Hindu, Taoist, Muslim and Jewish forms of worship on Oahu, as well as the odd atheist.

Environment

Oahu is the third largest and the most developed island in Hawaii. Like its siblings, it is the tip of an underwater mountain, the result of volcanic activity under the Pacific Plate. Oahu features fantastic beaches and marvelous underwater reefs. The coral reefs at Hanauma Bay are home to a colorful marine life, but the huge amounts of visitors are rapidly deteriorating the underwater environment. Originally, the island was covered with native forest, mostly sandalwood. Most trees were leveled to make way for sugar and pineapple plantations. Later terrain was needed for golf courses and Oahu has almost 40 of them.

There are several thousand different varieties of hibiscus on Oahu, as well as numerous other tropical flowers. Other native flora include pohuehue, a beachside morning glory, the koa tree, which can grow to be 30 m (100 feet) high and the yellow-orange ilima, the island's official bud. Fauna on Oahu includes the India-introduced myna bird, the Achatinella, or tree snail, the Hawaiian monk seal and the giant humpback whales that usually arrive in winter.

Transportation

The main entry point to Hawaii is Honolulu International Airport, a busy complex, 15 km (9 miles) northwest of central Honolulu. It is surrounded by US army and navy installations. Hawaii is the major Pacific hub and many flights between the US mainland and Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific make an intermediate stop there. Usually, passengers on these routes are allowed to make a stopover in Honolulu. Because of its central Pacific location, Oahu is often included on round-the-world and Circle Pacific tickets. The airport departure tax is usually included in the price of your ticket. Honolulu has air connections with the major airports on Kauai, Maui and Big Island.

Oahu's bus system is known as TheBus. The system covers most of Oahu and is easy to use, although you shouldn't depend too much on the timetables. The Circle Island bus service circumnavigates Oahu in just four hours. Public transportation is quite cheap.

Cars can be hired at many places throughout the island, but are easiest available in Honolulu and at the airport. The best place to rent mopeds, or bicycles is Waikiki. Taxis are widely available, but tipping is expected.

Accommodation and food

Even if you try to survive on a very tight budget, Oahu is still quite an expensive place. Hostels and low-cost eateries are available, but they are not of the cheapest kind. There are also many top-end hotels on the island. Tipping in restaurants is expected, as it is the habit in the USA. Waiters will expect at least 15% tip. The prices of most goods sold on Oahu are fixed, but haggling does happen at the larger markets. The vast majority of Oahu's tourist infrastructure is situated in the region of Honolulu and Waikiki, which consists of an area of freeways and high rise buildings.

Other facts

The time on Oahu is UTC/GMT minus 10 hours. Electricity is 110/120V, 60 Hz. The local currency is US Dollar and foreign currencies can be exchanged at almost any bank or exchange bureau without any problem. Banks are widely available in all towns on Oahu. Credit cards and travelers cheques are widely accepted and there are ATM's across the island. Health risks include Sunstroke, dehydration, leptospirosis, a freshwater bacterial disease and ciguatera poisoning, due to eating ciguatoxin-affected fish.