Considered by many to be the most famous island beach in the world, two-mile-long Waikiki Beach (which means "spouting waters") wasn't always about sun, sand and surf. In Polynesian times, much of Waikiki was off-limits to everyone but chiefs, who had homes here along with taro patches and fishponds. The waters of Waikiki are kept calm by a sheltering reef about a half-mile offshore. This same reef is the one that creates the long waves that have attracted surfers to Waikiki for decades. If you're coming to O'ahu to shop, Waikiki is where you'll want to start - it's a shopper's heaven with seemingly endless lanes of shops and boutiques. It is impossible to be bored in Waikiki! Athletes will find the jogging trails and gentle beach waves a refreshing workout, while shoppers will find themselves in a retail heaven, from high-end shops to bargain basements. There are countless activities for kids and their parents and romantic dining and drinking spots where couples can relax and embrace the open-air atmosphere. Walking down the busy Waikiki avenues, you'll see many street entertainers that always seem to have an attentive crowd. The two-mile Waikiki Beach stretch is home to more than 31,000 rooms in over 100 hotels. Accommodations range from bare-bones bungalows to family fantasy resorts and heavenly honeymoon hideaways. This guide describes a wide variety of the places to stay, some new and fancy; others full of history and legends, and almost all shown in color photos. It is the most thorough guide to Waikiki available, with candid hotel and restaurant reviews based on personal inspections. Our author lives in Oahu. She has hiked the trails, taken the boats, scuba'd the reefs, dined in the restaurants, visited all the resorts, snorkeled the coastline, explored the hidden waterfalls and she shares all of her knowledge. This guide is drawn from our larger guide to Oahu and focuses on the most popular attraction of all - Waikiki.

Written by locals, Fodor's travel guides have been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for more than 80 years. Oahu is the most popular Hawaiian island for travelers, with excellent resorts, beautiful scenery, and extensive opportunities for activities both on the water and on land. This guide covers all the popular areas of the island, including Honolulu, Waikiki, and the North Shore. This travel guide includes: · Dozens of full-color maps plus a handy pullout map with essential information · Hundreds of hotel and restaurant recommendations, with Fodor's Choice designating our top picks · Multiple itineraries to explore the top attractions and what’s off the beaten path · Major sights such as Kailua Beach, Shangri La and Kaena Point · Coverage of Honolulu, Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Ko Olina, Hanauma Bay, Haleiwa, the Waimea Valley, the North Shore, and more. Planning to visit more of Hawaii or other islands? Check out Fodor's travel guides to Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, and Big Island of Hawaii.

Are you planning a family trip to Hawaii? This Oahu Travel Guide and Activity Book For Kids is a perfect and easy way for your kids to capture their vacation memories. The Hawaii kids travel guide has you covered! This book includes child-friendly places, blank areas where kids can glue in memorabilia and pages where they can draw or write about the things they are doing, seeing, and eating along the way creating a keepsake that they can look back on for years. Gift idea for kids of all ages. The 8.5x11 book is paperback, making it lightweight enough to easily pack in a suitcase! Click add to cart NOW and surprise your kid with this Oahu Travel Guide and Activity Book For Kids.

Annotation This guide takes you to the best the islands have to offer, both above and below the water's surface. Underwater enthusiasts will revel in the vivid descriptions of dive sites, from the wreck of the Chikuzen just off Virgin Gorda to the Painted Walls of Norman Island. Each of the dives is chosen for visual appeal, marine life, or the challenge it offers. Depth, strength of currents, accessibility, marine life you will encounter, level of expertise required and special points of interest are covered. This guide is aimed at the dive traveler, not just the diver. It offers details on sightseeing, dining, and accommodations. You will also find contact numbers for watersports operators, stables, and boat charter companies. Shopping is covered in the guide as well. Aimed at the dive traveler, this book takes you to the best places the islands have to offer, both above and under the water. There are vivid descriptions of the dive sites and each one profiled is chosen for its visual appeal, marine life or the challenge it offers. The depth, strength of currents, accessibility, marine life you will encounter, level of experience required and special points of interest are covered. A special section covers medical and travel insurance for divers.

Romancing Waikiki contains twenty-one intriguing original love stories of people falling in love on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. The romances evoked by the most famous beach in the Pacific go back to 1901, when the elegant Moana Hotel was opened to welcome visitors and has continued to be a presence on the beach. This selection of love stories, written in Waikiki coffeehouses, spans the period from the Second World War to the present and covers all ages, from a coming-of-age teen romance to senior citizens who discover love has no expiration date. While the stories are fictional, they have threads in the sand of Waikiki Beach and beyond. Matters of the heart can be found in the footprints in the sand, a letter fluttering across the beach, remnants of a sandcastle, an army nurse waiting, and a homeless woman blowing out a candle. The author lives in Waikiki and has spent more than two decades in Hawaii, the source of his inspiration for these love stories that stir feelings of joy and tears.

Almost all tourists to Hawaii come through Oahu's capitol, Honolulu, because the major airport and deepwater port are there. This is the most thorough guide to Honolulu available, with candid hotel reviews based on personal inspections. Lavish beachfront resorts, rainforest B&Bs, condos, and much more are covered, most shown in color photos. Restaurant reviews range from the most luxurious dining to the best take-out places. The top beaches; secret spots for snorkeling; the best outfitters for everything from diving to deep-sea fishing; the galleries and shops. Accommodations and activities for those traveling with children; how to get married on the island; the best honeymoon resorts; finding the lowest airfares and package deals. Where to fish, hike, play golf, tennis, scuba, ocean kayak, along with camping, horseback riding, biking, whalewatching - it's all here. Our author lives in Oahu. She has hiked the trails, taken the boats, scuba'd the reefs, dined in the restaurants, visited all the resorts, snorkeled the coastline, explored the hidden waterfalls and she shares all of her knowledge. This guide is drawn from our larger guide to Oahu.