(about Honolulu, HI United States, last edited on Aug 19, 2008)
Hawaiian Honolulu means “sheltered bay” or “place of shelter”. It’s true that the city is a great place of shelter because of its geographical position and the numerous tourist attractions it has.
Honolulu is the capital of and also the biggest city of Hawaii. As known by many it lies in the tropics, but the climate is moderate. This makes a great place to spend your vacation here. Even in January the average low temperature is not less than 18 °C and the high temperature in July is below 32 °C.
There are 13 districts in the city. Many of these are true tourist attractions, which include Waikiki - which is famous for its hotels, shops and nightlife opportunities, not to forget the Waikiki Beach – or The Arts District Honolulu – where you can visit many cultural and arts institutions, and it’s located in the Chinatown Historic District.
It may sound weird but Honolulu has no railway system, but it has a bus rapid transit system, which is like a transition between metro and trolleybus.
In Downtown Honolulu district you can live a unique experience, when you see how the traditional and the modern building meet in such a harmony. Here can be found modern skyscrapers like First Hawaiian Center – opened in 1996 - and traditional Aloha Tower – opened 70 years earlier - standing next to each other. At the dock you can see old pirates ship-like boats and near them modern luxury yachts.
There is a large variety of cultural programs you can choose from: whether you visit the Hawaii Opera Theater, the Honolulu Academy of Arts. If you are more into the natural museums you can visit the Honolulu Zoo or the Waikiki Aquarium – which is the home for well over 400 marine plants and animals, including a chambered nautilus. After a day of walking and sightseeing you can chill at one of many restaurants found in numerous hotels. Also in Waikiki are situated the Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues, which are among the leading shopping streets in the world. Also this beach has a magnificent view of Diamond Head, a volcanic tuff cone.
Diamond Head is a famous place for tourists, but also for the residents. After climbing 271 steps the view breathtaking, because you can see in detail both Waikiki and the Pacific Ocean. Depending in which time of the year you visit Honolulu you can catch various sports events like: the Great Aloha Run – which is a charity road race on the third Monday in February and in recent years more than 20,000 runners were competing -, the Honolulu Marathon – which is similar to the Great Aloha run, but it’s held on the second Sunday in December. For football fans the city is a true heaven because is the home of NFL’s annual Pro Bowl.
Honolulu has its own airport so the arriving couldn’t be any easier. Having a well developed highway system getting from A to B is very easy letting you enjoy what you have to. Situated in the tropics Honolulu is a great place to visit in any month of the year, sure you can’t go to a ski trip but who needs those when you can taste the Honolulu Pride of the Crossroads of the Pacific.
