Honolulu is the capital of the state of Hawaii in the United
States. Honolulu is by far the largest city in Hawaii with a
population of around 337,000, mostly of Asian descent. At the
same time, Honolulu is also a county with a population of
910,000, about three quarters of the population of all of
Hawaii, and all of that in the southeastern tip of the island of
Oahu.
When the first King Kamehameha I defeated his Oahu
opponents at the Battle of Nuuanu and unified Hawaii, the
capital was still Lahaina on the island of Maui. He himself
moved his residence from the Big Island to Waikiki. Under
Kamehameha III, the capital was moved to Honolulu, and a new
residence was built with the buildings of the Iolani Palace and
the Aliiolani Hale.
But soon Honolulu grew on Asian
immigrants who were hired as cheap labourers: they lived in
China-Town just off downtown Honolulu, and soon the Hawaiians
were a minority in their own country.
The last ruler of
Hawaii, Queen Liliuokalani, was arrested at Iolani Palace in
1893, and a few years later the former Kingdom of Hawaii was
annexed by the United States. By the way, the queen was very
musical, the song "Aloha Oe" was set to music by her.
Honolulu gained notoriety during World War II when the Japanese
attacked Pearl Harbor, even though the port is outside of the
city limits but in Honolulu County.
By plane
Most tourists land at the Honolulu airport, but it is
also possible to fly into Maui from San Francisco and travel from there
to Honolulu.
Honolulu International Airport (Daniel K. Inouye
International Airport, IATA: HNL)
By train
The rail lines that
used to run on Oahu have long since been dismantled. A new rapid transit
system called "HART" is scheduled to open on Oahu between 2020 and 2025.
By bus
The bus system "TheBus" opens up almost all parts of Oahu.
A single ride costs $2.75, a day ticket $5.50 (as of 2018)
By
boat
There is no scheduled service between the United States mainland
and the Hawaiian Islands.
Cruise ships dock at 2 Honolulu Cruise
Termnial at Pier 2 or at Pier 11 at the Aloha Tower.
The Waikiki Trolley runs in 3 lines (RED / BLUE / GREEN Line) starting from the Waikiki Shopping Plaza in a Hop-On-Hop-Off scheme.
Aloha Tower am Hafen.
Royal House, 417 King Street
Italy-Palast
Bernice P. Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street. E-Mail:
visitorexperience@bishopmuseum.org.
Diamond Head
Washington Place,
320 S Britannia St, Honolulu. Tel.: +1 808-536-804 , HI 96813, USA.
Hawaii Maritime Center, Dock 7, Honolulu harbor wikipedia.
National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punch Bowl), 2177 Puowaina Dr,
Honolulu. Tel.: +1 808-532-3720.
Waikiki Beach (The Strand von
Waikiki)
Waikīkī Aquarium, 2777 Kalakaua Ave. Tel.: +1
808-923-97412777. , Honolulu, HI 96815, USA.
Waikiki Shopping Plaza
Chinatown
King Kamehameha Statue
Honolulu Zoo Queen Kapi'olani
Park in Honolulu
Halo Blow Hole Lookout
Ala Moana Center
Waikiki Shingon Mission (buddhist. Tempel)
Manua Falls
Queen Emma
Summer Palace
Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona Memorial
Outdoor recreation
On land
Hawaii's year-round tropical weather
offers perfect running weather year-round, so bring your running shoes.
Kapiolani Park and Ala Moana Beach Park are where most joggers in
Honolulu congregate; the 4-mile loop around Diamond Head is also a
popular and scenic route. If you're looking for a challenge, Tantalus
Drive above Makiki is a winding, two-lane road that's relatively safe
for joggers. The Honolulu Marathon, held on the second Sunday of
December every year, is a massive event that draws between 20,000 and
25,000 runners annually.
Biking Honolulu's streets and bike paths
is a great way to see the city and stay in shape. There are several bike
shops in town that rent different types of bikes. You can also take
Highway 72 to Waimanolo, east of Honolulu if you want to drive on the
open road.
Ice skating is probably the last thing you'd expect in
a tropical city, but West Honolulu's Ice Palace is the perfect spot if
the hot climate is too much for you.
On the water
There are
great surfing beaches around Waikiki. For lessons, the beach boys give
daily private surfing lessons on Waikiki Beach. A one-hour lesson
includes lessons on land and in the water. The instructors teach
paddling, timing and balance techniques. Reservations are not required,
just report to the Waikiki Police Station at the Diamondhead Beach
booth. You can also try one of the many surf schools in Waikiki.
Performing Arts
In addition to the traditional luaus and hula shows,
Hawaii has a thriving scene of theaters, concerts, clubs, bars and other
events and entertainment. Honolulu has two major theater complexes. The
oldest and most popular is the Diamond Head Theater. It has been
entertaining audiences with Broadway-style performances since 1919 and
has been dubbed "The Broadway of the Pacific." Another theater is the
Hawaii Theater in Downtown Honolulu. It offers performances similar to
the Diamond Head Theater and has been performing since 1922. Additional
performances are also held at the Neil S. Blaisdell Arena and Concert
Hall and the Waikiki Shell.
There are several shopping centers in Honolulu ranging from the
typical large malls to unique areas popular with tourists. The
International Market Place in Waikiki is one such place, filled with
market stalls and shops set amidst a jungle-like backdrop of banyan
trees. Also in Waikiki are the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, the
duty-free T Galleria by DFS, and the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, which is
also very popular with tourists.
There are also some shops
downtown. The Aloha Tower Marketplace on the harbor front next to the
Aloha Tower is very popular with tourists. Between downtown and Waikiki
is the Ala Moana Center, the largest mall in Hawaii and the largest
open-air mall in the world. The Victoria Ward Centers are also located
there. For something truly unique, Chinatown has food and seafood
markets, as well as many lei (the ornamental flower lei) makers on the
street corners.
East Honolulu has several regional malls, Kahala
Mall and Koko Marina Center, with various large stores and movie
theaters. In western Honolulu, Aloha Stadium hosts the Aloha Stadium
Swap Meet every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, an opportunity to shop
at local merchants and artists and get things much cheaper than anywhere
else. Beyond western Honolulu in the suburb of Aiea is the Pearlridge
Center, the state's largest indoor mall, with the upscale outlet mall
Waikele Premium Outlets further afield in the suburb of Waipahu.
There are several places that stay open until 2am. Some are open until 4am. Most of Honolulu's bars and nightclubs are located along Kuhio Avenue.
It is unknown when Honolulu was first settled or when the name was
first used, but oral histories suggest that the area was first settled
by Polynesians in the 12th century. The Port of Honolulu is also called
"Kulolia" or "Ke Awa O Kou". The first European to reach Honolulu was
British Captain William Brown with his ship Butterworth; he came in 1794
and named the port "Fair Haven". Others also called it "Brown's
Harbour". Honolulu quickly became Hawaii's largest port. At that time
the trade in the wood of the sandalwood tree was important. Furthermore,
Honolulu was an important supply point for whalers. In 1845 Kamehameha
III. Honolulu the capital of the Kingdom of Hawai'i. It was also the
capital of the Republic and Territory of Hawaii and is still the capital
of the US state of Hawaii today.
Ten structures and sites in
Honolulu have National Historic Landmark status, including Pearl Harbor,
'Iolani Palace and the USS Arizona Shipwreck. The city has 103
structures and sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) as of November 2, 2018.
East of Honolulu is Diamond Head, 750 feet (232 m) high, made of
tuff. The mountain is the symbol of the city.
city outline
Honolulu is divided into 5 districts:
Downtown Honolulu: This
district, which includes historic Chinatown, is home to the island's
most important government and commercial buildings. It is also the
political and economic center of Honolulu. There are many attractions,
several museums, the Hawaii Theater and the tallest building in Hawaii.
The most important government buildings are the Hawaii State Capitol,
Washington Place and City Hall Honolulu Hale. Also in the historic
center is the statue of King Kamehameha I and the ʻIolani Palace.
Waikīkī: Waikiki is located directly on the sea and is framed in the
north by the Ala Wai Canal. To the east lies Diamond Head Crater.
Hotels, restaurants and bars are mainly located in the district.
Mānoa Makiki: The district borders downtown Honolulu to the north and
the terrain is more mountainous. The highlight of the landscape is the
extinct Punchbowl Crater. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is located
in Mānoa Makiki. This is the area where Barack Obama grew up.
Eastern
Honolulu: This region has many sandy beaches and rocky coastlines. It
consists of five residential areas and extends to the southeastern tip
of O'ahu. To the west are Waikiki and Diamond Head.
Western Honolulu:
This district is where the airport is located. It consists of three
residential areas. Here is the famous military port of Pearl Harbor.
Honolulu's climate is tropical with dry summers (April to September) and some rain in winter (October to March). However, one cannot speak of a rainy season. The number of sunshine hours is consistently high throughout the year, as is the temperature. The year-round maximum temperature is between 26.7 and 31.5 degrees, the minimum temperature is between 18.6 and 23.4 degrees. The lowest temperature ever measured was 13.3 degrees.[9] Even though Honolulu is in the tropics, hurricanes are very rare. The water temperature on the beaches of Honolulu is also consistently warm year-round and is at least 24 degrees even in winter.