The wonders of Waikiki are seemingly never-ending, from wonderful restaurants to hopping night life and great shows – and don’t forget the beautiful beaches.
Top 10 highlights of visiting Waikiki
Damien Museum (808-923-2690; 130 Ohua Avenue)
Honoring the selfless service of Father Damien (Joseph Damien DeVeuster), the Damien Museum features photographs, artifacts, videos and even some of Damien’s personal effects.
Father Damien volunteered to help victim’s of leprosy, or Hansen’s Disease, in 1873 and traveled to the Kalaupapa Peninsula to offer his service. He die there 16 years later after succumbing to the disease. He is now referred to as the “Martyr of Molokai” and has been formally recognized as a Saint Damien by the Vatican.
Kapiolani Beach Park and Diamond Head
The huge grass lawns of Kapiolani Park are populated by picnickers, soccer players, frisbee players, sun worshippers, and athletes of all sorts. Fronting this wonderful expanse of grass and coconut palm trees is a great bodyboarding area and a popular surfing spot offshore called Publics.
Nearby is the Queen’s Surf Pavilion where there are showers and restrooms as well as food available at the Beach House.
Above it all looms the formidable peak of Diamond Head State Monument. A short but steep trail to the summit is about 1½ miles long and climbs 560 feet including several flights of stairs and some tunnels. The spectacular view from the top is well worth the effort.
Waikīkī Aquarium (808-923-9741; 2777 Kalakaua Avenue)
This wonderful little aquarium was founded in 1904 and is now the third oldest aquarium in the United States. Thousands of species are on display including every type of marine life from jellyfish to sharks and eels, and there are some great interactive exhibits for kids
U.S. Army Museum (808-438-2821; Battery Randolph, Kalia Road, Fort DeRussy)
The history of the United States Army is on display in this wonderful little museum in a structure that was once part of a coastal defense system of Honolulu.
On display are many artifacts including exhibits that honor the brave fighting of the many Hawaii soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battallion and the valorous 442 Purple Heart Battallion in World War II. Also on display are World War II tanks.
Other displays at the U.S. Army Museum include items from other U.S. wars, and there are also ancient Hawaiian weapons such as shark-tooth clubs.
The U.S. Army Museum is open from 10 to 4:15 from Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is free. Fort DeRussy Beach includes huts that rent water sports equipment, and grass and shady trees border the beach.
International Market Place (2330 Kalakaua Avenue)
With performance areas for music and hula, great shopping, and tree-lines pathways amidst ponds, the renovated International Marketplace is a great place to experience Waikiki. This area used to be the garden of Queen Emma.
Waikiki Beach
The haven of surfers, canoe paddlers, swimmers, sunbathers, stand up paddlers, and other beach lovers, Waikiki Beach is ground zero of Waikiki fun. From the sunrise to the sunset this beach offers an enjoyable Waikiki experience.
Kuhio Beach and the Kahuna Stones (Wizard Stones)
This lovely beach on Kalakaua Avenue area was once the home of the beloved Prince Kuhio who was a delegate to the United States Congress. His home fronted the beach here but was torn down in 1936.
Prince Kuhio donated this beach area to the city when he passed away. Pavilions along the sidewalk area are popular among chess and cribbage players.
Kapahulu Groin at the eastern end of Kuhio Beach Park extends out into the water and is popular place for body boarders. A breakwater extending from the Groin parallell to the beach is a great place to watch the surfers and bodyboarders.
These four large boulders are known as Na Pohaku Ola Kapaemahu A Kapuni – The Stones of Life – and are said to hold the secret healing forces of four Tahitian healers who transferred their powers into the boulders before leaving Hawaii. They were placed on a stone platform in front of Kuhio Beach in 1997.
Kahanamoku Beach
Located at the western end of Waikiki in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel, this beach is named after famed surfer and Olympic champion Duke Kahanamoku. The beach includes a pier and a breakwater creating a nice swimming area safe from the open ocean. Grassy areas along the beach are ideal for relaxing.
Statues of Waikiki
One of the wonderful things about Honolulu and Waikiki are the many statutes of historic figures. On the corner of Kanekapolei and Kuhio Streets in Waikiki is a lovely 7-foot bronze sculpture of Princess Kaiulani as she holds her hand out to a peacock, which as her favorite bird.
On the east side of the Waikiki Beach Center is a 9-foot statue of renowned surfer and Olympic champion Duke Kahanamoku, who also appeared in about 30 movies during his Hollywood career. Duke was sherfiff of Honolulu from 1934 to 1960, and was later designated as Hawaii’s “Ambassador of Aloha.”
On the makai (seaward) side of Kalakaua Avenue near Ohua Avenue is a wonderful statue of Prince Kuhio, Hawaii’s last designated heir to the throne. After the overthrow of the monarchy Prince Kuhio became a delegate to the United States Congress and served in that role for 20 years.
Hawaii Convention Center (943-3500; 1801 Kalakaua Avenue)
Just over the Ala Wai Bridge from the main hustle and bustle of Waikiki, the Hawaii Convention Center is a remarkable edifice of glass and columns including in excess of one million square feet of meeting space. Tours of the center are offered twice a week, including many wonderful works of art.
Shopping, Restaurants, and Entertainment
All along Kalakaua Avenue are a glorious array of shops of all types, from the most upscale high-end fashion boutiques to shops that are entertaining and enjoyable for all ages. When it comes to food you can find every type of cuisine along the Waikiki beachfront. It would take many days to visit all of the wonderful shopping opportunities and delicious foods available in Waikiki.
Musicians are seen at many of these venues, and every evening you can see some of the best local musicians playing at the various hotels and clubs, often in outdoor settings by the sea providing for unforgettable Waikiki nights.