Around the time the first Europeans laid eyes on the archipelago, the Hawaiian Islands were under the control of a handful of chiefs who were fighting for dominance of the island chain. One of the main contenders was Kamehameha the Great, chief of the island of Hawaii. In 1795, Kamehameha swept through Maui and Molokai, conquering those islands before crossing the channel to O'ahu. On the quiet beaches of Waikiki, he landed his fleet of canoes and marched to meet the king of O'ahu. Under Kamehameha's command, a handful of Western sharpshooters picked off the O'ahuan generals and blasted into their ridgetop defenses. Kamehameha's taking of O'ahu marked Hawaii's emergence as a united kingdom. As foreign ships found their way to Honolulu, the port became a focal point for merchant ships plying the seas between North America and Asia. In 1809, Kamehameha moved his royal court from Waikiki to the Honolulu Harbor area, which by then was a village of almost 1800 people. Intent on keeping an eye on all the trade that flowed in and out of the harbour, Kamehameha firmly established Honolulu as Hawaii's centre of commerce. By 1820, whaling ships plying the Pacific had begun to pull into Honolulu for supplies, liquor and women. To meet their needs, taverns and brothels sprang up around the harbour. Much to the ire of the whalers, their arrival was soon followed by that of Christian missionaries, who befriended Hawaiian royalty and made swift inroads. After Queen Kaahumanu became seriously ill, Sybil Bingham, one of the chief missionaries' wife, nursed the queen back to health. Kaahumanu showed her gratitude by passing a law forbidding work and travel on the Sabbath. In time, the missionaries gained enough influence with Hawaiian royalty to have more effective laws enacted against drunkenness and prostitution. By the peak whaling years of the mid-1800s, most whaling boats had abandoned Honolulu, preferring to land in Lahaina on Maui, where life was not so wholesome. Back in missionary hands, downtown Honolulu soon became the headquarters for the emerging corporations that eventually gained control of Hawaii's commerce. It's no coincidence that their lists of corporate board members - Alexander, Baldwin, Cooke and Dole - read like a roster from the first mission ships. In 1845, the last son of Kamehameha the Great, Kamehameha III, moved the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii from Maui to Honolulu. Here, Kamehameha III established Hawaii's first national legislature, provided for a Supreme Court and passed the Great Mahele land act, which established religious freedom and gave all male citizens the right to vote. In an 1853 census, Honolulu registered 11,450 residents, a full 15% of the Hawaiian kingdom's population. In the decades that followed, Honolulu began to take on a modern appearance as the monarchy erected a number of stately buildings in the city centre, including St Andrew's Cathedral, 'Iolani Palace and the Supreme Court building Aliiolani Hale. By the mid-19th century, Honolulu had a prominent foreign community comprised largely of American and British expatriates. As the city continued to grow, Westerners increasingly wrested control over island affairs from the Hawaiians. King David Kalakaua, who reigned from 1874 to 1891, was Hawaii's last king. A great Hawaiian revivalist, he brought back the hula, reversing decades of missionary repression against the 'heathen dance', and composed the national anthem, Hawaii Ponoi, which is now the state song. To many influential whites, however, the king was perceived as a lavish spender, too fond of partying and throwing public luaus. As Kalakaua incurred debts, he became increasingly unpopular with the sugar barons whose businesses were now the backbone of the economy. They formed the Hawaiian League in 1887 and developed their own armies which stood ready to overthrow the kingdom. In January 1893, Kalakaua's sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani, was preparing to proclaim a new constitution strengthening the throne when a group of armed US businessmen occupied the Supreme Court and declared the monarchy overthrown. They announced a provisional government, led by Sanford Dole, son of a pioneer missionary, and immediately appealed to Washington for annexation, while the queen appealed to the same powers to restore the monarchy. Democrat president Grover Cleveland ordered that the US flag be taken down and the queen restored to her throne. However, the provisional government turned a deaf ear, declaring that Cleveland was meddling in 'Hawaiian' affairs.

The Spanish-American War of 1898 and the acquisition of the Philippines marked the arrival of American expansionism in the Pacific. In short order, the annexation of Hawaii was adopted by the US Congress and, in 1900, US President McKinley appointed Sanford Dole the first governor of the Territory of Hawaii. Soon after annexation, the US Navy set up a huge Pacific headquarters at Pearl Harbor and in central O'ahu built Schofield Barracks, the largest US military base anywhere. The military quickly became the leading sector of O'ahu's economy. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese staged a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that sank or seriously damaged 21 ships, killed more than 2300 people and catapulted the USA into the war. After the smoke cleared, Hawaii was placed under martial law and O'ahu took on the face of a military camp. Already heavily militarised, vast tracts of O'ahu's land were turned over to the US armed forces for expanded military bases, training and weapons testing. Much of that land has yet to be returned. On August 21, 1959, after 61 years of territorial status and following a currently contested plebiscite in which 90% of islanders voted for statehood, Hawaii became the 50th state of the USA, with Honolulu as its capital.

Today, Honolulu is home to people from throughout the Pacific - it has no ethnic majority. It's also the state's centre of business, culture and politics, in addition to being one of the world's prime tourist destinations.

Honolulu is a relatively safe destination for travellers, and locals go out of their way to ensure it stays that way. Overall, violent crime is lower in Hawaii than in most mainland US cities. Visitors have been known to be stung by scams involving fake activity-operator booths and timeshare booths. Salespeople at the latter will offer you all sorts of deals, from free luaus to sunset cruises, if you'll just come to hear their 'no obligation' pitch.Rip-offs from parked rental cars are another common annoyance. It can happen within seconds, whether from a secluded parking area at a trailhead or from a crowded parking lot. Best not to leave anything valuable in your car at any time. Many locals leave their car doors unlocked all the time to avoid paying for broken windows.

Honolulu's and Waikiki's beaches are good for swimming year round, though the surf can get rough from June to August. If crashing waves are what brought you here, the island boasts hundreds of surfing locales smack dab in Waikiki or along the famed North Shore. There are also plenty of spots for boogie boarding, bodysurfing, windsurfing, snorkelling and diving.

Considered the finest Polynesian cultural-and natural-history museum in the world, the Bishop Museum is Hawaii's version of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. The museum was originally founded in 1889 in honor of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a descendant of the Kamehameha family, and originally housed only Hawaiian and royal artifacts.

1525 Bernice St

Kalihi

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.bishopmuseum.org

open hours:09:00-17:00

Diamond Head is a tuff cone - a hill composed of compacted volcanic ash - formed by a violent steam explosion deep beneath the island's surface long after most of O'ahu's volcanic activity had stopped. Its peak provides a majestic backdrop to the flair of Waikiki.

Diamond Head Crater

nr Waikiki

Kaalawai

open hours:06:00-18:00

prices:

A long-overdue addition to Honolulu's museum scene, Hawai'i State Art Museum showcases the best of traditional and contemporary art from Hawaii's diverse ethnic artistic community. A variety of artistic styles are on display, from fine art and sculpture to contemporary photography and mixed-media. Revolving exhibits reveal how a blending of Western, Asian and traditional Pacific folk-art forms have shaped a unique island aesthetic.

250 S Hotel St

Downtown

Capitol District Bldg

2nd fl

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.hawaii.gov/sfca

A historic house museum where royalty feasted and plots and counterplots simmered.'Iolani was the residence of King Kalakaua and Queen Kapi'olani from 1882 to 1891, and of Queen Lili'uokalani for two years after that. At this time, much of the Hawaiian monarchy observed the diplomatic protocols of the Victorian world. The king traveled abroad meeting with leaders around the globe and received many foreign emissaries in 'Iolani Palace.

S King St & Richard St

Downtown

telephone or fax: 

The busy and colourful Chinatown district was settled around 1860 by Chinese immigrants who had worked off their sugarcane plantation contracts. Its bustling heart is the 1904 O'ahu Market, where you can get tattooed, consult with an herbalist, explore the temples and antique shops or eat at inexpensive restaurants.

Immediately north of downtown Honolulu

Chinatown

Kekaulike St & N King St

This beachside courtyard is Waikiki's most popular venue for contemporary Hawaiian music. There's entertainment featuring the biggest names - including Kapena and Henry Kapono. It's a great scene with lots of drunken souvenir photo-taking and vacationland camaraderie. The food ain't bad either.

2335 Kalakaua Ave

at the Outrigger Waikiki

Waikiki

telephone or fax: 

open hours:07:00-22:00

A happening bar in the middle of a shopping center? We don't make the trends, we just report them, and during Friday happy hours this suburban-style bar is packed with a see-and-flirt crowd. It has consistently won people's choice awards in various bar surveys, thanks to easy parking and access to retail therapy.

Ala Moana Center

1450 Ala Moana Blvd

Ala Moana

telephone or fax: 

open hours:11:00-01:00

There's nothing like lying on a beach all day to make you feel like dancing all night. Near the university, Anna Bannanas is a good weekend dance spot with rock and reggae bands. This place has been here for around 30 years so they must be doing something right.

Moiliili

2440 S Beretania St

telephone or fax: 

open hours:21:00-02:00

A downscale sister of upscale 3660 On the Rise, Kaka'ako uses the same fresh ingredients and creative flair in a plate-lunch presentation: Styrofoam container, outdoor seating and plastic utensils. Local favorites include shoyu chicken, wild salmon or ginger-sake 'ahi steak with your choice of brown or white rice and an organic salad.

Ward Centre

1200 Ala Moana Blvd

Ala Moana

telephone or fax: 

There aren't many drive-ins left in the world, and this old-fashioned survivor is an only-in-Hawaii subset. From the takeaway counter, construction workers and gangly teens order all the local favorites: chili served over rice, teriyaki burgers and saimin (local-style noodle soup).

Waikiki

cnr Kapahulu & Kanaina Aves

telephone or fax: 

open hours:07:30-21:00

This is one of your best options for an atmospheric night out. The Banyan Veranda, at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, has an international sunset buffet with live Hawaiian music, so you can chow down as well as get down.

2365 Kalakaua Ave

Waikiki

Sheraton Moana Surfrider

telephone or fax: 

Hawaii's State Capital building, in Honolulu, was completed in March 1969. It features two legislative chambers shaped like volcano cones, and is surrounded by columns built to look like palm tree trunks.

Honolulu is a major Pacific hub and an intermediate stop on many flights between the US mainland and Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Passengers on any of these routes are usually allowed to make a stopover in Honolulu, and because of Hawaii's central Pacific location, Honolulu can be included on most round-the-world and Circle Pacific tickets. There are frequent flights from Honolulu to the Neighbor Islands of Maui, Kaua'i, the Big Island, Moloka'i and Lanai. There are several Hawaii-bound cruises that dock in Honoluu: the Royal Caribbean International operates Rhapsody Of The Seas from Ensenada, Mexico, and Radiance of the Seas from Los Angeles, California; Norwegian Cruise Line operates Pride of America and Pride of Aloha, both inter-island cruises; and Cunard's Queen Elizabeth II, which sets sail from San Francisco, California.Would-be smugglers should know that all luggage and carry-on bags leaving or entering Honolulu for the US mainland are checked by an agricultural inspector using an X-ray machine. You can take out pineapples and coconuts, but most other fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers are banned. Seeds, fruits and plants that have been certified and labelled for export aren't a problem. There are no departure taxes to pay when leaving Hawaii.

TheBus is Honolulu's public bus network. Its routes branch across the island, with each line's destination written above the bus' windshield. The Ala Moana Center is the central transfer point. O'ahu is not a big island, and few places are more than an hour's drive from Honolulu. If you plan on spending all your time in the resorts of Waikiki, forget about renting, but if you plan to get beyond the city limits, a car is the easiest way to do it. Taxis wait at most major downtown hotels and at the airport. Otherwise, you'll need to phone for a cab. Bikes are available for rent in Honolulu and Waikiki, and most bike shops provide maps, helmets and locks.