Page 52 - Pacifia Paradises - 2020

OAHU

exotic herb shops and see the famous open market. More than
Oahu suits beachcombers, honeymooners one million visitors a year experience a taste of old Polynesia and
and adventurers of all ages. the charm and beauty of the seven South Pacific villages at the
With its perfect weather, tropical flowers, pristine valleys, rainbows Polynesian Cultural Centre. While there, visit the Imax theatre,
and waterfalls, quiet beaches and fiery sunsets, it’s truly a jewel. experience a luau and see the spectacular Polynesian show.
Honolulu, the capital, is surrounded by beautiful white sandy beaches Take a nostalgic trip to Pearl Harbour where you can visit the USS
and attracts some seven million visitors each year. It offers plazas, Arizona Memorial or step aboard the USS Bowfin, a real WWII
five-star restaurants, nightclubs, world-class shopping, great art and submarine. You can learn more about this compelling wartime attack
architecture, exquisite hotels and friendly people with old fashioned by visiting the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Centre displaying WWII
Aloha spirit. Enjoy all the convenience of city living with the ambience naval history and see a film about the attack.
of the tropics.
Outdoor attractions include Sea Life Park on Oahu’s South East Shore
A great way to get an overview of Honolulu is to take the Historic which has the world’s only ‘wholpin’, offspring of a false killer whale
Waikiki Trolley Tour, a two-hour narrated tour on a turn-of-the- and an Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin. Waikiki Aquarium houses several
century designed trolley which stops every 15 minutes at 20 endangered and rare species, interactive exhibits and a world famous
locations allowing you to spend time at as many stops as you like collection of tropical fish.
before rejoining the route. Stops include Honolulu Zoo, Chinatown,
Aloha Tower Marketplace and the Hawaii Maritime Centre, At Waimea Valley Audubon Centre on the North Shore experience
King Kamehameha Statue, Restaurant Row and several Hawaiian cultural and ecological treasures in a natural park.
shopping locations. Numerous cruises offer the opportunity to see the spectacular
Waikiki/Honolulu coastline and whale watching cruises are a
There are more than a dozen specialised walking tours in Honolulu highlight in season. Another way to sightsee is in a glass-bottom
and many focus on historical sites such as the Kawaiaha`o Church, catamaran in Kaneohe Bay on Oahu’s East Coast, where you can
Hawaii’s oldest. Chinatown has many buildings with architecture enjoy the sail and make viewing stops along the coral reefs. A safe
reminiscent of a bygone era. Stroll through the arcades past the and interesting way to see the natural wonders of the reef is to take

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