Honolulu - The Heart Of Hawaii

Honolulu is the state capital of the state of Hawaii and is a census designated place CDP with the highest population of all the Hawaiian Islands. Honolulu is considered to be the whole area of the Hawaiian State, Oahu, but it is usually referred to as a city whose position is along Oahu's southern shore. Honolulu in the Hawaiian language means the sheltered bay or a place offering shelter. Honolulu was initially inhabited by the Polynesians and some evidences trace it back to the 12th century. It was when Kamehameha conquered the island of Oahu, that this place actually started developing. He had set up his court in Waikiki, a neighbourhood on the Oahu Island. His court was relocated in a due time and is now the downtown Honolulu. It became a commonplace for all the ships sailing between Asia and North America.

It is the only city which is incorporated in Hawaii State. All the other places fall under the jurisdiction of the local government and are under the City & County of Honolulu.

The Ala Moana Center of Honolulu stands as the largest shopping mall in the state of Hawaii. This mall attracts around 56 million tourists and is the busiest shopping center of this Island State. The Aloha Tower stands as a prime landmark for this port city. It is one of the most popular buildings and inaugurated in 1926. This is a lighthouse and is synonymous to the Statue Of Liberty in new York and welcomes millions of tourists round the year.

Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island alongside Hanauma bay are two of the most visited beaches here at Honolulu. The former stretches to an area of 100 acres in the center of Honolulu and Magic Island further stretch to around 30 acres. These are used as a beach, park and a picnic area by the visitors from all around the globe. This place is comprising of all the equipments to cater the needs of guests and locals.

Hanauma Bay is formed as a result of a collapsed volcano crater and boasts to be calm and a protected area. Ideally, this place is best suited to enjoy marine life and some exciting hiking as well. It is a one of the most crowded beaches as well and finding place to park your vehicle on the weekends is truly an ordeal in itself.

The Diamond Head is also one of the most visited places in Honolulu. This is a crater and is a declared United States State Monument. A part of this crater is out of the public reach as; it is used by the government of the United States as a platform for antennas. There are many luxurious hotels and resorts which make this place even more popular. One can reach the rim of the crater with a hike of around 1 mile. The whole of Waikiki and the panoramic view of the Pacific from the top of the crater make the whole hike really exciting and more than satisfying to say the least.

By Carson Tien