Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [92]
A lazy day of lying on the beach here is really just the beginning of all the fun. When the sun sinks below the horizon, Waikiki becomes even more of a playground by night than it is by day. Let yourself be mesmerized by hula troupes performing on the beach or contemporary Hawaiian musical icons playing at oceanfront hotel bars. No matter where you go, Waikiki will put a spell on you.
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HISTORY
Fed by mountain streams from Manoa Valley, Waikiki (‘Spouting Water’) was once a fertile wetland of kalo lo′i (taro fields) and fishponds. In 1795 when Kamehameha the Great conquered O′ahu, he built his royal court here. For almost the next century, Waikiki was a privileged royal retreat. But by the 1880s, Honolulu’s wealthier citizens started building gingerbread-trimmed cottages along the narrow beachfront.
Tourism started booming in 1901, when the Moana opened its doors as Waikiki’s first luxury hotel, built on a former royal compound. A tram line was built to connect Waikiki with downtown Honolulu, and city folk crowded aboard for weekend beach outings. Tiring quickly of the pesky mosquitoes that thrived in Waikiki’s wetlands, early beachgoers petitioned to have the ‘swamps’ brought under control. In 1922 the Ala Wai Canal was dug to divert streams and dry out the wetlands.
Old Hawaii lost out: local farmers had the water drained out from under them and water buffaloes were quickly replaced by tourists. In 1927 the Royal Hawaiian Hotel opened to serve passengers arriving on luxury ocean liners from San Francisco. During WWII, this ‘Pink Palace’ was turned into an R&R playground for US sailors on shore leave. As late as 1950, surfers could still drive their cars right up onto Waikiki Beach and park on the sand.
By that time, passenger jets were making regularly scheduled flights to Hawaii, and tourism once again boomed along with the USA’s postwar prosperity, especially after statehood in 1959. Mass tourism landed in the 1960s and ’70s. Only a lack of available land finally halted Waikiki’s expansion at the end of the 1980s – the only place left to go was up, which is why so many high-rises cluster here today.
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ORIENTATION
Technically Waikiki is only a district of Honolulu. It’s bounded by the Ala Wai Canal, the ocean and Kapi‘olani Park. Three parallel roads cross Waikiki: Kalakaua Ave, the beach road; Kuhio Ave, the main drag for Waikiki’s buses; and Ala Wai Blvd, bordering the canal. This forms the tight nucleus of tourist hotels, restaurants and bars. Inland Kapahulu Ave and Monsarrat Ave have more local eateries and shops. In central Waikiki, walking along the beach and its paved seaside footpaths sometimes may be faster than navigating the overcrowded sidewalks of busy Kalakaua Ave.
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INFORMATION
Bookstores
Bestsellers (953-2378; Rainbow Bazaar, Hilton Hawaiian Village, 2005 Kalia Rd; 8am-10pm) Vends Hawaiiana books, travel guides and maps.
Borders Express (922-4154; Royal Hawaiian Center, 2201 Kalakaua Ave; 9:30am-9:30pm) A smaller but well-stocked version of Borders.
Emergency
Police, Fire & Ambulance (911) For all emergencies.
Police Substation (529-3801; 2405 Kalakaua Ave; 24hr) If you need help, or just friendly directions, there’s a small police station at Kuhio Beach.
Internet Access
There are lots of cybercafés along Kuhio Ave and inside the Lemon Rd backpacker hostels, but few offer wi-fi; surfing costs an average of $6 to $12 per hour. Many hotels have wired high-speed connections in guest rooms, but limited wi-fi only in the lobby or poolside areas; daily surcharges of around $10 may apply.
Caffe G (979-2299; 1888 Kalakaua Ave; per hr $6; 8am-10pm Mon-Fri, 10am-10pm Sat, 8:30am-10pm Sun) High-speed internet terminals with ethernet cables for