Hawaii - Honolulu

As the only US city located in the tropics, the only one with a royal palace and the only one that can claim an equal blend of Western, Asian and Polynesian influences, Honolulu offers visitors a cornucopia of cross-cultural attractions.

Honolulu is a harbor city at the southern end of Oahu, the most visited island of the Hawaiian archipelago.

The city lies 2550 miles (4100km) southwest of Los Angles; 3860 miles (6220km) southeast of Tokyo; 5060 miles (8150km) northeast of Sydney; and 1470 miles (2370km) north of the equator. Not surprisingly, it's a major hub for trans-Pacific air travel.

Downtown Honolulu contains all Oahu's state and federal government buildings, including the state capitol and Iolani Palace, once home to Hawaii's last few monarchs and still the only royal palace in the USA. Chinatown is a few blocks northwest of the palace; the Aloha Tower and cruise ship terminals are a few blocks west. Southeast of downtown, Waikiki is the epicenter of all things touristic: all the big resorts and much of the city's nightlife are found here. Just southeast of Waikiki, 760ft (230m) Diamond Head rises up as the city's favorite geological landmark. All of these sites are within the boundaries of greater Honolulu.

Honolulu'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 area boasts hundreds of surfing locales, the most famous of which lies Oahu's North Coast.

The best spot for snorkeling close to Waikiki Beach is Sans Souci Beach. Hanauma Bay in southeastern Oahu is better still. Oahu's best dive sites are between Hanauma Bay and Honolulu. The optimum time to explore them is between December and March. Windsurfers flock to Fort DeRussy Beach, at the western end of Waikiki.

The trail to the top of Diamond Head is a favorite route for hiking, as are the Manoa Falls Trail and the Tantalus and Makiki Valley network of trails, about 2 miles (3.2km) north of downtown Honolulu.

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