(The following information is for references only. It may be not accurate since posted. Please check other sources too. Yelp has more accurate and updated information.)

A few tips:

(1) Please put on a lot of sunblock, as much as you would. The weather is nice, but the sun is extra strong too. Please re-apply after being two or three hours under the sun, especially after you have been in the water. Looking like a red lobster with shining “yellow pearl” on you is no fun. Trust me, I had some. My friends read this page, and still had some under the Dec sun. !_!

(2) Please drink a lot of water. So you can keep up with the sun and enjoy your stay.

(3) Please bring water gears: UV-protection rash guard (a special T-shirt), swim goggles, and fins will help you enjoy the ocean water.

(4) Waterproof camera is a super! (You can also get water proof camera cases for your regular cameras.)

(5) Please fresh up your swimming skills. Otherwise, you will miss a lot fun.

(6) Safety: before entering water, check the signs posted on beaches or check with lifeguards. Rip currents or Riptides are the No.1 danger for swimmers. If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore to get out of it. It is usually less than 100-yard wide. Then, swim towards the shore. Shark attacks are rare in Hawaii, about one to six per year and more around Maui. Consider millions of visitors per year, it almost likes winning a lottery. Not swim in murky water, or at dawn or dusk, or with an open wound. Then you will only see sharks in aquariums.

Local Transportation          Uber Lyft       The Cab          The Bus          Honolulu Airport

Local Newspapers                The Honolulu Advertiser  

Local Hospitals                     The Queen's Medical Center  Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children

Hotels. Waikiki has one of the best beaches; so, most hotels are at Waikiki, Honolulu, HI 96815. You can find reasonable good hotels below $100, (e.g., from hotels.com) which are a few blocks away from the beach. Beach front hotels are much more expensive. Since Waikiki is not very large, you basically can walk to the beach from any hotels at Waikiki in a few blocks. Waikiki is a safe tourist place, if you don’t stay on streets until 2 am. (The first big house on the west of Kuhio Beach Park is a police station. ^_^) There are with all kinds of restaurants and activities in walking distances. If this is your first visit or without a car, I suggest you stay at Waikiki.

Car Rental. Try priceline.com. costcotravel.com also have good deals. Waikiki hotels may charge you parking per day. Uber/Lyft works well near town.

I have visited some of the following places, or heard good words about the other places. There are still many wonderful places to explore. ^_*

• Hanauma Bay, Oahu. America’s Best Beach 2004, by Dr. Beach. A unique place, no special skills required: just not afraid of water. Buses and shuttles are available to Hanauma Bay from most hotels at Waikiki. The parking lots will be quickly full in the morning. So, try to go early in the morning (e.g., someone says before 8am) or after 3pm. You need to watch a short education video before you enter water. An entry fee for non Hawaiian residents. You need a waterproof camera. My Photos .

• Lyon Arboretum, Oahu. It is amazing if you are not from tropical areas. All kinds of flowers/plants I never saw before.  My Photos

• Oahu's Guarded Beaches

  • America’s Best Beach 1998, Kailua Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii

  • America’s Best Beach 1996, Lanikai Beach, Oahu, Hawaii. Lanikai  means  "heavenly sea" in the Hawaiian language.

  •  Kapiolani Park, Oahu, Hawaii. Favors of locals; hard to find parking in weekends; unless you go early morning or late afternoon.

  • Magic Island and Ala Moana Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii. Favors of locals; hard to find parking in weekends; unless you go early morning or late afternoon.

  • Waimea Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii.

  • Bellows Field Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii. You can only go on weekends.

  • 10 Best Beaches In Hawaii

• Honolulu Botanical Gardens

• Tantalus Drive and Roundtop Drive

• Diamond Head State Monument. There is a easy hike to the top of the Diamond Head. Great views. (Never being there, heard good words from people.)

• Pearl Harbor. It is a national park, free for visit. But you need to get in line to get tickets. It is suggested to go early. See photos for hours. If your goal is sightseeing, Pearl Harbor may be not your top choice, unless you like to pay respect to the falling ones or fascinate about the history. (You probably see the most from photos already.) If you have a short stay, just let them rest in peace, avoid the crowd, and spend more time under the sun or in water.

• Sea Life Park Hawaii, good for young kids. (Never being there, just heard good words from people.)

• Winter Fun

  • Whale Watch: winter time, Dec to April. http://www.hawaiiactive.com/oahu/home.html

  • North Shore, huge waves in winter. The following photo was taken at Waimea Bay, before a Pro. Surf Contest, about 200 meter offshore. Dudes who did not get the invitations to the contest tried to get attentions on a 25-foot wave before the contest started.

  • Be careful when you are close to shore in winter time. Never turn your back to the ocean. Freak waves could pull people into the water and cause serious injuries. It happens to many people.

• Surf Report, if you enjoy real surfing on water. http://www.surfnewsnetwork.com/

• Hiking Trails: Rainbows are almost in your touch on the ridges. Retreat immediately when it rains. It could become slippery very quick. Stay on the trails all the time. Volcanic rocks are often hollow and easy to slide. http://www.hawaiitrails.org/home.asp

•  Other Attractions

  • Bishop Museum, Hawaiian History

  • The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, a beautiful place for lunch. Call to reserve seats first.

  • Hawaii State Capital

  • Honolulu China Town. When you are hungry. Restaurants there are good and much cheaper compared with restaurants at Waikiki. Although it is called China Town, but not only Chinese foods there. Many different styles.

  • Ala Moana Shopping Center: the biggest shopping mall in Hawaii. Many fancy shops and restaurants.

  • Swap Meet, for souvenirs. Wed, Sat & Sun 6am-3pm. you will find local crafts, Aloha Stadium, Oahu. http://www.alohastadiumswapmeet.net/

• Interesting sightseeing points: you can find the direction to on the Google map.

  • Pali Lookout: You can see almost half of the North Shore.

  • Manoa lookout at Puu Ualakaa State Wayside Park: You can see the most of the South shore, including the entire Honolulu City.

  • Makapuu Point State Wayside: a easy hike with pavement. You may see whales on the shore in winter.

  • Laniakea, Oahu, http://www.turtles.org/laniakea.htm. You can see turtles resting on the beach up close. Hawaiian State law prohibit touching or chasing them.

  • Iolani Palace, http://www.iolanipalace.org/

Other Web sites

• Hawaii Vacation Guide, http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/index.html

• Visiting Hawaii, http://pahoehoe.ehawaii.gov/portal/visiting/

• http://www.discoverhawaiitours.com/

• In case that you forget carrying something with you, WalMart, 700 Keeaumoku St, Honolulu, HI 96814, (808) 955-8441

(To be updated.)