Best Time to Go
The weather is almost always perfect in Honlulu. Hurricanes do not hit often. Hurricane season runs from June to November so check the news before traveling to see if an infrequent storm is forthcoming. November to March gets the most rain. April, May, September and October have gorgeous weather and a fewer tourists than the summer months.

Average Weather
The average high temperature year-round is always in the 80s. Average lows stay in the 60s and 70s. December is the month with the most rainfall, averaging close to four inches for the month. During June, July, August and September less than one inch of rain falls.

Transportation
After arrival you’ll have several options on offer to get around town. The BUS (call 808 296-1818 for recorded information) will take you around the whole island for $1. A visitor's pass, available at ABC stores, costs $10 for four days of unlimited travel. All the major car rental companies have airport locations. The Waikiki Trolley runs around Waikiki and downtown Honolulu, stopping every 40 minutes at 12 key places: Hilton Hawaiian Village; Iolani Palace; Wo Fat's in Chinatown; the State Capitol; King Kamehameha's Statue; the Mission House Museum; Aloha Tower; Honolulu Academy of Arts; Hawaii Maritime Museum; Ward Center; Fisherman's Wharf; and Restaurant Row. A one-day pass lets you hop off and on as much as you like. It’s priced at $17 for adults, $5 for children under 12. The best bargain is the five-day pass costing $30 for adults and $10 for under 12s.

In-Season Costs
There is a lot to see and do on the city streets without spending a dime. Museums are reasonable; most costing in the $5 to $8 range for adult admission. Budget about $15 a day for sightseeing and sodas when you take a break. Many moderately priced and inexpensive restaurants call Honolulu home so you can easily eat well for fewer than $15 at dinnertime. Lodging comes in all price ranges -- from functional hostels with dorm style accommodations to luxury hotels --- the best way to avoid disappointment and stay within your budget is to book well in advance. Expect to pay around $130 for a business class hotel in a good location.

Day Trips
The rest of the island of Oahu is accessible via The BUS. On the North Shore you’ll find a designated historic site, Haleiwa, an old sugar plantation town. On the southeast shore you’ll see Diamond Head Lookout, where the view is spectacular and Ka Iwi, a popular body-boarding beach. Waikiki is a popular destination for visitors to the island. If you are traveling with kids you may want to check out Sea Life Park; it’s an amusement park, not an aquarium. Even without kids you may enjoy the Dole Pineapple Plantation, on Kamehameha Hwy. Call 808/621-8408 for information.

Hiking Diamond Head
by Lottie Tagupa

Yes, you have seen it in the movies, on TV and on postcards. It is the dormant volcano known to ancient Hawaiians as Leahi, and more recently to locals as Kaimana Hila. Today it is the icon of all things Hawaii and it dominates the skyline of south shore Oahu. It also happens to be where one of the most popular hiking trails in Hawaii is located.

The trail is scenic, adventurous and best of all free. This trail is popular, often crowded and paved for family hikers. The gates are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the best time to avoid the crowds and heat is in the early morning or late afternoon. Midday is nice too, especially, if you pack along a lunch to enjoy at the summit, or even under the trees at the trailhead. Bring your camera, a bottle of water, sun block and a small flashlight to keep you on track through those old World War bunkers.

To get to the trailhead from Waikiki you can drive along Kalakaua Avenue to Monserrat Avenue. This street begins at the zoo entrance and continues past the Waikiki Shell parking lot. The Waikiki Shell will be on your right. Drive past the Waikiki Shell, continue about two miles past Kapiolani Community College until you find the Diamond Head entrance sign on your right, which is just before the 18th Avenue intersection. Turn right at the sign and proceed up the road through the tunnel and into the parking lot ahead. Remember to lock your car and DO NOT LEAVE ANY VALUABLES in it. Also, remember that any cars remaining in the parking lot after 7 p.m. will be towed away.

If driving is not your deal, then feel free to catch the bus. From Kuhio Avenue, board the #58 or #22 Hawaii Kai-Sea Life Park to the crater entrance at Diamond Head Road and 18th Avenue. To return, stand on Diamond Head Road and wait for the #58 Waikiki-Ala Moana or #22 Waikiki Beach and Hotels bus. Buses run about every 30 minutes. Once there, you will find the trailhead to the left of the restrooms that are located at the far side of the parking lot.

It is .7 miles, or about an hour, to the summit and about a half-hour for the return. The trail climbs the inside slope of the volcano steadily for about .6 miles, then steeply upward through a series of stairs and tunnels. The first staircase has 79 stairs and the last has 99. About halfway through the first set, I was glad that I had been a regular in a step class at my local gym. The second set continued from a long straight staircase tunnel into a spiral onward and upward into an old, dark World War II bunker. Then, just when you think you can't take it anymore, the stairs end, and the magnificent vistas become visible all around you. You feel like you're on the top of the island. From the summit, you are able to enjoy the view not only of the entire south shore of Oahu, but as you turn around there are wonderful mauka or mountain vistas as well. In the distance, there are views of Maui and Molokai, too.

Take the time to sit, relax and enjoy this view from such a world-famous volcano, one where Hawaiians of old worshiped the beauty and bounty of the islands, where sailors were said to have found diamonds and where the U.S. troops sat entrenched in their bunkers to defend the freedom of the United States. Not bad for a short, free hike!

Sightseeing Oahu the Trolley Way

Honolulu is Hawaii's largest city, and with a population of more than 800,000, Oahu is certainly a bustling urban area complete with incredible traffic congestion. Therefore a rental car is not recommended while visiting this island. However, getting around the island is not a problem. One of the best ways for those who are interested in a simplified method of getting to all the hot spots on Oahu is by the Waikiki Trolley. The vehicles are new, open-air cable car style trolleys that operate along three lines along the south shore of Oahu. The three lines are designed by activity: shopping; sightseeing; and dining and ocean coast.

The Red line or Sightseeing line operates between 8:30 a.m. and 6:50 p.m. every 20 minutes on a circuit that begins at the main depot at Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and makes stops at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, the State Capitol Building, Chinatown, Aloha Tower, Dole Cannery, Bishop Museum, Kamehameha Statue, Foster Botanical Garden, Hawaii Maritime Center, Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium. This line is especially well designed for the average person to get around the downtown and harbor areas of Honolulu. There you can visit the Iolani Palace, the Hawaii State Library, eat in Chinatown and enjoy the shops at the Aloha Tower or see a movie at Dole Cannery. A good time to take this trolley is on Fridays when you can enjoy a lunchtime concert at Tamarind Park in the heart of downtown Honolulu.

The Yellow or Shopping and Dining line operates between 8:30 a.m. and 11:35 p.m. every 10-20 minutes beginning at the main depot at Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and makes stops at Niketown, All Star Café, Hard Rock Café, Hilton Hawaiian Village, where you can shop and dine at Bali by the Sea, Benihana of Tokyo or Kobe Steak House, Ward Centre where you will find many fine wonderful shops and restaurants such as Borders Books, A Pacific Café Oahu, Scoozies, Kua Aina Sandwiches and more. There is also a stop at Ward Warehouse where you can find the Old Spaghetti House, Stuart Andersons and many smaller and unique boutiques. Ward Warehouse is across the street from Sports Authority and Kewalo Basin where many dinner cruise and deep sea fishing boats are located.

The Blue or Ocean Coast Line operates between 8:30 a.m. and 7:12 p.m. once every 60 minutes from the main depot at Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and continues eastward along Waikiki making stops at Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Aquarium, Kahala Mall which is wonderful suburban shopping mall, third largest in Hawaii where you will find California Pizza Kitchen, Tower Records, many movie theaters, Barnes and Noble Booksellers enclosed in a two level enclosed and air conditioned shopping mall. The line continues along Kalanianaole Highway to Koko Marina Shopping Center, Hanauma Bay, Sea Life Park, and the Blow Hole. This is a great way to access the eastern side of Oahu without the long, slow ride on the city bus.

As of July 12, 1999, fares for the one-day or four-day passes include unlimited travel on the yellow line. One-day passes for either the red line or the blue line are $18 per person, $8 for children age 11 years and under. A one-day pass for all lines is $30 and $10 for children 11 and under. A four-day pass on the red and blue line is $30 and $10 for children 11 and under. An all line 4-day pass is $42 and $12 for children 11 and under.