Honolulu

Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii and the most remote major city on Earth from any other land, is a tropical Polynesian city of 390,000 people on the south shore of Oahu — a place where Polynesian, Asian and American cultures have blended over centuries to produce a distinctive Hawaiian culture expressed in aloha spirit, extraordinary food, surfing heritage and some of the most beautiful natural environments in the Pacific. Waikiki Beach, with Diamond Head crater rising behind it, is the defining Hawaiian image — a long beach backed by hotels and resort infrastructure that is genuinely beautiful despite the crowds. The Bishop Museum (the world's finest Polynesian cultural and natural history museum) and the Honolulu Museum of Art (with an excellent Asian and Hawaiian art collection) provide the cultural depth the resorts lack. Pearl Harbor National Memorial — the USS Arizona Memorial directly above the sunken battleship — is one of America's most moving historical sites; reserve timed entry early. Beyond Waikiki, Honolulu reveals itself as a genuinely diverse and interesting city. Chinatown is excellent for food (fresh poke, dim sum, Korean, Vietnamese). The North Shore of Oahu (1 hour drive) has legendary surf breaks (Pipeline, Sunset Beach) and the Polynesian Cultural Center. The Nuuanu Pali Lookout gives spectacular windward coast views. Hawaiian food — loco moco, plate lunch, spam musubi, shave ice, malasadas, fresh ahi poke — is genuinely excellent. Year-round warm weather; winter brings heavy swells to the North Shore surf.