"Have you ever been to Tahiti?" - Asked the cartoon parrot Kesha. Let's continue his monologue: “Do you know where Honolulu is? In which country?" In our minds, Honolulu is associated with the azure tropical sea, snow-white beaches and slender palm trees. And we are right in this. Because Honolulu is a city in the Hawaiian archipelago. But the answer to the question of which state it belongs to may surprise you. United States of America! Yes Yes. The inhabitants of Honolulu consider Washington to be their capital (and, according to the 2010 census, there are about four hundred thousand people). Although this city can not be called a backwater either. After all, it is the capital of the whole state of Hawaii. And of course, the tourist mecca. Read about sunny Honolulu in this article.
Geographic location
The archipelago of Hawaii lies in tropical latitudesbetween 19 and 22 degrees north latitude and near the 160th meridian west longitude. The islands are washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The capital city of the Hawaiian archipelago is Honolulu. Where is the capital of this US state? It lies on the southern edge of the third largest island in the archipelago and the most populated island of Oahu. The very name Honolulu (Honolulu) is translated from the Hawaiian language as "protected, quiet bay." And this is true. Typhoons, tornadoes and hurricanes bypass Honolulu. And even the rainy season here does not look as heavy as in other tropical countries. And all because the area where Honolulu is located lies on the leeward side of the trade winds. From strong whirlwinds, it is reliably covered by the Koolau mountain range. Not far from the city rises the volcano Diamond Head (Diamond Head) - a point of pilgrimage for tourists.
How to get to Honolulu?
Isolated from the rest of the world, the islands leave you no other choice. Only a plane will take you to a tropical archipelago lost in the Pacific Ocean. There are two routes from Moscow. The first is via Frankfurt and Los Angeles, and the second is via New York and Los Angeles. It takes five and a half hours to fly from this last American city to Honolulu. The lion's share of passengers arriving in the archipelago land at Honolulu International Airport. Where is it in relation to the city? The airport is located in the western suburbs, not far from the Pearl Harbor War Memorial and the Bishop's Museum. This is one of the largest hubs in the USA. Every year it receives more thantwenty million passengers. The airport consists of several terminals, between which free Viki-Bus shuttles run at intervals of several minutes. If your plane landed late at night, you won't need to take a taxi. City buses run around the clock. Route number 19 follows the center (downtown). The most favorite place for tourists is the Waikiki beach area. SpeediShuttle minibuses and city flights No. 20 follow there.
History of Honolulu
The first settlement of Polynesians arose on the island of Oahu in the eleventh century. The "calm bay" became the capital in 1804, when the king of Hawaii, Kamehameah I, moved here along with his court. At first, the palace stood in the area of \u200b\u200bmodern Waikiki, but a little later it was built where the business center of the city is now located. The Europeans found out where Honolulu was in 1794, when the British sailor William Brown swam into the "quiet bay". In 1845, under Kamehameha III, the capital of Hawaii was again transferred from the island of Maui to Oahu. Since that time, Honolulu has taken on a modern look. The royal palace of Iolani, St. Andrew's Cathedral and Aliyolani Hale were built. In 1898, the archipelago became part of the United States of America. In the vicinity of Honolulu was the US naval base Pearl Harbor, which was attacked in December 1941 by Japanese aircraft carriers. After World War II, Hawaii experienced rapid development due to the tourism industry.
Climate
The Hawaiian Islands lie intropical natural area. However, the rain shadow from the Koolaw Range, where Honolulu is located, reduces rainfall. Even the dry and wet seasons, so typical of the tropics, are indistinct here. It just rains a little more during the winter months. In general, we can say that in Honolulu the holiday season lasts all year round. The climate here is favorable. In summer, the thermometer fluctuates between +27 and +31 °C, and in winter it is +18–25 °C. Hawaii is a sunny archipelago. Meteorologists count here no more than 90 cloudy days a year. The sea off the coast of Honolulu is always warm. The water temperature never drops below 23°C, and in summer it warms up to 28°C. Severe storms are rare. There are also no dangerous currents.
Beaches
Waikiki Beach is a magnificent wide strip of golden sand that stretches for many kilometers. The name translates as "flowing water". There are many streams that flow down from the mountains into the sea. Waikiki Beach is a kind of visiting card of Honolulu. Where to rest is up to you. After all, Oahu has many beaches for completely different categories of holidaymakers. Moneybags and entertainment lovers rest on Waikiki, on shallow Sunset Beach - parents with small children, Hanauma Bay is chosen by divers and snorkellers. The North Store at the northern tip is famous for its high and steady wave, so professional surfers go there. Kailua Beach is located on the windward side of Oahu. It is ideal for windsurfing.
Prices
Hawaii, and Honolulu in particular, is by no means a budget resort. Prices are high here, and for all goods, since almost 99% of the necessities for life are delivered from the mainland. Hawaii has the highest real estate prices in the US. Therefore, you should not choose a vacation in the Waikiki area (Honolulu), where the sector of luxury luxury hotels is located. You may find affordable housing in Chinatown or in the countryside. Despite the smooth climate throughout the year, Hawaii has high and low tourist seasons. Prices peak in the winter months and March. In the summer comes the so-called middle season. If you want to minimize your vacation expenses in Hawaii a little, choose the off-season (spring or autumn).
Historic Sites
Don't limit yourself to just a beach holiday. Where Honolulu is located, there is something to see for an inquisitive tourist. In the city itself, this is the only royal palace in the United States. It's called Iolani. In translation, it means "the palace of the heavenly bird." The building was built in 1882 and got electricity and telephones earlier than the White House and the residence of the Queen of Great Britain. Now there is a museum in the building of the royal palace.
Another attraction of Honolulu is the Pearl Harbor memorial complex. But there is no house-museum of Barack Obama in Honolulu, although it is known that the 44th US President was born here and graduated from the local high school.
Naturalattractions
The luxurious nature of the island of Oahu, where Honolulu is located, attracts tourists like a magnet. From the city you can see the crater of the Diamond Head volcano, which you can climb. From the top, a stunning landscape opens up. Another attraction of the island is Hanauma Bay on the southeast coast. Children will be interested in visiting the Waikiki Aquarium, where about two hundred species of fish and waterfowl are demonstrated. The Bishop's Museum has the richest collection of Polynesian culture. You can walk through the jungle to the Manoa waterfall (about a kilometer from the city). Or visit the local zoo. Sacred Falls (the highest in Hawaii, 335 meters) can only be seen from the air. Many travel companies offer helicopter tours to this unique natural site.
