ThreePerfectDays / O‘ahu
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Article by: Rita Ariyoshi / Photography by Dave Lauridsen
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Islands are like friends. They come into your life just when you need them. Each is different, offering different gifts. Meet O‘ahu, the friend that goes dancing, is sophisticated and urbane, yet dresses up in gaudy tangerine sunsets accessorized with coconut palms and rainbows.
O‘ahu is paradise on speed dial, with a hundred white-sand beaches, including the world’s dream machine: magical, manic Waikīkī. The island claims two mountain ranges, the Ko‘olau and Waianae, as well as national, state, and county parks crammed with legend, waterfalls, history, and hiking trails.
One of America’s largest cities, Honolulu, rises like an apparition in the middle of the azure Pacific. Here, taipans and tycoons deal and dine, demanding the best, creating a fusion lifestyle like no other. When you get to know O‘ahu, you’ll see that this friend has a side so wild no road can go totally around it. It’s green, wind-swept, and utterly, unabashedly beautiful.
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DAY ONE / Behind a door carved with the seal of the
Hawaiian kingdom, you are ensconced like royalty in
the historical wing of 
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, a
Moorish fantasy known affectionately as the Pink Palace
of the Pacific. The Royal opened in 1927, closed in
June 2008 for a $110 million renovation, and will
reopen in January 2009. You’ll be among the first to
enjoy the rebirth.
If you’re tempted to linger at breakfast in your
beachside cabana, resist. All of O‘ahu is waiting for you.
Take the Pali Highway north through Nu‘uanu Valley,
draped in wind-tossed waterfalls that flash among jagged
volcanic peaks. Exit at the 
Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout.
Brace yourself for a mighty and cold wind as you stand at
the mountain pass gazing over windward O‘ahu, the view
that Mark Twain called the most beautiful in the world.
The Pali once rang with war cries as the army of the conquering King Kamehameha I drove the defenders of O‘ahu over the cliffs to their deaths. It was a decisive battle in uniting the Hawaiian Islands into one nation.
Continue on the Pali Highway through the tunnel to Kailua town. The road will change names a couple of times, but just keep going straight until it ends in a “T” at Kalaheo Avenue. Turn right, pass multimillion-dollar beachfront homes, and go to the group of stores at the intersection with Kailua Road.
At 
Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks, sign up for a
guided kayak adventure in Kailua and Lanikai bays. Even beginners can paddle along spectacular coastline
and out to the dramatic Mokulua Islands. It is here
you’ll realize that O‘ahu, the tourist center of Hawai‘i,
just may be the most beautiful island in the archipelago.
Your post-paddle lunch is at the vintage 
Buzz’s
Steakhouse, across from Kailua Beach Park. Reserve a
table on the rickety porch in the shade of the big, old
“family tree” carved with names and hearts. The burgers
are noteworthy, and there is a wide selection of welldressed
forage, such as the Thai beef salad.
Before leaving Kailua, drop in at 
Island Treasures for local art and gifts, reasonably priced. Hawai‘i-themed
pillows and linens are especially nice—and packable.
As you head back to Waikīkī via Kailua Road, watch
for the YMCA. Behind it, 
Ulu Po Heiau, a massive
temple of the old Hawaiian religion, broods in verdant
splendor. The name means “night of inspiration.” It’s
said to have been built in one night by the Menehune,
Hawai‘i’s legendary “leprechauns.” The 30-foot-high,
flat-topped pyramid is an impressive and sacred relic.
Get back to the Royal in time for a swim at the best
strip of Waikīkī Beach, right in front of your hotel. After
a shower, you have a cocktail date at the Halekulani
Hotel’s seaside 
House Without a Key for music and
hula with the setting sun as a backdrop. Nostalgia nuts
will remember that the House Without a Key was
immortalized by author Earl Derr Biggers in his famous
Charlie Chan novels.
Dinner is at 
Alan Wong’s, the famed
chef ’s eponymous restaurant. Wong has
won international awards for his
creative cuisine based on Hawai‘iproduced
food. Try Maui strip
loin, dredged in a Kona coffee
crust and served with roasted
vegetables, Big Island goat cheese,
and roasted garlic. Don’t miss the
Waialua chocolate sampler
featuring three chocolate desserts,
each made from O‘ahu chocolate, a
newly discovered sensation. The chocolate
itself has a natural hint of raspberries and cherries.
Let the day go out in glory at 
Rum Fire, a newish
waterfront nightspot at the Sheraton Waikīkī. It features
more than a hundred kinds of rum, straight or concocted
into exotic drinks—the kind with paper parasols and
wedges of fruit. Enjoy the drink of your choice while
lounging around a blazing cauldron outdoors and let
the tradewinds caress you. A good night? The best.
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