Between the Pacific and the Koolau mountains stretches all 15 miles of Honolulu. The luxury hotels of Waikiki and the smart downtown Fort St Mall shopping and business center are only a part of this varied cosmopolitan city. Chinatown, between Nuuanu Avenue and River Street, is a colorful mixture of sailors’ bars, tatoo parlors and dives and genuine Chinese restaurants, laundries and curio shops. In contrast the surrounding hills are very elegant residental suburbs.
Diamond Head, with its famous crater, is at the Eastern end of Waikiki. In the center of town, in a park oasis, is Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on American soil. The building is an exuberant structure built by the merry monarch, King Kalakuan, who used to play billiards and poker in the basement. The gilded thrones (replicas) are covered with Chinese brocade. Hawaii’s first church, Kawaiahao Church, built of coral blocks, was the royal chapel.
Sunday services are in English and Hawaiian. A fascinating memorial to the men and women responsible for bringing Christianity to the islands are the Mission Houses (across from the City Hall) built in New England style and kept as museums with original domestic and personal momentos. Bishop’sMuseum, on Kalihi Street, has a wonderful collection of Hawaiian art, culture and religious relics and also houses a Planetarium.
The Academy of Arts embraces both oriental and occidental art and has some rare masterpieces. Limousines can be rented for tours of Honolulu. Tours are arranged to pineapple canneries, woodworking shops, sugar mills and perfume factories. Daily visits can be made to Liana of Waikiki (419 Waiakamilo Road), to watch flower oils being extracted.
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