O'ahu
(oh-ah-hoo)

O'ahu is the most populated island in the Hawaiian chain. From old plantation cottages to 21st-Century high-rises, O'ahu is an island of endless contrasts. Geographically only the third largest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands, it is nonetheless home to nearly three-quarters of the state's 1.2 million residents. 370,000 of who are concentrated in urban Honolulu, the ultra-modern, south-coast cityscape situated along Waikiki beach and Diamond Head crater.

O`ahu consists of two mountain ranges; the Koolau Range in the east and the Waianae Range in the west. The valley between these two mountain ranges consists of a fertile, rolling plain and support many sugar and pineapple plantations. A most notable landmark is the 760-foot extinct volcanic crater, known as Diamond Head, located on the southeastern end of the island at the end of Waikiki.

The average temperature in downtown Honolulu is 72 F (22 C) in the coolest month and 78 F (26 C) in the warmest, with extremes from 57 F (14 C) to 88 F (31 C) having been recorded there. The average water temperatures off Waikiki Beach, near Honolulu, range from 75 F (24 C) in late February to 79 F (26 C) in late September.

However, you can take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life on O'ahu. Just take a 45-minute drive into the country, the famed surfing Mecca on the island's north shore and you'll find sleepy Hale'iwa town (pop. 2,225) existing much as it has since it was established by missionaries in 1832.

Oahu offers the modern conveinces found in most major cities on the mainland, yet still supplies a cozy island charm.