Unlike the rest of chilled-out Hawaii, Honolulu is simply packed with tourist attractions, historical sites and an endless array of activities. Its seaside location offers excellent beaches that come right to the edge of the pavement, including the world famous Waikiki Beach. From Pearl Harbor’s USS Arizona Memorial to the spicy sights and smells of Chinatown, you’ll barely have time to catch your breath in Hawaii’s largest metropolis.

Bishop Museum
Hawaii’s largest museum is also the premier cultural and natural history centre of the entire Pacific region. The collection of cultural and natural artefacts from Hawaii and the Pacific contained in the Bishop is unsurpassed and well worth a half day of exploration. Among the eclectic items are thousands of relics, pieces of art, royal feathered capes and specimens from the animals kingdom. The daily hula show is particularly good, as are the planetarium shows. Phone: +1 808 847 3511; website: www.bishopmuseum.org.

Foster Botanical Garden
The Hawaiian landscape often resembles a tropical Eden, but this unique garden tucked into the buildings of downtown Honolulu is the cream of the crop. First planted in the 1850s, this 14-acre garden is a veritable museum of rare and unusual plants. You can easily spend several hours lingering among the amazing flora. Chinatown is right across the street if you want to mix some culture with your nature. Phone: +1 808 522 7066; website: www.co.honolulu.hi.us/parks/hbg/fbg.htm.

Iolani Palace
One of the best places to get a deeper understanding of Hawaiian heritage and history is at this palace built by King David Kalakaua in 1882. The royal family lived here for a mere 11 years until a colonist coup deposed the monarchy forever in 1893. The 45-minute guided tour is definitely worth taking as it explains the role the royals played in Hawaiian society. Relics such as the crown jewels, ancient feathered capes and other beautiful items are on display. Phone: +1 808 532 1051; website: www.iolanipalace.org.

Puu Ualakaa State Park
The undisputed champion for mind-blowing sunset spots is this park and its 1,048-foot high hill next to Honolulu. Drive your rental car up to the lookout and prepare to be awed. Sunset is the most popular time to go, as the west-facing panorama seems endlessly majestic. Night time is also beautiful when the lights of Honolulu sparkle along the coast below.

USS Arizona Memorial
One of Honolulu’s most popular tourist attractions is this sombre memorial to a sunken battleship which sank during the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. It took just nine minutes for the USS Arizona to sink with 1,177 sailors, and the deck still lies a mere six feet below the clear water’s surface. Be sure to get the audio tour, which features narratives by actual survivors, and get there early as a long wait is standard. Phone: +1 808 422 0561; website: www.nps.gov/usar

Waikiki Beach
This world-famous strip of sand is definitely worth spending some time on, despite its deserved reputation as an overcrowded tourist hangout. The people-watching is extraordinary, as tanned specimens from around the globe come to see and be seen. You can’t miss Waikiki Beach. It’s the one right in front of the giant pink Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Just come early, because by noon the sand is wall to wall towels.

Check out the jungle side of Oahu with a walk through one of its rainforests. Hawaii really is a paradise on earth in terms of natural beauty, and Oahu has some incredible parks that aptly capture its essence. Towering tropical trees provide a haven for colourful birds, giant ferns and intense contrasts of sunlight and shadow. Rainbows are as common as surfers around here, so head to Manoa Falls Trail for a sublime walk that ends at a waterfall and swimming pool better suited to a postcard.

Climb to the top of Diamond Head, the iconic Hawaiian volcano that has the best views in town. It’s a mere 560-foot climb to reach the rim of the crater, and the 360° panorama is guaranteed to knock your socks off. Diamond Head is one of the Hawaiian’s most sacred sites, and was once a place of human sacrifice. Hikers will be rewarded with views that stretch from the Waianae Mountains to Koko Crater.

Cruise the open seas with no fear of getting seasick. The waters around Hawaii are usually rough and rolling, wreaking havoc on many people’s stomachs and spilling a disturbing number of cocktails. The Navatek I removes the threat of seasickness with its revolutionary design that cuts through the surface of the water. Lunch and sunset cruises give you beautiful views of Oahu as live Hawaiian music wafts in the background. Phone: +1 808 973 1311

Experience another facet of Pan-Asian culture in Honolulu’s lively Chinatown. This pleasant departure from the tourist trap atmosphere of Waikiki Beach is a sensory overload that offers visitors plenty to absorb. Open-air markets sell fresh seafood and seemingly everything else under the sun, while an endless array of restaurants and food stalls fill the air with mouth-watering aromas. Wander the streets of this downtown district and see how China has settled into Hawaii.

Observe the daring surfers who attempt to ride North Shore waves and the hordes of tourists who watch them. Oahu’s North Shore is legendary in the surfing world. Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay get pounded by massive swells that hand-deliver 20-30 foot waves during the winter months. Bring a pair of binoculars and watch some of the bravest guys on the planet try to tame these beauties. The onshore people-watching is equally interesting, as bikini babes, photographers and wannabes run rampant.

Watch the impossibly crimson sunrise at Lanikai Beach. Hawaii has some of the most stunning skies on the planet, and one of the best places to watch the sunrise on Oahu is at Lanikai. As morning unfolds, the ocean-bound skies mutate from one amazing colour to the next until the massive globe of the sun finally rises over the tiny islands of Mokulua.