The Oahu Island, with population of about 900,000 and area — 1,536 sq km, is third largest and chief Island of Hawaii, part of Honolulu county, between Molokai and Kauai. Honolulu, the state capital and the economic center of Hawaii with population of around 400,000, is situated on the highly urbanized southern coast of Oahu.

Oahu is composed of two parallel mountain ranges (Waianae and Koolau) that are separated by a rolling plain dissected by deep gorges. Mountain Kaala (1,231 m) is the Island's highest peak. Oahu has no active volcanoes, but there are many extinct craters, among them Diamond Head, Koko Head, and Punchbowl. Pearl Harbor indents the Island's southern coast.

Actually, Oahu is a relatively small island, with 112 miles of coastline. From outer space, Oahu looks somewhat like a frayed Indian arrowhead with two mountain ridges shoring up each side: Waianae Mountains on the leeward (western) coast and Koolau Mountains on the windward (eastern) side. At night you can see the lights of suburban Oahu pouring down and out of the mountain valleys and reaching toward the shoreline. In the minds of many, Oahu and its most famous city, Honolulu, are synonymous due to the islandwide county calling itself the "City and County of Honolulu." Honolulu's best-known neighborhood, Waikiki, is actually pretty small, but its spectacular beach and array of resort hotels are the attractions that originally put Hawaii on the tourist map. The Waikiki you see today bears no resemblance to the Waikiki of yesteryear, when vast taro fields extended from the ocean into Manoa Valley. The picture of old Waikiki can be recaptured by following the Waikiki Historic Trail, a meandering 2-mile walk with 20 bronze surfboard markers, complete with descriptions and archive photos of the historic sites. The markers note everything from Waikiki's ancient fishponds to the history of the Ala Wai Canal. Nowadays large pineapple and sugarcane plantations cover the rural areas of the Island, and their products form Oahu's chief agricultural exports. Dairy farming and fishing are also important activities, but tourism is the principal economic mainstay of Oahu.

Manoa Valley is the site of the University of Hawaii, Punahou Academy, and the Mid-Pacific Institute. The Island is an important defense area that includes the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Command and the Pearl Harbor naval base. There are many bathing beaches (including Waikiki), some of which have coral gardens. The Island is much more than an urban concrete jungle or a tropical Disneyland; it's also a haven for the nature lover and outdoor enthusiast. With year-round temperatures in the upper 70s (over 25C), and miles of verdant and unspoiled landscape, Oahu is perfect for outdoor activities of all kinds, including hiking, golf, tennis, biking, and horseback riding. But the Island's waters, which also enjoy year-round temperatures in the upper 70s, are where the majority of both residents and visitors head for relaxation, rejuvenation, and recreation. Locals don't think of their island or state boundaries as ending at land's edge — rather, they extend beyond the reefs, well out into the ocean.

The Island of Oahu offer the finest variety of accommodation, dining, tours, sports, shows, cultural events & entertainment, nightlife, attractions, sightseeing, and all other genuine points of interest in the chief island of Hawaiian group! Imagine yourself hovering weightless over a rainbowed sea of tropical fish, sitting in a kayak watching the brilliant colors of dawn etch themselves across the sky, sipping a mai tai while you take in sweeping views of the south shore and the Waianae Mountains, battling a magnificent game fish on a high-tech sportfishing boat, or listening to melodic voices chant the stories of a proud people and a proud culture that was overthrown little more than a century ago.

Oahu is remarkably cosmopolitan; every ethnic group in the world seems to be here. It's fascinating to discover the varieties of food, culture, language, and customs. There's an undeniable quality ingrained in the local culture and lifestyle of Oahu's (and other Hawaiian Islands') folks and residents — the quick smiles to strangers, the feeling of family, the automatic extension of courtesy and tolerance. It's the aloha spirit!