US · Hawaii · 21.30°N 157.85°W

honolulu

Waikiki swims, a crater walk, royal history and bowls of fresh poke.

Best time
April–May and September–October have warm sea and fewer peak-season crowds. Winter is a little wetter and brings huge waves to the North Shore; summer and the Christmas holidays are busiest.
How long
4–5 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop, usually via Tokyo, Osaka or Seoul, about 16–19 hours all in. Waikiki is 25–40 minutes from the airport. Hawaii is 18 hours behind KL all year, so you land on what feels like the day before. Malaysians need a US B1/B2 visitor visa, usually with an interview at the embassy in KL; ESTA isn't open to Malaysian passports.
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US · Hawaiihonolulu21.30°N 157.85°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Waikiki swims, a crater walk, royal history and bowls of fresh poke.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingHonoluluUS, Hawaii
KLhonolulu
≈ 10,960 km from KL, as the crow flies
Views from Diamond Head in Honolulu, Hawaii

Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Honolulu puts a real city behind Waikiki's beach, with a royal palace, Chinatown markets and green mountains behind it all. It's an easy first base on Oahu, with plenty to do without hiring a car every day.

Makan

  1. PokeCubes of raw tuna in soy and sesame, over rice. Supermarket poke counters are some of the best.Map ↗
  2. Plate lunchTwo scoops of rice, macaroni salad and a main like teriyaki beef or chicken katsu, Hawaii's everyday lunch.Map ↗
  3. Shave iceFluffy shaved ice soaked in fruit syrups, a close cousin of ais kacang.Map ↗
  4. MalasadasPortuguese doughnuts rolled in sugar and eaten warm.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. WaikikiCalm swimming, surf lessons and a sunset walk along the beachfront.Map ↗
  2. Diamond HeadA trail up the inside of an old crater to views over Waikiki. Non-residents need to book an entry slot ahead.Map ↗
  3. Iolani PalaceHome of Hawaii's last monarchs, a reminder that the islands were a kingdom until 1893.Map ↗
  4. Pearl HarborMemorials and museums on the 1941 attack. Book the boat to the USS Arizona Memorial ahead, as walk-up tickets go fast.Map ↗
  5. North ShoreAn hour's drive to big-wave surf beaches in winter, garlic shrimp trucks and sea turtles resting on the sand at Laniakea.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Halal choice is small, mostly a few Middle Eastern and South Asian places; seafood, poke and a kitchenette in Waikiki do the rest.
  • Spam musubi, the rice-and-seaweed snack in every convenience store, is pork.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.