History, local culture and a laid-back vibe make this mid-island city a nice contrast from the more modern and busy Honolulu.
Learn about the long history of the sugar industry in O’ahu at Hawaii’s Plantation Village in Waipahu. Tour more than 25 buildings with period furniture from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century, when sugar plantations were common and “sugar was king” on the island. See the simple and self-sufficient layouts of plantation homes that housed the Asian, Caribbean and European immigrants who laboured in the sugar fields here. Buildings once occupied by the doctor, the barber and the communal bath paint a broader portrait of long-ago island life.
Local trees and fruits like taro, plumeria and bilimbi dot the village. Take the 1.5-hour guided tour, offered Mondays through Saturdays. Sample and buy locally manufactured products at the end of your visit. Try the haunted plantation tour during the fall season. It consistently rates as one of the U.S.’s best Halloween attractions. Humid heat, pesky bugs and wet pathways can make the tour more uncomfortable in the summer months. Come in the early morning or late afternoon when the temperatures are cooler and there are fewer insects.
On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, Aiea holds its Aloha Stadium Swap Meet. More than 400 local merchants sell their wares inside a sports stadium. Stock up on gifts and souvenirs and then package them up and ship them home at the on-site post office. Check the stadium’s website to see when you can watch a University of Hawaii Warriors football game, the NFL Pro Bowl, a concert or a car show.
Play a round of 18-hole golf at the Waikele Country Club’s popular public course. Pacific-Asian food and tropical cocktails await you at the club restaurant.
While in Waipahu, visit the important historical site of Pearl Harbor, which is situated just to the south. Here, you’ll learn about the bombings that brought the U.S. into World War II.
Waipahu is just a few minutes’ drive from Honolulu and Waikiki.
