Learn about O’ahu’s plantation history, visit the Pearl Harbour memorial and shop for bargains at this city close to Honolulu.
Discover O’ahu’s past at the Plantation Village in Waipahu. Between the mid-1800s and the mid-1900s, “sugar was king” on the island and Chinese, Japanese, Puerto Rican, Korean, Filipino and Portuguese labourers worked in the fields. This outdoor museum recreates life on plantation farms, with more than 25 buildings representing multicultural homes. Other areas show how the doctor, dentist, barber and seamstress once lived. You can also see the former general store and communal bath areas.
Take a 1.5-hour tour between Mondays and Saturdays. The tropical conditions mean you’ll have to put up with insects, heat and sometimes wet pathways, but the informative tours are well worth it. Look for taro, plumeria, sugar cane, bilimbi and pigeon peas, all local plants and fruits. You can try and buy any products at the end of the tour. Come on a weekend during October when there are special haunted tours for Halloween.
The stadium in Aiea, just west of Waipahu is home to markets, the University of Hawaii Warriors football team, the NFL, soccer matches, car shows and concerts. Visit on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays when the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet sees 400 stalls set up. If you buy more souvenirs than you can fit in your luggage, send them home via the post office on site.
In Waipahu you can go shopping, play golf and dine at up-scale restaurants. Shop for bargains from more than 50 big-name brands at the Waikele Premium Outlets. Play a few rounds of gold at the Waikele Country Club and then stay for dinner at the club’s restaurant, which serves local dishes and island cocktails.
Many visitors choose to stay in Waipahu to be close to Honolulu but away from the bustle of the city. It’s a 25-minute drive from the capital or an easy bus ride.
Visit Pearl Harbor just north of Waipahu and the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument dedicated to those who lost their lives in the 1941 bombing.
