Travel Guide Honolulu

Honolulu, the capital of the state of Hawaii, is also the largest city in the archipelago with nearly 300,000 inhabitants, and almost one million if the entire agglomeration is taken into account.The first traces of settlement in Honolulu date back to the 11th century, a period of settlement of Polynesian peoples in the region attested by Hawaiian oral tradition but also by Polynesian craftsmanship of the period found there. However, Honolulu will only take its capital dimension following the conquest of Oahu by Kamehameha I in 1804. A few years later, in 1809, he decided to transfer the seat of royalty from Hawai'i Island to Oahu by establishing it in what is now Honolulu's Downtown. But in 1812, the kingdom's capital was again moved to Kailua-Kona on the island of Hawai'i. Then from 1820 to 1845, it was then Lahaina in Maui who stole the spotlight, becoming the capital of the kingdom in turn... It was not until 1845 that Honolulu became the permanent capital of the kingdom of Hawaii, by decision of King Kamehameha III, to the detriment of Lahaina (on the island of Maui). Honolulu retained this status until Hawaii became an American state in 1959, becoming the official capital of the state of Hawaii.With the development of tourism in the 20th century, one of its most famous districts was born, which is the true emblem of the archipelago today, Waikiki, whose skyscrapers and dream beaches everyone has in mind. However, Honolulu has many facets, as evidenced by its Chinatown, its historic and financial centre, its relatively new Kaka'ako district and the lush Manoa Valley.