Honolulu: Essentials

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TOURS

Hawaii Food Tours
800/715-2468 or 808/926-3663, hawaiifoodtours.com
Tour guide Matthew Gray, a former restaurant/food critic for the Honolulu Advertiser, leads "Hole-in-the-Wall," a tour unmasking places (and dishes) tourists rarely try. Two other themed itineraries available. Call for reservations. Daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $59, includes hotel pickup/drop-off.

Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii Chinatown tours
42 N. King St., 808/533-3181, ccchi.org
Get the inside story on an exotic area that boomed after Chinese laborers came to work on Hawaii's sugar and pineapple plantations in the 1850s. Though the neighborhood has been devastated by fire twice, it still boasts the best architecture on the island. Two-and-a-half-hour guided tours depart Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. $10.

Oahu Nature Tours
808/924-2473, oahunaturetours.com
Bird-watchers and other outdoorsy types can make the uphill climb to Diamond Head Crater ($20), trek to Manoa Falls ($37), or choose from seven other fully guided hikes. Prices include hotel pickup/drop-off.

SPLURGE Wild Side Specialty Tours
Waianae Boat Harbor, Slip A-11, 808/306-7273, sailhawaii.com
Among hordes of whale-watching tours and day cruises, Wild Side's small mom-and-pop operation gets points for being one of the most eco-friendly. The four-hour morning tours involve snorkeling near Hawaii's spinner dolphins-and, from December through April, include whale-watching. There's a 16-person limit, so book ahead. $95.

SPLURGE Island Seaplane Service
85 Lagoon Dr., 808/836-6273, islandseaplane.com
Get a bird's-eye view of the dramatic volcanic terrain and a look at the two mountain ranges the Japanese negotiated to attack Pearl Harbor. Takeoffs and landings at Keehi Lagoon. $179 per person for a one-hour tour; $99 per person for a half-hour tour. Includes hotel pickup/drop-off.

NUMBERS TO KNOW