When Captain Cook became the first non-Polynesian to arrive in Hawaii in the late 1770s, he discovered a tropical paradise with a surprising queer twist. Bisexuality flourished in the culture and the powerful king openly kept male concubines. All this is reflected in the ships journals, where one sailor commented it was “a shocking inversion of the laws of nature, they bestow all those affections upon them that were intended for the other sex."

Over a century later, Honolulu was still under the rule of Queen Lili'uokalani, a foreign monarchy with a distinctly South Pacific culture. Today, it remains America's most foreign city.

Known as ‘the gathering place,’ the island of Oahu is home to 1 million year round residents and about 5 million visitors per year. It’s capital and largest city in the Hawaiian islands is Honolulu. It’s here we begin our exploration of this fascinating, gay friendly island paradise.

Tourism is dominant industry here, and nowhere is this more apparent than on Waikiki Beach, which has the highest concentration of hotel rooms in the world.

Although Oahu is not the island paradise of our pineapple-scented dreams, that Hawai'i still exists. You’ll find it in out of the way places on Oahu as well as in the outer islands, where wide unspoiled beaches and thatched-hut hotel cottages still exist.

Honolulu is a vibrant city, with glittering high-rise towers, expansive shopping malls, traffic problems and a pretty exciting gay nightlife.

Come just about any time of the year for perfect weather. And by all means plan on spending one full weekend exploring Honolulu, soaking in the sites, sunning on Queen’s Beach and carousing the gay bars. But plan on visiting at least one of the other islands during your stay. The paradise islands of Maui, Kauai and the Big Island offer more laid back but less obviously gay experiences.

ACCOMMODATIONS
Accommodations on Oahu can be expensive and bland. And to stay on the beach, even in a modest hotel property can be expensive at high season. But there are still plenty of unique, interesting lodging options to discover.

The best option for gay visitors is The Cabana at Waikiki, an upscale, attractive and professionally run guesthouse with 15 units. The location is very convenient to Hula's Bar, the gay beach, Kapiolani Park and lots of unique shops.

In the mood to splurge? Book at the Halekulani, consistently voted one of the best hotels in the world. You won't find better service anywhere, but note that the hotel has virtually no beach directly in front of it. Don’t worry though: the pool is plenty fabulous.

The Moana Surfrider was Waikiki's first hotel, and remains an elegant and genteel oasis from the surrounding hubbub. Even if you don't stay here, it's worth a visit to imagine what Waikiki was like before the age of jet travel.

Best for the value traveler, the very gay-friendly Waikiki Joy Hotel is a boutique hotel featuring all sorts of amenities in every room like great sound systems and Jacuzzi tubs. It’s pleasantly comfortable, the staff is funny and helpful and it’s very close to gay nightlife.