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Suggest a Feature →Honolulu / O'ahu, Hawai'i
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Paradise with purpose.
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam occupies Pearl Harbor's historic south shore, combining the Navy's Pacific fleet headquarters with Hickam Air Force Base's strategic airlift mission. This is the most geographically stunning major military installation in the United States.
O'ahu is 600 square miles of volcanic island with 125 miles of coastline — the most accessible beaches in the US, the most diverse surf in the world (from beginner-friendly Waikiki to lethal big-wave country at Sunset Beach), and a multicultural Hawaiian-Asian-mainland fusion that exists nowhere else.
The cost is real: Hawai'i is the most expensive state in the US. BAH is very high but housing costs more than BAH in many cases. The lifestyle is extraordinary, but financial discipline is essential to not leaving this assignment in debt.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
Leonard's Bakery (Honolulu)
"Malasadas. Hot, sugar-coated Portuguese donuts since 1952."
Leonard's has been making malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts — no hole, fried and rolled in sugar) since 1952 and the line stretches around the building. Get them hot. The haupia (coconut) and custard filled varieties are exceptional.
Plate Lunch (Rainbow Drive-In)
"The plate lunch. The definitive Hawaiian working lunch."
The plate lunch is a Hawaiian institution — two scoops of white rice, one scoop macaroni salad, and a main (teriyaki beef, kalbi, chicken katsu, or loco moco). Rainbow Drive-In on Kanaina Ave has been serving the plate lunch since 1961.
Roy's Waikiki
"The restaurant that defined Hawaii Regional Cuisine."
Roy Yamaguchi's original Hawaii Kai location is a legend, but Roy's Waikiki is more accessible — Euro-Asian fusion using Hawaiian ingredients that changed how the world understood island food. The butterfish and misoyaki are the standards.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
North Shore Surfing (Haleiwa)
"The surf capital of the world. Winter waves at Sunset Beach."
O'ahu's North Shore (Haleiwa, Sunset Beach, Banzai Pipeline, Waimea Bay) hosts the Triple Crown of Surfing each December. In summer, the waves flatten to beginner-friendly conditions. In winter, they become 20-foot monsters.
Diamond Head Crater Hike
"Honolulu's most iconic hike. 30 minutes and you're at the top."
Diamond Head State Monument — the volcanic tuff cone above Waikiki — has a 0.8-mile trail to the summit with Honolulu views in every direction. Best at sunrise before the heat. Reservations required (book online).
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
USS Arizona Memorial
"The most significant military memorial in the Pacific. On your base."
The USS Arizona Memorial is literally on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam — a white structure spanning the sunken battleship where 1,177 crew members remain. Oil still seeps to the surface. It is one of the most moving memorial experiences in America. Go multiple times.
Boats to the memorial run on a timed ticket system. Reserve online at recreation.gov — same-day tickets are rarely available. Military personnel can also access the memorial area differently through the base.
Polynesian Cultural Center (Laie)
"Six Pacific island nations in one complex. The luau is worth the price."
The PCC in Laie has authentic recreations of Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, Tahitian, and Maori village life — with residents from those cultures running each section. The evening luau and show are spectacular.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
Waimea Valley
"Botanical garden with a swimming waterfall. North Shore."
Waimea Valley has a mile of botanical gardens leading to a 45-foot waterfall with a swimming hole at the base. Hawaiian cultural demonstrations, botanical diversity, and the waterfall make it excellent for families.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"The Valley Isle. Haleakala, the Road to Hana, and Lahaina."
Maui is 25 minutes by interisland flight — Haleakala National Park (sunrise above the clouds at 10,000 feet), the Road to Hana (black sand beaches, waterfalls, bamboo forests), and the historic town of Lahaina.
"Active lava flows, Mauna Kea observatory, and black sand beaches."
The Big Island has active volcanic eruptions at Kilauea in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Kea summit stargazing at 13,796 feet, the Kona coffee coast, and black and green sand beaches.
The Commissary is essential in Hawai'i — grocery prices at civilian stores are 30-50% higher than the mainland. Use it.
Hanauma Bay and Diamond Head both require online reservations now. Book them as soon as you know you want to go.
The North Shore in summer (May-September) has calm, swimmable water at all the famous surf spots. Go then for swimming; go in December-February for the spectacle.
Ross Dress for Less and Costco are your friends for household goods — prices are much lower than local specialty stores.
The USS Arizona Memorial boat tours book out days in advance. Recreation.gov is your tool.
Hawai'i is paradise with a financial reality check. The cost of living will consume your BAH and more if you're not disciplined. Many military families leave Hawai'i assignments in serious debt from lifestyle inflation. Counter this with the Commissary, careful budgeting, and remembering that the beaches are free. The traffic on H-1 from Pearl Harbor to Honolulu is among the worst commutes per mile in the US.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.