Manoa-Makiki, Honolulu: neighborhood guide

Manoa and Makiki sit in the foothills of the Ko'olau range, north of Downtown Honolulu, in valleys that run inland from the H-1 freeway. The lower streets are a mix of older single-wall bungalows, 1960s walk-up apartment blocks and small local businesses; the hillsides above hold newer apartment and condo towers with valley and city views.

Manoa is defined by the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the largest campus in the islands, which brings students, faculty and a steady supply of cafes and plate-lunch shops. Makiki sits under Punchbowl, the extinct crater that holds the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, and is known as the childhood neighborhood of Barack Obama. Nu'uanu, along the Pali Highway, is the third valley in this group and shares the same residential feel.

Expect rain. The valleys catch trade-wind showers, so Manoa is greener and wetter than Waikiki, often with a passing downpour in the afternoon. Evenings are quiet: this is a place where people live, not a resort strip.

Choose Manoa-Makiki if your trip revolves around the university, if you want a residential base with a kitchen and a parking space, or if you are staying long enough that a quiet neighborhood beats a hotel corridor. Rates for condos and apartments here are usually below Waikiki beachfront prices, and you get more space for the money.

Skip it if you are on a first visit and want to walk to the beach, if you plan to spend evenings out, or if you will not have a car. Distances are short on the map but the area is hilly and bus-dependent, and the walk to Waikiki is not one you want to repeat daily. Families with young children often prefer Waikiki or the eastern side for the same reason.

Food here is everyday local cooking rather than destination dining. Around the university you find plate-lunch shops, poke counters, noodle and curry houses, bakeries and coffee places that fill up between classes. Makiki's commercial strips along King, Beretania and Keeaumoku mix takeout counters, small Asian restaurants and supermarkets, which makes self-catering in a condo easy.

For a wider choice, drive or take the bus into Downtown or Ala Moana, both a short hop west. Reservations are rarely needed in the valleys; the exception is anywhere popular with students on a weekday lunch.

The H-1 freeway cuts between Manoa and Makiki. From Downtown, take the Punahou or University exits heading east; from Hawaii Kai or the east side, use the University or Wilder exits heading west. King Street runs one way east and Beretania Street one way west through the southern edge of both neighborhoods, straight into Downtown.

From Waikiki it is about a 15-minute drive. For Manoa, head west on Kalakaua Avenue, turn right onto Kapiolani Boulevard after the canal, continue about half a mile, then turn left onto University Avenue for the campus. For Makiki, stay on Kalakaua until it ends at Beretania, turn left, then right onto Keeaumoku Street or Ward Avenue to cross the freeway.

TheBus covers the area: routes #2/#13 run along King and Beretania between Waikiki and Downtown, and #4 passes the UH campus along Wilder Avenue. Fares, passes and exact timetables change, so check the operator before you rely on a schedule.

The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific fills Punchbowl crater, with more than 38,000 graves from WWII, Korea and Vietnam and a shrine to the missing. The crater rim gives wide views over Honolulu. It is open year-round and closes only on federal holidays other than Memorial Day.

The Honolulu Museum of Art on South Beretania Street holds a large Asian art collection plus European masters, spread across galleries around courtyard gardens. Hours are limited to Thursday through Sunday, and there is a charge for adults with discounts for residents and free entry for children; parking is paid.

Liliuokalani Botanical Garden, just north of Foster Botanical Garden, is a small free city park with plants native to Hawaii, open daily in daylight hours. In Nu'uanu, Queen Emma Summer Palace is a restored 1847 royal retreat with self-guided and docent tours for a modest fee. A self-guided walk of Obama's childhood Makiki exists but has no official markers, so treat any route you find online as approximate.