Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii and one of the most popular cities in the country. It belongs to the island of Oahu, an island that all travellers of the world are aware of due to the paradisiac beaches, and endless ocean activities, including snorkelling in unique spots like Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve and or surfing in the worldwide known North Shore where beginners and pro surfers alike mingle.
Not only, water fun activities are possible in this city, but also, Honolulu offers a wider range of attractions to tourists and even locals, to better explore the historical and traditional opportunities to experience the Hawaiian culture.
It comes as no surprise that Honolulu is chosen as the favourite city to travel to by travellers. Honolulu is an easy-going, laid back and quite dynamic city whose atmosphere and vibe are like no other. Not only the city is located around the water on the southeast coast of the island of Oahu, but also, its downtown is rich in things to see and do.
Amongst those activities, travellers can find one of the biggest art collections in the country at the Hawaii State Art Museum.
One of the city’s highlights is the panoramic views of the sea from Waikiki Beach, the memorable Pearl Harbor, and the authentic Polynesian culture visible everywhere you look.
Exploring the culinary tradition of Honolulu by getting lost around the streets near the Ala Moana Center. Don’t forget to sample every single food truck around Eat the Street.
After having your belly full, head to explore the emblematic Aloha Tower and/or the Hawaii State Capitol Building.
Conclude by discovering the Honolulu Night Market where you can get delicious snacks, enjoy live performances, music, and arts and most importantly meet people.
Honolulu is a gorgeous city and place to travel but all places, particularly the most touristic ones, come with some dangers and things to be avoided that tourists should be aware of and know before and during their stay.
When talking to people about Honolulu, we often get comments on how the simple word “Honolulu”, makes them immediately think of a tropical paradise where people lay on the beach drinking coconuts with flower necklaces around their necks. This is partially true! But we also make the point that in other big American cities, Honolulu also has a neighbourhood that can get tourist wondering if they are safe.
The main areas to avoid and to be extra cautious about in Honolulu as a tourist are: central Downtown Honolulu, Chinatown, Waikiki Beach, Kalihi, Kapolei and Haleʻiwa among others like Mxcully-Moiliili, Wahiawa, Waianae and Ewa. That being said, Honolulu is generally considered a very safe city. Back in 2015, it was designated as one of the safest cities in America. Nevertheless, just like in any other big, busy and highly visited city, there are areas, neighbourhoods and other bits to pay attention to. Those risks and dangers include but are not limited to, drug crime, gang activity, homelessness, mugging, theft and sexual assault.
In this blog post, we will be discussing and breaking down the areas to be avoided and why visitors and tourists should be on guard around those areas and not fall for scams, local criminals and other issues.
Unfortunately, there has been an increase in the criminal and petty theft rates in Honolulu in the last couple of years, particularly, robberies, sexual assaults, tourist scams and gang activities.
Of course, there are wonderful and peaceful areas in the city and generally speaking, Honolulu is super safe to travel, whether you are a solo traveller or a family or a couple. Having said there are things to know to minimise the potential risks.
If you want to know more about the areas that should be avoided as a tourist when travelling to and around Honolulu keep reading below.
What are the most dangerous neighbourhoods In Honolulu?
Waikiki Beach.
Whenever you read or research places to go in Honolulu, Waikiki Beach is pretty much the first thing that everyone recommends to visit and stay at in their Honolulu guides. It is the most iconic beach in the country, and while it is beautiful and lively, it can be an unsafe place to hang out, particularly in the late evening hours. This is especially true in the last two years. One of our Hawaiian friends, actually recommended staying around Ko Olina or the North Shore, instead.
There are a couple of problems going on in Waikiki Beach that tourists should be aware of. One of them is homelessness and drug trafficking. These are quite obvious around the actual beach area, as it seems to be populated by low resources and drug/mental issues people, who use the area to hang out and live.
It is common to see shouting insulting remarks to visitors, defecating and urinating around the beach as well as stopping the traffic unexpectedly.
Although generally speaking, Waikiki Beach is beautiful in the mornings, we didn’t feel too safe in the late evening strolling around the area. There is a police station at Waikiki Beach, but it does not seem to be involved in these matters, which made us feel even less safe.
The second type of issue that affects tourist safety in Waikiki Beach is the theft of personal property on the beach. Lately, these crimes have become not only more frequent but also more violent and aggressive.
As a safety tip, ensure you keep an eye on your belongings, especially if you have money or expensive items in your bag. Do not go for a swim leaving your valuables on the shore, they will most likely disappear. We have seen this happen as we were enjoying our day at the beach. Go to the beach just with your essentials and petty cash.
Lastly, Waikiki beach is full of tourist traps, street vendors and scam artists, who will try to sell visitors overpriced jewellery, watches, bags and other goodies. When tourists don’t agree with the price or try to haggle, they can become pretty aggressive. We have seen some escalation of these situations, particularly during the evening hours. We recommend it to avoid it altogether.
Kalihi.
Kalihi is an area of Honolulu located on the northern side of the city that is divided into two areas. The Kapalama side has a suburban vibe where most families are of low income and resources, having two or even three jobs to meet their economical needs.
The other side of Kalihi to be on guard for is the Kamehameha side. It is notorious for its high crime rates, drug and sexual abuse even murders do happen somewhat frequently around this area. We recommend not hanging out in this zone of Honolulu and staying away from Kalihi altogether, particularly in the late hours of the day.
Waianae Coast.
Waianae Coast belongs to Makaha Beach Park on the western part of the island of Oahu.
This area is famous for the incredible surfing and stunning sunset colours but it is also unfortunately famous for the high crime rates and assaults. It is even considered a bad area of Honolulu by the locals.
During the day time is mostly safe, except if you leave your belongings unattended. Even if you don’t, don’t flash expensive items and carry big money with you. Passing around this area, it will quickly become apparent the poverty taking place in this area by the looks of the rusty fences and abandoned vehicles.
Our recommendation is not to wander around this area at night, especially as a solo traveller. It is simply not safe. Hanging out on the beach and nearby parks will most likely increase the risks of experiencing a dangerous situation.
Central Downtown.
While Downtown Honolulu is awesome to visit during the daytime and as mentioned above, it is great from the tourist perspective, it is also home to local criminals targeting disoriented tourists. We don’t advise avoiding this area but exercising caution, especially when the sun is down in the central part of Downtown.
Kapolei.
The Kapolei area lies in the southwest part of Oahu and is close to Waipahu and Pearl City. Originally, this area was built and conceived as a resort community for high-end people like politicians and other influential people. Unfortunately, all those projects were never taken until the end due to a big lack of funds, leading to the building of low resources and housing for low-income people.
It is recommended not to stay in this area or to hang out here, as the levels of aggressive homeless have increased recently and there is a lot of drug abuse going on in that area, particularly around young teenagers. It is not safe for tourists.
The Kapolei area lacks street lights and there are dark alleys that make this zone a perfect playground for criminals. We know of a couple of tourists getting mugged in this area, as there is not much police patrolling.
Haleʻiwa.
The Haleʻiwa zone is quite a popular area on North Shore. It is now considered the artistic and social hub of Honolulu, where tourists can find some of the best activities. Among others, some of the best surfing possible on the island, as well it is possible to find some of the best seafood delicacies on the nearby food trucks.
But visitors should be very cautious and avoid this area at times. This is because statistics show that in the last 7 months there has been an increase in the number of murders, sexual assaults and robberies with violence.
Not only that but also, due to its popularity, Haleʻiwa Beach Park is crowded, particularly during the weekends. This makes it the perfect place for thieves to prey on tourists belonging left on the shore as they target distracted tourists.
There are also many bars where lots of people both tourists and locals get together to enjoy the sunsets and precisely after the sun goes down, people start to get a bit drunk and it is not uncommon to experience small crime troubles.
Kailua.
Kailua is a beach community that offers incredible panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. It is also a very popular area where tons of tourists hang out and spend their Hawaiian days. But visitors should be aware that lately, it has become a darker place due to some issues related to local gang activities. This is not necessarily a problem targeted to tourists but indirectly tourists can be affected by crossed fires.
Diamond Head Crater.
Another area to be aware of, not for its social safety concerns but from the visitors’ safety perspective. Diamond Head Crater is one of the most famous landmarks in Hawaii and it is visited by tons of tourists every year. While it might seem like a friendly hike to the summit, it can be a mortal trap that tourists should be aware of.
The views are breathtaking, no doubt, but if you are not an experienced hiker do not underestimate this trail. Oftentimes, visitors overestimate their skills and underestimate the strenuous and steep terrain, as well as, the high winds for which it is not recommended to go alone without a guide.
The International Market Place.
The International Market Place is a lively market in the heart of Waikiki that offers many options for entertainment for residents and tourists alike.
It does get crowded, especially around the shopping the retails, where most pickpockets are also hanging out. Be very aware of keeping your valuables in your pockets or unsecured bags/purses. Be cautious of people getting too close to you or bumping into you. Keep all the important documents and big cash in your hotel, instead of carrying them out with you.
Chinatown.
Chinatown is of the oldest places in Honolulu, and one of the ones that have experienced the most decline, particularly in the last decade.
Fortunately, statistics point out at Chinatown is promising positive changes and turning into a better zone. Still, there are a fair number of homeless and clusters of drug addicts around the alleys and street lanes, contributing to the stinky and foul smell in the air.
Chinatown is where poor people live and struggle to make it until the end of the month with their low income, if lucky. It is also the place where urban nightlife thrives but also where most nightlife issues reside. Tourists are not encouraged and advised to walk around that area at night and with the proper precautions during the daytime.
In conclusion, Honolulu is a formidable place to visit as there are many possible things to do as a tourist, it is also a beautiful and quite laid-back city. Locals are normally very friendly and as a visitor, you will have a wonderful time.
However, this place does come with some risky neighbourhoods that all tourists should be aware of to prevent trouble during their precious vacation time.
Among all the areas described in this post, we would recommend paying particular attention to Waikiki and Chinatown.
Both of them are popular destinations within Honolulu but if not careful and take enough precautions, tourists can be caught up in some trouble with the local gangs, occasional thieves and sexual perpetrators.