Golden sands, fresh shrimps at the beach...

...and the world's squishiest doughnut

Hawaii's island of O'ahu is not the largest of the hundreds of Hawaiian islands spread over 2,400 km, but it is home to the state capital, Honolulu. This city, pop. 390,000, is the USA's southernmost and westernmost city. Its name, in the Hawaiian language, means 'sheltered port' which was appropriate for us as we had come here to join a cruise ship.

However like many passengers, we had decided to arrive a few days early and see what is so special about the  USA's most recent state. This is what we found: friendly people, great shopping, huge hotels, stunning views, golden sands, surf and sunshine and some surprising secrets..........

Firstly we needed to revise some of our preconceptions. The sands of Waikiki are more creamy in colour than golden, but it's what you find on them, now that may be surprising.

Like this band which assembled outside our hotel, Hilton Hawaiian Village, late on our first afternoon. To look at the bandsmen, you wouldn't realise that the temperature was nudging 30C, and the sun was blazing down.

WATCH THIS VIDEO to see what else we discovered, then read on to find more.

Local knowledge is a wonderful thing, and we had a tipoff, that if we wanted to try the largest, squishiest, most delicious member of the doughnut family, then we had to visit Leonard's Bakery, on the outskirts of Honolulu and sample a Portuguese malasada. These are baked to order, so you will never have a fresher one, and judging by the long queue out the door, the locals certainly are in on the secret. WATCH this video to see how they are made....

Another secret we were let in on was the weekly Saturday morning Kapiolani Farmers' Market or KCC. Like farmers' markets anywhere, the focus is on local produce. Very quickly we felt as though we were well and truly on a Pacific island. Taro is a starchy root vegetable much beloved across Polynesia, and poi is a pinkish puree of the cooked flesh that is, well, somewhat of an acquired taste. WATCH a video of the markets.

In a variation of 'I'll have what she's having' we accosted someone carrying a wedge of pizza and tracked it down to this busy stall.

After reading the sign, it was impossible to go any further. And it was sensational!

Hawaiians love a party and we lucked in on the Aloha Spring Festival, a major annual parade along the waterfront of Waikiki. It was a hot day too and we felt sorry for the people wearing heavy costumes, and the team after team of marching bands.

You won't see them here, but there were people darting between the marchers and the floats offering water bottles so the participants could keep up their fluids. Likewise there were teams of others following the horses with buckets - for obvious reasons!

The parade lasted for hours, travelling several kilometres, a wonderful, exuberant, colourful celebration of life in Hawaii.

Our room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village overlooked the legendary beach, here surprisingly quiet for a sunny day. And, yes, in the late afternoon light, the sands did turn golden.

There even was a rainbow. In fact we saw many rainbows around these islands, and they became delightful accessories to many photos.

Like beaches anywhere, the lifeguards are essential, and here, far in the background, the 86-year-old pink Royal Hawaiian hotel is just visible.

Hilton Hawaiian Village is much newer, and is Waikiki's only resort destination spread over 22 acres of prime oceanfront. Well-named, it has 20 restaurants and bars, an outdoor shopping village, pools, a chapel, several accommodation blocks, and you need to plan the first day orienting yourself. Then carry a map!

Waikiki is definitely the beachfront of Honolulu, and the two parts stay relatively separate. Perhaps too simplistically, Honolulu is the  business end of town with commercial and civic buildings, and Waikiki has the fun places - boutiques, restaurants, cafes, bars, resorts - and of course the beach. Cute little 'road-trains' run regulalrly along several routes, a great way to connnect various parts of the sprawling waterfront and city.

One secret that should be shouted out is the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. Packed with exhibits that chart the history of this amazing island group, and in fact the entire Pacific region, the new Pacific Hall is the ideal place to put this huge area - almost a third of the world's surface in perspective.

From the gallery level of the new hall, visitors can look down on an exquisitely crafted inlaid timber floor.....

Passionate about growing these foods in the best and healthiest way, Daniel takes visitors on guided tours around the farm.

Meanwhile Kylie, and her team in the farm cafe, create delicious meals using almost exclusively the farm's produce. Some the products used, such as dressings, are made at the farm cafe and can be bought here as well. And in case you are wondering, this was one of our best meals (and definitely the healthiest) on Oahu!

Finally it was time to join our ship, Celebrity Solstice for our long journey across the Pacific. The few days on O'ahu had given us a valuable introduction to the Polynesian people, their love of life, and generosity.

As the setting sun lit up the tall city buildings of Honolulu, we knew that in our short visit we'd uncovered a few secrets, but in doing so, we realised there were many more waiting to be discovered. Next time!

More information about Hawaii......