The Ko'olina Resort area is, like Waikiki, a man-made wonder. So be it. The resort's four swimming lagoons, which are open to the public like all Hawaii beaches, are marvelous. Calm and clear with a fringing reef, sandy bottoms and fabulous swimming, the mini-crescent bays never get rough. On the perennially sunny West Side of Oahu, the lagoons rarely fall under clouds, either -- the weather is almost always perfect. The sun gets intense and spots under palm trees go pretty quickly so best to get out there early. Weekdays, of course, have less critical crowds. This is definitely off the tourist track (in fact, many East Oahu residents have never been to the beaches on the West Side). Although its a resort area, Ko'Olina only has a few towering hotel edifices and is surrounded by an industrial park and a blue collar area, so its both spoiled and unspoied. It certainly feels less crowded than Waikiki. Roy Yamaguchi, the megachef who manages to make his Hawaii restaurants better than his mainland outposts, has a restaurant nearby that's a good bet for solid grinds.

Map to resort (ask at guard station about lagoons and parking)

—Alex, 01/11/07