In the 1800s Waikiki was the beach playground of the royals in Hawaii and King Kalākaua spent a lot of time there. Around 1890 Robert Louis Stevenson visited the Hawaiian Islands and became friends with the King and his niece, the Princess Kaiulani. In the 1920s the Ala Wai Canal was dug as a way to drain the wetlands of the area and eliminate disease-carrying mosquitoes. With the building of the Royal Hawaiian and the Moana Surfrider Hotels, Waikiki would soon become a destination for people wanting to learn to surf and meet the world famous Duke Kahanamoku, whose Olympic success helped put Waikiki and the sport of surfing on the map. Bordered by the Ala Wai Canal, a famous beach, and iconic Diamond Head the area today is a world-class resort with fine hotels, condominiums, entertainment venues, designer shops and some of the finest dining on the planet.
