With so many places to explore, things to do, and sights to see in Oahu, where do you start? That's where we come in. In the pages that follow, we'll help you plan your ideal trip, providing information on airlines, seasons, a calendar of events, how to make camping reservations . . . even how to tie the knot.

Oahu is a relatively small island, measuring 26 miles long and some 44 miles across at its widest, totaling 608 square miles of land, with 112 miles of coastline. From outer space, Oahu looks somewhat like a frayed Indian arrowhead with two mountain ridges shoring up each side: the 4,000-foot Waianae Mountains on the leeward (western) coast and the 3,000-foot Koolau Mountains on the windward (eastern) side. At night you can see the lights of suburban Oahu pouring down the mountain valleys and reaching toward the shoreline.

To many, Oahu and its most famous city, Honolulu, are synonymous. In fact, some people think the name of the island is Honolulu, a misnomer further compounded by the island-wide county calling itself the "City and County of Honolulu." Honolulu's best-known neighborhood, Waikiki, is actually quite small, but its spectacular beach and array of resort hotels are what originally put Hawaii on the tourist map.

Take a Healthy Vacation: Have Your Next Medical Checkup in Waikiki

Souvenirs from your next vacation to Waikiki could include more than pictures of the sunset: How about photos of your colon? Holistica Hawaii Health Center, Hawaii's only high-tech, preventative medical facility, offers a way for you to discover the total picture (literally, in CD format, even) of your "inner" self.

Set in the tropical resort atmosphere of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa, the Holistica center looks and operates more like a high-class spa in a luxury resort than a medical wellness center. Clients are attracted to this spacious facility not only for the complete physical and health assessment, but also for the Electron Beam Tomography scanner, which offers a safe, rapid, and noninvasive way to detect heart disease, lung cancer, aneurysm, stroke, osteoporosis, colorectal disorders, cancerous abnormalities, and other diseases -- all without even taking off your clothes.

This $2-million EBT scanner is considered the "gold standard" in detection. The doctors at Holistica can cite case histories where the scanner revealed potential problems that 10 years down the road could have been fatal, but thanks to early detection, the clients had time to change high-risk behaviors and to reverse the harmful effects.

In addition to the scan, the center offers ultrasound testing, genomic testing, lab work, and medical/nutritional consulting. They have 2- and 7-day programs, which include comprehensive medical testing and evaluation, fitness and nutritional consulting (with cooking classes and lifestyle workshops), spa treatments (at the three-level Mandara Spa, just next door), personal training, physical therapy, and a comprehensive follow-up program. For more information, call tel. 808/951-6546