15 things to know before visiting Hawaiʻi

With millions of visitors every year, Hawaiʻi is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet – and for good reason. It’s palm-tree-framed beaches and lush mountain hikes, multicultural events and a thriving food scene.

When I was growing up in Hawaiʻi, visitors were just a part of life. I’d pass them at Costco, looking for the fun local snacks, and I’d see them at the beach, soaking up the sun just like I was. Every now and then, there’d be a visitor who didn’t know better – getting justa little too close to rocky cliff faces or lounging honu (green sea turtles).

Instead of relying on a kind local to cross your path and share their tips, read up ahead of time. Here are a few things to know before visiting Hawaiʻi to do what’s best for the locals, the land, the ocean and, of course, you.

Trip planning 

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Hawaiʻi is during the shoulder seasons – March to May and September to November – when crowds thin out between peak travel periods. The islands really are beautiful any time of year, but December and January tend to get hit the hardest with crowds, prices and weather.

How many days to visit

A week to 10 days is an ideal chunk of time for first-time visitors in Hawaiʻi. It justifies the inevitably long flight and provides enough time to visit two islands. If you’re hoping to visit more than two islands on your visit, you’ll want to extend your trip a few days more.

Best areas to stay

There are four main islands to visit in Hawaiʻi: Oʻahu (which has Honolulu and Waikiki), Maui, Hawai‘i Island (the Big Island, with Hilo and Kona) and Kauaʻi. Each island has its own unique draw. Oʻahu – and Waikiki in particular – is ideal for island city life, while Kauaʻi is a hiker’s paradise that’s as quiet as it gets. Maui – especially Kaanapali and Wailea – is popular with couples celebrating honeymoons and anniversaries, and the Big Island has to the only actively erupting volcanoes in the island chain.

Etiquette in Hawaiʻi

Remember that Hawaiʻi is more than a vacation destination

It can be easy to forget that Hawaiʻi isn’t just a place to vacation. It’s home for over a million people, and for many, it’s been that way for generations. 

Similarly, Hawaiʻi isn’t a picture-perfect paradise. It has its own problems, just like anywhere else, including homelessness, high cost of living, infrastructure issues and hundreds of species at risk of extinction. Most visitors come across at least one of these, and those who are unaware beforehand can judge the islands more harshly.

When visiting, respect the islands like they’re yourhome, treating the people, the land and the ocean with kindness and thoughtfulness.

Know the difference between “Hawaiian” and “local”

People from California can call themselves Californian, but people from Hawaiʻi don’t call themselves Hawaiian unless they are Native Hawaiian. There’s a lot of nuance to this, but to put it simply, “Hawaiian” is an ethnic group with a culture, language and history – one that has dealt with enough suppression as it is. For someone who is from Hawaiʻi but not Hawaiian to claim that they are “Hawaiian” creates confusion, misrepresentation and, ultimately, erasure.

Instead, use the term “local” to refer to someone who is from Hawaiʻi but not Native Hawaiian. This comes with its own set of questions – who is a local, exactly? – but this term is much less problematic than calling someone from Hawaiʻi “Hawaiian” if they are not ethnically Native Hawaiian.

Take time to learn about Native Hawaiian culture

Between the beach days and snorkeling tours, waterfall hikes and food stops, many visitors forget to learn about Native Hawaiian culture, despite the fact that Native Hawaiian people and culture are a huge part of why the islands are the incredible place that they are today.

There are loads of ways to do this. Visit Hawaiian historic sites like ʻIolani Palace and Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, dine at a traditional Hawaiian restaurant, spend an evening at an authentic lūʻau, or experience a traditional festival like the Merrie Monarch hula festival or the East Maui Taro Festival.

Avoid speaking Hawaiʻi Pidgin

Hawaiʻi has a local slang called “Pidgin” or “Hawaiʻi Pidgin.” It’s a combination of several languages, including Japanese, Portuguese and Hawaiian, and came about during the sugar plantation and immigration era. It’s so distinct that many visitors don’t realize that there are English words thrown into the dialect.

Quite a few visitors like to try their hand at Pidgin, but it’s not the best move. It never sounds quite right, and the attempts are often harder to understand than regular ol’ English. Even worse, it can come off as mocking or patronizing at times. Instead, consider learning a few Pidgin words or phrases, simply to understand when a local is speaking to you, like “howzit?” for “how’s it going?”

Make sustainable choices

Nature is a huge part of islands’ draw, and Hawaiʻi has managed to stay as beautiful as it is because locals have worked to keep it that way. Do your part during your trip to Hawaii by making sustainable choices. Bring a reusable bag and water bottle, opt for reef-safe sunscreen over chemical sunscreen, or take part in a beach cleanup while you’re in town.

Safety in Hawaii

Respect the power of the ocean

You’ll inevitably spend a whole lot of your Hawaiʻi trip looking at the ocean – ocean-view rooms, ocean-view dining, boat rides, days at the beach, you name it. And often, the water looks calm. The problem is, sometimes the water isactually calm, but other times it’s deceiving. Waves often look smaller than they are, rip currents sneakily pull out to sea with barely a trace, and sharp rocks can hide beneath the surface.

That’s not to say avoid the ocean on your trip to Hawaiʻi – not at all! Just be smart about it. Don’t overestimate your swimming abilities – for example, if you can’t swim, don’t go on a snorkeling tour. And ask the local lifeguards (when available) what you should know. They know the beaches they’re watching better than anyone, so they can clue you in to each specific shoreline’s eccentricities.

Don’t leave valuables in your car

Crime in Hawaiʻi is low overall and generally nothing to be concerned about. That said, the one kind of crime that’s common enough to note is petty theft. Don’t leave valuables or anything that looks like it could hold or hide valuables, like bags or towels, visible in your car. Leave those items at your accommodation, or bring them on your adventures with you.

Give wild animals their space

In recent years, there have been several reported instances of visitors harming local wildlife, from turtles to monk seals. This not only hurts the animals but it’s illegal. For these threatened or endangered species, you must give the animals a wide berth (10 ft for turtles and 50 ft for monk seals) – for their safety and yours.

For nonthreatened species, be kind to the animals. Don’t feed birds or fish foods that can hurt their digestive systems, and avoid stepping on coral – yes, it’s an animal – as that can break or contaminate the reef.

Transportation

Know that transportation between islands is limited

Believe it or not, the only way to get from one Hawaiian Island to another is by plane, with one exception: the ferry from Maui to the little island of Lānaʻi. Other than that, you’ll have to get up into the air to visit more than one island.

Be a kind driver

Most visitors to Hawaiʻi rent cars, as it’s usually the most convenient way to get around. Be a kind driver. Never honk your horn. Let people into your lane when they signal, and throw up a wave or a shaka (a hand greeting) when they do the same for you. And last but not least, don’t rush. Drivers here are on island time, which means we’re not driving all that much over the speed limit, and we’re not weaving between lanes. Be prepared to sit in traffic sometimes, and enjoy the view if it’s there or the island music playing on the radio if it’s not.

Food culture

Explore unfamiliar foods

In Hawaiʻi, ingredients, meals and techniques from different countries are melded together to make dishes like spam musubis (an American-Japanese hybrid) or kālua-pig-filled manapua (a Hawaii version of Chinese-style steamed or baked buns). If there’s something on a menu that you’re not familiar with, ask about it – or take a risk and order blindly. Who knows, you might find something you love.

Call it “shave ice” not “shaved ice”

That icy, fruit-syrup-covered treat that Hawaiʻi is known for – it’s not a snow cone; it’s not even “shaved” ice; it’s shave ice. If you see a place advertising itself as “shaved ice” instead of “shave ice,” skip it. It’s probably not great.

To continue planning your trip to Hawaiʻi, check out our island-specific books for Oʻahu , Maui , Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island .