9 Ways to Have an Authentic Hawaiian Experience
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An authentic Hawaiian experience is a way to learn the Hawaiian culture, the local culture, give back to the land, and have fun on a trip to Hawaii. Because I bet you don’t want to feel like a tourist.
We had a wise newsletter reader email us, “Hawaii local residents are feeling visitor fatigue.” I thought that was a wonderful way to describe the state of the tourism industry in Hawaii.
An average of 230,000 visitors on the islands any given day (16% of the resident population) creates traffic jams, lack of parking, and a higher chance of meeting some guy who just rubs you wrong. This creates visitor fatigue.
One can chime about how tourism makes up a quarter of the state’s GDP, creates jobs, or is destroying the islands. For me, travel is part of having a full life.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” Saint Augustine
There are eight billion people on this wonderful planet and I’m grateful more are able to travel to meet new people, experience new cultures, and take their lessons home to their communities. Hawaii and the people of Hawaii are worth meeting.
So this article isn’t about how you can be a better visitor just as I’m not writing on how local residents can be better hosts.
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Popular headlines like Here’s How to Respectfully Visit Hawaii (USA Today) and How To Be a Better Tourist in Hawaii, According to Locals (Washington Post) make me feel icky when booking a trip to Hawaii. Based on the wonderful people we meet when we travel, I think we travelers seek out authenticity which inherently breeds respect in both directions.
People don’t want to find hidden gems, have Maui revealed, trek to secret beaches, find Instagrammable vistas, or get off the beaten path. I know they are actually saying they want to have an authentic Hawaiian experience. I get you!
So here are some tips for having an authentic Hawaii vacation.
As any experienced traveler will tell you, these tips for an authentic trip can be applied to anywhere in the world. Hawaii isn’t unique in that regard.
Looking for more resources for the perfect Hawaiian getaway? Check out these articles!
Here’s How We Book our Hawaii Travel (and beyond)
Best Lei Greeting at Honolulu Airport & All the Islands: What To Know Before You Book
Planning a Trip to Hawaii: 15 essential details
1. Malama ‘Aina Program
This program is a gem for multiple reasons. First, Malama ‘Aina means “to care for the land”. That is exactly what this program has you doing.
I have shared it in detail in our 12 Hawaii Volunteer Program Recommendations but it bears repeating.
Sponsored by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, visitors can volunteer their time and labor to support a beach cleanup, help a non-profit harvest kalo (taro), or plant trees. You can visit a part of Hawaii few locals have even gotten a chance to step foot on.
Choose your island and pick from the activity that is available on the dates you are visiting. As a bonus for getting out in nature to learn the culture and the land that makes Hawaii special, hotels will give you a resort credit for a free night (usually the 5th night free but some offer the 3rd night free!).
Browse their Malama Aina Program directory to learn more. For volunteering on Maui, see our Maui Volunteer on Vacation list for eight wonderful organizations.
2. Understanding Hawaii a Little Better
Learning the history of Hawaii: some don’t do this at all and some go a little overboard. An easy way to start to learn history is to dive into Wikipedia. You can learn from when Hawaii was first inhabited to why saimin is a popular menu item to what happened at Pearl Harbor.
Jump into Hawaii in Wikipedia and start clicking the links to go down the glorious rabbit hole of Hawaii information. Learn about the overthrow and ongoing occupation of Hawaii, cost of living in Hawaii, and the cuisine of Hawaii.
The islands and their people will make more sense the moment you land. You can dive deeper into the history with some great Hawaii history books too:
- Shoal of Time – from Captain Cook to Statehood
- Nation Within – the history of the American occupation of Hawaii
- Unfamiliar Fishes – from Christian missionaries arriving to modern times
- And two written by Hawaiian Royalty: Queen Liliuokalani on Hawaii’s stories and King Kalakaukau on Hawaii’s myths and legends
3. Pono
When we lived in Hawaii, we heard the term pono a lot. It felt thrown around at times but its meaning is significant.
Pono is a Hawaiian word with many deep meanings but the one that aligns with visitors and locals is righteousness, or doing the right thing to stay on track.
The best example of being pono is in a Vogue article from Keoua Nelsen, an O‘ahu-based master lauhala weaver and Hawaiian language advocate.
“It’s not about doing the right thing for yourself based on your own standards or definitions; it’s about doing what is right for the other person and the situation at hand.”
“In other words, embracing the concept of pono while you’re here means striving for the best possible outcome for Hawai‘i. This means taking the locals’ views and experiences into account rather than just your own. If there’s a “no trespassing” sign in front of a beautiful cliff, for example, resist the urge to go take a photo and think about it from the Hawaiian perspective: That sign is there for a reason. Do the right thing so you leave no harm.”
4. Eating Local
There are layers to this tip on authenticity in Hawaii.
First, eating local is supporting local businesses. This is not hard in Hawaii as most small restaurants and food trucks (Maui and Kauai have the best) are locally owned and operated. We share our favorite places to eat in our Wayfinder Itineraries Quick Hits.
- 15 Best Restaurants in Kihei and Wailea, Maui
- 10 Best Restaurants in Lahaina, Maui
- Our Wayfinder Itineraries have our favorite restaurants embedded in excursion days and in the Quick Hits section by town
Second, trying authentic Hawaiian cuisine is part of the experience of the islands. Oahu has the best selection with Oahu Grill and Highway Inn serving up kalua pork, lau lau, and poi (pounded taro). Poke, raw fish cut against the grain with seasonings, is also an authentic Hawaiian meal. Luaus serve Hawaiian food but finding a local restaurant may be a better experience.
Third, the cuisine of Hawaii means so much more than original Hawaiian food. Understanding why a dish is popular in Hawaii is to understand the history of migration to the islands. From Poylnesians bringing canoe crops like sugar cane and taro to Portuguese malasadas and why there are Japanese bento boxes everywhere.
Hawaii is a foodie paradise thanks to the people who moved to the islands and the fusion that resulted.
5. Embrace the Islands
This tidbit is an easy one. Stop at a scenic overlook, take a few pictures, and then put your camera and phone down. Take a deep breath and listen to your surroundings.
One can call it letting the island speak to you. I call it relaxing on vacation. During a busy itinerary day of sightseeing, it feels great to take breaths at every stop to enjoy the island.
6. Local Tours
My family and I are do-it-your-self type travel people. We imagined every guided tour was a 60-passenger bus going to tourist traps. We were so very wrong.
We make it a point to go on a locally guided tour on every trip to Hawaii. Be it mountain tubing through irrigation canals on Kauai to the Road to Hana on Maui, the local guides make the experience unforgettable. Their knowledge of the island, the stories, and their connection to the land from living there makes the tour more than quick stops and banana bread.
We enjoy smaller tours that are typically eight to twelve visitors on a mini-shuttle. Most tour companies are local so it isn’t hard to support a local business with local drivers.
The most authentic Hawaiian tour we have gone on is this Hawaiian Waikiki sailing tour on a Polynesian sailboat. Wow.
Enjoy the energy of the tour. Ask the guide questions, get to know the other folks on the tour, be open about yourself, and you will start to feel part of the community.
7. Water in Hawaii
Fresh water in the Hawaiian language (ʻŌlelo Hawai’i) is wai. Now that you know that, you will see wai written everywhere. Waikiki, Waimea Valley, Waimanalo Beach, Waiola Shave Ice, and the list goes on.
On one of the most isolated island chains in the world, all the freshwater comes from rainfall. Hence, water is cherished.
Hawaiians lived in communities called Ahupua’a that stretched from the mountain (mauka) to the ocean (makai). The community essentially followed the stream down the mountain to provide all their resources to live.
When you’re visiting Hawaii, it’s important to treat the water, including the ocean, freshwater streams and rivers, and watersheds, with care. Bring eco-friendly bug repellent, mineral based sunscreen, and consider your water use. This is part of giving back to the islands.
Unrelated fact on water on Maui. My toddler and I toured the Ka’anapali Waste Water Treatment Plant (they don’t normally do tours but I was persistent) as he was interested in where his waste went. We learned their busiest day (highest volume) was on New Year’s Day. I found that interesting.
8. Attend Live Music
An authentic trip to Hawaii has to include live music. Listen to the iconic ‘ukulele which was brought over by Portuguese sailors or the local slack key guitar. You will find live music at restaurants, shopping centers, on the street, and luaus.
If you can’t find live music (here is a list of live music venues on Maui), then at least listen to Hawaiian songs and local singer/songwriters on our Spotify playlist – The Hawaii Vacation Guide.
9. Farm Tours
Erica’s favorite way to get off the beaten path is to go on a farm tour. Farm tours take you to remote parts of the island where the local farmer provides an immersive experience of farm-to-table dining and local stories.
There are so many types of farms in Hawaii. Our son loves the bee farms for the honey tasting, my wife enjoys coffee farms, and I like the tropical ones like dragon fruit farm or the coconut farm.
Maui and the Big Island have the most farm tours to choose from, explore them here:
I hope these nine tips for an authentic trip help you feel like you are really taking part in an authentic Hawaiian experience during your trip. No matter which island you visit, let us help you make the most of it with our Hawaii itineraries.