Tina's Guidebook

With over 4000 square miles of island, you'll have a lot to take in. We suggest renting a car for all or part of your stay, so you can enjoy the variety this island has to offer. Some locations have ample parking and others are very limited. Check with your host to see if parking is an issue in the specific area.

We do have Uber and Lyft. Costs vary depending on where you are going but this can be an expensive option. You do need to download the app on your phone and your billing details, to use these platforms. They operate daily from the airport and downtown Kailua Kona. Please note if you take Uber or Lyft to Puuhonua o Honaunau (City of Refuge and Two Step Beach) you will not be able to get a ride back through this app. We've had many tourists stranded miles from town.

Shared shuttle on Speedi shuttle to and from the airport. SpeediShuttle.com to make a reservation. It’s usually around $32 per person one way from the airport.

Taxi, taxis are located at the airport and generally are about $40 one way. You can pre-arrange a taxi to secure transportation. Local taxi company’s: Kona Taxicab (808) 324-4444 A’s Taxi (808) 747-6882 Dakine Taxi (808)329-8294 R Jay Taxi (808) 201-1780

While in town you can jump on board the Kailua Kona Trolley: for about $2 you can ride to beaches a little further out of the direct vicinity and explore. www.robertshawaii.com/transportation/kona-trolley

Kailua-Kona now has a new, viable transportation option that provides economic, health and ultimate convenience benefits. Bikeshare Hawaii Island is now available for residents and visitors alike along Kailua Village and points of interest. For anyone who wants to leave their car parked during a short trip, or enhance their transportation options Bikeshare is for you. In other cities with a bikeshare system, local businesses also benefit, with an increase in visibility on the street-level, because people are out of their cars and more aware of the shops around them.

Aloha- The sharing of breath, a greeting common among Kanaka. The honi ihu, or the touching of noses, is a traditional method of greeting one another, whether it’s a man and woman, two men or two women. It allows both people to exchange breath, which is the supremely important life force in Hawaiian understanding, and also share scents and convey a closeness in relationship.

Made out of flowers, bird feathers, shells, seeds, hair or ivory, the lei (garland or wreath) has become a symbol of Hawaii. Worn on the top of the head (lei po’o) or around the neck, lei were used ornamentally by Native Hawaiians, especially chiefs, to signify their rank. Giving a lei was a traditional practice, but not like the ceremonious welcome practice that has become the local custom today. The manner of presenting was also different: it was tied around the neck, rather than casting the lei over the head, respecting the sacredness of a person’s head and back.

Hula is a complex artform performed for religious purposes, entertainment and to preserve historical events, genealogy and mythology through movements accompanied by chants. It is a sacred, serious pursuit, involving rigorous training and technical skill, and academic knowledge taught by respected kumu (teachers) who carry on and advance wisdom from a long lineage of masters. Unlike a lot of hula performed today, hula wasn’t meant to be a spectacle, and was often performed privately.

A coveted value, malama ʻāina (take care of the land) upholds the strong connection Hawaiians have to the land. It provided food, nourishment and sustainability, so it was a profound privilege and duty, or kuleana, to take care of it in return by being great stewards, so that everyone, including future generations, could thrive from the bounty of the islands’ natural resources. Hawaiians believe the lands are their ancestors or directly tie them to their ancestors. This ethos still drives many of Hawaiʻi’s taro farmers, fishpond caretakers, ecologists and conservationists of all types.

Hawaiian parties are called pāʻina (dinner party) or ʻahaʻaina (feast), but a misunderstanding by 19th century newspaper reporters gave these distinctive celebrations the name luau (the name for taro tops, a common ingredient in Hawaiian cuisine), and it stuck. Though not an ancient name usage, the sentiments are similar—they brought together groups of people to enjoy delicious food.

In Hawaiian history when the sugar industry grew and plantations multiplied, immigrant laborers were brought largely from China, Portugal, Japan, Korea, Puerto Rico and the Philippine Islands. This diverse group of people living together in close-knit communities created a melting pot of cultures, which produced a unique blend of customs that have roots from many areas of the globe that are collectively referred to as “local.”

Understanding the semantics of the language shows respect to the island and people you’re visiting. Only refer to things as “Hawaiian,” if you’re talking about the indigenous culture and people of Hawaii. Pineapple does not make something “Hawaiian.” Non-Hawaiians are often referred to as “locals” or “kamaaina” (“child of the land”). This subject can be a bit dicey, to Hawaiians, so tread lightly when referring to non-hawaiians as locals or Kama ʻĀina.

Hawaiian Pidgin English is an English- based creole language, created at a time when various immigrants and Hawaiians needed a way to communicate with each other. A mixture of words from different languages, it may sound like broken English to uninformed listeners. It’s best not to attempt Hawaiian Pidgin English unless you’re fluent, as it may be perceived as mockery or disrespect.

Wearing a flower tucked above your left ear (the same side as your heart) discreetly communicates that you have a significant other, while a flower tucked above your right ear lets others know that you’re available. This practice has no roots in Hawaiian culture, but is a fun local custom.

It is not common to use a car horn while driving in Hawaii (unless you are honking a friendly hello). Instead, waving or throwing a shaka when someone lets you into their lane is encouraged.

It is considered a kind gesture to bring omiyage (gifts) from afar for family or friends. Unlike a standard souvenir, such as a magnet or postcard, the idea is to choose items that can’t be found in the recipient’s region, especially food. For instance, buying a box of macadamia nuts for a friend in Iowa where they are not common, or bringing a box of special cookies to a friend on another island where they are not available. Gifts of food are also given in exchange for favors.

Speaking of gifts, don’t take rocks or sand from the beach or lava rocks from a volcano. Superstition says that people who take them will be cursed, which probably gets its roots from the high esteem Hawaiian culture has always held for rocks. It’s also illegal. A lithic culture, stones were used for many things, such as tools, fences, housing - they can even be forms of deities. Leaving rocks as you found them is the best practice.

Take off your shoes before entering someone’s house. You’ll rarely find a house in Hawaii that doesn’t follow this practice. Observing the custom respects your hosts and keeps the dirt outside.

Give a gift of lei to welcome someone or say, “a hui hou” (until we meet again). Lei are also appropriate gifts at graduations, birthdays or other special occasions. It’s a bad omen to give a pregnant woman a closed lei (a representation of an umbilical cord wrapping around the neck of a child), so ask the florist to make it open-ended in these special cases.

A person’s humility is generally deemed a more valuable characteristic than a person’s connections or financial worth. Wearing flashy clothes or name-dropping in Hawaii can be perceived as arrogance rather than pride. Hawaiians are generally lovely people and love to share our island and what it has to offer, so be respectful, always.