{"id":5036,"date":"2022-01-18T21:44:48","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T21:44:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bookheregivehere.com\/?post_type=destinations&p=5036"},"modified":"2022-05-19T13:04:53","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T13:04:53","slug":"hawaii","status":"publish","type":"destinations","link":"https:\/\/www.bookheregivehere.com\/destinations\/hawaii\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawaiian Islands Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aloha! I\u2019m so excited today because we are going to be talking about the super amazing Hawaiian Islands. Which is why \u2013 as you can \u2013 see my normal greeting of Howdy!<\/em> has been swapped out with the well-known Hawaiian greeting! I recently had the pleasure of having Robin Basso, the Senior Director of Travel Industry Partnerships at Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau<\/strong> as a guest on my video chat series. And \u2013 thanks to the fact that she has been representing Hawaii for 25 years now \u2013 going back and forth to the islands for the majority of those years and now living there for the past three \u2013 she came with tons of fabulous information and updates on America\u2019s 50th<\/sup> state. So, grab a lei, a cup of Kona coffee and let\u2019s fly away for a virtual view of heavenly Hawaii!<\/p>\n

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The Aloha State<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did you know that Aloha doesn\u2019t mean hello? Although it is often used as a greeting, it really is so much more than that. As Robin explained it\u2019s actually a value system that\u2019s woven into the fabric of the Hawaiian people with a deep meaning. The term Aloha actually means \u201cthe breath of life\u201d <\/em>in Hawaiian so it\u2019s literally giving and receiving the breath of life. And you know you really can\u2019t have a more intimate connection with someone than letting them know your essence and it’s something that is really intangible. Hopefully those of you that have never been to Hawaii will have that opportunity to experience it and those that have been, you know it when you feel it and it\u2019s something that\u2019s synonymous with Hawaii and such an important part and a differentiator in the experience in Hawaii. So, guys you know that I have been preaching for the longest time about traveling in the pure state and really experiencing the purest life and Aloha allows you to do just that. I live by that I preach it and it\u2019s so amazing and it\u2019s so important. You know now more than ever the world could use a little Aloha. We also need to really understand a lot of the different cultures out there so that we can be better world citizens and travel really allows us to do that. And even though this is a US destination it has an amazing culture that you are not going to find in any other states. It is an incredible exotic Pacific Island culture – I mean there\u2019s not many destinations where you get another language or the beautiful art of hula or this incredible history. Did you know that Hawaii was once a kingdom ruled by kings and queens? It was and thanks to that history and all of these wonderful cultures coming together you really feel like you\u2019re in another country!<\/p>\n

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The Malama Hawaii Program<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk a little bit about this amazing opportunity that you can have in Hawaii called Malama. Robin explained that this is actually something that was launched over a year ago \u2013 in November of 2020. After going through a record setting year for tourism and then going through COVID, it was more important than ever to take a step back and to really kind of think about tourism in a very different way. Malama is a Hawaiian value, and it means to take care of our earth, of each other and ourselves which is such an important concept now more than ever. Robin went on to say that it was really time to say, \u201chow can we create tourism that\u2019s going to be sustainable and regenerative for the future?\u201d So, the Hawaii Tourism Authority got together with local hotels and nonprofits and said that if visitors will come back and agree to participate in a voluntourism opportunity, we\u2019re going to give them something for it \u2013 either a discount or free night. Since then, the program has expanded exponentially, and they now have over 75 nonprofit organizations that include anything from beach cleanups to reforestation to making quilts for the elders \u2013 or as they are called in Hawaiian \u2013 the kupuna<\/em>. It\u2019s a way to connect with the people, to connect with the culture and to leave Hawaii better then when you found it. You can find lots of great information on this program on gohawaii.com \u2013 including a voluntourism site. And \u2013 if you want to see some incredibly moving videos that feature these Malama ambassadors – check out their YouTube site \u2013 trust me, you will be so inspired by the locals! And you know my thoughts on travel by now \u2013 here you can not only give back with labor \u2013 but you can also give back to the local economy. And when I do your bookings, I focus on making sure that the tourism dollars that you spend also affect the local economy as it\u2019s really important overall in making sure that we really are affecting the local economy and making them as independent as possible through tourism. It\u2019s my life mission to make sure through travel you become a better world citizen and if I can impact one person at a time, I\u2019m good with that!<\/p>\n

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Weather<\/strong><\/p>\n

Robin shared that she was born and raised in Chicago and but after living in Hawaii for three years she can attest the weather is much better in Hawaii year-round \u2013 although I suppose we all suspected that \u2013 wink, wink. And she said people always ask what\u2019s a good time to go to Hawaii and her response is that there\u2019s never a bad time. The weather is so consistent throughout the year \u2013 they are basically at the very upper 60s to the mid-80s year-round with beautiful trade winds coming in off the ocean. It can get very cool but it\u2019s very comfortable and very temperate. The water temperature stays at around 74 degrees year-round so they don\u2019t have huge peak and shoulder seasons because they have such consistent weather throughout which really means as Robin pointed out – that there\u2019s never a bad time to visit Hawaii. It\u2019s really just about what you want to experience and as we plan your trips together, I will confer with Robin and make sure that what you want to see and do is the time we send you there.<\/p>\n

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Social Distancing Galore<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks to its wide-open spaces and no need for a passport Hawaii draws visitors looking for exotic islands and a domestic destination all in one. The majority of visitors rent cars so you can really experience Hawaii and get off the beaten path completely on your own and do it at your leisure. For me one of the most amazing things is that everyone always says that they want to go to a destination where they can see right through the water, yet everyone forgets that we have this amazing, wonderful state of ours where they can do that. And Robin added that after representing Hawaii for over 25 years she has to say that she has never seen the water so clean and crystal clear. Think about it – pre-pandemic they were at record setting visitor arrival numbers at 10 million visitors – and unfortunately over tourism brings its own set of challenges. She noted that with this pause in tourism and visitation it is incredible how the marine life, the coral, everything is just regenerated. You see the turtles and the monk seals coming back on the beach and just this crystal-clear water \u2013 making it such an incredible time for people to come and experience the islands!<\/p>\n

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Accommodations<\/strong><\/p>\n

The amazing thing with Hawaii is there truly is something for everyone in terms of the variety of accommodations. If you want a beautiful luxury resort with the multiple restaurants, the shops, the spa – all of that kind of stuff you absolutely can have that. If you\u2019re looking for something moderate in a nice convenient location since you\u2019ll be out exploring and engaging in activities and not spending time at the resort, they have got that as well. If you\u2019re looking for a condominium product because you are traveling with your family or you\u2019re traveling with friends you can have the convenience and comfort of having separate sleeping areas, the full kitchen, the laundry and all of that great stuff all wrapped up into one!<\/p>\n

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The Islands<\/strong><\/p>\n

In terms of the islands, you truly have six distinct destinations with six distinct personalities. It\u2019s like Robin said if you asked 100 people in a room, they would all have a different favorite. And the great thing is that\u2019s what I am here for \u2013 I can ask you those right questions to match you with that perfect island or island combination and deliver that vacation experience of your dreams. It is also important to note that the majority of flights come into the island of Oahu to Honolulu International Airport but the average flight time island to island is only 30 minutes, so it makes it very easy to island hop!<\/p>\n

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