Hawaii travel’s appeal is without question being reshaped in surprising new ways with counter-culture trends.
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Hawaii travel’s appeal is without question being reshaped in surprising new ways with counter-culture trends.
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I think the “discrepancy” between generational preferences is less about differences between generations. When Gen X and boomers were in their 20’s, they slept in airports, their cars, and under the stars, both out of economic necessity and a desire for an authentic experience. The desire/need for this experience is nothing new. I suspect that the generation seeking these experiences now will seek different experiences as they age. In any case, Hawaii tourism needs to be sensitive to these divergent preferences and try to accommodate them. Focusing solely on luxury alienates a very large portion of the tourism market.
Well said. We were once all young, but not all in the “luxury” class.
Just because somebody is young or older & backpacking does not mean that they are going to be trashy, illiterate, disrespectful, etc. Just because someone is driving around in a big rental SUV & staying at the Hyatt for $1,000 a night does not mean that they are going to pick up their own trash or be respectful towards our cultural ways, etc. You are being very judgmental.
I am almost 75 years old, own a beautiful home & property on the south shore where I have lived for over 40 years, & walk at least four or five times a week for several miles enjoying our beautiful nature and weather while also picking up trash & recycling along the side of the road (which comes from tourists, both old & young, & locals as well.) I’ve traveled all over the world my entire life backpacking, staying in hostels, being a couchsurfer, driving around in old vans or motorhomes, & doing quite a bit of volunteering in many countries while I was at it. It’s a fantastic way to really experience a locale!
Kudos to you, Yvonne. Our lives sound interestingly similar, only my trash picking is done at Kahili-Quarry Beach, where I find both micro and macro plastics, most of it appearing to be thrown from fishing boats. I wish more residents and visitors would roll up their sleeves and pitch in. Please keep up the good work, and keep on truckin’…
We need to police polluters and education so that the culprits understand what consequences their actions have.
Also known as ‘freeloading ‘ and not too far removed from a ‘homeless’ lifestyle, often with the accompanying lack of respect for private property. Sometimes spending some money is the better way to go.
Raw dogging.. What a joke. Why does anyone even talk about this. No one is Really doing it. Just some stupid tik-tokers putting a dumb look on their face, taking a picture, and then going back to watching videos.
Geez…
My first two trips to Hawaii – way back in the day – were apparently raw dogging!!! 4 weeks on Kauai, mostly camping, but a couple of condo stays when it was rainy. We pulled permits too…People have been doing this forever. But it was Easier back in 1975…
This makes me laugh. They haven’t invented anything new — not even the name for it. The first time I flew to Hawaii with a friend, we went on a charter flight — remember those? No movies, no mobile phone (didn’t exist back then), but maybe we were given a bag of nuts? I had saved money from my job as a lifeguard, so flights must have been quite cheap back then. We stayed with friends and shirttail relatives, stayed in a run-down hotel in Waikiki (long gone). On the Big Island we borrowed a car to drive from Hilo to the black sand beach at Kalapana (long ago buried by lava). We planned to camp, but after hearing stories of “Night Marchers” we were scared and spent the night in the cramped and sweltering car. We hitchhiked on Oahu and Kauai (not recommended), met lots of travelers in similar travel mode, met lots of truly wonderful people. It was a memorable trip. We always found a restroom, always took our trash with us, left only footprints. Ah, the memories!
What are Night Matchers?
I hope those eschewing luxury in favor of more meaningful experiences are prepared to engage beyond posing for their Instagram account. There is no shortage of organizations that would love to share their mission with visitors willing to embrace the beauty of Hawaiian culture.
“Raw dogging.” Doesn’t sound all that different from back packers I ran onto trains in Europe
Rawdogging flights… from the same great minds that brought us the Tide Pod challenge and the cinnamon challenge!
It’s amazing how Mike Judge was able to perfectly predict the future in his groundbreaking 2006 movie, Idiocracy.
I weep for the future of humanity.
They will be competing with the homeless. No matter what island. I would say be careful of your surroundings
Our politician against STR are ruining travel and endangering the safety of some passengers like the 2 young ladies..
They will do anything to support the hotels and kill the bnb’s….
Aloha Rob+Jeff. Interesting posts from all angles. If the car rental places read that their renters are using their cars as a hotel/STR, they may now raise the prices even more. Imagine all the extra sanitizing cleaning to do after a client has been sleeping in it. IMO if you can’t afford even a campground reservation, stay home.
Despite this term seemingly being used quite a bit in the travel articles about the new travel trend, are you guys aware this originally meant having intercourse without protection? Because as soon as I saw it in the email I was a little concerned what this might have to do with Hawaii.
Ha Ha! OMG yes! I just had this conversation with my nephew, I was like, dude, raw dogging doesn’t mean what you think it means…. find another term for staring into space on a flight. God, what next.
I thought that is what “Raw-Dogging” meant, intercourse without a condom.
Seems to me it’s not new…back to the 60’s in my view. The problem is that most of these people don’t respect anyone’s property, don’t understand respect for what’s not theirs. See a tree, pick the fruit, need to relieve yourself…go into someone’s yard. Been there, saw and experienced that.
“Raw Travel” is just a colloquialism for “we’re basically broke, but want to get to __ place anyways”. At the end of the day, young people come be adventurous, but be responsible about it. Don’t make your lack of preparation everyone else’s liability. Too many people come here & get caught with their pants down, only for the rest of us to fund their survival. If I had to sacrifice 30 years of hard work and sacrifice for this life, you don’t get the same outcome expectation because you’ve been here a week.
This is nothing new. We call it “Dirtbagging.”
It can become problematic in many ways, including obvious safety concerns for the traveler, trespassing on private land, and human feces pollution.
If there were more campgrounds available, it could mitigate some of these issues, but there will always be those who choose to dirtbag.
I don’t what the author of this article was smoking but my kids fly business or first class and the parents, baby boomers, travel coach or budget.
Congratulations on the success of your kids.
My middle-age kids, and our grandkids, still live at home in Kauai, and they cannot afford to buy or even rent. That said, we love having family close. Maybe you should consider asking your kids to share the wealth…
We visited Oahu, Hawai’i, Kauai in November and didn’t go for the large resorts or tours, and had an excellent experience. There are definitely backpacking/camping opportunities that we want to focus on when we return. The biggest challenge I see is the lack, in some areas, of public transportation to remote locations.
Doing your research before going and having a relaxed mindset on your activities goes a long way towards a good experience.
I first came to the islands as a “raw dogger” some 50 years ago.
My wife and I have now lived on Kauai for 38 years, own our own home and property, and have run a successful farm.
I have no problem with “raw doggers” as long as they respect the culture and environment and are careful not to use natural settings as a bathroom. Yuck! They should think of themselves as blessed, not entitled and should be using campgrounds whenever feasible.
I am not a fan of those who come to the islands and immediately apply for “SNAP” payments or Medquest, steal fruit, and just cruise. Hawaii cannot afford to be a welfare state.
FYI – “Raw dogging” in Gen Z slang means having intercourse without a condom.
Hi Maki.
Guessing you aren’t up on the current pop nomenclature. It is widespread in its usage as we depicted.
Aloha.
According to the urban dictionary, you are both right.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Rawdogging
Hi David.
Thanks. We saw this article, then ran into these two young women in your neck of the woods…
Aloha.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y83kj3wg2o
“We saw this article, then ran into these two young women in your neck of the woods…”
Sounds like the opening line in one of those 1970s letters to Penthouse Forum. But, I digress.
We get some true goofballs out in Wainiha-Haena. My rule is never pick up 20-something haole hitchhikers that look like they’ve been out in Kalalau shower free for a few weeks (unless they agree to ride in the truck bed). Stick with the cleaned up locals.
A young woman recently posted on Everything Kauai that she was looking for a free room(s) while visiting Kauai. Many people warned her about her safety, while others thought she was a scammer. Your article makes me think she could be “raw-dogging “ it? But if these visitors are looking for free rooms, what’s next “free food”? How about free rides. Sounds like the Hippies of the 60s. Nothing is ever really “new”.
“involves forgoing all of the in-flight comforts—no movies, music, snacks, bathroom or sleep”
No bathroom? Do they wear diapers? Can I ensure I am not sitting within smelling distance of these “raw doggers”?
So they are going to defecate near streams and pollute our beautiful snorkeling spots. Leave their trash behind? They need to be shamed out from being in the islands! Go to Indonesia, India, Vietnam just somewhere else but here