101 thoughts on “Hawaii Travel: Feast or Famine”

  1. I currently fly frequently between Seattle and Hawaii for business. Over the last year, travel rules have changed frequently and keeping up with them is a challenge. However, I do it and have tested each time before coming home to Oahu. What erks me the most is the lack of research on convelescent Covid patients as I am one, having had Covid a year ago. We have a government who’s knee jerk reaction is to mandate that everyone get vaccinated, but currently there is no science to back up that claim, only what our representatives think. There’s plenty of research ongoing in other industrialized countries to show that convelescent Covid patients have better immunity (and real immunity as evidenced by the lack of second infections and of convelescent Covid patients in the hospitals), so much so that these countries count these folks in their herd immunity counts. In my opinion, people would trust the government much more if they gave us all of the information, instead of telling us what they think is best for us. In my experience traveling, the people I see at HNL that don’t have wristbands, meaning they’re vaxed or had a negative test, are mostly locals. Most tourists have followed the rules of vaxing up. Just some food for thought.

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  2. An Airbnb and cond-owner would not give a full refund after the Governor of Hawaii recommended a stoppage of visitor travel as did the CEO of Hawaiian Tourism until the end of October 2021. Keeping over $450 stating that this Covid issue and government issuance is not an extraordinary circumstance. Thieves, money hungry ! Hotels were honorable, many Airbnb, not. Use hotels and reputable people.

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  3. New Covid cases rising again to 829 today, and deaths up to 12.
    Sadly the averages are still going the wrong direction, and the worst of the Pandemic.

  4. Aloha!!!

    The Hawaii government lacks the intelligence to handle anything and is more concerned with the money lining their pockets!!!

    After the lockdowns, the urge to reopen tourism exceeded what the state could ever expect and prepare for, why would they just look at the failure or the unneeded rail system…
    Never should have taken away the pre flight mandatory test!!! The state had Covid cases under control until that happened and now the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike have brought the virus into the state and it then spread to individuals who took it back to their communities!!!
    It’s no one groups fault at all!!!
    Everyone is to blame to certain degrees… Mostly point your finger at the criminals in the state government who run and hide when s*** gets real!!!

    Tourism needs to be capped, always has needed to but greed outweighs common sense and aloha!!!

    The tourists who complain about Hawaii and want to push blame on the locals for their bad vacations need to stay out of Hawaii out of pure respect to Hawaii and it’s people who are the best in all the world!!!

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    1. Right on spot Lui P.

      During the surge of tourism from June through August, not a word from our government.

      Now as tourism reduces, all of a sudden our Govenor, Mayor’s and HTA have all these concerns and bright ideas about regulating tourism in Hawaii…After The Fact!!!! In the meantime residents/locals suffer the consequences and once again being placed on restrictions.

      We are definitely moving backwards instead of forward.

  5. I’d like to point all you people who think there should not be testing for everyone flying into the islands (resident and vaccinated included to this interview with renowned epidemiologist Dr. Larry Brilliant, who was part of the World Health Organization team that helped eradicate smallpox in 1980.

    In an interview with (HI) KITV-4’s Annalisa Burgos he discussed how the magnitude of the current surge here in HI was preventable.

    Quote: “I’m worried about what happens over the next several weeks. And that’s too bad because I think Hawaii had it all in order,” he said. “I used to talk quite a bit to your wonderful lieutenant governor who’s a physician and emergency room dock on the Big Island and I thought that he really understood it. And somehow the highest level of government in Hawaii, they forgot what was making Hawaii safe. And it was very simple. It was testing everyone who arrived on the islands and finding those who were tested positive and then isolating them, It’s a very simple thing to do.”

    By allowing exemptions to testing, Dr. Brilliant said, Hawaii becomes a destination for every variant in the world. He says funding for airport testing can come from $100 billion in COVID Recovery Act money now available for states.”

    You can see it on the KITV website.

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    1. been literally saying this for months on this site

      testing for all, is the only way.

      the surge started right after they started exempting all the vaccinated people form testing in early july

      1. Yup myself included right after 7/7 everything spiked. Not hard to put together but politicians can’t say that, so they have to blame the unvaxxed.

  6. Worst vacation ever!!! Everything was a hassle right down to the luau. Couldn’t sit with my family cause we paid separately. Please check your employees and make them friendlier. They acted like they didn’t want us every place we went. Make up your minds!!! You want visitors or not??? Sorry its your own people leaving the island and coming back spreading covid. Such a waste of money and time. Would not recommend to anyone. This is on you Hawaii!!!

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    1. Thank you for your comment. Absolutely agree. Had a terrible experience with rude vendors at the flea market and at the Pearl Harbour memorial bag check. I will not reccomend Honolulu to any of my friends. The smelly streets, homeless everywhere harrasing single female travellers, and rude service combine into my worst vacation. I would rather go to Mexico or Europea where I get better value.

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      1. I live in Moili’ili and our streets here are not “smelly.” I have no idea what areas you visited but generalizations about smell on an entire island is pretty poor form.

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    2. Aloha Kari,
      When we were there for new years it was the least crowded it has ever been, so nature had come back, it was magical. Even Waikiki. Plan ahead with rental car and dinner reservations asap. The smaller groups and masks make it different for sure.
      Try to tip extra if you can, the ones who make our trips great sometimes get the least amount of recognition.
      Definetly go!!
      Dave

  7. I was there 2 weeks ago crowded and couldn’t enjoy. So so disappointed. And islanders very unfriendly!!!! Never again! I would not recommend to anyone.

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  8. Anyone have recent experience with Uber and/or Lyft? How about Holo-Holo?
    Any word if the rental car situation is going to get any better by December?
    laurie

    1. I live on Oahu and recent experiences with Lyft going from Moilili to Waikiki or Downtown had long waits. One night we ended up cancelling after waiting 45 min and taking a cab which was cheaper. there is a shortage of drivers and more passengers than normal due to car rental situations. Drivers have no control over where they are sent it is all done by an algorithm in their app, so even if someone gets out of one right in front of you, they are already sending them to another customer many times. There is a shortage on most things service here now.

  9. Hi Kari,
    We went to the Big Island last winter. I found that many of my favorite restaurants were closed, this definitely takes a fair amount of the fun out of a trip to the Big Island. Also rental cars are easier to come by now but they are far more pricey than they used to be. I’m going to say it’s going to be a personal choice on your part.

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