Hawaii vacations may be healthier than any of us thought. While you may not find the fountain of youth in Hawaii, you’ll definitely be heading in the right direction. This is according to a travel study from The Global Commission on Aging (see it below) that was done right before COVID. Another source, Lonely Planet, says that wellness tourism is the travel industry’s fastest-growing sector, being a $500 billion annual global market.
Some key takeaways from the pre-COVID study include:
▷ More of us are choosing to travel for health and as a result, the wellness tourism industry is booming.
▷ Those who do travel (and observe COVID protocol) have better health and even live longer than those who don’t.
▷ Women who don’t travel often have a higher risk of heart disease compared with those who travel frequently.
▷ Men who travel do better than their non-traveling counterparts.
▷ People who travel reported that they are happier in their lives than those that don’t.
Now that Hawaii vacations are returning and travel has reopened, this study serves as a good reminder of why we travel.
So get ready for a health-giving Hawaii vacation with these 10 tips:
1. Find Cheap Flights to Hawaii. That’s a healthy start on your pocketbook and relieves financial stress. If you travel during the off-seasons, you may be able to save even more and enjoy less crowding.
2. Come during off-season. Fewer visitors help yield the most relaxing experience. Beaches are less crowded too. Best dates are from late August through early December and following Spring Break until early June.
3. Walk in Hawaii. The Ala Wai Canal in Honolulu, the 8-mile oceanfront Kauai Path and Maui’s Wailea Beach Walk are three examples that offer some great free exercise. The options are virtually endless.
4. Get in or on the water. Try an outrigger canoe ride, snorkel, surf, and swim. These are great ways to burn calories and get in shape on your Hawaii vacation.
5. Hike Hawaii. Exhilarating and unforgettable Hawaii hiking awaits you. Options to consider include Diamond Head or more difficult Koko Head crater hikes on Oahu. Also strenuous Alakai Swamp, Na Pali Coast, and Awaawapuhi hikes on Kauai. Plus Waipio Valley, Pololu Valley, and Mauna Loa Lookout hikes on the Big Island. On Maui, it ranges from the easy Iao Valley State Park trail to the more challenging Pipiwai trail to Waimoku Falls in Haleakala National Park.
6. Come prepared. If you’re not used to being active, you may want to start an exercise program well before you leave. If you haven’t come prepared, be careful for example about the hikes you select, so as not to ruin your Hawaii vacation. That way you’ll be in shape to enjoy the best of the islands and face less risk of exhaustion or injury.
7. Eat healthy and save money. There are many healthy options for Hawaii food and restaurants. Packing a healthy cooler for lunch at the beach is a great start and saves money.
8. Hydrate. The tropical sun demands water. Cooling tradewinds can give you the illusion you don’t need as much water as you actually do.
9. Marvel over Hawaii sunsets. Don’t forget the health benefits of just sitting on the beach and experiencing the negative ions while watching our spectacular sunsets and sunrises. And remember to look for the green flash at sunset.
10. Get in better shape. Return to the mainland feeling and looking better than you left!
Do you have more tips for a healthy Hawaii vacation? We invite you to share them with us.
destination-healthy-aging-white-paper_final-web
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Many enjoy walking/jogging along the beachfront path that connects the 4 crescent shaped lagoons in Ko Olina. The lagoons are man made but breathtakingly beautiful. You can see them as backdrops in many Hawaii 5 0 and Magnum episodes.
Aloha Rod W. You are quite a survivor. May you enjoy your”Golden Years” with happiness and pleasure. I am 65, still working also after retiring and feel great also. Once you stop, you drop. So I will stay healthy so I can enjoy life. Blessings to you and yours. Mahalo Rob and Jeff, you are simply the greatest guys ever.
Hi Debra.
Thank you! We appreciate your input and three dozen comments to date.
Aloha.
Debra,
I think you’re right- “stop and drop.”
I’ve been there so many times we mostly stay close 2 the timeshare. Can’t walk long distances-the legs are shot. So, it’s a walk from Lewers & Kalia 2 the beach or as far as The Cheesecake Factory-but that requires at least 3 rest-stops. We typically rent a car for 1 or 2 days.
I just don’t know if we’ll return 2 Hawaii. It’s hard on my wife as she tends to my medical needs (mostly bandaging type stuff, but I require help in the toilet).
Aloha!
I was only offering suggestions as to how people could connect more with the locals. I didn’t hear any uplifting suggestions from you. I enjoy all aspects of my vacations in the islands. Making new friends is a plus. Also volunteering your time means a lot to others. Get with the Beat and live Aloha. Mahalo.
Thanks for raising awareness of wellness travel. This is increasingly important while so many feel anxious due to life’s challenges. Hawai’i may not be the fictional paradise portrayed in advertising, but it can provide a welcome distraction from the worries of our lives this year. I would invite all travelers to consider not just their own wellness, but also the wellness of people and places they encounter while on vacation. Happiness is most restorative when shared.
Thank you BOH, I have been to Kauai twice this year, May and Sept of 2021. I agree the health benefits are hard to ignore. My family lives there and I always enjoy my visits. Love all the information your site provides,
Mahalo
Hi Annie.
Thank you. Yes it is a very real thing here on Kauai. That’s undoubtedly one of the reasons for such a high rate of return visitors. Shhh – that’s a secret.
Aloha.
When is spring break for 2022? Sounds like it may be time to make plans.
Surprised that you didn’t mention the awesome fruits & veggies available at area Farmers Markets. We’re visiting in Kappa right now and have been amazed at the wide selection and amazing quality of fruits & veggies at the Coconut Market Place Farmers Market on Tuesday & Thurs am’s. We’ve had their goods every day as part of a healthy & delicious meal. I could easily become a vegetarian if I had this available at home.
Healthier in Hawaii?
I am not sure having to pay a bunch of money only to have to round up a Pre-Clear, wear a mask, stay apart from others, reside in an exorbitantly priced (and taxed) hotel that is afraid to service or clean rooms regularly, pay high prices for everything, and flash my vaccine card to someone in order to eat makes me healthier.
Actually, it would aggravate me a fair amount.
And if I recall correctly, aggravation is not especially good for one’s health.
Heather,
Hit the nail on the head. Why leave home where we are being punished if we don’t get the shots or do get the shots. Wear a mask with or without shots. And now, for seniors like me, get a 3rd shot. So, if I’m already aggravated, why go to a place that is going to increase my aggravation???
By all means don’t
Not to worry. I’ve been coming to Hawaii since 1965. And, except for last year, at least the last 20 or more years, every year. I’ve left a lot of vacation dollars in Hawaii. But, I doubt if I’ll continue to go to a place that only thinks of vacationers as dollar bills.
And your message, and others like it, only reinforces the likelihood I’ll never return. Hawaii should send its Tourist Board to Cancun, they could learn something about how to treat tourists.
Hi Rob and Jeff. Visitors can look and participate in local activities, volunteer some time doing cleanup at a park or beach. Be more involved with giving rather than getting something. Slow down and enjoy the pace of island life. Always works for me. Mahalo for the updates.
Debram,
“giving instead of getting” Hey, it’s a vacation and we are already giving by coming and spending money there. Which, last time I studied economics – that creates jobs – that’s giving. Clean up your own parks.
Hi Debra,
I’m replying to your reply. Except I couldn’t reply directly.
Hi Debra,
No argument there. Just seems to be a leap to declare a longer life comparing 2 periods without supplying the stats.
I’m 77, had and beat cancer, suffered 3 hernia surgeries in 2 years, work 2 jobs and still feel like a million bucks, and can’t wait for my next vacation (closer to home).
Aloha,
Rod
BOH hits it out of the park again with this great article. We didn’t let the naysayers keep us from traveling these last 12 months. Spring training in Arizona, Palm Springs, CA. resorts and Grandkids visits in Texas. We also went to a Vietnam Reunion in Georgia to see my old buddies. It was all very invigorating. We got vaxxed and used common sense. Thank you to BOH for keeping us posted with your valuable updates.
We will be back in Hawaii this coming spring. See ya there!
Hi Curtis.
Thank you! Glad you have been traveling and that you can return to Hawaii again soon.
Aloha.
To Rod W. The Commission based these comments preCovid if you reread the article. Theoretically, it is known that Travel is stimulating and opens your mind and body to new experiences. So depending upon your Outlook, longevity is best achieved through good nutrition, exercise and a positive attitude. If only everyone could practice that, we’d have a wonderful world of people.
Isn’t it a little early for some Commission to declare that those travelers who observe COVID protocols live longer than other travelers?
no it sure isnt.