56 thoughts on “Hawaii Visitor Exodus Chronicles | From Maui to Kauai (Part 1)”
Cece
I always go to Maui and just spent a wonderful 16 days there November into December. I stay down at Kihei and it is as beautiful as ever. As sad that it is that Lahaina burned there it is just a very small part of the island. I will be back next year.
We used to love Kauai. And then a few years ago, we noticed more and more pushback from the locals. The beaches were “their’s” and some of the roads had roadblocks Manned by locals, who advised us, we better go back. It seems that the old time Aloha Spirit is now for locals only. We’re happy to spend our money elsewhere
We have gone to Kauai for the past 17 winters & love it. I highly recommend a boat trip up the NaPali Coast, but not all boats are the same. The best for a smooth ride is with Liko Kauai which leaves from Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor. And the crew & food is terrific, too!
Oprah, on hearing that neighbor Jeff Bezos had pledged $100M to help the people of Maui after the Lahaina Disaster, quickly stated, she was “going to give a substantial amount” as well, this after giving away Pillows at the Kahului Costco that morning. She quickly left for her Santa Barbara-Montecito area home and hasn’t been seen or heard from since on the Island of Maui!
Last year we went to Kaui and then Maui. We decided to do Oahu, which we haven’t been to in tears, and then on to Maui. The prices for hotel rooms are 3 times what they were when we went last year. This may be the last time for Maui. But, we wanted to give back to the community and will respect their wishes.
My family is going to Kauai. Last year we went to Maui. That’s because we want to get to know more of Hawaii. We first visited the Big Island in 2017. For my 20th anniversary next year we will probably go to Oahu if we can afford it.
Each subsequent trip over the last several years has been significantly more expensive than the last even though our standard of accommodations and such has not elevated.
Be careful what you wish for! The covid lockdown of 2020 should ring loudly in your ears. That lasted only a few months and the free money ran out. If that condition prevailed for a long extended period, life would change dramatically. And I don’t think for the better. No one on the islands are prepared for the kind of existence that would ensue.
The natives have lived there for thousands of years. You think if you stop visiting that the islands would crumble? It’s the exact opposite. If less people visit, things will normalize and they wouldn’t have to keep spending on infrastructure and other tourist centric amenities.
I have a relative named King on the Big Island, I wonder how many “Kings” there are?
I agree with your statement about the “natives being there for thousands of years”, & I think they not only did just fine before the explosion of tourism, but thrived.
Granted, they thrived on a simple, but structured existence.
Take away the only true economy (tourism) in HI & there is not much left, no cars, no AC, no cell phones, no medicine, because these things come with the the influx of tourism dollars.
Maybe that’s the solution?
Probably a balance is the answer?
PatG – I agree with you. I’m on two Facebook groups that vacation in the Ka’anapali Beach area of Maui, and to a person, they are commenting about how welcomed they have been in visits since the fire. These visitors are also volunteering, handing out grocery store gift cards to resort staff, and tipping more generously than usual.
I also wanted to comment about hiking anywhere in Hawaii — we stopped trusting the designations of easy, moderate, difficult, a long time ago. We found them inaccurate and unhelpful when we were younger, and definitely not now in our early 70s!
West Maui is soon to have the worst traffic in its history once debris removal begins very soon. 133 semi truck loads per day shuttling debris to the temporary dump sit. Adding visitor traffic will only magnify this issue. Let Lahaina Heal!
I do miss Kauai. I don’t miss the roads being crowded. Since I left a few years ago, I’ve only returned once and after 30+ years there, I found it strangely unfriendly. With everyone trying to make B+B of any large closet, I found myself staying at the hostel in Kapa’a. Ok, not bad, I can’t complain. Still a beautiful island but sad somehow. Greed kills aloha.
I always go to Maui and just spent a wonderful 16 days there November into December. I stay down at Kihei and it is as beautiful as ever. As sad that it is that Lahaina burned there it is just a very small part of the island. I will be back next year.
We used to love Kauai. And then a few years ago, we noticed more and more pushback from the locals. The beaches were “their’s” and some of the roads had roadblocks Manned by locals, who advised us, we better go back. It seems that the old time Aloha Spirit is now for locals only. We’re happy to spend our money elsewhere
We have gone to Kauai for the past 17 winters & love it. I highly recommend a boat trip up the NaPali Coast, but not all boats are the same. The best for a smooth ride is with Liko Kauai which leaves from Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor. And the crew & food is terrific, too!
Oprah, on hearing that neighbor Jeff Bezos had pledged $100M to help the people of Maui after the Lahaina Disaster, quickly stated, she was “going to give a substantial amount” as well, this after giving away Pillows at the Kahului Costco that morning. She quickly left for her Santa Barbara-Montecito area home and hasn’t been seen or heard from since on the Island of Maui!
Last year we went to Kaui and then Maui. We decided to do Oahu, which we haven’t been to in tears, and then on to Maui. The prices for hotel rooms are 3 times what they were when we went last year. This may be the last time for Maui. But, we wanted to give back to the community and will respect their wishes.
My family is going to Kauai. Last year we went to Maui. That’s because we want to get to know more of Hawaii. We first visited the Big Island in 2017. For my 20th anniversary next year we will probably go to Oahu if we can afford it.
Each subsequent trip over the last several years has been significantly more expensive than the last even though our standard of accommodations and such has not elevated.
Be careful what you wish for! The covid lockdown of 2020 should ring loudly in your ears. That lasted only a few months and the free money ran out. If that condition prevailed for a long extended period, life would change dramatically. And I don’t think for the better. No one on the islands are prepared for the kind of existence that would ensue.
The natives have lived there for thousands of years. You think if you stop visiting that the islands would crumble? It’s the exact opposite. If less people visit, things will normalize and they wouldn’t have to keep spending on infrastructure and other tourist centric amenities.
I have a relative named King on the Big Island, I wonder how many “Kings” there are?
I agree with your statement about the “natives being there for thousands of years”, & I think they not only did just fine before the explosion of tourism, but thrived.
Granted, they thrived on a simple, but structured existence.
Take away the only true economy (tourism) in HI & there is not much left, no cars, no AC, no cell phones, no medicine, because these things come with the the influx of tourism dollars.
Maybe that’s the solution?
Probably a balance is the answer?
PatG – I agree with you. I’m on two Facebook groups that vacation in the Ka’anapali Beach area of Maui, and to a person, they are commenting about how welcomed they have been in visits since the fire. These visitors are also volunteering, handing out grocery store gift cards to resort staff, and tipping more generously than usual.
I also wanted to comment about hiking anywhere in Hawaii — we stopped trusting the designations of easy, moderate, difficult, a long time ago. We found them inaccurate and unhelpful when we were younger, and definitely not now in our early 70s!
West Maui is soon to have the worst traffic in its history once debris removal begins very soon. 133 semi truck loads per day shuttling debris to the temporary dump sit. Adding visitor traffic will only magnify this issue. Let Lahaina Heal!
I do miss Kauai. I don’t miss the roads being crowded. Since I left a few years ago, I’ve only returned once and after 30+ years there, I found it strangely unfriendly. With everyone trying to make B+B of any large closet, I found myself staying at the hostel in Kapa’a. Ok, not bad, I can’t complain. Still a beautiful island but sad somehow. Greed kills aloha.