Beat of Hawaii Blog

Hawaii has fewer visitors this spring, yet spending is up, beaches keep closing, and ocean rescues keep surfacing. That sounds like four stories, but it may be one visitor wearing four different hats.

A long-time visitor laid out the receipts. A Hawaiian Airlines pilot said goodbye. Plus a reader who saw the rock-throwing story differently than anyone else.

First-time Hawaii visitors often sail through arrival, then discover an airport line they never knew existed before the flight home. Here is what to expect, what to leave behind, and why so many travelers only find out too late.

A Hawaiian Airlines story went viral. Former HA flight attendants can now wear a lei only on certain flights. Here’s what the rule actually says.

On Hawaii beaches without ropes or volunteers, a resting turtle can look like a rock until visitors are already too close. We live between two very different turtle encounters, and the contrast raises the question almost no one can answer: what do you do when harassment happens and no one is there to stop it?

Why will people still cross an ocean to reach Hawaii? Somewhere out on the Pacific right now, a woman is rowing alone toward Oahu, with months of open water between her and the islands.

Starting July 1, Hawaiian replaces the free Main Cabin meal on most mainland routes with a pre-order menu costing up to $17. The food looks better, but it is no longer included.

Thousands of Maui vacation rentals that once looked headed for phase-out may now have a possible path forward after a major county shift. For Hawaii visitors who built Maui trips around condo stays, the future suddenly looks far less certain in a completely different way.

Hawaii delivers when visitors stop traveling on autopilot. These rules help turn higher costs, tighter access, and longer logistics into a trip that works.