Plenty of you are on a Hawaii vacation right now or have been in the last few weeks. Dozens of you have shared your first-hand experiences with us, which we’ve highlighted below by island. If you’re thinking about returning, these reports may help you get a sense of Hawaii following the reopening of tourism on October 15, including getting here and being here.
Those coming now are enjoying tropical weather, non-existent crowds which makes social distancing easier and assess to the natural beauty of the islands. While everything is not open, your comments say you are surely having a wonderful and arguably more authentic Hawaii experience.
Kauai Experiences.
Nancy S. Without the crowds, it is an experience of a lifetime. Yes, it is a hassle getting there but worth it. United’s color testing is fast and the flight was not crowded. The beauty of this island lifts your spirits after so many months of lockdown. Just wear your mask always and follow safety guidelines by the State of Hawai’i and you can enjoy paradise.
Nani C. I have been here on Kauai since October 9th. It’s still pretty quiet on the south shore. I quarantined for 14 days and was planning on going back to California on December 18th. Given the most recent news Im wondering if I should change my reservations and return in January when it might be safer to travel. Hopefully people will have received the wear a mask message by then. Stay safe everyone! Aloha!
Tony T. We returned from Kauai a week ago and here was our observations… Air travel via Hawaiian – At the time, there were no direct flights so we had to fly into HNL which concerned us. Hawaiian’s A330 had the middle seats blocked out which made flying Main Cabin comfortable. I wish they could keep doing it (but we have already seen the announcement to discontinue the practice). Arrival at HNL was fine, we arrived in the first week after 10/15 so they were still figuring things out. As long as you did your pre-travel tasks, we were through in 15 minutes. BOH has already reported those who did not follow the rules. Waiting in HNL for interisland – The wait was ok since the terminal was pretty empty. Most of the stores were closed and the only food was Burger King. Everyone was masked and separate. COVID station at LIH – the national guard and other staff were professional and did what they could to get you through. True Aloha Spirit. There was a bit of delay after HNL didn’t process us correctly which affected us in LIH. 25 minutes to clear.
2 weeks in Kauai – BOH is right! Traveller volume increased as we stayed on island. At the beginning, everyone was masked and social distancing. Very polite. The only issue was the size of groups at pools and beach without masks. As our visit progressed, you could see more people and less compliance. We started seeing more mask in hand and in pockets instead of on face :(. We were on Poipu early and everyone kept their distance but as the morning wore on, visitors started filling in the gaps without masks. We left when distances were less than 3 feet.
LIH and HNL outbound – Hawaiian was following the same seating pattern but more travelers not following the rules.
We were so happy to see that Kauai was doing so well when things started opening up. We took the first opportunity to see our relatives on the island. With the recent travel advisory in western US, we won’t see them for the holidays 
Bert C. My wife and and took the vault test on Friday 11/7 and we had our results by Saturday 11/8 in the evening. Our flight was a Monday 11/9 at 7:50 from Sacramento to Oahu and then another flight to Kauai. In Sacramento we were told we needed a QR code for each flight which no one on our flight was aware of. We had to go back to the Safe Travel site and get another QR code for our flight from Oahu to Kauai. At the airport in Oahu if was seamless. We were through the screener quickly. A lot of passengers were held up in Kauai because they did not get the connecting flight QR code and those passenger were doing that on their phones trying to get through the screening. All things considered I thought it went smoothly and I would not let the requirements for testing stop themselves from traveling.
John and Denise. Hello… on vacation from Valencia CA we’re watching from the lanai in Kapaa Thursday afternoon and observed a humpback breaching approximately 4-500 yards offshore. This was about 5-530 in the evening.
Jacob M. We’re currently visiting Kauai from the San Francisco area. Unfortunately we leave tomorrow. It’s been a great trip and honestly hasn’t been too different from our normal Hawaii visits. We scheduled COVID testing with Kaiser at the 72 hour mark before our departure flight to Hawaii and got our results 28 and 36 hours after testing. Landing in Lihue was easy; we just had to show our QR code that included our travel info and negative COVID results. Everyone on the shuttle to the car rental location was obviously wearing a mask so no issues there. Mask wearing has been consistent with that of the Bay Area. People wear them 100% of the time indoors and whenever you can’t maintain social distancing outside. Walking to/from the beach, most people haven’t worn them (we stayed three nights in Princeville and three nights in Poipu) but that isn’t an issue since you’re able to maintain distance from everyone. Our experience with locals has been the same as usual; friendly and good. While we’ve been here we booked another trip to Maui in January and can’t wait to return.
Rebecca H. We were just on Kauai for a restful 10 days. For the most part we were welcomed back and folks let us know how glad they were for business trade. In Kilauea, The Bistro and Palate Wine Bar refuse entry for anyone who has been off-island until they have quarantined for 14 days. They say the policy applies to both tourists and locals. I understand their caution but honestly tourists are known to be negative because of testing. Denying entry to restaurants seems a little over-the-top. One tip for folks is make a reservation for restaurants. There are fewer choices and more people wanting tables.
Marty W. I have now been on Kauai for 3 days. The “procedure” to adhere with the health policies has been smooth. I have had nothing but positive exchanges with everyone I have run across. Leaving the smallest footprint possible when active. I hope the local businesses appreciate my patronage. I appreciate how welcome I have been made to feel. It is spectacular to have experienced the beach with so few other souls! I close with one thought about the future…perhaps there should be limits to the amount of visitors at one time on the island… I believe this would appeal to everyone…
Truly. Interesting, I am currently in Kauai and having a wonderful time…I am flying to Oahu on Sat.
David B. We flew to Lihue last Thursday (5th). Southwest nonstop from San Jose. Airfare dirt cheap ($129 one-way). Plane not even 1/3 full. We had taken/shipped Vault tests on the 2nd, and received our results emails late on the 3rd. You “print” the first page (only) of the results email as a pdf, and upload the pdf on your trip profile on the HI web site. This can be easily forged (not that we did that!). You need to wait until one day before your flight to answer the health questions on the HI web site, which is what triggers the QR code email from HI. Keep that email!
The exit process at LIH took maybe 3 minutes. No paper print outs were needed/wanted. The guy at LIH (“Kimo”) asked me to locate/open the QR code email, enter my password, and hand him my phone. He scrolled around a bit, and handed my phone back along with a little paper “admit one” ticket. Same for my wife. Then we made our way to the little security area that has AC (those of you that fly to LIH know what I mean) and a kid in a national guard outfit wanted to see the paper ticket, after which you must toss it in a waste bin. Then you are done and can exit through the baggage claim.
If you rent a car, they will also want you to click onto that same QR code email and enter your password (and just hand them your phone, it goes faster). We have a house here, so I don’t know about hotels and vacation rentals, but they probably also ask. We were told some restaurants may ask, but that hasn’t happened, yet. One place did take our temperature. Mask wearing is about the same as on mainland. Wear one in stores and for entering/exiting restaurants, but take it off when you sit down.
Flight attendant said you can get free tests with fast results at OAK that HI accepts. I was told Walgreens in CA also offered free tests with fast results. We did Vault because our home state WY paid for them, and it is less invasive to spit than have a swab shoved into your brain.
Maui Experiences
Patrick G. I am currently on Maui and come about 6-7 times a year to the islands. It is very different but it’s nice to not have it so crowded. The beaches are very wide open compared to the recent past. Lots of the stores in Lahaina and in other areas are boarded up and gone. Most of the larger stores are open (corporations like Quicksilver, Billabong and such). Much less crowded overall and check with your restaurants and places as most of shorter hours and shorter menu’s.
Maui was well organized when it came to the COVID process. Make sure you upload a picture of yourself before you leave on the state site. My situation was a bit different as I did my pre Covid test at CVS in California. I did not get my results until the 5th day so I had to self quarentine in my room for two days. You have to check in on the state of Hawaii site daily until you get your test results. I finally got mine and uploaded the results and my account was immediately changed to non-quarentined. Not sure if CVS is always late in results or not but that was the most stressful thing in visiting Maui. Not knowing when you would be free to go do the things you love to do. My girlfriend did hers through Kaiser and she got hers in time. Mine, not so much.
Irene S. We just returned from Maui. I am grateful we travel twice a year. I understand the article as far as there are a lot of activities that are not currently open. A number of stores are closed (done not coming back) open but limited hours. The best thing about the Hawaii environment is eating outdoors – the weather is always pretty nice. We stayed primarily on the west side – when we usually venture out so this was a different trip. I’d say if it’s your first visit you may want to wait. As of this past week the amount of people visiting is by far less. The beaches are more open. It was really nice and even more relaxing than our prior trips. What the past it may of been like.
Make sure you’re on top of the testing etc. That was more stressful than anything. They were very organized as you arrived from the mainland. My 
Goes out to our ohana on Maui. It will get better. See you hopefully in may 2021.
Linda M. We have been on Maui for 2 weeks now and almost no one is wearing a mask at the beach. People are in their family clusters, 10 or 12 feet apart at least, and no one even walks within 6 feet of another person. With the ocean breezes, we feel safe.
Kim L. I am currently visiting Maui and I am finding less visitors (less crowds) to be quite refreshing. It is correct some restaurants or shops remain closed, yet many are open. Even with limited capacity these businesses are worth a stop. I was up in Lahaina (Front Street) a couple days ago and found most storefronts and restaurants remain boarded up, contrary to the comments in your post. Some are open, but far more are closed. I recommend a Hawaiian getaway now yet it depends what one expects. Beautiful weather, blue and aqua waters, breezes and swaying palms …. it’s worth it to me masks and all. Aloha!
Kevin J. Thanks for this interesting article. We purchased a second home in Lahaina right before the pandemic. We waited and hoped for travel re-opening with pre-testing. Finally, we came over at the beginning of August and did our quarantine. We did get tested prior to travel just to be good citizens. We spent over three months and it was a very unique and ultimately worthwhile visit. The first two months we experienced Maui as we never had before. Yes, it was very sad to see the shops closed in town. But we did witness many businesses re-opening at the end of October and into November. We will return next month and look forward to a wonderful experience.
Louise H. Just got back from Maui for 2 wks. It is hard to see the number of businesses and restaurants that are still closed. Not a lot of visitors yet which was kind of nice. Open air markets were taking your temp and sanitizers everywhere. Gotta wear your masks and everyone is being careful. If you go….Enjoy. Aloha
Terry M. We just returned from a two week stay on Maui. We got our test through Walgreens free and received within the 72 hour required timeframe. It took us 5 minutes to get through the airport required admission but we did have everything in order. We flew Delta that keeps the middle seat free. Very nice visit.
Jerry G. We had a great trip to Maui 10/30 to 11/7. We all took our tests at CVS (TX, CA, and KY) and all six of us had our negative results before the last leg from OAK to HNL then on to OGG. We made an entry into Hawaii Safe Travels for both legs and passed through with our QR codes relatively easy. On Maui we were able to spend lots of time at the beaches where we could always find a parking spot and shade! Restaurants were open although not all. We got in the habit of calling ahead to make sure they were open. We did sunset sail, Road to Hana, parasail, zip-line and Haleakala sunset. We were the only ones at the Haleakala summit to view the Milky Way – fantastic! Always wore out masks except when in the car or on the beach. Don’t hesitate if you want a relaxing Maui vacation!
Kathleen I. We just got back from a lovely, restful Maui vacation. It was a little stressful hoping for our tests to come back in time so we got two (free) just in case. It was confusing upon arrival in HNL because they had changed our flights from direct to Maui from LAX and of course we didn’t know what we were doing. Kudos to Hawaiian Air for their social distancing and to all the airport workers for being helpful and patient as we navigated unfamiliar territory. We’re used to wearing masks so no big deal
Thrilled to be able to see family and relax on Maui again at last!!!
Bill F. Too bad because if you have your negative tests in hand and QR Code it’s easy and we had great long weekend on Maui. Every where we went the Aloha spirit was there!
Big Island Experiences
Liz W. We discovered we should have added our Honolulu to Hilo trip on the travel website when we landed in Hilo. You need a NEW QR code every-time you are on an incoming flight. Also, we were required to do a second naso COVID test in Hilo and await results in the airport. There was no charge and luckily we were all negative. You do also go through an entire online enrollment in another health care registry system to obtain these results. I’d been following protocols and requirements closely prior to travel, but the second QR code and second test came as surprises. That being said, being able to enjoy Hawaii (if in an all new COVID Safe Way) is worth it. I appreciate Hawaii attempting to safely open its doors to a few respectful visitors.
Amy S. I am here on the big island arrived on November 5th. I took the precovid test with in 72 hours and had a second test upon landing. Both negative and we had to show that to rent a car and check into our timeshare. They are eliminating the second test here except for 20-25% randomly selected. Once you get here everything is great except many restaurants closed and some only open for takeout. Since we have a kitchen I. Our unit no problem for us to cook in our unit. Masks required inside and at stores but at beach or pool not needed if over 6 feet away from others. Enjoying our trip very much do far. Most everyone is happy to have tourists back since our resort was closed over 6 months. Hope you have a great trip.
Trish V. I am currently vacationing in big island with my husband and two children. We are respectful and follow all rules, so it is super frustrating to see other tourists being so disrespectful. Seeing their behavior makes me understand why so many locals dislike tourists. I feel like we get judged because of their abhorrent behavior. We witnessed one awful family in volcanoes national park. No one was wearing masks, they took an infant into the sulfer vents, and one of them carried a speaker in his back pocket blaring loud music. Another couple repeatedly shone a bright lazer into the night sky at the Mouna Kea visitors center after being asked by the ranger to stop. I support strong fines and punishments for visitors who break the rules because they are the ones making it harder for travelers like me.
Gina. Hello, just spent a week on the big island! I took all the required covid tests and even some prior to the week of travel to be extra safe! As someone who works with the general public daily ( I am a barber) I have no issue abiding by the mask wearing rules anywhere I travel to. I feel it does not ruin my vacation, it is the new norm. I love to support local businesses, being in one myself. I feel like if you can’t abide then don’t travel! For everyone else who has no issues with mask wearing, I’ll have to say I truly enjoyed my time on the big island and talked to lots of friendly locals! It was a great escape from city life and I’m great full for the opportunity to come and enjoy the island. Just follow the rules 
Oahu Experiences
Mike B. My parents and I flew out of Sacramento to Honolulu on the 1st Saturday of the pre-travel program. Got our free Covid-19 PCR tests (thanks Kaiser) at our local Kaiser on Wednesday and got our results Thursday night. We flew Hawaiian Air where they checked your temp at the gate and the flight attendants gave you a disinfectant wipe upon entering the plane. Seemed like everyone wore a mask or neck gaiter on the flight except for eating/drinking. Bathrooms were clean. My parents and I had our own sanitizer/disinfectant wipes so we used them frequently. We wore our masks and face shields as a extra precaution. Turned up my a/c vent for better airflow down. Upon arrival In Honolulu, we got in line to present our QR codes and printed Covid-19 test results since the website didn’t recognize my scanned PDF copies of our results. People in line to get verified weren’t maintaining social distancing and some were wearing their masks improperly (masks below their nose). The whole pre-travel confirmation process took about 20min. Staff that processed us was nice. Overall, I wouldn’t have a vacation in Hawaii now. Lots of businesses/attractions are closed down temporarily or permanently. Next year when the Covid-19 vaccine is widely available is probably the best time to go. We mostly went back to Oahu to check on our 2nd home and see some of our family with no big gatherings. If you do choose to travel to Hawaii, abide by their rules of wearing a mask in public and no large gatherings. If you can, tip big at local restaurants even if it’s to go. They could use the help. Very surreal to see barely anyone at Waikiki or Ala Moana but kind of good to as it’s not jammed pack like it normally is. Stay safe y’all!
Alice T. We flew home on the on October 29th on Hawaiian from HNL to SFO. The middle seat was already full then. It was a bit of a surprise. Three seats on each side. Overall, a great trip. Looking forward to our next! Aloha
Karen Z. Aloha. Just returned to Phoenix from Oahu yesterday and I want to thank you for all the up-to-date information you publish daily. It was so very helpful prior to our departure on 10/28 with the Covid testing etc. Our flight over was so full that American Airlines was offering up to $450 a seat to take another flight. We were staying at the Marriott Ko Olina and walked down to the beach to check out the chair situation and started talking to two of the young men working there. The one young man said 11/1 was their first day back and he thanked us for being there because if it weren’t for us he wouldn’t have his job. He was so happy to be back to work. Our entire stay was totally delightful and we were always treated well and we were out and about everyday eating and sightseeing. Hawaii was wonderful!!
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Aloha Guys,
I put off this trip for 7 months, with 5 rebookings, and no extra fees/charges on Hawaiian Air. There were a few hiccups along the way, and I spent time dealing with supervisors at HAL, to get things resolved, but I finally made it here to the Big Island.
Although I flew from SMF, I had to go to SFO to take the test for HAL’s preferred partner, as they don’t have one near SMF, yet. I found that Hawaiian’s lab partner isn’t anywhere on the State’s list, but they do show up, when you upload your test results to the State’s website.
I landed in HNL, and had to show the first QR code before catching my connecting flight. HAL booked my flights so close together, I almost missed my plane. I would recommend at least an hour and a half layover, incase the Health Screening area is very busy. I had less than an hour between flights, and got to the gate just in time. I landed in Hilo, and bypassed everyone who didn’t know they needed a second QR code. There were several people to assist those with issues. I pre-planned and had backup printed copies of everything. The only issue I had was the Screener in Hilo said that I was beyond the 72hr window, as she believed that the test was to be taken 72 hours before the time you arrive at your final Hawaii stop. I was pretty sure that the State’s website was 72 from the time of departure on the last leg of the trip before arrival in Hawaii, but she said she wasn’t going to hassle me about a short time over.
In Hilo/Kona it’s required to take a second antigen test, that can take between 15 and 30 minutes. You are required to login to another website and you are sent your results. By the time I deplaned, it was about 35 minutes before I received my second negative result in 2 days, and I was out front ready to head to my place. I was the first one tested and first out, from that flight. It was pretty much seamless, with everything in place up front.
Thanks you, Rob & Jeff, for the info. It made it easy…
Hi Jim.
Glad everything worked well. Thanks for the report.
Aloha.
Arrived on Big Island 4 days ago. Eight minutes from plane through check in. QR code in phone it was easy. Yes you have to show QR code to rent a car also. Received an email today from the state of I would be interested in doing a second free test I was welcome to come in for the test. Staying until end of January. Do as you are told and entrance is easy.
This website was really helpful for our family as we were planning on trip to Hawaii for Thanksgiving, felt I should provide our feedback on testing and check-in to Hawaii process. *You cannot rent a car without a negative test*
We were scheduled to arrive in Honolulu on Friday November 20 and did our pretesting 72 hours before at the following locations on these dates:
– 3 of us tested at Kaiser in the Bay Area at 12pm on Tuesday 11/17. By the time we arrived in Honolulu on 11/20 85 hours later, NONE of us had results. Eeekk!
– 2 of us did it at CVS in the Bay Area at 10am on Wednesday 11/17. By the time we arrived only one of us had the results (he got it morning of 11/20 80 hours later) and one did NOT have results yet
– 1 of us did it at Kaiser in the Bay Area at 4:30pm on Wednesday 11/18. By the time we arrived, they had their test. They got it the earlier than all of us, the morning of 11/20 only 48 hours after testing. Lucky guy!
At HNL we waited a bit, but other than it taking a while it was an easy process. We had our QR code printed out, they scanned it then asked for our negative results paperwork. The two people who had it produced it, she looked at it and said ok, you’re good. Then the rest of us went next, she asked for results but we said they were pending. She said no problem, then gave us a piece of paper that told us where to upload the results once we got them. She said Aloha, enjoy your trip. Mahalo for coming!
Tonight it is 9:10pm and the group that tested at Kaiser on 11/17 got their negative results, woo hoo! I downloaded all the results from Kaiser, went to the travel.hawaii.gov website, uploaded the PDFs and got instant approval. Double woo hoo!
There is only one of us still waiting for their negative results from CVS, 4 days later. Fingers crossed they get them tomorrow.
All in all, one hell of a stressful 72 hours, but here we are drinking on the beach and in Hawaii! Aloha, Mahalo and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi NSM.
Thanks. We appreciate you sharing your experience. Enjoy your time here in Hawaii!
Aloha.
Aloha guys,
We got our covid tests from Walgreens. The process was very professional and timely. We had our QR code in hand 24 hours before arrival. The flight on United was packed. United cancelled their L.A. flight and moved it into the S.F. flight making it very full. I’d say most of the travellers were Hawaiian residents. Upon arrival in Kona I’d say they test between 10 and 20% and that’s of the people who are first off the flight. They will randomly hand you a yellow card and those are the ones who get tested. The Big Island’s testing program is very amateurish. They pack people in together with no social distancing. The people who are giving the test are also amateurish. In comparison, Walgreen’s really knows what they are doing. My opinion of the Kona testing facility is that it is a spreader event. We got our negative results in about 25 minutes from the KOA facility. I was told by the lady who gave us the paper with our test results to take a picture of it and post it to the safe Hawaii travel site. It needed to be in PDF form. But she had no info on how to do that. We did figure it out the next day and did post it. After that then it was on to the rental car center with our two negative test results. All the rental car agencies are consolidated under Hertz and you will get your car at Hertz. Just driving up the highway to our condo was spiritual. It’s a lot of work to get here but in my opinion it’s worth it.
Wear your mask, people!
Mahalo guys.
Hi Roy.
Thanks for sharing your experience getting to the Big Island. Hope you’re having a great time now.
Aloha.
Please can someone give me the latest data? I see the Test stuff is going to have to be done before mainland departure. I have been given different advice and I would like to get the latest. I am flying DFW-HNL-LIH. AA from DFW 2 hour layover and HA to LIH. Getting the test at DFW through AA’s official partner.
So do I need two tests or can i send same test on dfw-Hnl flight and then on separate HNL-LIH flight. Do they send me 2 QR codes? Or should i put dfw-hnl-lih on one itinerary? Downloaded app but getting very stressed about this as I disabled and do not want to travel 11,000 miles to spend Christmas with my friends to end up in quarantine ? Any advice from folks who have done it would be gratefully reeived. Mahalo nui loa.
Hi Rich.
Just one test for arrival in Honolulu taken within 72 hours of the DFW-HNL flight. You will not need a second one with a two-hour layover prior to the Kauai flight.
Aloha.
Put each leg of your trip involving a Hawaii arrival into the safe travels website. So for you that would be your Dallas to Honolulu and then a second entry for HNL to LIH. You will upload the single test result pdf to both entries on the website. This will result in you receiving an email with a code for each leg of your trip involving a Hawaii arrival. So you will have one email with one code for your HNL arrival and a separate email with another code for your LIH arrival. They will scan your code upon arrival. Good to have it printed out also just in case it doesn’t scan but for us it scanned easily.
I live in Ko Olina, and have lived here for many years, and observe tourists confused over when a mask is required. I believe that since they tested negative prior to arrival most feel masks are not required.
It might be useful if your site posted mask requirements by each island?
Thanks,
DN
Hi David.
We previously posted that island by island. Now however, as if this week, the rules are uniform, as we’ve indicated.
Aloha.
JohnW,
First, it’s taken months longer than any of the other 50 states, to reopen the economic engine that Hawaii runs on. It’s blatantly obvious that literally hundreds (maybe thousands) of businesses are still closed, many permanently. Most small businesses that didn’t close have had to borrow to stay afloat…and your going to ask, “…not sure how liberals have ruined Hawaii???” Clearly, those who have lost their livelyhoods, because they depend on the tourist industry, would see the ignorance in your question. Current business failures are a direct result of shuttering the primary economy, of these islands, for this length.
By the way, Hawaii has the Highest unemployment rate in the nation, because this Government (your “blue politics”) couldn’t get their crap together soon enough. Not to mention, the top 9 of 51 of the highest unemployment rates (including DC) are Blue…
Second, Hawaii has one of the lowest rates of infection of any state, because scientific evidence has concluded this virus doesn’t spread as easily, and dies faster, in this type of environment. Most tropical areas have been hit far less than the rest of the world.
Third, it’s clear your don’t know what you’re talking about, when you claim, “Trump/Fox news heavily promoted Covid as a hoax or not serious, a lot of people died because of it.” It’s utterly False to suggest Trump/Fox said or suggested (let alone promoted) that Covid is a hoax or didn’t take it seriously, and you insinuate that people died because of them? I could post dozens of videos that contradicts to your claim.
Finally, your inference that “Covid is the most prevalent per capita…” in “red states” has no significance. The death rate is what matters, and clearly blue states, have led the way. You can thank the genius Governor Cuomo, who ordered elder care facilities to take patients with covid, for that.
If you are going to chastise someone for making a comment you don’t like, you’d do better with facts.
Well Jim we’ll have to just agree to disagree. There is plenty to dispute what you say but it’s not my intent to start a political debate on a site exchanging ideas that effect Hawaii travel. Not sure how you missed all the clips of early comments on Fox claiming “It’s just a flu” and “not that bad”??? They are all over the internet and no they are not “fake news”
As is being played out by Trump/Giuliani’s false accusations and absolutely crazy conspiracy theories about the election a significant percentage of people can be made to believe anything.
If we are honest that is probably true of all of us if we aren’t careful. These are crazy times.
The sad thing that will effect Hawaii travel though is Trump is going to attack the vaccine/big pharma now because that is what he does. The scientists that have given their heart and soul into developing it and could care less about politics are going to be undermined just like the Doctors that have worked night and day and put their lives on the line to serve Covid patients were undermined when Trump accused them of falsely reporting deaths for profit during his super spreader campaign events.
Whoops, I did get political! Can’t help it, Trumps actions are adversely effecting Hawaii and it’s recovery, vaccinated tourists are going to be key and the conspiracy/anti vax nuts are going to try and undermine it.
We, as a country should all be pulling together right now to support each other with masks and common sense social distancing and Trump should be focusing on vaccine distribution as efficiently possible for the greater good of all. And he needs to put his big boy pants on and work with the incoming President.
That’s the best we can do and under preTrump America that is what we would have done.
Aloha to all, we’ll get through this one way or another.
🤣😂🤣 Yeah, Okay!
So, let me get this straight. You agree to disagree…you act like you can dispute my facts (yet don’t) by saying, “it’s not my intent to start a political debate…”, and you immediately start another political debate with more opinionated dribble, wild accusations, and Zero fact based evidence to back it up, as well as insinuating Trump is to blame for Hawaii’s woes. Then, you say,”we should all be pulling together…”, in your fleeting kumbaya moment, as if that’s supposed to make your factless opinions kosher with people?🤦♂️
LOL…You may be blowing smoke up some people’s kazoos, with your insessant diatribe, but I’m not fooled by the smoke clouds your spewing. I don’t even like the guy, and I’m smart enough to understand he’s not responsible for Hawaii’s issues. Why aren’t you? Like I said before, “you’d do better with facts”.
Enjoyed the info from the travelers. Could someone explain the QC process, how did you get information on what to do. Sounds a bit confusing, with stops at other islands if not on a direct fligt.
We left for Oahu on 11/7 and returned 11/15. We traveled on SWA from SMF to HNL. The flight to and from had 50 people! We had an entire row each! Boarding process was shortened to groups of 10 with social distancing. Covid test returned from Kaiser in 36 hours. The Hawaii travel site instructions and process was painless. The wait to get cleared in HNL was about 20 minutes. For seasoned Hawaii travelers this is the time to go! Waikiki was quiet! The daily parade of planes taking off and landing was non existent. We stayed at The Modern Honolulu. We enjoyed lots of pool and beach time without the usual crowds. We booked two catamaran outings. Both limited to 12 passengers. We took UBER when needed. Yes, Waikiki is a ghost town but there was enough open for us to enjoy meals and drinks! We already booked to return at the end of February! Never in my lifetime have we been able to move so freely around Waikiki.
Thank you for keeping us informed and allowing us to give feedback.
Hi Paula.
Thanks for sharing your Oahu experience, and glad to hear everything went well.
Aloha.
Sounds like, as predicted, if you just TRY to work it out–you’ll be able to work it out. It’s just too bad the state and county governments were too scared, too stupid, and too lazy for, what?–six entire months–to organize and implements come kind of system like the one(s) they have now–and it’s too bad they can’t all get their together and agree on one protocol for the state–instead of every island being able to free-ball their own. That’s just confusing for the visitors–and completely unneccessary.
We took more travel Covid test, got results as stated. We flew in to Kona. The rapid testing went smoothly. People at airports were friendly, helpful, and efficient. The big island was empty. The locals were very happy to see us. As we were to see them. Sad that some of our favorite restaurants were permanently closed. 😒 We had a condo so we are mostly there. Went on 2 snorkeling cruises. Birth we’re awesome, clean, and felt safe. Must folks wore mask. Overall a great vacation, just little stuffier with mask🙃😊😉
Aloha. Thank you for pulling together all of the first hand experiences in one place so we can see who has been successful and who has not and learn from it. From personal experience we knew CVS testing in our area was not a guarantee for 72 hours return. After a trip this summer in the states I got tested and had to wait 12 days. I know that was extreme and testing is better now but wasn’t willing to risk the Hawaii trip with cvs. So based on all the positive reviews we went with Vault for this trip. We are at 48 hours now, 24 hours away from departure and we have received 4 of 5 test results as negative. No news on the 5th test. When I contact vault I get a voicemail, leave a message and 4 hours later have yet to receive a response. Also emailed and 4 hours later no response. Would be nice to know they have the test and it is in the queue for processing and not lost or something. Seems odd to get 3 results back in 24 hours, the other in 40 hours and not the 5th. Has anyone else experienced this with vault? Has anyone been able to get ahold of vault either via the phone number or email? Worried the test is lost and we wouldn’t even know it. Hate to be waiting for results and they never come.
Mahalo for providing so much useful information and enabling us to learn from others experiences!!!
Hi Kyle.
Glad Vault seems to be working out. Let us know how the last one goes. And have a great trip. Thanks.
Aloha.
Based on my experience, you will eventually get an email reply from Vault, but it won’t matter at that point, and probably they wont actually answer your question. I don’t think I ever received a call back. But, in our case, we got both our results in plenty of time.
On your 5th test – did that person confirm via UPS tracking that the test kit arrived at their lab in New Jersey? Also, did you write (in big black sharpie) “STAT HAWAII” all over the envelop, the box and the test tube bag?
I don’t know if it mattered, but we did those things because they were recommended by the Zoom test woman.
Aloha. Thanks for sharing your experience. Yes, we wrote ‘stat Hawaii’ all over the packaging. Tracking shows the package arrived at 10am the next morning, Wednesday morning. So here we are at the 54 hour mark of taking the test and still no results. Did not get an email back from customer service and did not get a call back. Did finally get the email saying they have received the test back so at least know it isn’t lost. We live in PA so it didn’t have far to go to NJ. Guess they are busy and are pushing making the 72 hour mark for some. Just odd since we received 3 back in 24 hours and another in 40 hours and the 5th well hopefully soon. Going to be tough getting on a flight tomorrow morning without the 5th test. Not sure what to do. Hopefully it comes in overnight and we are not left with that tough decision.
Thought I would check back in. Just in case anyone else is following considering using Vault. We did receive our final test in time for our flight this morning. So they came thru. Exact timing is 1 test in 26 hours, 1 test in 28 hours, 1 test in 30 hours, 1 test in 40 hours. And the last in 60 hours so Vault came thru for us. Really was an easy process. Just don’t get too stressed like us and try to contact them as they don’t seem to answer the phone or respond to emails 🙂
Mahalo!
Hi Kyle.
Thanks for the update. We’re happy to hear it all worked out. Have a good trip!
Aloha.
Really appreciate all these recent experience reports — very helpful. We may be back in January to stay at our place on the south shore — sure hope the process of getting here from southern California is easy. Pardon my ignorance; but, what is the “QR code” and where/how do we get it and have it properly processed for January?
Mahalo.
Hi Geo.
A QR code is scannable and similar to a bar code. It will be created by the state’s website and you will use it throughout the travel process, including for example (as we understand it) at car rentals.
Aloha.
Nice sampling of the current situation here in Hawaii. Great to see the validation of visitors
arriving are mostly very respectful and appreciative of what Hawaii is right now. I talked to a couple that qualified as such and they made an interesting comment….among the nice comments they said about their experience they noted that everyone is so much better about mask wearing then from where they came from.
Thought that was interesting, what a sad price our country has paid for not just realizing early on that the simple act of wearing a mask when around others for any length of time saves lives.
Our whole reopening depends on respectful visitors like these in your article and it can be ruined by the “masks/preflight tests are a joke” crowd.
Aloha to all, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and closer.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences. If I can add one item it would be to bring a hard copy of your negative Covid test with you. We had the QR code’s for both legs of our flight on our phones. No problem at all in Honolulu, but for some reason the second QR code was not working in Maui. We handed them the hard copy, she input the info manually and we were off
Hi Jeremy.
You are not the first person to mention that good idea. Thank you.
Aloha
We just returned to Maui (home) after 4 months in Europe. Because of the state’s limited list of ‘trusted partners’ we were unable to test before our arrival. We knew and planned for quarantine. Friends loaded the apartment with food and our mail before we arrived. When we were making our descent into Maui, the crew announced that failure to comply with Hawaii proclamations regarding quarantine and masks were punishable by fine and imprisonment, many passengers laughed. I was shocked and angered by this, as Maui has been so careful alll year. Here I am, quarantining at home and I hear from neighbors there is a lot of rule-breaking going on. The Hawaii travel site is a joke in my opinion; Log on once a day, check the ‘yes’ box for (I’m Quarantining) and that’s it. People really don’t feel safe here. I’m more worried about COVID here than I was for 4 months traveling around Europe.
Liberals can even ruin Hawaii
Rob, Not sure how liberals have ruined Hawaii???
We have one of the lowest rates of infection of any state.
We are a blue state, the sky, the ocean and the politics.
If that bothers you you wouldn’t be happy here.
Trump/Fox news heavily promoted Covid as a hoax or not serious, a lot of
people died because of it. Look at a map of red states and look at a map of where
Covid is the most prevalent per capita and then tell me Liberals have ruined everything.
NY, PA, NJ, IL, CA have had almost 90,000 deaths. About 1 in 3 for the whole US. I don’t think the virus knows if you live in a red state or a blue state.
I was recently tested on the mainland at CVS, one of the testing sites recommended by the State of Hawaii. Unfortunately I still have not had results come back, this is now the 6th day. I cancelled hotel, flight and car as I did not want to quarantine for days on end while waiting. So disappointed with CVS and not getting any help through the testing site, they charged me $139 and really spoiled my experience. Trying to talk to someone is s joke. I won’t come back until there is a vaccine its not worth all the hassle and problems I incurred. so sad and CVS is not recommended for testing.