Essential 2022 Packing Guide For Hawaii Island

Kua Bay

Now that tourism numbers are almost back to where they were in 2019, we are once again faced with some of the issues we were dealing with before the pandemic. I am not here to bust anyone’s chops about visiting the islands, as MANY local businesses were negatively impacted during the shutdown and are making hay right now with so many visitors coming. However, with Hawaii Island receiving thousands of visitors each month, I wanted to share some tips on packing for Hawaii so you can tread a bit more lightly here, with intent and knowledge and when enough people do something proactive, it can make a huge impact.

1. Please bring a rash guard and mineral sunscreen and save our coral reefs.  (Link for local made and safe sunscreens to either bring with or purchase when you arrive)   (and another link for Reef Safe Sunscreen from EcoWatch.
2. If you don’t like the taste of our water, bring a Brita filter water bottle or container to avoid using plastic bottles that end up in our landfills. (Yes, even if it says recycled, trust me, avoid them if you can)
3. Bring a refillable water bottle. Hydroflask, Yeti, etc are great for putting ice cubes in and keeping your drinks cold!
4. Take the Pono Pledge – which gives you the best guidelines about being an aware and respectful visitor to Hawaii.
5. Bring your patience, leave the entitlement. The island does not respond kindly to bad manners and behavior.
6. Pack a collapsible cooler so you can spend part of your time enjoying eating at the beach if you can not get reservations for our restaurants with a view. (the struggle is real right now,,)
7. Tips – for all members of the service industry who are still out there working and serving folks in the hospitality industry. You gotta love em.

Those are pretty much the basics, friends.

Bring Your Aloha Please

Hawaii had a WHOLE YEAR when visitors gave the ocean, the trails, the marine animals and roads a break. Locals are hypersensitive still to the crush of visitors coming into the islands, so your Kokua is needed to not only tread lightly on the environment (mineral sunscreen and personal water bottles), but also by being a “mindful” visitor in showing Aloha to our exhausted hospitality workers and in doing your part to stay safe while you are here. (Read the Pono Pledge, please)

If you would like to do something to give back to the island while you are here, please feel free to pick up trash at the beaches or parks, take a farm tour and buy directly from the farmers, and support local businesses. Eric and I just created a video showcasing 18 new businesses in Kailua Kona that are brimming with innovation and great energy to have opened in the past few months and ready for greeting you this summer! Check it out here: Spring 2022 Kailua Kona Update 

If you would like to learn more about protecting our reefs by wearing mineral sunscreen, the Kohala Center tells you all about it!  

If you are looking for things to do, please view some of our hiking/biking/restaurant/ videos 

Thanks for reading!

If you find yourself considering purchasing a home in Hawaii, we are now the 365Hawaii Group- Keller Williams Realty-Maui/Big Island Division. We focus on helping people who are committed to giving back to the island, sharing Aloha and respecting the culture. We have Realtor partners around the island and have resources. If you are interested, contact us directly.