Aloha Bruce offers some important Hawaii Travel Do's and Don'ts for your Hawaii vacation and talks about the importance of not “winging it” when it comes to planning a Hawaii vacation on the latest episode of the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast. He also gives some important Covid developments on potential Hawaii travel policy and requirement changes.

Bruce starts by discussing proposed fees for Hawaii visitors to come to Hawaii and that they are unlikely to be implemented. He also notes that a “booster shot” requirement may soon be added by the State of Hawaii in order to be considered “fully vaccinated” under the Hawaii Safe Travels Program.

Many State parks now require fees from visitors, for admission as at Hanauma Bay on Oahu or parking fees at the Nuuanu Pali Lookout. Bruce mentions several locations in Hawaii that have already instituted those kinds of fees. State and County parks and nature areas have different requirements.

Bruce notes that these fees are part of the reason that you shouldn’t “wing it” when planning your Hawaii vacation. “You need to make your reservations in advance,” Bruce says. “You can’t just think that you’ll come here and get it all done.” He breaks down how public and industry policies have changed because of the Covid pandemic.

Moving on to the Hawaii Travel Do's and Don'ts, Bruce remembers consulting for the Travel Channel on some things that are always true and some that have changed. He says that using words like “aloha” and “mahalo” sincerely can be helpful. He also notes that attempting to speak Hawaiian “pidgin” if you don’t speak it naturally is probably a bad idea. Bruce mentions HAT friend Lanai Tabura’s Hawaiian pidgin app as particularly insightful for those planning a Hawaii vacation.

Bruce shares his own personal experience in moving to Hawaii 27 years ago and how long it took him to adjust to the pace of life in Hawaii. “Leave that Mainland attitude behind,” Bruce says, riffing on the peculiarities of driving in Hawaii. He also talks about not disturbing rock formations or trying to build them. “Just in general, stay away from that kind of thing.” And don't go naked at the beach!

There are many social and cultural taboos that most visitors might be unaware of during a Hawaii vacation. Aloha Bruce’s expert insight offers important tips on how to avoid them, and how to best experience Hawaii while respecting its native and multicultural traditions. HAT’s sister company Secret Hawaii Tours is an excellent way to experience Hawaii in just such a manner.