After more than a year of mask-wearing in Hawaiʻi, the state is dropping its mandatory mask mandate for outdoor activity, regardless of vaccination status, effective immediately. Credit dropping COVID-19 cases statewide—there were only 23 new coronavirus cases today—and increasing numbers of vaccinated people. As of May 25, 49% of Hawaiʻi residents were fully vaccinated. This […]
Kevin is back this week on the “Have Aloha Will Travel” podcast, and Cat is making a return of her own. Fresh off the plane from her island-hopping journey to Kauaʻi, Cat talks about what it was like traveling interisland using her vaccine passport. From getting vaccinated to waiting two weeks, inputting her information into
It was a strange feeling, to sit on a plane next to a stranger, so close our elbows almost touched. I hadn’t traveled anywhere outside Oʻahu in 14 months—my last trip Hawaiʻi Island right before COVID-19 forced the shutdown of the state—and here I was, wiping down the armrests with an alcohol wipe handed to
Due to a recent rise in COVID-19 cases, Kauaʻi County is implementing more restrictions starting Thursday. Mayor Derek Kawakami said the island is moving into a modified Tier 3 of the Kauaʻi Business and Recreation Guidelines, which will limit outdoor social gatherings to five people from 10. (Oʻahu is in Tier 3, allowing for up
Starting May 11, people who have received their vaccination in Hawaiʻi and have completed the required 14-day waiting period can travel between the Hawaiian Islands without taking a COVID-19 test or going into quarantine. This new vaccination exemption aimed toward easing travel restrictions for kamaʻāina (residents) was announced yesterday by Hawaiʻi Gov. David Ige—more than
With tourism once again ramping up, Hawaiʻi has seen a large influx of visitors enjoying everything the Islands have to offer. And Hawaiʻi Island, often referred to as the Big Island by locals, is no different. From the sleepy streets of Hilo to the stunning beaches of Kona, the island has seen a resurgence of
While Hawaiʻi was the first Guinness World Record holder of the world’s largest lei—recorded in 2008—the title was since been taken by San Pedro Laguna, Philippines with a 1.3-mile lei and is now currently is held by Chennai, India in 2012 with a 3.11-mile long lei. Now, the Aloha State is looking to reclaim the
On April 5 Kauaʻi rejoined the state’s Safe Travels testing program, which would allow travelers to bypass Hawaiʻi’s mandatory 10-day quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours before arriving in the Islands. (It originally opted out in December 2020.) That means traveling to Kauaʻi is now an option—as long as you meet all the
Starting today, couples can start planning larger outdoor weddings on Oʻahu. Under the current Tier 3 restrictions, weddings—held at outdoor venues only—can have up to 100 people per event (including staff). This change comes after a big push from Hawaiʻi’s wedding professionals, who pointed out that in Tier 3 funerals were allowed to have more
It’s no puzzle why people have been stocking up on jigsaws during COVID-19. The home hobby is a great way for ‘ohana to silence the outside noise (and electronics) and engage in something together. The problem, last year, was that puzzles were selling out. At one point, one Target in Honolulu only had two designs
Visiting Kauaʻi just got a little easier. Starting April 5, the Garden Isle will rejoin the state’s Safe Travels testing program, which would allow travelers to bypass Hawaiʻi’s mandatory 10-day quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours before arriving in the Islands. This is a big step to opening up Kauaʻi to tourism.
A year ago I attended a small wedding at a local restaurant in Kaimukī. There were maybe 50 people in total, many of whom flew in from Washington and California to celebrate the nuptials. We weren’t wearing masks, we were crammed into a small private room—and we shared food! What were we thinking! That same
