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 […]
If all goes well—meaning COVID-19 infection rates continue its downward trend—Oʻahu may move to Tier 3 of the city’s four-tier economic recovery plan. (Honolulu has been in Tier 2 since Oct. 22.) On Sunday the Hawaiʻi Department of Health reported 68 new infections and one death across the state. If the city can maintain a seven-day
2020 has been a year like no other and now—fortunately—it’s over. So as we get used to writing “2021” on checks, it’s also time for us to look back at 2020 as a whole. And don’t worry, we won’t be wearing any rose-tinted glasses here. These are just five defining moments and memories from a year that can only
Starting on Dec. 2, all travelers to Kauaʻi—even those with negative COVID-19 tests—are required to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival. Period. It’s the only county in Hawaiʻi that opted out of the state’s pre-travel testing program, which, since Oct. 15, has allowed travelers with a negative COVID-19 test to bypass the mandatory two-week quarnatine. But now Kauaʻi will
It’s 2021 and the “Have Aloha Will Travel” podcast is back—for the first time since last year. To celebrate the passing of 2020, Cat and Kevin decided they’d give listeners a sneak peek at some things HAWAIʻI Magazine is planning to do in 2021, like a brand-spanking-new website and producing more Neighbor Island content. Our “Holoholo” video series is
Earlier this month, Hawaiʻi reopened to Japanese visitors through the state’s pre-travel program. They can now bypass the mandatory 14-day quarantine with proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before departure. The program had only been available to travelers from the Mainland. SEE ALSO: What You Need To Know If You’re
Updated Nov. 20, 2020 Hawaiʻi will launch its pre-arrival testing program for trans-Pacific travelers on Oct. 15. That means, if you can provide a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure, you will not have to quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in the Islands. However, starting Nov. 24, trans-Pacific travelers to the Islands who
This summer, a couple of months after the state issued the first shutdown to control the spread of COVID-19 in the Islands, our team visited Oʻahu’s most popular neighborhoods to see how the lack of visitors had affected these areas. There were no surprises: Lots of businesses were shuttered—mostly temporarily, some permanent—the beaches were empty
The latest plan was to start a pre-arrival testing program to reopen tourism in Hawaiʻi on Oct. 1. That might get postponed again. After a surge in new COVID-19 cases, primarily on Oʻahu, the state implemented another stay-at-home, work-at-home order, with strict guidelines on what businesses can open and restrictions on gatherings and the use of public beaches, trails and
Hawaiʻi is slowly reopening. Key word: slowly. Gov. David Ige announced a four-phase reopening strategy for Hawaiʻi’s economy on Wednesday, allowing medium-risk businesses—churches, gyms, theaters, museums, restaurants, hair salons—to begin operations in June as part of Phase 2. Hawaiʻi is currently in Phase 1. Already, malls and shops started to open their doors on May
Updated April 17, 2020 All Hawaiʻi beaches remain closed—and ocean-related activities such as surfing, paddling and swimming are still permitted—but hiking, boating and fishing in groups of two or more is not allowed, with the exception of members of the same family or others living at the same address. The beach closure means no
To holoholo means, in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), to go out for pleasure. To cruise, walk around, ride a bike or maybe even sail. And fortunately for the Aloha State, we’ve been allowed to do such things during this COVID-19 pandemic—as long as we practice safe social distancing and wear masks. If you’re on Oʻahu, and are in
