Advice on Big Island Tourism - Some advice for new visitors and returning tourists

Having made the trip to the Big Island and your stay at our Pohoiki (Puna) vacation rental sound so idyllic so far, it would be a disservice to you, our valued guests, if I also did not point out that everything in Paradise is not always heavenly. Hawaii is, after all, one of the most isolated places on the face of the Earth; it has its own history, a very diverse mix of cultures and many residents (native, longtime residents and visitors alike) from various cultures. It also has its own set of environmental problems and economic challenges.

Here, in a nutshell, are a few things you should “know before you go” on a vacation to Hawaii.

• Prices are not cheap. Hawaii is far from the mainland US. Almost everything has to be brought in so prices and the cost of living are expensive. You can cut down your cost greatly by staying at cheaper accommodation, such as our Hale Lanipuna vacation home. You can also economize by cooking at home, carrying a cooler with drinks and picnic-style foods, and using our home as a base for day trips. Gasoline prices are the cheapest in Puna and compare favorably with California. Be willing to experiement, to try something new or different than you’re normally used to – like each a Spam musabi or cooking out a BBQ at the beach. Besides being mildly surprised by how pleasant it is to do things the ‘Hawaiian’ way, you may also save money.
• Some food and other products are grown and made locally. Try out the real Hawaiian stuff – Our neighbor down the street raises bees and produces an excellent raw honey - that's almost organic.  There is organic produce and food sold as most groceries, especially the Island Naturals store in Pahoa. The IN store in Hilo (in front of WalMart) has a great delicatessen - with daily specials of organic and vegetarian food sold by weight - fill up a plate (or eat light).
• Other taste treats:  Grass-feed and raised on the Big Island, an excellent variety of local fish caught fresh mean that there are outstanding seafood restaurants. Some boast their own local styles of Hawaiian-style sushi.
• Plants grow like weeds – probably because it's warm year round, they are agressive, and are found everywhere.   We have a regular yardwork and lawn man come; he's also done most of the landscaping and planting too.
• Insects are buggy little creatures. We have a lot of them  OUTSIDE - do you part to keep them there. 
• There are NO bugs inside the house,  there are screens on all the windows, and won't be as long as you do you part to keep them out.  Do not leave food items out where they attract fruit flies, gnats or ants. Wipe up spills and keep things tidy.
• Mosquitoes are not much of a problem. The house is away from the 'shade' cover of the many tall trees so it's not mosquito-friendly. However, if you go out into the brush or heavy tropical forest, you should be prepared to be bitten by mosquitoes.
• There are no poisonous creatures on land - just in the ocean, and some dangerous ones there too.  
• There are several anoles (small green cameleon-like lizards that climb on the back porch and the eaves of the house. No , they aren't geckos - though they exist in Hawaii, too. The anoles are harmless and often almost friendly - they also eat insects. They have the unique ability to change their color to match their surroundings.  
• Always be aware of tides and ask locals or people who know about swimming or entering the water. Tidal and swell conditions change daily – even hourly. Each spot- beach, cove, point, harbor - has its own particular dangers – as well as its safe areas. Ask first before going into the water in a strange place (outside public parks and public beaches).
• Crime is a low risk in Hawaii – EXCEPT for automobile break-ins. Never leave anything visible in a car (or even hidden in the trunk). Frequently, thieves break the car windows and run off with the stuff. Sad fact but true.
• Park in designated zones or use public parking at beaches and parks. Leaving a car at a deserted spot along the highway may be an invitation for break-ins.

• Hawaii is the most culturally and ethnically diverse state in the US.

1. Hawaii is among the most diverse places in the world - both geographically, geologoically, and most importantly, culturally diverse. It helps to realize that things don’t work exactly like they do back home. In most cases, some patience, some good humor, and a willingness to try something a new way or accept a substitute will go far to helping your avoid frustration.
2. Hawaii is a multi-cultural society and the US's most diverse population.
   
3. So you'll need both an appreciation for diversity and a willingness to experience new cultural customs, and different cultural values.
   
4. In many cases, you may the sense that once you are here on the Big Island (and in particularly in the semi-rural district of Puna), you are visiting someplace almost foreign – the faces and skin may be different than yours, there are languages or dialects you hear that you can’t understand (at least at first), and things you can buy in the stores or foods people eat which may seem exotic or unfamiliar. So you need to be open to the experience and willing to accept differences. You'll probably find that you like what you see and will want to try new things.
   
5. If you don't like it, that's OK too. But just keep your complaints and comparison in check (and to yourselves). 
6. Just remember – it wasn’t long that long ago that sushi was a word people hardly knew – hard to believe since today is one of the world’s most popular ‘new’ foods. A lot of things like that are true for Hawaiians, too. Cultural change and culture differences can work both ways – both sides need patience and understanding.  Let the culture you bring to Hawaii and how your receive ours,  add to the the Aloha spirit, so that you, too, may take a little of that spirit back home with you.
   
7. Fortunately, the Aloha spirit seems to be alive and well. Hope you can take in some ‘aloha’ while you here. 

Some more Detailed information about the above points. 

• Plants are everywhere and constantly on the offensive. Talk about the ‘meek inheriting the Earth’ – I don’t think Big Island weeds have a meek bone in their little green bodies. The growing season is year round, so trees (seedling turn quickly into saplings and larger), and weeds grow constantly. This is particularly a ‘problem’ for homeowners (especially long-distance ones like me). We do our best, but there will be weeds and tree seedlings growing prolifically around the yard of our vacation home.
• Insects are everywhere. With such abundant plant life, you can understand then while insects are just a numerous. There are lots of mosquitoes in jungle areas. While West Nile virus is not a serious problem, you should protect yourself from bites. The house has ample screens on the windows, but not when the doors are left open. Further, the strawberry guava trees attract a specific type of fruit fly – one that is tiny enough to come in through the screens. They are harmless but annoying. It helps you seal away fresh fruits and vegetables and dispose of garbage in tightly sealed bags.
• Crime rates are one of the lowest in the nation (USA). However, there is one exception – automotive break-ins. Never leave any valuables (at all) in your rental car. Don’t leave anything visible (or even hidden in the trunk). Thieves will often simply smash the car window with a lava rock in order to check out what might be left that is valuable. When you go to state or county sites there is never such a problem. The thefts sometimes occur is you left your car along the roads as unmarked or deserted places far from other passing vehicles. To be safe, you could leave the windows partially down or the doors unlocked. Remember – you are on an island – nobody is going to steal a car unless they own a ship that will let them transport it. It’s the transient person (in need of quick cash) who is tempted to break-in and steal a purse or an object from a parked car (such as a video, a camera, a laptop etc) since they might be able to get cash (or credit cards) or things that can be pawned or traded for immediate cash.
• Finally, please realize that Hawaii was the 50th state admitted to the United States (1959). However, it is also the most diverse in terms of ethnicity (race) and there are many cultural traditions from all over the world, as well as fully ingrained sense of cultural mores that are particular to the Hawaiian islands. Some things may seem ‘frustrating’ or the way things work may be different from what how things happens in your own community back at home (or in your country). Some US Americans from the mainland forget that fact. While is truly is an American state, its people were not always so. There have also been a huge number of immigrant waves that brought new people from any corners of the globe to these Islands. As such, you may need to have a little patience for doing seemingly simple things like ‘standing in line’ or getting things done (‘the infamous Hawaiian time’ – how islanders dally about getting things done ‘on time’), or expectations about traffic rules or driving behavior. It is one aspect of a vacation in Hawaii that both frustrates and also fascinates people visiting from other parts of the US and the world. Take off your rose-colored glasses (your own way of seeing things) and try to see this world and life as it is lived on these islands from a different perspective – it’s part of what the Aloha spirit teaches anyone who is lucky enough to be able call him/herself an inhabitant of Hawaii.