What You Need To Know About...

...Hawaii

1. The Place
2. The People
3. The Language
4. Oahu
5. Maui
6. Kauai
7. Molokai
8. Lanai
9. Hawai'i (The Big Island)
10. Da Kine (Miscellaneous)
11. Books
12. Useful Links

If you have any suggestions, questions or corrections please e-mail us at feedback@factplace.com or visit our Hawaii Discussion Forum and post your questions and comments.

Tricky question. There are currently seven populated islands in what we typically think of as "Hawaii". They are Oahu, Kauai, Niihau, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and The Big Island (AKA "Hawaii"). There is a new island "Loihi" which is being formed even as we speak but has not yet broken the ocean surface. There are also a number of other scattered islands and atolls that are considered part of the Hawaiian Islands but which are not conventionally what people mean when they say "Hawaii."

1.02 Can I visit all of those islands?

No, actually. Niihau is a privately owned island and you can't go there without special permission which is almost never granted to people who are not Hawaiians (see 10.01).

1.1 What is Kauai like?

It's nice; very lush and tropical. Not a lot to do there, a few good restaurants. Princeville (northern end) is beautiful. Waimea Canyon is nice. The Fern Grotto is a pleasant hour/hour and a half trip. Lot of movies (Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Six Days Seven Nights) filmed there. Try the movie tour if you get a chance. Very relaxing place. If you like to sit by the pool and relax it's a perfect choice.

1.2 What is Maui like?

A little more open and suburban than Kauai - little more going on. Lahaina has some night life; good jazz, decent pizza. The road to Hana is fantastic for good drivers who like to drive challenging twisty roads. Maui is actually my favorite island of the bunch.

1.3 What is Oahu like?

Urban. It's where the action is if you like cities. More than 800,000 people call Oahu home (including me). Most of the big historical attractions are on Oahu -- Pearl Harbor, Punchbowl, etc.

1.3.1 What is Punchbowl?

It's the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific - thousands of soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and others killed in service to their country are buried there.

1.4 What is the Big Island like?

More rural than the others. It's about the size of Connecticut; lots of ranching there and of course the famous lava fields.

The People

2.01 What are the demographics of the population there? Mostly Hawaiians?

I don't have the specific numbers at the moment, but I'll look them up and update the page accordingly. Basically the resident population breaks down as roughly 33% Caucasian, 33% Japanese and the other 34% is a mixture of Korean, Filipino, Portuguese, Hawaiian and a wide variety of other nationalities and races. Hawaii is probably the most racially diverse state in the United States.

2.1 Are people there nice?

Well, "nice" is sort of a subjective thing. In my experience the people here are generally quite friendly. Polynesians in general tend to be a pretty friendly culture ("Aloha" is a Hawaiian word, remember) and the relatively relaxed lifestyle here tends to make for a friendly group of folks. Also the Hawaii economy is heavily dependant upon tourism so, especially in those areas that cater to visitors, you're going to find folks who are fairly welcoming.

2.2 Five people you need to know about...

2.2.1 Israel "Brudda Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole (Ka-MAH-ka-vee-vey-OH-lay)

One of the most beloved entertainers in modern Hawaii. Brudda Iz was a big man in every respect of the word. Though long popular in his native Hawaii it was only relatively recently that the rest of the world discovered him through his marvelous medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What A Beautiful World." Iz passed away on June 26th, 1997 at 38 years old. Despite the fact that he had lost quite a bit of weight it was too little, too late and his health finally failed.

On a personal note I had the opportunity to communicate with Brudda Iz via e-mail, very briefly, a few months or so before he passed away. It was my impression from that brief exchange that he was as warm and kind a man as he was reputed to be. A real loss when he passed on.

2.2.2 June Jones

Head Coach of the University of Hawaii football team. Engineered a dramatic turnaround when he first arrived. The shine has worn off a bit as subsequent seasons have been a bit up and down, but still mostly popular.

2.2.3 Mufi Hanneman

Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu.

2.2.4 Linda Lingle

Governor of Hawaii. I'm not sure what's more remarkable; that Hawaii elected a woman governor or that they elected a Republican governor. We haven't had one of either in a very long time.

2.2.5 Michael W. Perry and Larry Price

O.k.,. this is two guys but they're so often together that it's hard to separate them. As a team they are the most popular morning DJ team on Hawaii radio. Perry is a classic broadcaster type -- Price is a local boy and former U.H. football coach. They're entertaining and opinionated; especially Perry who seems to have grown increasingly conservative in the last couple of years.

One thing they're well-known for is the "KSSK Posse" -- people get their cars stolen for example will call Perry and Price (sometimes before calling the police!) and tell them. They'll broadcast the car description and license plate and their large band of listeners keep their eyes open for the vehicle. It's surprisingly effective. Too bad car theft is only barely illegal here.

2.3 I heard there are a lot of Hawaiians who want to take Hawaii back as their own country, is that true?

It's true, but somewhat overstated. There is a small, but vocal, group of Hawaiians who would like to reinstate the Hawaiian monarchy. There seems to be a lot of disagreement, even within those groups, as to what they actually want. Some what complete independence -- the islands of Hawaii returned as a sovereign nation. Others have much more modest aims.

Overall there isn't any open rebellion going on. There is some impassioned discussion, yes.

The Language

3.1 What does "Aloha" mean? Doesn't it mean everything?

Well, not quite everything, but like many Hawaiian words it has more than meaning. The three basic meanings of it are hello, goodbye and love. You can greet folks or say goodbye with "Aloha" and if you see it used in a phrase, such as "Aloha aina" (love of the land) it usually means love.

3.2 What is a "Kama'aina?"

The word literally means "acquainted" but it's common usage in Hawaii means a Hawaii resident. Most of the tourism groups (hotels, tour companies, etc.) offer a "Kama'aina Discount" which is a discounted price for local residents. Say it "kah-mah-EYE-nah".

Oahu

4.1 "Oahu" means "The Gathering Place"

Oahu is the most populous island in the Hawaiian islands and is where Honolulu is located.

Maui

5.1 Maui is also known as "The Valley Isle" because the island is primarily comprised of a broad valley between two mountains.

Kauai

6.1 In terms of land area Kauai is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands

6.5 Do you have a favorite restaurant on Kauai?

Cafe Pomodoro near Poipu is great for Italian food.

Hawai'i (The Big Island)

9.1 Properly named "Hawai'i" it is commonly referred to as "The Big Island" for rather obvious reasons -- it's the largest of the Hawaiian islands, roughly the size of Connecticut.

9.2 I hear The Big Island is still growing, true?

True. Thanks to the lava flow from the current volcano eruption the island is getting larger. The lava flows to the sea where it cools and forms as rock. The island grows a bit larger every day.

Da Kine

10.01 Are you Hawaiian?

No, I live in Hawaii. There's a big difference. If you live in California then you're a Californian. Living in Hawaii does not make you a Hawaiian. Hawaiians are kanaka maori (native folks) who have at least a certain amount of Hawaiian blood in their heritage -- i.e. they are descended, at least partially, from the Polynesians who settled here long before westerners came upon these islands.

10.1 Is it expensive there?

Well, yes a little, but probably not more expensive than it is in San Francisco, for example. Home prices are rising fast here; gasoline is pricey and some grocery items are surprisingly pricey. If you get out of the tourist areas, however, the prices are not really much higher than in some other big cities.

10.2 Is the TV show "Lost" really filmed there?

Yes. In fact the airport scenes you see on the show are actually filmed at our convention center.

10.3 Is poi really awful?

It's an acquired taste to be sure but I wouldn't describe it as awful. It's often seen as a paste, vaguely purple in color and of various thicknesses. Unaltered it tends to be slightly bitter but doesn't have a lot of flavor at all. I've heard it described as "wallpaper paste" though I don't know how often those folks eat wallpaper paste so...

Some people sweeten it with sugar and Taro (the plant from which Poi is obtained) is also used to make delicious dinner rolls. Poi (and Taro) is a very good carbohydrate.

Books

11.1 Frommer's Hawaii 2005
11.1.1 Fodor's Hawaii 2005

Useful Links

12.1 Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau - Official Site
12.2 Hawaiian Language - Beginner Sessions
12.3 eHawaii.gov - the Official site for the State of Hawaii

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