Mālama Hawaiʻi
Travel the Hawaiian way
Mālama means to care for. The islands are not a backdrop for your trip — they are a living place, and visitors are guests.
A simple promise
The Mālama promise
When you visit, leave the land, ocean, and people better than you found them. It's not a slogan — it's the original Hawaiian relationship to place.
Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiians) have sustained these islands for over a thousand years. The visitor economy that powers modern Hawaii also strains its most loved places. The right response isn't guilt — it's practice: small, repeated habits that add up.
Daily habits
Small acts that add up
Stay longer, go fewer places
One island, deeply, beats three islands rushed. Less flying, less driving, richer trip.
Choose local-owned
Restaurants, shops, tour operators, and accommodations — money spent locally stays locally.
Reef-safe sunscreen only
Mineral sunscreen (zinc, titanium). Reef-toxic ingredients are banned by law in Hawaii.
Leave places as you found them
Pack out trash, including from remote beaches. Don't take coral, sand, or rocks.
Skip the "secret" crowds
If a place is at capacity, turn around. The next beach is rarely worse.
Walk softly near culture
Heiau (temples), burial sites, and sacred areas are not photo sets. Observe quietly.
Hands in the soil
Volunteer your time
The most meaningful thing a visitor can do is show up for a workday. These are real projects, and they need real bodies and breath.
- Forest restoration: native tree plantings in Waiheʻe (Maui) and mauka forests.
- Reef & beach cleanups: Surfrider Foundation chapters host regular events.
- Loʻi kalo (taro): cultural sites welcome visitors into traditional food systems.
- Hawaiian homestead: some community gardens welcome help with planting and harvest.
- Agricultural parks: Maui and the Big Island have working farms that take volunteers.
Avoid "pay-to-volunteer"
Real volunteer programs don't charge a fee. If a tour operator is selling a "volunteer" day, ask where the money goes.
A few hours in the soil is more memorable than another viewpoint photo.
Community cleanups are the easiest way to meet locals who love this place.
Support the community
Honor the people
- Buy from small farms: Maunawili, Kahuku, and Kula farms feed Hawaii.
- Tip well, thank often: service workers make a Hawaii trip possible.
- Speak Hawaiian correctly: use the ʻokina (ʻ) and kahakō (macron) in place names.
- Respect kūpuna (elders): slow down, step aside, listen more than you talk.
- Don't photograph people without asking — especially at cultural sites.
A note on recovery
Lahaina & West Maui
The August 2023 Lahaina fire devastated the historic town and killed residents. West Maui communities are still rebuilding. Many businesses remain closed.
- Travel to Lāhainā town is currently restricted; respect all posted closures.
- West Maui businesses that have reopened welcome visitors — ask, listen, support if you can.
- If you want to help materially, donate through trusted state-coordinated channels rather than well-meaning but untraceable GoFundMe links.