What Tourists Get Wrong About Hawaii: A Local's Perspective
Keoni Kapahu grew up in Kailua on Oahu, moved to Maui at 25, and has worked in marine conservation for 15 years. He surfs, fishes, and has strong feelings about tourists touching sea turtles. We talked over poke bowls at a gas station in Kahului — which, as he insisted, is where you get the best poke on Maui.
What's the number one thing tourists get wrong about Hawaii?
They think it's a resort. They fly in, go to their hotel, lie on the beach, maybe do a luau, and fly home thinking they've "done Hawaii." They haven't even seen Hawaii. They've seen a hotel pool with a palm tree.
Hawaii is a living, breathing indigenous culture with deep connections to the land and ocean. The word aloha isn't just a greeting — it means love, compassion, respect. When we say "practice aloha," we mean treat the land, the ocean, and the people with genuine care.
What should visitors do differently?
Get off the resort. Rent a car and drive to the places that aren't in the brochure. Eat at plate lunch spots and gas station poke counters, not tourist restaurants charging $35 for fish that came frozen from the mainland. Talk to local people. Ask about the history. Listen when someone tells you about the significance of a place before you take a photo of it.
And respect the ocean. Every year, tourists drown because they don't understand that the Pacific is not a swimming pool. Read the signs. If there's no lifeguard, be extremely cautious. If locals aren't swimming at a beach, there's a reason.
You mentioned gas station poke — explain that.
The best poke in Hawaii comes from fish counters at grocery stores and gas stations. Not restaurants. Foodland and Tamura's on Maui, Ono Seafood and Tamashiro Market on Oahu. A poke bowl for $12-15 that would cost $28 at a resort restaurant, and it's fresher because the turnover is faster.
Order the ahi shoyu poke (tuna in soy sauce) and the spicy ahi. Ask what's fresh today. If they caught it that morning, that's what you order.
What about the cultural respect issue?
Several things. Don't stack rocks — tourists build rock cairns everywhere thinking it's cute, but it disturbs cultural and environmental sites. Don't take lava rocks from volcanoes — it's illegal and deeply disrespectful. Don't touch sea turtles — they're endangered and protected by federal law. Don't walk on coral — it takes decades to regrow.
Remove your shoes before entering someone's home. It's basic local etiquette.
And the traditional luau — go to a real one, not a tourist production. The Old Lahaina Luau on Maui ($100-200 per person) is authentic. The kalua pig, the poi, the hula — these aren't entertainment. They're cultural expression.
Best things to do on Maui that tourists miss?
Iao Valley — a sacred site with a 1,200-foot green needle of rock. Free. Most tourists skip it for the beach. The Waihee Ridge Trail — 4 miles round trip with views of the West Maui Mountains that are better than anything on the Road to Hana, and it's free with almost no crowds.
And just... slow down. Hawaii operates on island time. Things move slower here on purpose. When you rush from attraction to attraction, you miss the whole point.
Final message for visitors?
We welcome visitors. Tourism supports our economy. But we ask that you come with respect. Learn one Hawaiian word — mahalo (thank you). Eat the local food. Take nothing but photos. Leave nothing but footprints. And when the ocean tells you to stay back, listen.
