As a tourist, you are always a foreigner. Sure, hostel-hopping and sightseeing can be great fun, but connecting with a foreign country through studying, volunteering, or working can extend your travels beyond tourist traps. At Let’s Go, our goal is provide some suggestions which can serve as the springboards for such experiences. Instead of being that tourist asking for directions, you can be the one who gives them (and correctly!). Though understanding Hawaii like a local is likely out of reach, intimately interacting with the islands can lead to a much more personal, and meaningful, trip. All the while, you get the satisfaction of leaving Hawaii in better shape than you found it. (After all, it’s being nice enough to let you stay.) It’s not wishful thinking—it’s Beyond Tourism.
From the sun-kissed sands of Waikiki to the awe-inspiring lava flows in Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii presents many unique opportunities for Beyond Tourism experiences. The tourism industry exploded during the past century; in 1927, there were about 17,000 people per year traveling to Hawaii, but by 2005, there were over 7.3 million. The dramatic rise in tourism created an interdependence among the economy, environment, and culture of Hawaii that is impossible to ignore. Since tourism has surpassed agriculture as the islands’ preeminent economic force, it is important that travelers be aware and respectful of all that has made Hawaii the natural, remote destination it is today.
As a volunteer in Hawaii, you can unleash your inner superhero with projects as varied as saving native Hawaiian marine life from drift nets or helping preserve Hawaii’s rich cultural heritage. This guide is chock-full of ideas on how to get involved, whether you’re looking to pitch in for a day or run away from home for a whole new life in Hawaiian activism.
The powers of studying abroad are beyond comprehension: it actually makes you feel sorry for those poor tourists who don’t get to do any homework while they’re here. Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano, presents an unrivaled opportunity for intense study of all things geological; the University of Hawaii at Hilo is the only school in the country to offer a master’s program in the study of indigenous languages; and the Pacific Island cultural studies and marine science programs are strong at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Looking to do some research? Hawaii is an excellent arena for research in many areas, ranging from climate change, aquaculture, and species protection to genealogy, language development, and indigenous populations.
Working abroad immerses you in a new culture and can bring some of the most meaningful relationships and experiences of your life. Yes, we know you’re on vacation, but these aren’t your normal desk jobs. (Plus, it doesn’t hurt that it helps pay for more globetrotting.) Many hostels will exchange room and board for short-term work cleaning or helping at the reception desk (p. 76). Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) has a long list of organic farms on Hawaii that will give you the opportunity to help sustain the state’s agriculture and earn some dough. Given its high turnover rate, the tourism industry, Hawaii’s largest source of jobs, will likely be an available source of employment.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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