Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [481]
In Hawaii, anyone driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher is guilty of driving ‘under the influence,’ which carries severe penalties. As with most places, the possession of marijuana and narcotics is illegal in Hawaii. Public nudity (as at beaches) and hitchhiking are also illegal, but rarely enforced.
Hawaii’s Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs (www.hawaii.gov/dcca) has a Consumer Resource Center with contact numbers for each island if you want to lodge a complaint against a company or get more information on your rights.
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MAPS
By far the most detailed street maps are the Ready Mapbook (www.hawaiimapsource.com) series. These atlas-style books (about $11 each) cover virtually every paved and unpaved road on the main islands. Bookstores and convenience stores in Honolulu and Waikiki also stock street maps of the city area.
Map geeks and backcountry hikers wanting topo maps can find them at good bookstores and at national parks. Or order them from TopoZone (www.topozone.com) or the US Geological Survey (USGS; 888-275-8747; www.usgs.gov).
Franko’s Maps (www.frankosmaps.com) offers a diverse range of attractive, laminated, waterproof ocean sports and island sights maps, including a brand-new Obama’s O′ahu map.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
All camera supplies (print and slide film, digital memory, batteries) are readily available in Hawaii. Disposable underwater cameras (about $15) deliver surprisingly good snaps. Longs Drugs is one of the cheapest places for developing film and burning photo CDs and DVDs (business centers burn photo CDs, too). While in Hawaii, develop print film as you finish each roll, as the high temperature and humidity greatly accelerate the deterioration of exposed film. One-hour print shops are everywhere.
Don’t pack unprocessed film (including the roll in your camera) into checked luggage because exposure to high-poweredX-ray equipment will cause it to fog. As an added precaution, ‘hand check’ film separately from carry-on bags at airport security checkpoints.
For a primer on taking good shots, consult Lonely Planet’s Travel Photography.
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SHOPPING
In a nation known for its kitsch, Hawaii may be the (plastic) jewel in the crown. It is also rich with high-quality handmade crafts. The question is: are you a dashboard-hula-girl-type person or a gleaming-koa-bowl-type person?
For the latter, prepare for high prices; the real stuff isn’t cheap. Farmers markets are great places for well-priced crafts and local art – often sold by the artist – but it can be hard to distinguish imported from locally made articles.
The best way to ensure that what you buy is authentic Hawaiiana is to shop at well-respected art galleries and artists cooperatives. These are noted in island chapters, but a sampling of the best includes the Bishop Museum on O′ahu (Click here), the Volcano Art Center on the Big Island (Click here), and the Hui No′eau Visual Arts Center (Click here) and Maui Crafts Guild (Click here), both on Maui. On Kaua′i, the town of Hanapepe (Click here) has a number of fine galleries; also visit the website www.kauaimade.org.
Click here for more information on Hawaiian arts and crafts.
Specialty food items are a classic Hawaii gift – from chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and Kona coffee to liliko′i (passion fruit) preserves and crack seed (Click here), but make sure that any unsealed food item has been verified as approved for travel (or you’ll be forced to surrender your pineapples and mangoes at the airport).
The same warning holds for flowers; make sure any orchids, anthuriums or proteas are inspected and approved for travel by the US Department of Agriculture; foreign visitors should check with their airline about agricultural restrictions in their home country (Click here).
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SOLO TRAVELERS
Travel, including solo travel, is generally safe and easy. In general, women need to exercise more vigilance in large cities than in rural areas. Everyone, though, should