What You Don’t Know About Hawaii That You Should

Hawaii is known as the place for surf, volcanoes, and luaus. This state is commonly seen as a tropical paradise to many but there are a few more things about Hawaii that most people don’t know. I have written a list below on what I learned from my stay in Hawaii, there are a few facts that surprised me!

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What I Learned About Hawaii

Aloha is more than a word or greeting. In Hawaii, “aloha” is a way of life, a chill, and compassionate attitude that they live by.
There are rules for the “lei”. You should never refuse a lei, always have someone else place it over your head, and it should be among the shoulders. I did not know there were so many “lei laws” but they take this pretty seriously in Hawaii.
The worlds largest and most active volcano is known as the Kilauea Mountain (600,000 years). The volcanoes can be seen with a helicopter ride or a lava boat tour, you can actually watch the lava run into the ocean from the air!
Hawaii contains eight main islands but two of them are closed to visitors.
The weather can vary a lot within regions and just one island. In Kauai, Mount Waialeale is known as “the wettest spot on earth” receiving over 460 inches of rain each year! Within just a few miles from this, there is a desert that gets less than 10 inches of rain per year. I took advantage of this and went four wheeling in the mud, it was nice to get down and dirty for a bit! Plus, due to all the rain, they definitely have some great areas full of mud (they offer mudding tours too)!
The pizza that we all know as “Hawaiian pizza” isn’t actually Hawaiian. For it to be a “real” Hawaiian pizza it will most likely have slow-cooked pork and fresh raw ahi tuna, sometimes adding other ingredients like spam.

The sun is more direct in Hawaii than other places because it is right on the equator. Most people do not only rely on sunscreen but they wear a rash guard
as well to add an extra layer of protection. It may just seem humid but I can share from experience that I burnt more easily while staying here.
One of the islands known as “Kauai” is home to the largest coffee plantation in the United States.
The biggest island is getting bigger each year by more than 40 acres! It’s growing so much because of Kilauea, a shield volcano that’s been erupting for more than 35 years.

Hawaii has banned billboards, they are illegal. I questioned this when I was in the car and eventually realized there was no advertising among the roads, how interesting! I learned that only four states total, apply this law.
About 200 of the fish found in Hawaiian waters cannot be found anywhere else in the world. This is a great time to go snorkeling (free if you bring your equipment) and take advantage of what you may be able to see in these waters and nowhere else.
This is the only state with tropical rainforest. The rainforest’ are spread among the islands and contain exotic animals, flowers, and even waterfalls.
Black beaches can be found here and are a result of the volcanic lava flowing into the ocean. I have also heard that red, orange, and even green sand can all be found at different beaches in Hawaii.
There are no seagulls, pelicans, robins, or hummingbirds in this state. Since seagulls are everywhere in Florida where I live, I definitely expected them to be by Hawaii’s ocean side too!
Honolulu has some of the worst traffic in America…I am not sure how it competes next to LA and NY but I know that it is up there! Locals leave hours before work just to avoid the bad traffic delays.
Kauai is home to thousands of wild chickens. These chickens just roam around everywhere. I remember that while I stayed at a resort in Kauai there were several times that I found chickens following me into my room. They seem to be completely comfortable with humans!