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Kauai Local Customs

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Kauai Local Customs

Local woman singing folk songs and playing ukelele - Kauai

Local woman singing folk songs and playing ukelele
by GlobalMatt

Learn the local customs of Kauai. Tips and photos posted by real travelers and Kauai locals.

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Kauai Local Customs

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	Flower Leis Tip Rating:

Updated By keida84 on May 20, 2005

Kauai Page by keida84

Lei'ed Again!

by keida84

On my very first trip to Hawaii, I was told by an native Hawaiian (and there are not that many true native Hawaiians left these days) if you want to ensure a safe return back to the islands, when you leave to toss your lei, but remove the petals first from the string that holds them so no harm comes to the wildlife.

Each of the Hawaiian Islands has their own color and flower. Kauai's island color is: Purple and the flower is the: Mokihina (this is actually a fruit but it is strung into leis)

Well now after countless visits back to the Islands of Hawaii I make sure that when we arrive everyone gets a lei and that upon our departure we toss the flower petals into the ocean and thank the spirits of the islands for their hospitality.

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	Taro - Staple in Hawaiian Diet and Culture Tip Rating:

By karenincalifornia on February 3, 2004

Kauai Page by karenincalifornia

Taro fields next to
Hanalei River, Kauai

by karenincalifornia

What is Taro?

Taro is a root crop grown in Kauai that in the past was a staple of the Hawaiian diet. Used to make poi, it is extremely nutritional, containing fibre, calcium, potassium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin C. In the Hawaiian tradition, arguments are not permitted when a bowl of poi is placed on the dinner table. Often a poi bowl was uncovered to end family disputes. To this day, taro is symbolic of Hawaiian heritage.

I didn't try poi, but I did consume bags of taro chips while I was in Kauai. Delicious! (You can now find taro chips in California - I don't know about the other states.)

Most of the taro fields are now heavily subsidized by the Hawaiin government due to lack of sufficient demand to make taro farming economical. Without the subsidy, production of this important Hawaiin crop would probably cease.

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	Bridge Crossing Ettiquette Tip Rating:

Updated By keida84 on June 4, 2006

Kauai Page by keida84

Kauai sunset

by keida84

On Kauai the roads are narrow and at times they come down to one lane especially when crossing bridges. With this in mind here are some generally accepted "bridge rules."

Upon approaching a bridge check to see how many cars are lined up on the other side of the bridge. If there is more than 2 car lengths between you and a car ahead of you then you should stop and let the other side pass through. It is generally "known" to allow 3 to 5 cars pass through but when in doubt....defer.

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	Don't take the dogs Tip Rating:

Updated By Andraf on December 6, 2003

Kauai Page by Andraf

by Andraf

We were wandering in the tropical forest in Kauai trying to find the trail and we saw quite a few signs with the following message "Please don't take the dogs. They are not strays. Their owners will come to pick them up". Just when we were wondering what they meant with those signs, the brown dog in the picture showed up. We played with it for a while, it was a cute dog and I understood why they had to put up the signs. Lots of people would be tempted to take these dogs home. The dog left at some point and we continued on the trail. When we came back from our hike late in the afternoon, we did see a pickup truck full of dogs, so their owners did come back for them at the end of the day. I don't know if this custom is specific to Kauai, it was the first time I'd seen something like this.

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	Learn some Hawaiian Tip Rating:

By cyndyj1 on March 23, 2004

Kauai Page by cyndyj1

Hawaiian is very simple - it has only a few letters and pronunciation is always the same - every vowel is pronounced, even when two are together (just do a minor glottal stop between them).

Mahalo - thank you (Mah-hah-lo with a long "o")
Kokua - help
Pua - flower
Ono - delicious
Pali - cliff (hence Na Pali = "the cliffs". Pronounced like Nah Polly)

Etc. Just making a small amount of effort will pay off in the friendliness of people around you and in your understanding of signs, names, menus, etc.

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Website: http://hawaiianlanguage.com

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	Handmade Hawaiian Pride Tip Rating:

By GlobalMatt on January 18, 2004

Kauai Page by GlobalMatt

Puka shell chandelier

by GlobalMatt

This chandelier made entirely of shells survived a huge storm in the late 90's. The hotel staff said it was the only thing that wasn't damaged from the storm. Legend has it that using the shells will protect the property from total destruction. Anyway, I was fascinated by the chandelier...regardless of the legend.

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	Sacred Heiau Tip Rating:

Updated By Andraf on July 3, 2004

Kauai Page by Andraf

The Holoholo-ku Heiau

by Andraf

The heiau is a Hawaiian temple, a structure built from lava rocks used for religious purposes. They had a rectangular outer wall inside which the structure was built. Today only the outer walls still exists. The ceremonies within the heiau were conducted by priests named kahuna. In some heiau human sacrifices were made, in others people offered gods things like fish and fruits hoping that the gods will help them.

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	Kalalau Valley-end of trail Tip Rating:

Updated By Hawaii-5-0 on August 25, 2002

Kauai Page by Hawaii-5-0

by Hawaii-5-0

At the end of the trail is Kalalau Valley; A huge wide open sweeping valley with a huge waterfall tucked deep in the valley.You can rest and relax after making the 11 mile hike.If you enjoy solitude and meditation, listen to the surf, listen to the land and listen to the walls of the valley. They will speak to you.It is truely a spiritual/religious experience. You will leave the valley a different person and the 11 mile trip out will seem much shorter.

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	Sacred Ground Tip Rating:

Updated By Hawaii-5-0 on August 31, 2002

Kauai Page by Hawaii-5-0

by Hawaii-5-0

Hawaiians still consider Kalalau and the Na Pali coast as sacred ground.There are many heiau's (sacred place of worship),ancient archeological sites, and burial sites for the many people who onced lived and farmed in the Kalalau valley's.
Heiau's are to be treated with the utmost respect.
Do not disturb any bones or take any artifacts as souveniers.

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	Hula dancing! Tip Rating:

By Kodi01 on February 22, 2003

Kauai Page by Kodi01

by Kodi01

This is a custom most common to Hawaiins and it is a great show to see.

Beautiful costumes from their culture.

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More Kauai Tips

Overview	Hotels and Accommodations Tips: 73 - Photos: 109
Things To Do Tips: 332 - Photos: 632	Nightlife Tips: 16 - Photos: 19
Transportation Tips: 30 - Photos: 20	Restaurants Tips: 124 - Photos: 150
Shopping Tips: 23 - Photos: 23	Off the Beaten Path Tips: 72 - Photos: 113
Tourist Traps Tips: 12 - Photos: 5	Warnings or Dangers Tips: 34 - Photos: 37
Local Customs Tips: 23 - Photos: 22	Packing Lists Tips: 16 - Photos: 12
Sports Travel Tips: 19 - Photos: 25	General Tips Tips: 57 - Photos: 60

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