Those familiar with the Aloha State often hear about the notion of “Old Hawaii” — the Hawaii of a bygone era, romanticized through modern eyes. Old Hawaii conjures up a time before mass tourism created the well-loved visitor playgrounds that many of the state’s top resort areas have become — when there was less development, fewer crowds and a generally more languid atmosphere.
While the official period of Old Hawaii is the subject of some debate, from a tourism perspective, it can be taken to mean the first relative boom in tourist traffic in the 1920s and ‘30s. The imagery of this period might call to mind tourists arriving by sea on a gleaming white Matson liner to find a joyous welcome with live musicians and flower leis. Guests were conveyed immediately to one of Waikiki’s two resort hotels (both owned by Matson), where, interestingly, oceanview rooms were not considered premium.
It’s a romantic notion, perhaps, but it’s also one that today’s travel advisors can work with their clients to recapture.
Sail into History Onboard a Cruise
To help clients (who have time on their hands) recapture the idyll of the 1920s and ‘30s, agents can book their travel to the islands the old-fashioned way — by ship. Today, Matson only carries freight between the Mainland and Hawaii, but Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises are among the lines that offer one-way sailings between the West Coast and Hawaii. The ships aren’t U.S.-registered, so they have to embark from Vancouver (sailings from U.S. ports must travel on roundtrip itineraries with at least one stop in a foreign port — and cabotage laws prevent passengers from disembarking in Hawaii for extended stays), but it’s the closest way to recreate the throwback experience.
Clients can travel to Hawaii by cruise ship to recreate the old way of getting to the islands.
Credit: 2022 Princess CruisesRather than heading directly to Honolulu like the Matson liners did, they’ll make port calls at neighboring islands, giving cruisers the chance to see them in a way that would have been somewhat familiar to earlier tourists. Celebrity’s 11-night, one-way sailings between Vancouver and the Hawaiian Islands typically call at Hilo and Kailua Kona on Hawaii Island, then Lahaina on Maui, before continuing to Honolulu. The faster route to Honolulu is on Princess, which calls only at Kona as part of a shorter eight-night sailing.
Connect With Natural Hawaii on Old-Time Tours
Hawaii Island, with its active volcanoes, was a big tourist draw in those years — it was then the No. 1 destination for tourists outside Waikiki. Roberts Hawaii and Polynesian Adventure Tours both offer volcano-focused tours, visiting areas of current volcanic activity and sites of previous eruptions and lava flows; both operators also offer circle island tours that typically include fewer volcano stops, but add local waterfalls and a visit to a macadamia nut or coffee farm.
During this timeframe, Hawaii was a largely agricultural state, and many brochures offered travelers glimpses into pineapple or sugarcane plantations. Those crops have largely faded from the scene in modern Hawaii (aside from the popular Dole Plantation on Oahu), but growth in the coffee and macadamia nut industries means Hawaii visitors can still embark on an agrotourism tour much the way their earlier cohorts did.
Visitors to Hawaii Island can check out Kona Joe Coffee, where coffee is grown in trellises, similar to wine grapes (which is extraordinary for coffee trees). Other options include Purdy’s Macadamia Nut Farm on Molokai and Kauai Coffee Company on Kauai’s sunny south shore.
Tasting Kauai also operates farm-to-table tours on Kauai. Oahu travelers can head to Kahuku Farms on the North Shore, while Maui visitors can book a private tour with Maui Chocolate & Coffee Tours.
Stay at a Historic Hotel
When it comes to Waikiki hotels, there are just two that are strictly “period” — The Royal Hawaiian (originally opened in 1927) and Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort & Spa (originally The Moana when it first opened in 1901). Both hotels still house guests in their original buildings, but have also added modern high-rise towers, so be sure to book clients in the historic building rooms for the full experience.
The Royal Hawaiian is one of Waikiki’s most historic hotels.
Credit: 2022 Marriott InternationalThe hotels still feature nods to their history. At the Moana Surfrider, guests can find old photos and menus from a bygone era on the second level above the historic lobby, including photos of the recording of “Hawaii Calls,” the long-running radio program broadcast from the hotel’s grounds. At The Royal Hawaiian, an alcove on the makai (ocean) side of the historic lobby is adorned with old menus and photos. Both properties give historical tours of the grounds on certain days of the week.
Classic Oahu Sightseeing
Many of the attractions popular in Waikiki today did not exist between the world wars. Back then, most visitors embarked on sightseeing tours to take in the natural beauty of Oahu. A popular stop both then and today is Diamond Head, where there were footpaths and stairs as early as 1911. Another popular sightseeing drive that clients can still enjoy is along the Windward (east) side of the island, with stops at Hanauma Bay and Waimanalo Beach.
Also popular were trips to The Haleiwa Hotel on the North Shore. The 14-room hotel was popular with local residents as a respite from the city, and served as a retreat for both day-tripping and overnight tourists who could drive or take the train through fields of pineapple and sugarcane to the hotel. The property was closed during the Second World War and demolished a few years later, but Haleiwa Town (which took its name from the hotel) today retains much of the aesthetic of that era.
Visitors can stop for shave ice, the Hawaiian snow cone treat, local restaurants (many of which are cash-only), and art galleries ranging from small and independent to contemporary heavy-hitters such as Wyland or Roy Tabora.
There is one historic Hawaiian tradition that is lost to history: Tourists departing by steam ship were given a lei as a fond farewell, and it was customary to toss them overboard as the ship rounded Diamond Head and Honolulu receded from view. Legend held that if the lei floated to shore, it meant the visitor would one day return to Hawaii.
Nowadays, cruise ships enforce “zero overboard” policies, but the sentiment remains — most visitors to Hawaii part in wistful sorrow, and dream of the prospect of one day returning.
