


Hawaii is the only US state to have two official languages: English and Hawaiian.Here are some linguistic facts about Hawaii: Let your memory be your travel bag.” is a travel quote by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn that captures the importance of learning a language to connect with locals.īefore we dive into the Hawaiian words and their English translations, let’s have a look at how the Hawaiian language is organized and pronounced. “Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people. These personal connections and insights sure added an extra dimension to our Hawaiian family trip and made us love Hawaii even more. It sometimes enabled us to learn more about the people we came across. Later during the Maui activities we engaged in and in the towns we visited.

First, at the West-Maui resort we were staying at and in the direct vicinity of Ka’anapali beach.

We started integrating some of these words as soon as we arrived on Maui with the kids. And since Hawaiians are very proud of their culture, making the effort of including some Hawaiian words and phrases in your conversations with locals really pays off. There’s no better way to connect with locals than by showing an interest in their heritage. We intensively explored the Big Island, from the beaches to the waterfalls near Hilo and beyond, and found it to be the best Hawaiian island to experience that culture. Hawaiian culture is still very much alive and that gives visitors to the islands the opportunity to travel deeper by finding out more about the Hawaiian language, the local rituals and fascinating spiritual world. Before our trip to Hawaii, we expected it to be rather commercially motivated but we were wrong. During our memorable Hawaii island-hopping adventure, we were thrilled to see how Hawaiian culture is still celebrated on a daily basis.
