Things That Are Different In Hawaii From The Mainland

Whether you notice them or not, there are things in Hawaii that are different from mainland.

Billboards

Hawaii one of only four states that have outlawed billboards. This is a beautiful thing when you are driving along, you can enjoy the scenery without tacky advertisements!

Snakes

There are no snakes that are native to Hawaii. Every once in awhile one gets snuck in, but they usually get caught and taken away. One more reason to love Hawaii!

Daylight Savings Time

No need to worry about setting your clock forward and backward. Hawaii and Arizona are the only states that don't observe Daylight Savings Time.

Car Horns

People in Hawaii very rarely use their car horns. It's pretty much unheard of and I would advise against using yours while you are here. People don't take kindly to it.

RVs and Mobile Homes

Since RVs are not manufactured here, you would have to pay to ship one here. Which is likely to cost a lot of money! They are not banned but if you want to go camping use a tent like the rest of us.

Aerial Advertising

Aerial Advertising was banned in 2005. Like billboards, aerial banners are another type of pollution that Hawaii does not tolerate.

Flip Flops are Slippahs

That's right, flip flops are callers slippers here, pronounced slippahs. Everyone wears them for every occasion.

It's Shave Ice

On the mainland this icy treat is called shaved ice, but don't you dare call it that here! It's shave ice!

Being Kamaaina has it's Benefits

When you move to Hawaii you will want to get your Hawaii driver's license ASAP! When you are Kamaaina you can get discounts on tons of things. If they don't offer it just ask, it never hurts and you might just get that discount. If you don't want to change your license you can get a Hawaii Identification Card.

On Hawaiian Time

Things move slower here in Hawaii. You will find that people walk slower, driver slower, and sometimes talk slower. Some businesses might also close early or open later depending on the surfing conditions.

Hugs and Kisses

Greetings, goodbyes, and introductions here often include a hug and a kiss on the cheek. It customary and everyone here is Ohana.

Directions

When you get directions in Hawaii you won't hear north, south, east or west. Instead you will hear makai, mauka, leeward, and windward. Makai means towards the sea. Mauka means toward the mountains. Leeward is the west side and windward is the east side. Often directions are referred to as Ewa bound (West) or Diamondhead bound (East).

Off Island

When you live in Hawaii and are traveling somewhere other than the mainland you are Off Island.

Mainland

When you live in Hawaii and are traveling to another state you are going to the Mainland.

Yeah

All of your questions will end with a yeah.

Street Names

Since there are only 13 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet many street names sound the same, so getting lost is pretty easy. A GPS is a must have here!

We Grow More

Hawaii is the only state in the US that grows cocoa, coffee, and vanilla beans.

We Live Longer

Hawaii has the highest life expectancy at 81.3 years.

It's Alive

Hawaii is the only state that grows bigger every years due to Kilauea Volcano the Big Island grows by more than 42 acres each year.

Vog

Say what? Vog is a Sulfur dioxide emission from the Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island. It can really mess with people that have asthma and allergies.

Mo Money

Because just about everything in Hawaii has to be shipped here, it costs more money.