Hawai'i is opening up and welcoming visitors with a new program to enrich the guest experience through volunteering in the islands called Malama Hawai'i. To malama is to "care for" in the Hawaiian language. This state-wide initiative is a partnership between the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB), its members and the Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA). The Malama Hawai'i program offers visitors a unique opportunity to learn about Hawai'i by volunteering during their stay at various projects on O'ahu, Island of Hawai'i, Maui, Moloka'i and Kaua'i. Visitors can help restore a traditional Hawaiian fishpond (loko ia), clean up a cultural site or beach and coastline, aid in reforestation of native plant ecosystems, work on a farm, clear a stream of weeds in the lo'i (taro/kalo patch) and much more.
"When visitors malama - whether it's removing gorilla ogo (invasive seaweed), or pulling and snapping mangrove, or just being there with their positivity and their aloha, they've given back to a place, and that place opens and receives them. They leave feeling elated. They're so joyous for what they were able to give," said Noelani Lee, Executive Director, Ka Honua Momona, Moloka'i.
Today as travelers search for an authentic connection to a destination, the opportunity to work alongside locals and learn Hawaiian history and culture, offer gratitude and make a friend is enlightening. There is no mistake to find that the reduplication of the word malama, malamalama, means light of knowledge (Pukui and Elbert, Hawaiian Dictionary). By volunteering to malama the moana (ocean) and 'aina (land), visitors receive the priceless gift of beginning to understand Hawai'i on a deeper level.
For additional perks via Malama Hawai'i experiences, here is a sampling from partners on the island of O'ahu:
'Alohilani Resort developed the Unforgettable Soulful Hawaii Signature Experience for Malama Hawai'i as part of the property's ongoing reforestation commitment to plant 100,000 trees in its 'Alohilani Forest on the North Shore of O'ahu in partnership with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative.
Malama Hawai'i Offer: Tree planting experience at Gunstock Ranch and $200 resort dining credit.
Guests are welcome to clean, sand, sweep and paint the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i. The "Mighty Mo" served in WWII, and on September 2, 1945, was where the Instrument of Surrender in Tokyo Bay was signed, bringing WWII to an end.
Castle Resorts & Hotels has partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI). Guests volunteering with HLRI receive their fifth night free at Waikiki Shore, Bamboo Waikiki Hotel and Waikiki Grand. Available through November 30, 2021, for stays through December 20, 2021.
Malama Hawai'i Offer: Fifth night free.
To bring attention to the plight of Hawai'i's native ecosystems and in partnership with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI), Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk recently planted one of Hawai'i's rarest trees, the 'alula, on the hotel's fourth-floor deck. Malama Hawai'i participants are offered the fourth night free, 2 p.m. late check out and can plant their own legacy tree at the Gunstock Ranch on O'ahu's North Shore, part of HLRI's initiative to restore the state's rarest native forests. For every guest participating in a tree-planting effort with HLRI, the hotel contributes a portion of each resort charge towards the Legacy Forest.
Malama Hawai'i Offer: Fourth night free and 2 p.m. late check out.
Kokua Hawai'i Foundation hosts Kookua Learning Farm Community Workday, which is open to the public once a month. Projects may include but are not limited to: trash pick-up, mulching, weeding, trimming, planting and harvesting.
Hawai'i Land Trust monitors and provides stewardship of more than 30 conservation easements protecting over 17,300 of Hawai'i's agricultural lands, watersheds, wildlife habitat, recreational areas, historical and cultural sites and scenic vistas. Volunteer opportunities include removal of invasive plants and planting of native plants.
Travelers can get a fourth night free when booking Hyatt Centric Waikiki's Malama Hawai'i offering. As part of the package, travelers volunteer with one of the property's partner organizations. A list of volunteer options is sent one week before arrival.
Malama Hawai'i Offer: Fourth night free. Promotion code: MALAMA.
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa encourages guests to malama Hawai'i by helping with native reforestation efforts at Gunstock Ranch. Guests will also receive a complimentary fourth night and daily breakfast for two when booking the resort's Malama Hawai'i package.
Malama Hawai'i Offer: Fourth night free and daily breakfast for two. Promotion code: MALAMA.
Guests of The Imperial Resort can participate in a range of experiences as part of the hotel's Malama Hawai'i offer while receiving 10 percent off and a waived resort fee during the length of their stay.
Malama Hawai'i Offer: 10 percent off and waived resort fee.
International Market Place shoppers can participate in a DIY Beach Cleanup Program and will receive a gift valued at $20. One gift, per group, per day.
The Kahala Hotel & Resort is offering 20 percent off stays in exchange for participation in one of the sustainability initiatives offered by Travel2Change and Kahala's Initiative for Sustainability, Culture, & the Arts (KISCA). Activities include participating in a beach clean-up after kayaking or paddleboarding, taking a guided hike to learn about coastal restoration, tasting food on a sustainable farm and more.
Malama Hawai'i Offer: 20 percent off.
Several Marriott hotels are offering a free night as part of the Malama Hawai'i initiative. They have partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) and Gunstock Ranch, where guests are encouraged to engage in reforestation efforts. Guests can secure their free night by either volunteering in three hours of community service at the Legacy Forest, planting a Legacy Tree with their family on a tour of Gunstock Ranch or can sponsor a Legacy Tree and support the forest remotely. Participating properties include Courtyard Marriott Oahu North Shore, Embassy Suites by Hilton Oahu Kapolei and Residence Inn by Marriott Oahu Kapolei. Guests at the Marriott Waikiki properties - The Ritz-Carlton Residences at Waikiki Beach, Royal Hawaiian, Moana Surfrider, Sheraton Waikiki, Princess Ka'iulani, The Laylow and Waikiki Beach Marriott also receive a $100 resort credit in addition to their fifth night free.
Malama Hawai'i Offer: Fifth night free plus $100 resort dining credit at participating properties.
By booking Outrigger's Malama Hawai'i Experience, guests may participate in a hands-on, two-hour voluntourism activity at Kualoa Ranch Private Nature Reserve and receive every third night free at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger and Waikiki Malia by Outrigger. Guests will embark on an eco-adventure at Kualoa, immersing in various types of purpose-driven community service and cultural learning experiences - including the importance of caring for the upland 'ahupua'a (traditional land division) streams as they feed the lo'i (taro patches) down the valley. Guests will learn about micro-plastics and their adverse effects on the ocean, the importance of using reef-safe sunscreen, and Kualoa Ranch's efforts to monitor coral health. Guests will venture through traditional fishponds and farms, delivering a unique opportunity to participate in something greater than self - safeguarding the beauty of Hawai'i.
Malama Hawai'i Offer: Third night free.
Prince Waikiki's Malama Hawai'i affords visitors the enjoyment of the beauty of Hawai'i while restoring the local environment. Prince Waikiki is helping to maintain a healthy harbor and coastline given the hotel's historic location where native Hawaiian flora, fauna and marine life once flourished in its estuary. In partnership with Sustainable Coastlines Hawai'i, Prince Waikiki's Malama Hawai'i Package allows guests to participate in the Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii DIY Cleanup Program.
Malama Hawai'i Offer: Every fourth night free, waived resort charge, sustainable commemorative gift, 15 percent off in-room dining, 20 percent off at Hawaii Prince Golf Club.
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