As you spend time in Hawaii, you’ll hear certain Hawaiian words over and over again: mahalo (thank you), aloha (used for “hello” and “goodbye” but also carries a deeper meaning), kokua (help), e komo mai (welcome), ohana (family)—and pono. Like many words in the Hawaiian language, the full meaning of pono is complex. And like aloha, it doesn’t have a simple English equivalent. However, after great consideration, researcher and scholar Malcolm Naea Chun named pono the greatest Hawaiian value. As such, it’s a word—and a concept—that’s more than worthy of further exploration. In this article, we’ll explore the complex meaning of pono. We’ll also offer...

Today, many people know Hawaii as the 50th state. However, if you know your history, you’d also recognize the fact that the Hawaiian Kingdom was formerly an independent monarchy. It was overthrown by a coup d’etat in 1893, annexed by the United States in 1898, and administered as a U.S. territory until it became a state in 1959. Looking even further back into Hawaii’s history, the islands were settled as early as 400 CE, when initial voyagers from the Marquesas Islands arrived to the island chain. By the time Europeans arrived in Hawaii in the late 18th century, the native Hawaiians they encountered had spent...

Hawaii has long been recognized as the capital of surfing. Accounts written by Europeans who visited the Hawaiian Islands in the late 18th century described this pastime, which, like many aspects of Hawaiian society, was significantly stratified. Hawaii’s royalty enjoyed long boards made of wiliwili trees—as well as priority on waves. Commoners’ boards were made of koa wood. If a commoner dropped in on one of the alii—or stole a wave—it was a serious violation, punishable by death. Given this long history—and the plethora of surf breaks in Hawaii—it’s no surprise that the state turns out a considerable number of talented surfers, some of whom...

There are plenty of reasons to move to Hawaii—the balmy weather, the breathtaking scenery, the laid-back island lifestyle, the spirit of aloha. But when it comes time to decide which Hawaiian Island to settle on, you might need a little more information to help you pick the right one. In this article, we’ll give you 13 reasons to move to Maui, the Valley Isle. Our Maui-based team will give you an inside look at what makes Maui a top choice for relocation, in contrast to your other main options: Oahu, Kauai, or the Big Island. And let’s be clear! There’s almost no wrong way to...

Is there a more quintessential Hawaii gesture than the shaka? If you’ve never thrown one yourself, give it a try: Curl your middle three fingers toward your palm, then extend your thumb and pinky. Now, making the gesture is easy. The real trick is to find your shaka style—and get comfortable with it. The first few times you throw a shaka, it will probably feel stiff. With practice, though, you’ll find just the right amount of looseness and familiarity you need to use this gesture the way it was intended—to spread aloha. If you’re already living in Hawaii, you’ve probably seen the shaka in all...

So, you want to know what living in Hawaii is really like? The good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between? You’ve come to the right place! Below, you’ll find an honest run-down of the pros and the cons of living in Hawaii. You’ll get a resident’s perspective on the best parts and the worst parts about making your home in the Aloha State. At the end of the day, we love Hawaii. (We wouldn’t live here otherwise!) And we love welcoming new residents into the Royal Hawaiian Movers ohana. However, we’re also not blind to the fact that paradise comes at a cost....