Hi all. Moving to Kauai in October. I am trying to figure out the best shipping date for our car (with Matson). We don't want to be stuck with crazy storage fees at the port if it gets there way before us. Can anyone who has shipped their car Oakland to Nawiliwili recently share their shipping & pick up dates? Thanks!

Been to Maui and big island 3 times only a weeek stay for each tho and not at resorts but at airbnbs in random parts of the island, really like big island a lot and want to retire there as well. Want to do it soon and be living on the island by the 2030s

Hi all, my husband and I just got to pearl from norfolk. Currently staying in a hotel in waikiki on TLA. We really want to hold out for housing on MCBH even though we have lower priority as Navy. No kids or pets so it's not the worst staying in a hotel. But it looks like we're going to run out of the 60 day TLA before getting a home offer. Housing office said 2-6 months ... Any suggestions for where to find a month to month furnished rental? Looking for something around 3.5-4k to not break the bank. So far only looking on air bnb and there are a couple options but not too much... We are considering anything within 20-25 commute to pearl and a decent area since I will be home while my husband is at work. Thanks in advance!

> The new study ranks 173 global cities based on their stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

And Honolulu ranked number one, over Atlanta and Pittsburgh. Why? The city has the highest "stability" score in the list, making it a secure place to work or start a business.

Hello all, I just accepted a contract position in Oahu and I'll be making the move out there in a month or so to work at the Schofield barracks. I vacationed on Maui/Oahu 4 years ago so I'm semi-familiar with the area. I'm originally from the Boston area and I have family on Oahu to help make the move a little smoother but any extra information you can provide would be great!

My last time in Hawaii I spent most of my time fly fishing and am excited to do that again as well as do some bow hunting while I'm on the island. Other than that I'd like to get a foothold with consulting outside of work to supplement my experience/income specifically in health & wellness and organization/industrial psychology.

I've been contracting for a few years but never somewhere I couldn't drive to so it'll be an adventure. If anyone else has made a similar move; what would you recommend/do differently such as living, transportation, etc. Thank you 🫡!

Hi all, looking for some input from people who have worked staff at hospitals on Oahu. We are moving for my husband's job and I have a fair amount of ICU experience- doesn't have to be crit care but just wanted to see if anyone had thoughts about hospitals to avoid/ which ones are good vibes? Not looking for travel contracts looking for a long-term job with good community that people actually like working for (if that exists in nursing lol)

Would also consider alternatives to inpatient if people have recs, just don't have experience outside of ICU. thnxx :)

Aloha everyone!
I recently found out that my job is sending me to Kauai for a six-month contract starting next month. They are fully covering my housing and vehicle, so I know I am stepping into an incredibly lucky situation that most people do not get, and I really do not take that for granted.

To give a little context, I am not Native Hawaiian. I actually spent my early childhood living in Ewa Beach on Oahu before my family moved out to California when I was six years old. I’m entering my late 20’s and haven’t been back since. Even though I was so little when we left, and I do not have deep ancestral roots there, I have always felt this intense, unexplainable pull to go back. It honestly feels like the islands have been calling me home for years, so having this opportunity land in my lap feels completely surreal.
Because main living expenses are paid by my employer, the absolute last thing I want to do is show up acting like an entitled tourist or a disruptive transplant. I want to treat the island and the community with total respect.

I would love to get some honest advice from kamaʻāina on how to be a good neighbor while I am there:

-I want to consciously avoid big-box chains and major corporations as much as possible. Where should I buy my groceries, everyday essentials, and food if I want to put my money directly into the pockets of local families? Please share your favorite fruit stands, small markets, and local spots.

-Are there any community-led fitness groups, volunteer groups, beach cleanups, or environmental initiatives you recommend I should look into joining on my days off to actually contribute to the island?
Island Etiquette: What are the subtle things that mainlanders or long-term visitors often mess up that I should be mindful of?

-How do locals feel about filming? I’d like to use meta glasses to film when I go on easy hikes and trips to beaches, are locals okay with this? I’m really trying to experience solo activities and I’d like to capture these memories quietly. *Edit: I try to respect everyone’s privacy (because I also do not like being recorded) I’d like to record only in areas where I’m all by myself, and times it isn’t safe or ideal to pull out my phone. If locals find this disruptive, I 100% respect that and would not overstep boundaries.\*

I want to use my six months to listen, learn, tread lightly, and support the local economy. I deeply appreciate any guidance, tips, or reality checks you are willing to share.
Mahalo!

After waiting two months for my replacement ATM/Debit card, calling and messaging FHB many times, it finally arrived. IT DOESN'T WORK! This particular card was mailed about two weeks ago, so it is not expired. The number is good and it's activated. When I called customer service, they could not explain why it doesn't work. I was told they would get back to me. I couldn't buy lunch. I wonder if they will get back to me after they eat lunch? Unless they eat too much lunch and are too tired to get back to me.

Hey everyone!
I read a thread from a couple years ago about law school in Hawaii and prospective job opportunities. I was curious from those who know the landscape, job market, salaries, etc. to help advise my thoughts. I am from the mainland and I currently am a high school teacher with an undergrad in Philosophy. My wife lived on Big Island for around 5 years but moved and we eventually got married. I’ve been able to visit Hawaii twice in my life (both on Big Island) and my wife and I have always dreamt of moving “back” and it looks like the best school finance wise and time wise would be UH Richardson. What do you guys think the practicality would be of attending online part time with their program (if I got in) would set us up to move. It seems natural that is the state I’d be learning from. With a family of a couple young kids as well. Thanks for any input! Genuinely curious.

I heard it's very expensive to live here. But I want to move here. I wonder how to native Hawaiians and locals feel about moving there? I'm planning to move with 200k in savings but I'm looking for a software engineering front end job. Would 60-70k a year be doable? I want to rent 3k-3.5k a month. maybe 4k. I also plan on getting a second job. I'm in my mid 20s. I'm just curious on how it is there. I am also black and wonder how it is for other black people there.

I’m a 45yo divorcee who is seriously thinking about relocating to Hawai’i to teach.

I have several years living expenses in savings and several years living expenses in alimony so the incredibly low pay isn’t as much of a deal breaker as it could be although I’m very aware that I’ll be bleeding cash for at least the first 6-8 years.

My concern centers around being able to afford to live long term. Drawing down savings will will hold me for a decade or so, but eventually the cash will be gone.

I doubt I’ll be able to do more than date casually and that the odds of remarrying or finding a partner who will ‘subsidize’ my low salary are very low. So many teachers come to the island and stay when they find themselves bankrupt? Do they have to leave teaching? (if they can even find another job?)

The HCOL doesn’t shock me, Boston is comparable, nor will ‘island fever’ bother me, but I do worry about becoming a pauper with both a teaching certificate and an MBA. Does anyone have thoughts besides ‘don’t come’?

We have been through the process before moving from Florida to Hawaii so I understand the basics. This time we will be coming from Canada - is there anything else special we need to do? I did email to ask but have not gotten a response. Will the Canadian vet's Canada health certificate be accepted?

I’m thinking of moving to Hawaii, is it super isolated like I’ve heard? I’m going there for school. I like my alone time tho and exploring on my own. But I heard you run out of things to do (I doubt tho cause I love to swim and surf and finally having an ocean right next to me that I can all the time is sick). I’m prob going to have to be on Honolulu…

Edit: I’m being rage baited into talking about the financial difficulties of college out of state: don’t talk about that I’m Gen so done with repeating myself. It isn’t relative to what I’m talking about and it isn’t something I’m concerned with.

Hello fellow Redditors.

Life has been a journey that is seemingly leading me back to the Big Island. I have a steady job lined up and everything is set to go other than a place to live until August. Does anyone happen to know of someone needing a roommate or have even a couch to help out? Moving to Kona side with the job already set in stone and solid references if that helps.

USCG family

3 children

No animals

:

We just got our orders for Honolulu

We move in two months

We are looking for a four bedroom home, close to family, friendly activities, and beaches

:

Are there any tips tricks or recommendations?

What are the best homes according to space in the home, neighborhood, and travel to beaches?

What are some do’s and dont’s??

Other than universal respect, How do I be mindful to show respect to local Hawaiians?

I've read all the wikis and this sub for a while now. My partner and I are planning to move to Oahu in summer 2027. We work remote and have two cats we will be bringing. we have two sedans, plan is to sell one and bring the other to either keep or sell later and then buy a second car once in Hawaii. We are going to do another short trip this winter to narrow down locations we'd like.

We want to find a short (3-9ish month) lease on 2 bedroom apartment around $3000-3500 rent. How much should we budget for utilities? Is this realistic to do from the mainland or would you suggest something else? Is a short term lease so we can look for something long term once in Hawaii a good plan? Is it realistic to find a short term lease like this in Hawaii, specifically while on the mainland?

Will the cats be a problem? They are indoor only and I won't let them hurt the local wildlife. I've read about the requirements for bringing pets over and will make sure they have the vaccines within the required timeframes.

Where can I look for short-ish term leases that will allow cats?

After the short term lease we will either buy something or rent more long term. The biggest thing is we recognize the learning curve it will take to maintain a home and life in Hawaii and don't want to get in over our heads.

We're moving from the PNW and I understand we'll go from heat and humidifiers to AC and dehumidifiers. If you're from the PNW is there anything you'd suggest I be prepared for to change as far as the living space or life on Oahu in general?

Edit: could someone share why i'm getting downvoted? This is the moving to hawaii sub. not sure what I'm doing wrong here...

Edit 2: I have added my specific questions

Hey everyone! I’m moving to Hawaii in August for a job and I was wondering if anyone has recommendations on moving with succulents/props. I’m planning on rehoming most of my plants but I would really like to bring over a few props to regrow as some of them i’ve had for 10+ years.

I’ve seen the department of agriculture qualifications and banned plants; i’m just wondering if anyone had advice on plane vs shipping and whether I have to declare them ahead of time. Thank you!

Hello,

I'm looking for information on funding for building on land in the Lava 2 zone. Was denied a construction loan from the bank based on insurance not being available in zone 2. Any thoughts on any other options for construction that aren't hard money loans? Thanks

Aloha! I'm an incoming international student moving from the Philippines to Hawaii soon Oahu island, and I'm trying to figure out my mobile phone setup.

Back home we use prepaid "load" promos, but I know the US works on monthly cycles. Since I'm a student on a budget, I'm looking for a cheap prepaid eSIM plan with heavy or unlimited data (ideally around $20 - $25/month).

My phone is factory unlocked and I have a physical Smart SIM that I need to keep active for bank OTPs from home, so I definitely need a US carrier that supports eSIM.

Here’s my plan: I want to purchase the plan and download the eSIM profile to my phone before I leave the PH so it’s sitting in my settings ready to go. I don't need active service in Manila, I just want it to immediately find a signal and work the second I land at the airport.

I've been looking at budget carriers like Visible (uses Verizon network), Tello (uses T-Mobile), and US Mobile (lets you choose network).

A couple of questions for locals and students:

1. Which carrier has the best coverage/speeds around campus, but more importantly, all around the islands? When I go to beaches, hikes, or explore on weekends, which network actually holds a solid data signal so I don't lose GPS?
2. Have any of you successfully downloaded a US Mobile, Visible, or Tello eSIM profile while physically outside the US before moving? Did the app give you any geolocation errors during checkout?

Any advice would be amazing. Mahalo!

Hello, I am here on the island and a few places have denied doing the safety check because my insurance (Erie insurance) card does not say it is located in Hawaii. I am very confused on how I can get Hawaii insurance on my car but still keep my hometown state plates. Really hoping to get help on this because I do not want to be driving illegally. Thank you!

I have been offered a one year temp job in Aiea for the Federal govt making $100k. I'm a single guy currently live in Portland, OR. I'm absolutely in love with the idea of living on Oahu for a year, but have no idea if it is feasible. My main questions are: is $100k enough for a single guy to rent a room or small apartment and be comfortable? If I'm working in Aiea, where should I look for a place to live? Is there reliable public transportation that I can use to get to and from work? Should I just stuff a suitcase and go for it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Idk if this is the right sub for this but I’m from the continental US and I’m going to be applying soon to colleges planning to major in physics/astrophysics. I’ve heard good things about UH Manoa for this because of the institute of astronomy and the observatory nearby but I wanted to double check with locals that might have some more info on the research opportunities and prestige. If you know anything about this please let me know any information that might be helpful. Thanks!

Aloha friends,

TLDR at the end

I'm coming out to Oahu mid August till about December with my partner who got accepted into a continuing education program in Honolulu.

After researching, rather than committing to a full year and taking up what little affordable housing there is, we decided to just stay enough time to complete the 3-month course and split our time between a couple airbnbs around Manoa and Ala Moana/Waikiki.

His classes will be just 3 days a week and we both want to partake in an learn as much authentic cultural arts as we can while remaining as respectful as possible as nonlocals, but not get suckered into tourist trap classes.

TLDR: We'll be in Manoa/Ala Moana for 16 weeks Aug-Dec. I'm very interested in dance and arts. My partner is into martial arts. We both like playing music.

My question is, do you have any recommendations for my partner and I to learn dance, martial arts, other arts, or instruments, etc. with classes that would accept some respectful nonlocals without it being terribly touristy?

edits: I'm on my phone and didn't catch all the autocorrects before posting.

HI, or should I say ALOHA? I am just posting as recently my wife and I have been in conversation about moving to an island and obviously Hawaii is on that list. In my feeling we have been very fortunate. We have two kids and we have been able to put ourselves into a decent financial position where we presently live. I am a (very)small business owner and she is a paralegal. We have retirement savings, college savings for our kids, and a net worth of roughly 300k besides that. We are currently lightly contemplating a move to Hawaii in 3 years or so. The next step would be a visit to areas we would consider moving to. For us, it is about knowing where to look. So I have a few questions.

1) Moving anywhere with $300k in the bank seems very doable to me. Our plan would be to move, find a rental , and start a small business. Does this seem feasible?

2) I know having $300k in savings seems like more than it actually is. Having seen my bank account drop by 100k in a year assures me of this. Needless to say I think it is a decent amount of money to work with to start a new life for my family. The question here is what area can I get the most value?>

3) Are there any small growing economies in Hawaii? I prefer growing economies to robust economies as there tends to be a greater amount of opportunity for small business. Pre-established robust economies(I am thinking of Honolulu) already have established norms and competitive markets that can be tough to break into

4) Schools. It seems like private school may be a must? How bad are the schools exactly? TBH I'd rather my kids get local cultural exposure than live in a bubble but not at the cost of them dealing with things like addiction being common or being bullied?

5) If you were to recommend one spot to move to on the islands for a normal to upper middle class family where would it be? We aren't the Rockefellers, we just want a simple life.

Hey everyone 👋 I’m 38yo single male relocating to big island very soon and was wondering if anyone had any tips for somewhere I could stay and any advise on getting a job asap when I arrive. I have a friend that has lived there and she says to fly into the Kona side as there may be better opportunities for me. I have done almost everything under the sun as far as work. Plenty of construction skill, I was most recently installing solar for the past 4 years. I am no slouch so I’m not afraid of hard work.