Traveling to Hawaii During Covid
I debated sharing this blog post, considering the ever-changing regulations around travel and COVID-19, BUT, if the stars align and you get the opportunity to go to Hawaii, I figured it may be helpful to read my take on the trip and everything I did to make it happen!
Preparation
My boyfriend, Denis, and I pulled off a trip to the Big Island (Kona specifically) for Thanksgiving. A lot of work goes into the prep- you must be organized and follow details meticulously. This website is your best friend: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/. Also, it should be noted that different islands have slightly different rules, so please pay specific attention to the requirements for your travel destination. (For example, as of December 2, Kauai is no longer participating in the testing program and every visitor is required to quarantine for 10 days.)
The most critical thing you need to do to avoid the 10 day quarantine is a negative Covid test 72 HOURS PRIOR TO YOUR PLANE DEPARTURE. What makes this more challenging is that you must go through one of Hawaii’s Trusted Travel Partners. Each city/state has different Covid testing options available, but in San Diego, we went with AFC Urgent Care. We both had to do a video chat call prior to getting scheduled. Unfortunately, the first location we were scheduled at ran out of rapid tests (this is apparently very common, especially right now with the rising number of Covid cases in CA). Luckily, we got rescheduled at the Mira Mesa AFC Urgent Care location and the nurses held two rapid tests for us until our appointments. AFC Urgent Care takes some, but not all insurance. I have Aetna PPO and I only had to pay $50 for the video chat + test together. We heard stories about people going through CVS for testing and not receiving their results in time, which is why we chose to go with a rapid testing partner. We got our results same day, within an hour.
After getting the negative Covid test, you must upload a PDF of the test results to your Safe Travels Hawaii Portal. (We also brought a hard copy of our results with us just in case, which is highly recommended by the State.) AFC Urgent Care emailed us a PDF of our results the same day we took our test but be sure to ask for a print out of your results from your testing provider as well.
Your Safe Travels portal needs to be set up in advance of your trip and there are a few things you need to do in there, such as add details about your upcoming trip and upload a recent photo of yourself. After uploading your negative Covid results, you should get an automated approval directly on the site. Additionally, 24 hours before your flight, you must fill out a questionnaire in order to receive an email with your QR code. This QR Code is what you show at the airports, hotels and rental car shops, and is the main piece of evidence exempting you from quarantine. The hotel and rental car shop also had us log into our portals on our phones to show the QR code directly, so keep that in mind.
On the Plane
Make sure you have hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and extra masks easily accessible in your carry-on for the plane ride. I personally prefer to wear disposable masks for flights so I can throw them away afterwards. Once we got to our seats, we immediately wiped everything down. I personally feel better when I know that every nob and button has been sanitized. We flew Alaska, which at the time, was leaving the middle seat open (such a plus!). Lastly, bring a carry on so you don’t need to stand around with other people waiting for your luggage in the airport. Overall, I felt extremely safe on the plane and really didn’t mind wearing a mask for the duration of the flight. (You can remove your mask when actively eating or drinking)
Arrival
Upon de-boarding the plane, Denis and I were randomly selected for a secondary Covid testing at the Kona airport. The process took about 25 minutes from start to finish. It is a pretty easy process-we got taken to a tent, got swabbed and hung out in a designated area until they called our names and privately shared our results. While this was an inconvenience, it was relatively efficient. We thankfully tested negative, and we were on our way.
Hotel/Accommodations
We stayed at the Fairmont Orchid in Kona, which is a nice, traditional, Hawaiian-style hotel, located on the beach. I have been staying at the Fairmont Orchid since I was a kid, so it always brings back good memories to return. They take Covid very seriously and I felt 100% safe the entire stay. The hotel provides guests with a welcome bag, including all the essentials such as hand sanitizer, masks and gloves. Of course, you should still bring your own supplies, like I mentioned above. Sanitizing stations are set up throughout the property and all hotel staff wear masks at all times.
Due to Covid, the hotel experience was a little different-no spa treatments, no gift shop, no luau and limited gym occupancy with reservations and masks required. Guests at the Fairmont must be wearing a mask at all times, unless they are seated at the beach, pool or dining. (I believe luaus will be returning to the Hotel in late December with social distancing measures).
My absolute favorite thing about the Fairmont Orchid is the private cove at the hotel. The water is crystal clear and there are no waves, which makes it the most perfect spot for snorkeling! Denis and I swam right next to the resident turtles and saw plenty of fish every day. This beach is my happy place.
Beaches
The plus side about traveling during a pandemic (especially to a place like Hawaii with such a great barrier to entry) is that there are a lot less people. This means ample space to spread out on the gorgeous beaches and overall better ability to take in the natural beauty of the island. Aside from the amazing beach at our hotel, we went to a few other beaches I highly recommend! See below for my top three beach picks!
Hapuna Beach
This beach feels like classic Hawaii. There is a lot of soft sand, light waves, some fish to see and a really cool inlet where you can swim up and walk around in a cave.
“Beach 69” At wailea bay
This beach is somewhat hidden behind brush and trees but is a real treat for snorkelers. It felt like an untouched spot for locals. We had the best snorkeling of the trip here and really enjoyed this beach!
Kaunaoa (Mauna Kea) Beach
This beach is shared with the Mauna Kea Resort and as such, there are only 40 parking spots available to non-hotel guests. You must go very early in the morning, or keep trying back. We came in the morning and there were no spots so we tried again in the afternoon and got in. This beach has impeccably white sand and calm water but is not much of a snorkeling spot.
Dining
Not all shopping centers and restaurants are open due to Covid, but we had a few really great meals and went to this Whole Foods-esque market right by our hotel, called Foodland Farms, every day for lunch, snacks and beverages!
Merriman’s: This quaint, farm-to-table style steakhouse is worth the half hour drive up the mountain.
Canoe House: Located in the Mauna Lani hotel, this restaurant is trendy and delicious, with beautiful waterfront views.
Kona Brewing: You have to stop by the famous Kona brewery when in Kona! Absolutely MUST order the peperoni pizza rolls!
Merriman’s Big Island
If you have any questions about the Hawaii travel process or need other recommendations for your trip to the Big Island, send me a DM on Instagram @threedaywknd!