Travel with Purpose: Mālama Hawaiʻi is to Mālama Oʻahu

Visitors can be inspired by the many ways to give back while on vacation to Oʻahu

OʻAHU – As the world continues to open up to travel, the Island of Oʻahu is asking visitors to take a trip that gives back – both to Hawaiʻi and to themselves. In partnership with the Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) and the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA), the Mālama Hawaiʻi program seeks to inspire mindful travel by giving visitors an opportunity to give back to the community through a voluntourism experience. Mālama means to “take care of,” and industry partners and volunteer organizations across Oʻahu have created a variety of experiences that are transformative for visitors and regenerative for the community. As an added benefit, visitors can also earn a free night from hotels participating in the Mālama Hawaiʻi program. 

“Our request is for travelers to Oʻahu to engage in, connect and understand the aloha spirit by respecting and caring for the very destination they are visiting and enjoying, Oʻahu,” said Noelani Schilling-Wheeler, executive director of the Oʻahu Visitors Bureau. “Mālama Hawaiʻi allows our guests to have a more meaningful experience with Oʻahu and the local community. We hope that when our guests return home and reflect on their legacy, they can with good conscience point to the activities they did on Oʻahu, leave enriched by those activities and take back the importance to mālama their own communities.” 

With its unique blend of town and country, rich history and culture, Oʻahu is truly the heart of Hawaiʻi. Mālama Hawaiʻi excursions on Oʻahu range from opportunities to clean and care for historical sites, plant trees to aid reforestation efforts, restore a traditional Hawaiian fishpond, and more. Below is a selection of Mālama Hawaiʻi experiences from partners on the island of Oʻahu:  

‘Alohilani Resort developed the Unforgettable, Soulful Hawaiʻi Signature Experience for Mālama Hawaiʻi as part of the property’s ongoing re-forestation commitment to plant 100,000 trees in its ‘Alohilani Forest located on the North Shore of Oʻahu in partnership with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative. www.alohilaniresort.com/special-offers/soulful-hawaii

 

Mālama Hawaiʻi Offer: Tree planting experience at Gunstock Ranch and $200 resort dining credit.

 

In an effort to help restore and preserve one of the world’s most famous battleships, guests are welcomed to clean, sand, sweep and paint the Battleship Missouri Memorial. As an American icon that stands watch over the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor, Hawaiʻi, the “Mighty Mo” provided gunfire support for the invasion of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. On September 2, 1945, she served as a stage for the signing of the Instrument of Surrender in Tokyo Bay, bringing WWII to an end. www.ussmissouri.org/get-involved/volunteer

 

Castle Resorts & Hotels has partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) for the Mālama Hawaiʻi campaign. Guests can receive their fifth night free at Waikīkī Shore, Bamboo Waikīkī Hotel, and Waikīkī Grand when volunteering with HLRI. The package is available through Nov. 30, 2021 for stays through Dec. 20, 2021. www.castleresorts.com/special-offers/malama-hawaii

 

Mālama Hawaiʻi Offer: Fifth night free.

 

To bring attention to the plight of Hawaiʻi’s native ecosystems and in partnership with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI), Embassy Suites Waikīkī Beach Walk recently planted one of Hawaiʻi’s rarest trees, the ‘ālula, on its property. Embassy Suites Waikīkī Beach Walk guests can visit the ‘ālula tree on the hotel’s fourth-floor deck. As a participant with the Mālama Hawaiʻi Initiative, Embassy Suites Waikīkī Beach Walk offers guests a fourth night free, 2 p.m. late check out, and an opportunity to plant their very own legacy tree at the Gunstock Ranch on Oʻahu’s North Shore, part of HLRI’s initiative to restore the state’s rarest native forests. For every guest that participates in a tree-planting effort with HLRI, the hotel contributes a portion of each resort charge towards the Legacy Forest. www.embassysuiteswaikiki.com/specials/malama-hawaii

 

Mālama Hawaiʻi Offer: Fourth night free and 2 p.m. late check out.

 

Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation hosts a Kō̄kua 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. www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org

 

Hawaiʻi Land Trust monitors and provides stewardship of more than 30 conservation easements protecting over 17,300 of Hawaiʻi’s agricultural lands, watersheds, wildlife habitat, recreational areas, historical and cultural sites, and scenic vistas. Volunteer opportunities often include removal of invasive plants and planting of native plants, but varies depending on current needs. www.hilt.org

 

Travelers can get a fourth night free when booking Hyatt Centric Waikīkī’s Mālama Hawaiʻi offering. As part of the package, travelers need to volunteer with one of the property’s partner organizations. A list of volunteer options is sent one week prior to arrival. www.hyatt.com

 

Mālama Hawaiʻi Offer: Fourth night free. Promotion code: MALAMA.

 

Hyatt Regency Waikīkī Beach Resort and Spa encourages guests to mālama Hawaiʻi by helping with native reforestation efforts at Gunstock Ranch. Guests will also receive their fourth night free and daily breakfast for two when booking the resort’s Mālama Hawaiʻi package. www.hyatt.com

                       

Mālama Hawaiʻi 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 Mālama Hawaiʻi offer, while receiving 10 percent off and a waived resort fee during the length of their stay. www.imperialofwaikiki.com/rooms

 

Mālama Hawaiʻi Offer: 10 percent off and waived resort fee.

International Market Place shoppers will have the opportunity to participate in a DIY Beach Cleanup Program and will receive a gift valued at $20. One gift, per group, per day. www.shopinternationalmarketplace.com/pages/malamahawaii

 

The Kāhala Hotel & Resort is offering 20 percent off stays in exchange for participation in one of the sustainability initiatives offered by Travel2Change and Kāhala’s Initiative for Sustainability, Culture, & the Arts (KISCA). Activities include participating in a beach cleanup after kayaking or paddleboarding, taking a guided hike to learn about coastal restoration, tasting food on a sustainable farm and more. www.kahalaresort.com/Special-Packages/malama-hawaii 

 

Mālama Hawaiʻi Offer: 20 percent off.

 

Mālama Loko Ea is an educational platform where students and community members learn and practice land stewardship, nohona Hawaiʻi (living and practicing Hawaiian culture as a way of life), and ʻʻike kuʻuna (knowledge of traditional Hawaiian practices). Visitors can help restore a historic Hawaiian fishpond as part of the organization’s Hololea Tour. Other activities include a walking tour, bamboo pole fishing and throw net demonstrations. Community workdays are every Saturday morning. Registration is required. www.lokoea.org/hololea.html

 

Mālama Maunalua is a community-based, non-profit stewardship organization committed to conserving and restoring a healthy and productive Maunalua Bay. The organization’s community huki (to pull) are volunteer-based events that bring people together to aid in this mission. They are scheduled at least once a month on a Saturday, aligning with lower tides. Volunteers learn about the problems facing the bay as well as the three main types of invasive alien algae that must be removed from the nearshore waters. www.malamamaunalua.org/volunteer

 

A number of Marriott hotels are offering a free night as part of the Mālama Hawaiʻi initiative and have partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) and Gunstock Ranch where guests are encouraged to engage in reforestation efforts. There are three ways that guests can secure their free night: participate in three hours of community service at the Legacy Forest, plant a Legacy Tree with their family on a tour of Gunstock Ranch, or sponsor a Legacy Tree and support the forest remotely. Participating properties include Courtyard Marriott Oʻahu North Shore, Embassy Suites by Hilton Oʻahu Kapolei and Residence Inn by Marriott Oʻahu Kapolei. Guests at the Marriott Waikīkī properties - The Ritz-Carlton Residences at Waikīkī Beach, Royal Hawaiian, Moana Surfrider, Sheraton Waikīkī, Princess Kauilani, The Laylow and Waikīkī Beach Marriott also receive a $100 resort credit in addition to their fifth night free. www.hotel-deals.marriott.com/malama-hawaii   

 

Mālama Hawaiʻi Offer: Fifth night free plus $100 resort dining credit at participating properties

 

By booking Outrigger’s Mālama Hawaiʻi Experience, guests have a unique opportunity to participate in a hands-on, two-hour voluntourism activity at Kuaola Ranch Private Nature Reserve and receive every third-night free when staying at Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort, Waikīkī Beachcomber by Outrigger, and Waikīkī Malia by Outrigger. Guests will embark on an eco-adventure at Kuaola immersing in various types of purpose-driven community service and cultural learning experiences – including the importance of caring for the upland ahupuaʻa (traditional land division) streams as they feed the loʻi (taro patches) down the valley. Guests will learn about micro-plastics and its negative effects on the ocean, the importance of using reef-safe sunscreen and Kuaola 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 Hawaiʻi. www.outrigger.com/specials/featured/malama-hawaii

 

Mālama Hawaiʻi Offer: Third night free.

 

Papahana Kuaola is a non-profit organization that strives to connect the past with a sustainable future. Its mission is to create quality educational programs focused on Hawaiʻi’s cultural and natural history, environmental restoration, and economic sustainability through its volunteer opportunities. Visitors can participate in a stream restoration day on every third Saturday of the month. Volunteers assist with removing invasive species that are encroaching and clogging up the stream so that the stream is open to flow freely down to other community members. Every fourth Saturday of the month affords volunteers the opportunity to work in a loʻi (taro patch). Work involves prepping, weeding, and planting, thus allowing the kalo (taro) to thrive. www.papahanakuaola.org

 

Paradise Helicopters recently launched a Mālama Collection charter of immersive experiences centered around Mālama Hawaiʻi. Oʻahu Nahele - Tree Planting with Hawaiʻi Legacy Hardwoods is an aerial sightseeing tour that educates guests about Hawaiʻi culture and ecosystems and allows guests to participate directly in a special cultural experience benefiting the local nahele or forest. During the tree planting and eco-tour, guides will talk about the history of the Hawaiian land and how the tree will contribute to healing the local ecosystem. www.paradisecopters.com/charters-malama

 

Prince Waikīkī’s Mālama Hawaiʻi offering allows visitors to both enjoy the beauty of Hawaiʻi and work to restore and renew the local environment. By supporting the sustainable movement in Hawaiʻi and inviting guests to participate in the regenerative movement, Prince Waikīkī 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 Hawaiʻi, Prince Waikīkī’s Mālama Hawaiʻi Package allows guests to participate in the Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi DIY Cleanup Program. www.princewaikiki.com/stay/offers/malama-hawaii  

 

Mālama Hawaiʻi Offer: Every fourth night free, waived resort charge, commemorative sustainable gift, 15 percent off in-room dining, 20 percent off at Hawaiʻi Prince Golf Club.

 

For more information about how visitors can mālama Hawaiʻi, visit gohawaii.com/malama.

 

 

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