Sustainable travel to Hawaii begins right when you pack. To protect the vulnerable coral reefs along the coast, Hawaii County restricts sunscreen sales exclusively to mineral formulas containing active ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Knowing what belongs in your beach bag is key to preserving the island’s marine ecosystem.
One thing you don’t have to think about is your lodging on the Big Island of Hawaii. ResorticaHawaii manages condos and homes at Waikoloa Beach Resort, Mauna Lani and Mauna Kea Resort, and booking directly with us puts you in a unit with a full kitchen, and a washer.
What Does Sustainable Travel Look Like On The Big Island?
It looks practical. Pack mineral sunscreen or buy it after you land, give one morning to a restoration project, buy food grown on the island, and keep your distance from the green sea turtles resting on the sand.
The state lists volunteer projects by island and date through the Mālama Hawaiʻi program. The nonprofits welcome you either way.
Things To Do In Waikoloa, Hawaii, That Give Back
The Waikoloa Dry Forest Preserve sits on Quarry Road. Volunteers plant, weed and collect seed in one of the rarest forest types in the islands, home to the wiliwili trees that bloom on the leeward slopes.
Volunteer mornings run twice a month, usually the second and fourth Saturday. Gloves, tools, and water are provided. Sign the digital waiver before you drive up, and bring a refillable bottle. This side of the island is hot and dry by 10 a.m.
Snorkel Kahaluʻu Bay With The ReefTeachers
Kahaluʻu Beach Park is the easiest entry-level snorkeling on the Kona side. The Kohala Center staffs the beach with ReefTeach volunteers from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
Go early: the bay fills by midmorning, and the water is clearest before the wind picks up.
Cook One Meal From A Waimea Farmers Market
Short-term rentals in Hawaii offer what a hotel room can’t: a kitchen. Use it once a week, and you cut both packaging and the drive back down to the resort for dinner.
Waimea Town Market is about a half-hour drive up through ranch country. Bring a bag, buy Hamakua mushrooms, Kona coffee and whatever the farms picked that week, and eat breakfast at the picnic tables before you shop.
Small Choices, Big Island
Sustainable travel on the Big Island of Hawaii is a short list of small decisions: the sunscreen you buy, the Saturday you give in the forest, the produce you carry home in a bag. None of them cost you a day of vacation.
We represent a diverse range of properties, each with its unique charm, in the Waikoloa Beach Resort, Mauna Lani Resort, Mauna Kea Resort, Kona, and the surrounding areas. Whether you’re looking for a property near shopping centers or a tranquil retreat, we have the perfect rental for you.
Visit our website or call 808-881-8222 to book your dream Hawaiian vacation rental today.