I’ve just finished reading this very humorous look at souvenir shopping for friends and family. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at this excerpt:
Whatever made me think my tough-talking Teamster dad would enjoy sipping his Folgers from a commemorative Prince Charles and Lady Di engagement coffee cup? And what possessed me to consider my best friend, Pam, when I bought that clock in Germany? The one that bellowed “COO-COO” every hour, on the hour? In Heidelberg, it was cute. In Alameda, it was an annoying sleep disturber that turned a quick buck in her next garage sale.
So, reading that article inspired me to share some of my thoughts on souvenirs from Hawaii. What I like to bring back for friends and family is a selection of goodies that I like to call a little “taste of Hawaii”. The following items have always been a big hit:
The good news is that you can find all these items at discount department stores like Wal-Mart or K-Mart and save a bunch of money. All of them are relatively small and easy to pack, though I would wrap the coconut syrup inside a plastic bag.
Some treasured souvenirs that I have brought home for myself are prints of the Kapalua golf course and Hanalei Bay from various artists. I also have a nice signed Gary Reed book of Paintings of Hawaii.
I hope these ideas have been helpful and not made you too hungry in the process of reading them. 😉
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I agree entirely that K-mart and WalMart are good places to shop for standard souvenirs in Hawaii, especially T-shirts. Some of the supermarkets have nice souvenir sections as well. One particularly nice selection is at the Foodland supermarket in Waimea on the Big Island. Worth a stop if you are touring the Big Island by car.
Here's another tip from a Hawaii resident (moi!).
If you are looking for good quality aloha shirts, for yourself or to take home as gifts, drop in at Costco. Yes, really. They carry quite a good selection of 'name brand' aloha shirts, including the popular "reverse print" shirts made by Cook Street. These are not junky 'souvenir quality' shirts. They are nice ones -- the kind that local business people wear to their offices. Costco also sells nuts, coffee, and similar products at very good prices -- but since it's Costco, they're sold in 8-packs, and 12-packs, of course.
Aloha.
Great idea! Thanks!
How can I get in touch with a vendor to order several “reverse print” shirts made by Cook Street? I lived in Hawaii for 13 years but have been away for several years. My Aloha shirts are wearing out.
I always bring home magnets---usually like a surfboard one. They are inexpensive & cute!
We bought dry coconut syrup mix--much easier to bring home & tastes delicious!
Also brought Kauai Coffee Company coffee home. My friends loved it!