When you experience Hawaii for the first time, you wish your friends and family could also enjoy this paradise on earth. Bringing them a gift from Hawaii is not a substitute for visiting Hawaii, but it’s certainly a good consolation. Plus, you might like to get yourself a souvenir to remind you of your special vacation. Today we offer some souvenir suggestions of what to purchase along with recommendations of where to buy them.
Artwork
Over the years, we have purchased lots of artwork and have never regretted any of it. We’ve purchased prints and original oil paintings of Hawaiian landscapes that adorn our walls. We also once brought back a small, hand-carved Koa wood bowl.
You don’t have to spend a bundle on art, especially if you buy prints. Most of them come with mats which also provides stability and prevents bending in transporting them home. Many of them are small enough to fit easily in your luggage. Most art shops offer shipping so that you don’t have to worry about transporting the art safely home.
In addition to prints and such, “coffee table” books by Hawaii artists also make a good souvenir. Note card collections from artists are also a nice gift for you or for someone else.
Jewelry
As you shop in Hawaii, you’ll likely come across island-inspired jewelry for both women and men. Some examples are:
Ukulele
As you explore Hawaii, you’ll enjoy the happy tunes on ukuleles. Some hotels and shops offer free ukulele lessons, which may inspire you to learn to play this four-string instrument. See our ukulele buying guide, which offers general buying tips plus a focus on where to buy on Oahu.
Aloha (Hawaiian) shirts and such
Once you arrive in Hawaii, you’re soon immersed in the culture and the Aloha (Hawaiian) style shirts and other garments are certainly a part of the local culture. We would suggest skipping past the Hawaiian-print attire from the ABC Stores and Hilo Hatties and instead invest in a good quality shirt. It’s a much better investment, plus you’ll look less like a tourist and potentially impress the locals with your discerning shirt choice. Look for shops selling Reyn Spooner, Sig Zane, and Tori Richard designs. Also, surprisingly, we’ve found good quality Hawaiian shirts at Costco stores in Hawaii.
As for t-shirts, we recommend Crazy Shirts in Hawaii. Their shirts are good quality and they have many shops throughout Hawaii.
Food and drink
Hawaii is so yummy! It’s nice to share the flavors of Hawaii with your friends and family when you get back home. Some items that are special to Hawaii to bring back home might include:
Standard souvenirs, but with a Hawaii-spin
Most of the following souvenirs can easily be found in Hawaii-favorites like Hilo Hattie and ABC Stores. If you’re on Oahu, check out the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet.
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We hope these ideas will help you bring home a very treasured souvenir from Hawaii. What items are you looking forward to purchasing in Hawaii?
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What are the birds in Hawaii? Would love to purchase a colorful glass bird as a souvenir.
The nene, a goose, is Hawaii's state bird.
I've never seen glass birds for purchase in Hawaii, but maybe you'll find them.
I got some really wonderful carved-bone hook and turtle necklaces at the Lahaina Farmer's Market.