Whether you’re coming for a visit or planning on making Hawai’i home, consider these uncommon, but valuable, tips during your stay on these beautiful islands!
Tip #1:
The shaka! It’s a thing. This iconic hand gesture is commonly seen and stands as a symbol of ”Aloha”, “Thank you”, and/or “Sorry”. If you make a mistake while driving, or need to merge into traffic, throw out a shaka. Pro tip: It is custom that if someone throws you a shaka, you throw one back.
Tip #2:
With one road (Kamehameha Hwy) taking you around most of the island it is important to learn a basic rule of courtesy practiced on the island. As traffic tends to be heavy along the North Shore, when turning off the main road, allow someone wanting to get onto it in front of you. This allows them to enter the main stream of cars, before you turn off, without having to wait further.
Tip #3:
We tell people distance by time not by miles. Due to the fact that we have limited roads and heavy traffic, especially on the North Shore, when we communicate how long it will take us to get to a place we give it in minutes and not miles. So, if you make a reservation somewhere and the company calls for an ETA, be sure to tell them how many minutes away you are instead of how many miles.
Tip #4:
The history of colonialism has deeply affected the Hawaiian Islands, and continues to this day. Many Hawaiians are still fighting to protect their lands and visitors should be mindful of this. Be respectful and educate yourself of the Hawaiian culture, people, and land. If you do, you will in turn be treated with respect.
Tip #5:
A good rule of thumb to keep in mind, when it comes to doing cliff jumping or swimming in an area with bigger waves: “If in doubt, don’t go out.” If the locals aren’t doing it, you shouldn’t either. The ocean is very powerful and can surprise you with strong currents, heavy waves, undertows, and dangerous shore breaks. You can always talk with the lifeguards to know if an area is safe to swim or not.
Tip #6:
The ocean’s ecosystem is very sensitive. The sunscreen you wear here needs to be different than what you wear at the pool or lake. Only wear reef safe sunscreen, you can buy some at the local grocery stores or online. Please remember, do not touch the sea turtles or the monk seals, either in the ocean or when they’re resting on the beach, and don’t walk on the coral reefs. A great place to educate yourself on the beautiful underwater ecosystem is Hanauma Bay, but get there early as it fills up fast! If you want to explore some North Shore snorkel spots check out our blog here.
Tip #7:
Local entrepreneurship thrives on the island! Many families and individuals have their own businesses, whether that’s a local food truck or a product run business. Support the local families by shopping small or eating at all the best joints in town. Check out our blog for our favorite local foods and stay tuned for a blog on the best local shops to get your perfect souvenir.
Tip #8:
Swimsuits are actually cheaper here because they’re always in season, so the stores have to rotate their inventory. This means there is always cute swimsuits on sale! Many locals have their own swimsuit companies, and some even use recycled ocean plastics or fishnets to create their fabrics, serving dual purposes of supporting the locals and helping clean up the ocean. Some of our favorite local swimsuit companies are Na Wahine Lole, Sundaze Bikinis, and Kalokine X Kalokane Swim.
Tip #9:
Your vacation will become a food-cation! Maybe this is more of a heads-up, rather than a tip, but there are so many delicious and local food joints here that you’ll want to try them all and there is nothing wrong with that! Check out our favorites here.
Tip #10:
Lastly, ATMs are scarce on the North Shore and a lot of businesses prefer or only take cash. So be sure to pull cash out while you’re in Honolulu or Waikiki.
For those who have come ziplining with us, or for those who are looking to zip with us, we have a motto that we choose to live by, both at work and in our everyday lives; the motto is “Always CLIMB”. We’re constantly asked, “Why are you called CLIMB Works?”, and it’s because of that motto and what it means. The word CLIMB is actually an acronym and it stands for Challenge, Learn, Inspire, Master and Believe. All of our zipline courses, and the other outdoor adventure courses we design and build, are modeled after our motto “Always CLIMB”. Our goal is to help people step out of their comfort zones, in a safe and controlled environment, so they can experience something new to help them grow, and realize they can do hard things because when you CLIMB, CLIMB works. 
This motto when applied on and off our courses creates a sense of unity with those around you as you not only push yourselves to grow, but help and encourage others as well. We see it everyday as we take families, coworkers, newlyweds, retirees, friends, and strangers alike ziplining and watch as a group of random people become family as they share in our adventures. 
The word Aloha is significant in the Hawaiian language because it speaks of love, of greeting, of patience, of compassion and peace. Anytime you see “Ha” in a word, the significance of that is the breath of life that a person has within them. That breath of life, or the spirit that they have within them, is shared with another. In ancient Hawaii, when greeting people, you would greet them by touching foreheads and noses and breathing in each others “Ha” or “spirit of life”. That was the way you would greet others, and it is still something done today in the Hawaiian culture. “Ha”, that spirit, in the word “Aloha” is a greeting word and it’s also to wish you well as you depart. But, from the very beginning it had a significant deep cultural meaning as people would meet and they would share with each other their “Ha”, or that spirit and breath of life that everyone has within them. 
When you join “Aloha” and “Always CLIMB” together you witness a beautiful blend of seeing and treating each other with a spirit of kindness and wellness, knowing that we’re each on a journey of growth. We share with each other a level of respect, for all our differences, and choose to live in such a way that we help each person as they CLIMB because we see their “Ha”, or breath and spirit of life. And so we share that with you, our “Ha” to yours, our motto “Always CLIMB”, and the message of how this can be lived everyday. Aloha! 
