Traffic is light, beaches are cleaner than ever. Mask enforcement in the main public spaces like downtown Waikiki is strong: they have police and volunteers patrolling the area on foot.

Based on my observations about 10-15% of people I see in public are either not wearing their mask correctly (chin diaper) or not wearing one and still traveling in a group; this was locals and tourists.

Whether downtown or hiking, there are still people who don’t respect social distancing of others or travel in large groups.

Speaking with fellow locals the mentality on the island is that it’s a very fine line between protecting the health of the residents and allowing tourism. They simply do not have the means to expand medical capacity and their capacity is extremely low. All it will take is one person to bring COVID and things could spiral.

Most places have hand sanitizer stations.


A lot of places are closed, shops and food. Some places are take out only or limited hours.

Its definitely not bustling like before and will not be the same as if you had been here previously.

If you’re looking for a downtown but quieter than normal experience it’s great. If you want to sit and stay at the premier beach definitely book a hotel at Waikiki and just walk to the nearby eateries.

My guess is there will be a spike in the next month, especially with the holiday travel demand and the island will go back into mandatory quarantine.

LMK if any more questions.