Hawaii
The paradise islands that don't want to be Hawaii
Getty ImagesThe Cook Islands is proving that sustainable tourism isn’t just possible – it’s essential. Here’s how this South Pacific nation is preserving their paradise for generations for come.
Landing on Rarotonga, the largest of the Cook Islands chain felt like stepping back in time. Gazing out of the taxi from Rarotonga airport to our resort, we were immediately struck by the absence of high-rise hotels, fast-food restaurants and corporate chains. There were no traffic lights, only coconut palms lining the road, the scent of salt and frangipani drifting through the air and the jungle meeting the ocean in a seamless panorama. It felt like Hawaii in the 1960s: uncrowded, laid-back and refreshingly authentic.
Our taxi driver pointed to a low-slung resort along the shoreline. “No building can be higher than a coconut tree,” she said. This isn’t just a local tradition but a law set in 1965 by the Cook Islands’ first premier, Albert Henry, to prevent overdevelopment. She explained that only Cook Islanders can own land, ensuring that large corporations don’t dominate the landscape. We looked out onto hotels blending naturally into their surroundings and white-sand beaches ringed with long green parks, all free from litter and crowds.
We soon learned that this preservation of paradise is deeply intentional. Cook Islanders have made a conscious effort to ensure that Rarotonga never follows the path of overdevelopment seen in places like Honolulu. Instead, locals have committed to conservation, low-impact tourism and sustainable practices that benefit both locals and visitors. “People come here because it is a paradise uncluttered by overdevelopment,” explained Jeremy Goodwin, regenerative tourism manager for the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation (CITC). “Our sacred duty as custodians of the land is to look after our paradise.”
Getty ImagesThe Cook Islands, an archipelago of 15 islands between New Zealand and Hawaii, has been self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1965. With a total population of 21,000, the islands are divided into two groups: the Southern Cook Islands, which includes the more accessible Rarotonga and Aitutaki, and the remote Northern Cook Islands, made up of low-lying coral atolls. Cook Islanders have their own Māori language, with different dialects across the islands. And while tourism is a key industry, the islanders have ensured that sustainability remains at the nation’s core.
“For hundreds of years, the protection of the Cook Islands relied on the traditional Ra’ui System where access to a particular resource or area is forbidden for a given period,” explained Karla Eggelton, CEO of CITC. “The system aims to conserve food resources and protect ecological conditions in lagoons, reefs and other marine resources.”
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Green Getaways is a BBC Travel series that helps travellers experience a greener, cleaner approach to getting out and seeing the world.
This philosophy persists today – and extends beyond the sea. On the northern island of Pukapuka, for example, locals have practiced sustainable living for centuries, packing up their belongings and sailing by boat to another atoll within the lagoon for seasonal periods to prevent resource depletion. They fish and farm only what they need, maintaining a delicate balance with nature.
On arrival at The Rarotongan Beach Resort and Lagoonarium, staff welcomed us with a warm “Kia Orana”, a greeting that translates to “may you live long”. It’s a unique gesture of friendship from islanders renowned for their hospitality and warmth. The resort overlooks the Aroa Lagoonarium, a snorkelling haven and a sanctuary for butterflyfish, parrotfish and angelfish. Part natural lagoon and part enclosed habitat, it is designed to support marine conservation, serving both as a coral nursery and a protected area for marine life to flourish.
Pamela and Gary BakerAs the days passed, we saw how sustainability is woven into everyday life across the islands. At the Muri Night Market, a popular outdoor dinner option, we watched vendors prepare island dishes like ika mata (raw fish marinated in lime and coconut milk) and rukau rukau (taro leaves in coconut cream), all using local ingredients. We were struck by the market’s Rent-a-Plate project, where visitors can borrow reusable plates and cutlery instead of using disposable plastic. Cook Islanders also promote clean water initiatives. We purchased reusable bottles from the visitor’s centre and refilled them at free UV-treated water stations around the island, a project led by the Te Ipukarea Society to minimise plastic waste.
How to play your part
1. Support the Cook Islands economy by buying local crafts, clothing and food. Attend a cultural tour or show and embrace the traditions, customs and lifestyle.
2. Take shorter showers to save the islands’ limited water supply and minimise electricity use.
3. Volunteer with Muri Environment Care Group. Every Wednesday and Thursday, visitors can join efforts to protect Muri Lagoon by participating in soil restoration projects and planting native trees near streams to control sediment flow into the lagoon.
4. Choose eco-friendly experiences and products, use reef-safe sunscreen and avoid single-use plastics.
Beyond sustainable dining, Cook Islanders have taken marine conservation to a global scale. In 2017, the country established the Marae Moana Marine Park, making the 15 islands the world’s largest multi-use marine protected area, covering 1.9 million square kilometres. The legislation also bans large-scale commercial fishing and seabed mining within 50 nautical miles of each island.
“Marae Moana is the idea of shared space, a new concept of creating a sanctuary and the conservation effort that allows for shared, sustainable activity,” said Eggelton.
Also offering opportunities for sustainable tourism is Aitutaki, a bucolic island neighbouring Rarotonga that’s known for its snow-white sand beaches, volcanic rock, coconut palms and crystal-clear lagoons. Here the Pacific Resort Aitutaki has launched a coral restoration project where guests can take part by affixing coral fragments to underwater mesh tables, helping regenerate the reef.
“The project is an example of Mana Tiaki or island conservation,” explains Goodwin. “Mana Tiaki means guardianship with a sacred purpose.” He explained that culturally, for most Polynesians, the ocean is sacrosanct. “The beaches bring tourists to this holiday destination, but they also connect Cook Islanders to the ocean.”
Getty ImagesAs the days passed, we explored the endless powdery white-sand beaches that ring Rarotonga, from Aroa Beach where fiery, colourful sunsets painted the sky with hues of vivid orange and crimson to serene and scenic Titikaveka Beach. They were all pristine and uncrowded, lined by palm trees, parkways and picnic tables. Most were unobstructed, with no commercial buildings to obstruct the view.
At Muri Beach, we opted for a sea turtle snorkelling tour. Our guide, Eric, explained the importance of turtles to the Cook Islands economically, environmentally and culturally. Daily tour operators earn an income by taking paying passengers to see these graceful, curious creatures. Plus, sea turtles are a key indicator of coastal ecosystem health, so monitoring and preservation are vital. Eric told us about a rescuer who found a turtle caught in a fishing net. Once freed, the Te Ara O Te Onu (Cook Island Sea Turtle Society) rehabilitated the turtle, as they have done dozens of times in the past. In addition to the society’s efforts, visitors are encouraged to help track turtle movement through the Citizen Science Project by taking photos and sending them into the programme.
By the time our trip had come to an end, we better understood how Cook Islanders have created a blueprint for preserving paradise by blending ancient conservation methods with modern environmental initiatives. “It’s about leaving both the people and the place better off than you found it,” said Eggelton.
Goodwin echoed the sentiment: This is our little paradise; if we all look after it, she will look after us.”
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Hawaii
Everyone Says Oahu’s Overcrowded. We Drove 20 Minutes Past Haleiwa And Found Beautiful Empty Beaches
Most visitors think Oahu’s North Shore stops at Haleiwa because that is where traffic builds to pandemonium, where beach parking fills earlier than you can imagine, and where sitting in your car between the familiar lineup of surf breaks and food trucks largely defines the experience. Once people have crawled through and found a place to stand at Waimea or Sunset, the mental box gets checked, and the car points back toward Honolulu fast, as if everything worth seeing has already been seen. But it hasn’t.
Instead of turning around at Haleiwa, we continued west on Farrington Highway and watched the storefronts fall away in the rearview mirror. The line of rental cars thinned fast as the road narrowed and the mountains got closer to the pavement. On the ocean side, long stretches of sand opened up, and within a few miles, we were seeing more wind in the ironwood trees than cars on the road or people on the beach.
Most visitors leaving Haleiwa head east toward Sunset Beach and Pipeline, where traffic stacks up endlessly and parking lots overflow. We went the other way. Out toward Mokuleia, the commercial North Shore disappears fast, and what replaces it is space. There are no visitors circling for stalls and no steady lines at food trucks. You can pull over without searching for the one open spot in a packed lot, and entire sections of beach sit quietly without the usual cluster.
Dillingham Airfield and the working North Shore.
One of the first landmarks after Mokule’ia Beach (which we will write about soon) is what most people still call Dillingham Airfield, though its official name is Kawaihapai Airfield. It is owned by the U.S. Army and managed by the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation under a 50-year lease, and it has been operated as a military installation since the 1920s, with HDOT taking over management in 1962. HDOT leases 272 acres of the 650-acre Dillingham Military Reservation and operates the single 9,000-foot runway, with the civilian side used heavily for gliders and skydiving while the Army retains first priority for air/land operations and uses the field for helicopter night-vision training.
As we drove past, it did not feel like a visitor attraction at all, even though you can spot the roadside signs for glider rides and skydiving. A small single-engine plane rolled down the runway and lifted off against the Waianae Mountains, then a glider followed, towed upward before separating and moving almost silently above the coastline. It is one of those North Shore scenes that makes you slow down without thinking about it, because it looks like real working Oahu rather than the marketed version, with runway, mountains, and open water all in the same frame and very few people around to make it feel like a production.
Camps that have been here for generations.
Close to the airfield are two oceanfront camps that rarely enter any typical Oahu visitor’s plans. The first is Camp Mokuleia, which sits along the shoreline and is owned by the Episcopal Church. If you’re not on a retreat, you can rent a campsite or tentalo on the beach. A little farther west is YMCA Camp Erdman, which opened in 1926 and is approaching its 100th anniversary, still renting oceanfront cabins and yurts to the public.
The accommodations are straightforward, with sand steps away from the doors and long views of the horizon. This is not a resort strip, and you won’t find any valet stands or infinity pools. Families gather around grills, kids move freely between cabins and the beach, while the ocean feels part of the daily backdrop more than it is an Instagram photo opportunity.
Camp Mokuleia tentalos start at $100 a night. Camp Erdman yurts and cabins range from $250-$450 per night for up to 6 guests. For context, the average vacation rental in the Mokuleia area lists above $500 a night.
The shoreline here is not known for calm, protected swimming, and currents can be strong without lifeguard towers stationed every few hundred yards. The beach also has a lot of coral, which keeps swimmers more limited than some other beaches. And that fact alone keeps casual beach traffic lighter, and it helps explain why this stretch feels so different from busier Oahu North Shore stops. The camps and the character of the water belong to the same landscape, shaped more by geography than by commercial branding.
Where the pavement ends.
Eventually, Farrington Highway reaches a gravel lot where the pavement stops and a locked gate marks the entrance to the Mokuleia section of Kaena Point State Park. There is no visitor center funneling people through an entrance plaza. Instead, there is open sky, steady trade winds, and a handful of parked cars facing a dirt road that continues on foot toward the westernmost tip of Oahu, where you can meet the road that comes from the other side. This is truly a part of Oahu that most visitors never see.
Hikers follow the old railroad route for roughly 2.7 miles to Kaena Point itself, where seabirds nest behind protective fencing and monk seals are sometimes seen along the shore. The trail is exposed, hot, and largely flat, with no services and little shade, which naturally limits casual foot traffic. Consider not trying it in the middle of the day. But, standing at the end of the paved road, with the Waianae Mountains behind you and nothing but raw coastline ahead, feels less like arriving at any Oahu attraction and more like standing at the literal end of the island.
What stood out most was how little competition there was for space. There were only a few cars in the lot when we arrived, and long portions of the beach were untouched compared with the chaotic churn nearby at Haleiwa. It was a bit windy, the mountains anchored one side of the horizon, and the coastline extended westward without any indication that you were sharing it with scattered other people.
If you have been to the North Shore more than once and believe you have already seen it, have you ever kept driving past Haleiwa until the pavement runs out? It’s worth the drive.
Photo Credits: © Beat of Hawaii at Kaena Point State Park, Oahu.
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Hilo
Tonight: Cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 59 to 66 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Monday: Cloudy with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 80 near the shore to around 65 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 65 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Kona
Tonight: Cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 69 near the shore to 45 to 52 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday: Cloudy. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to around 67 near 5000 feet. Light winds becoming west up to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 69 near the shore to 44 to 51 near 5000 feet. Northwest winds around 10 mph in the evening becoming light.
Waimea
Tonight: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 68 near the shore to 53 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph increasing to up to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs 72 to 78 near the shore to 67 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 67 near the shore to 52 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Kohala
Tonight: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 68 near the shore to 53 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph increasing to up to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs 72 to 78 near the shore to 67 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 67 near the shore to 52 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
South Big Island
Tonight: Cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 51 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 64 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Lows around 70 near the shore to around 50 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph.
Puna
Tonight: Cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 59 to 66 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Monday: Cloudy with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 80 near the shore to around 65 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 65 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Waikoloa
Tonight: Cloudy. Lows around 70 near the shore to 48 to 54 above 4000 feet. Light winds.
Monday: Cloudy. Highs around 83 near the shore to 65 to 71 above 4000 feet. Light winds becoming northwest up to 15 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 70 near the shore to 47 to 54 above 4000 feet. North winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the east after midnight.
Synopsis
The cold front has dissipated into a trough and remains northwest of the Hawaiian Islands this evening. High pressure will build in from the north and allow the trade winds to strengthen from Monday through Wednesday. Brief passing showers will favor windward and mountain areas in the overnight to early morning hours through Wednesday and then over southeastern slopes and island interior sections from Thursday onward. Winds will weaken and veer slightly from a more east-southeast direction from Thursday on into the weekend. Shower activity will remain limited during this time period.
Short term update
The large band of high level cirrus clouds and mid level alto stratus clouds currently over the islands will continue to slowly diminish through Monday. The cold front approaching the islands has stalled and diminished into a trough just northwest of the island of Kauai.
Trade winds blow into the region and strengthen into the moderate to locally breezy range from Monday through Wednesday. A slight decrease in wind speeds and a shift from a more east- southeast direction remains in the forecast from Thursday onward as another cold front approaches the islands from the northwest, weakening and lifting the ridge north of the state. Local scale sea breeze winds will develop along terrain sheltered slopes of each island as the large scale winds weaken. Limited shower activity will prevail into next weekend with only brief showers possible.
The afternoon forecast looks good. No evening updates.
Previous discussion
Issued at 302 PM HST Sun Mar 1 2026.
Expectations for this afternoon remain on track. The boundary upstream of Kauai has made little to no forward progress today, sea breezes have struggled to establish owing to abundant high clouds, and showers southwest of Kauai and Oahu have essentially remained in place while stratiform elements peel off to the northeast. In addition, regenerating showers over Windward Oahu have dissipated in response to backing low-level flow. All told, an uneventful, cloudy, and mostly dry day across the state. Going forward, building heights over the N Central Pacific will maintain strengthening, but progressive high pressure at the surface. This in turn ensures the return of trades tonight which then become breezy during mid-week. Winds diminish slightly by late week as trades veer to ESE in advance of another round of upstream height falls. Typical trade wind weather anticipated throughout this time with showers focused windward and mauka. High clouds gradually clear from west to east Monday into Tuesday before exiting the area altogether by Wednesday.
Aviation
A weakening stationary boundary will allow for abundant high clouds and relatively light land/sea breezes to prevail across most TAF sites. This front will also allow for disorganized showers across Kauai and Oahu tonight, however confidence was on the lower end based on weather model guidance, so made use of VCSH and PROB30 where rain chances were felt to be the highest. MVFR conditions may prevail under shower activity, otherwise VFR is expected across most sites for the period.
AIRMET Tango remains in effect across the islands due to upper- level turbulence from FL200-400 due to this front, with conditions expected to improve into tomorrow as this system continues to weaken. Patchy mountain obscuration may occur due to the presence of this front, however observations and webcams suggest that the threat is not widespread enough to warrant an AIRMET at this time. Light icing is also possible in cloud layer 120-180.
Marine
Issued at 302 PM HST Sun Mar 1 2026.
A dissipated front will linger into Monday just northwest of the area. Fresh to locally strong easterly trades will build in by Tuesday as surface ridge strengthens to the north. Winds will maintain strength but veer east southeast towards the end of the week as another system approaches from the west.
Surf along north and west-facing shores will be above seasonal average as a northwest swell (310 degrees) is expected to impact through Monday. Surf should remain small though the week with a small northwest bump expected next weekend.
Surf along exposed east-facing shores will be a bit elevated due to a short-to medium-period northeast (40 degrees) swell, then decline Tuesday. However, period and choppy conditions are expected to return by Tuesday as fresh trade winds redevelop and expand upstream of the state.
Surf along south-facing shores will remain near the seasonal average into March.
HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories
None.
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Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov
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