Lei Greeting at Honolulu AirportYou are here: Home - Hawaii Travel Ezine - #76 Honolulu Lei Greeting
Aloha! As you can see the website look and the issue format have changed a bit. I hope you find it easier to get around. Lisa what we've all been waiting for ... an island ferry! - hopefully A group called Hawaii Superferry is attempting to bring an interisland ferry service to the islands. No word on when this might happen, but I would say those of you planning trips a year or more out should keep a close eye on this.
Four of my inlaws came to visit us last month and although we weren't picking them up in Honolulu, we thought it would be nice if they were greeted with leis there. Most visitors are not unless someone (possibly themselves) purchases the leis for them beforehand. In the early years of Hawaiian tourism every visitor who got off a plane or boat was greeted with a lei, normally by a hawaiian or local-looking woman wearing a grass skirt (really a ti leaf skirt usually). This hasn't happened for a long time now, due to the cost and the sheer numbers of people arriving every day. We decided to order the leis on the spur of the moment (less than 4 hours from when my family arrived), so I called the companies to make sure they could accomodate us, rather than just using the online order forms. The first company I called was Honolulu Lei Greetings, mostly because I know someone associated with the company and would do business with her. Hawaii Flower Lei understandably couldn't help me, but the man I spoke with was very friendly and helpful, and even gave me another number to a company he thought could help me. I didn't use it though, because I already had some other companies in mind - some that I know have been doing business on the Internet for a long time. So, I called Leis of Hawaii. I know the website takes a while to load and is a bit busy, but don't let that deter you. When I called there I got another very friendly man who said 'no problem', they already had a greeter at the airport who would meet my family give them their leis, and help them find their way to their connecting flight. She also would have taken a picture of them, but they didn't have their camera accessible. (If Leis of Hawaii hadn't been able to help me I would have called Aloha Friends - they also have been around forever.) So, when my family got off the plane, a woman was waiting at the gate with a sign that had their name on it and four fragrant, purple, plumeria leis draped over her arm. She greeted them with a traditional 'aloha' and placed the leis the proper way around their necks. Then she helped them with the next leg of their trip. They enthusiastically told me about it when they got to the Big Island, which made the money worth it for me. - So, purchase them for yourself, or for friends, and start your trip off with Aloha! A hui ho! Lisa |
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