Hawaii Souvenirs, The Best ~~ Our Top 10

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During our 2001 trip to Oahu, Hawaii, we collected some fantastic Hawaii souvenirs. This page is my Top 10 list of the items that we chose as keepsakes. I am practical by nature so you will find many of our choices useful. However, I am also sentimental and some of the items will serve as a reminder of our holiday in Hawaii forever. I thought about arranging our souvenirs in some sort of order but found that too hard so here they are, arranged randomely, with the exception of the fact that I've saved the best for last!

Many of these items are available before or after your trip and I definitely encourage you to consider how much you want to spend and whether or not you can find the items you are looking for easily in advance. Sometimes shopping before you leave home can save money plus there is nothing quite like wearing a Hawaiian shirt while you are in Hawaii. Finding one in advance is not a totally bad thing.

Of course, if you've already had your Hawaiian vacation and are now looking for a great souvenir, these ideas are sure to help!

Are you planning a trip to Hawaii? 

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We Are A Family of Four 

My family consists of myself, my husband and two teenage boys. However, when we went to Hawaii my boys were nine and seven years of age. They loved Hawaii and my eldest son shared his view of our adventures on the page Hawaii For Kids By A Kid. If you are curious about what we enjoyed in Oahu, you might want to check out that page. Otherwise, here we go, my Top 10 Hawaiian Souvenir ideas!

Hawaii Souvenir No. 1 ~~ A Kukui Nut Lei 

A lei is a garland or wreath of items put together as a necklace. In Hawaii, that frequently means a wreath of flowers and you will likely be given a lei or two while you are in Hawaii. They are commonly made out of flowers like plumerias, lehua, orchids, pikake, and maile leaves, ferns, and ti leaves. My boys, being boys, wore the flower ones they were presented with (both fake and real) but were thrilled to discover that there is a lei that seems more masculine, the Kukui Nut Lei. These leis cost more because they require a considerable amount of effort to produce and because the art form is a dying one.

I think they are a great choice and worth paying a bit more for because they are a souvenir that is handsome and that will last forever. My sons each keep theirs on their bulletin boards. They used their own savings to buy them and one chose a lei with all dark nuts and one chose a lei with a combination of dark and 'blonde' nuts.


Click here to buy
genuine Kukui Nut Leis
from Amazon.
$9.99

Hawaii Souvenir No. 2 ~~ A Hawaiian Shirt 

Of course, a Hawaiian shirt is the perfect souvenir of your trip to Hawaii and great for parties at home! My husband has one too many Hawaiian shirts but he wears them at slightly unexpected moments and people love them!

Magnum's Hawaiian Shirt Was The Quintessential Hawaiian Shirt! 

Read about this shirt by following this link to my page about it.

featured lens Magnum's Hawaiian Shirt, The Jungle Bird

Magnum's Hawaiian Shirt! Yes, this is it! Believe it ~~ you can buy your very own Magnum's Hawaiian Shirt! The original shirt that Magnum wore and made famous is locked up safely in the Smithsonian Institute but you can buy a replica, made by the ori...

If Magnum's Hawaiian Shirt Is Not Your Style, Maybe One of These MauiShirts Is 

Hibiscus Panel Men's Hawaiian Aloha Shirts

MauiShirts are handmade in Hawaii and are 'real' Hawaiian shirts. My boys could tell you that 'real' Hawaiian shirts have a bit of extra attention -- little details like pockets that disappear because they exactly match the print background; bamboo buttons; and, fabric that includes tropical and floral motifs as well as additional Hawaiian themes like corvettes, planes, tropical drinks and pineapples. MauiShirts have been produced for more than 35 years and have Paradise Found or Diamond Head labels.
Hibiscus Panel Men's Hawaiian Aloha Shirt

Hibiscus Panel Men's Hawaiian Aloha Shirt

Amazon Price: (as of 11/29/2009)Buy Now

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Hawaii Souvenir No. 3 ~~ A Hawaiian Music CD 

We chose, by chance, The Best Of The Brothers Cazimero Compact Disc

When in Hawaii, I enjoyed no, I LOVED, the music and I really wanted a CD to bring home. I have to admit that I was lucky. I picked a CD that was 'The Best of' and I love it. Whenever I feel like thinking about Hawaii, or when the weather is warm and the breeze is blowing, I put on my Brothers Cazimero CD. It ranks with one of the most used souvenirs we purchased so I would definitely recommend this CD or, at least, a Hawaiian CD as a souvenir.
The Best of The Brothers Cazimero

The Best of The Brothers Cazimero

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 11/29/2009)Buy Now

The Brothers Cazimero are a standard in Hawaiian music. Their style is part of the Hawaiian history and they have contributed to Hawaiian music and dance for both tourists and natives. This 17-track album is in both Hawaiian and English and is a beautiful tribute to the islands of Hawaii. Amazon says, "Definitely add this album to your collection if you want a taste of the magically and exotic Hawaiian Islands." I agree.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

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Hawaii Souvenir No. 4 ~~ A Hawaiian Cookbook 

We chose Hawaii's Best Tropical Food & Drinks

I'm not sure if our enjoyment of foods with a Hawaiian theme started before or after our trip to Hawaii, but in any case, we do love Hawaiian food. I haven't created a complete Hawaiian menu yet, but I expect that one day I will. Our favorites include The Best-Ever Hawaiian Potato Salad Recipe and The Best-Ever Hawaiian Punch Recipe.

I would recommend picking up a Hawaiian cookbook as an excellent and inexpensive souvenir. Mine is a thin booklet with a few recipes from each food type as well as a few tropical drink recipes. It is called Hawaii's Best Tropical Food & Drinks, is still available and is shown below. It is really not much more than a booklet but we love the Kalua Pork and the Soy Teriyaki Chicken. One day, we'll try the tropical drinks, too!



Click here to buy
Hawaii's Best Tropical Food & Drinks
from Amazon.
$4.95

Hawaii Souvenir No. 5 ~~ A Hawaiian Photo Album 

A vintage style photo album is perfect for keeping your vacation memories safe.

When you come home you are no doubt going to have some fantastic pictures. Another great idea for a souvenir is a themed photo album. My Hawaiian one is the second travel-themed one that I have chosen and filled. It isn't really fancy but it is quite special because it is instantly recognizable as our Hawaii album and because it is full of precious memories.

The fantastic albums shown here are available in two sizes at two different price points. They both have a vintage feel, one more so than the other. I love them both...and I am glad that I do not have to pick between them! I'll leave that up to you.



Click here to buy the Dolce Mia Vintage Hawaiian photo album
which holds 200 4x6 photos from Amazon. $39.95

Click here to buy the Dolce Mia Vintage Hawaiian photo album
which holds 40 4x6 photos from Amazon. $17.95


Click here to buy the Dolce Mia Hula Girls photo album
which holds 200 4x6 photos from Amazon. $39.95

Click here to buy the Dolce Mia Hula Girls photo album
which holds 40 4x6 Photos from Amazon. $17.95

Hawaii Souvenir No. 6 ~~ A Hawaiian Picture Book For The Children In Your Life 

There are many great picture books you could choose as your souvenir of Hawaii. We chose Hide & Seek in Hawaii, 2 a beautiful picture book 'I Spy' style by Jane Hopkins and Ian Gillespie with photography by Ray Wong. Each two page spread includes items to find with popular Hawaiian themes like shave ice, kitsch, postcards, fruit, lei and so much more. These books are recommended for children aged 4 to 8 years old and the text and tasks are fairly simple. However, I enjoy the pictures, too.

More great Hawaiian themed picture books can be found at Amazon by clicking right here.
Hide & Seek in Hawaii

Hide & Seek in Hawaii

by: Jane Hopkins

Amazon Price: $12.95 (as of 11/29/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $12.95

Hide n' Seek in Hawaii (Volume 2)

Hide n' Seek in Hawaii (Volume 2)

by: Jane Hopkins, Ian Gillespie

Amazon Price: $12.95 (as of 11/29/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $12.95

Hide & Seek in Hawaii, Volume 3

Hide & Seek in Hawaii, Volume 3

by: Jane Hopkins, Ian Gillespie

Amazon Price: $10.95 (as of 11/29/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $10.95

"Hawai'i is full of fun things to seek,
lots hide inside, just take a peek..."

Hide & Seek in Hawaii, 2

Hawaii Souvenir No. 7 ~~ A Small Watercolor Painting 

We chose a small watercolor painting of Diamond Head, the extinct volcano which overlooks Waikiki. It allowed us to have a seemingly unique item without much cost and we chose to frame it ourselves at home. Our painting was sold matted and protected with plastic which helped ensure that it arrived home safely. The one shown here is not a watercolor painting, but it is a bright rendition of Diamond Head and the floral beauty of Hawaii. It features a 5 by 7 inch image in an 8 by 10 inch matte.


Click here to buy this picture of
Diamond Head from Amazon.
$15.00

A Piece of Art Can Really Be A Fantastic Souvenir 

These ones are from eBay. If you see one you like, don't let it get away!

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eBay

Hawaii Souvenir No. 8 ~~ A Hawaiian T-Shirt 

If your family is like mine, they love t-shirts! When we went to Hawaii, my boys had the cutest little t-shirts with creatures indigenous to the waters of Hawaii on them. They loved them and they wore them for as long as they possibly could. I couldn't find the same shirts, but I did find this fantastic one from environmentally friendly company The Mountain.



Click here to buy this fantastic
Sea Turtles t-shirt by The Mountain
from Amazon.
$10.50-$17.80

Hawaii Souvenir No. 9 ~~ A Hawaiian Teddy Bear or Doll 

We searched high and low to find a Hawaiian themed teddy bear and we did manage to find one. Mine isn't a Ty Hawaiian teddy bear, but this one by Ty is cute and another great idea as a souvenir for a child (or even a young lady) in your family.



Click here to buy
Ty Alana - Hawaii Bear
from Amazon.
$9.99


Dressed in a Hawaiian theme, this lovely doll is an Adora 2009 Name Your Own Baby which features a baby-powder scent and the cloth body is contains beads to mimic the feel of a real baby.


Click here to buy this adorable
Hawaiian Baby Girl Doll
from Amazon.
$90.00

Hawaii Souvenir No. 10 ~~ A Professional Photo of You and Your Travel Mates 

This is, by far, my favorite souvenir from Hawaii.

We had the boys' pictures taken twice with photographers and their parrots. The first time was in the street not far from our hotel when a young man stopped us and asked if we would like to take a picture of our boys with his parrots. He asked for a small sum in return for the privilege and we snapped a few pictures.

Later we were in the marketplace in Oahu where there is a stall where you can have your picture taken with parrots against a lush tropical background. It definitely cost more (sorry I don't remember how much) but today as I look at the pictures they are absolutely, positively the BEST souvenir of our trip to Hawaii. The picture of our boys has always been displayed and probably always will be displayed prominently in our household. As far as I am concerned, it is perfect and it will ensure that we never forget how much fun we had with our boys in Hawaii in 2001! If you have a similar photo opportunity while you are in Hawaii, I really highly recommend grabbing it!

Of Course, You Won't Want To Leave Home Without A Great Travel Guide 

I always use both Fodor's and Frommer's guides. Pauline Frommer's guide is part of a new, budget-conscious series by Frommer's.

Fodor's Hawaii 2009 (Full-Color Gold Guides)

Fodor's Hawaii 2009 (Full-Color Gold Guides)

by: Fodor's

Amazon Price: (as of 11/29/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $19.95

Frommer's Hawaii 2009 (Frommer's Complete)

Frommer's Hawaii 2009 (Frommer's Complete)

by: Jeanette Foster

Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 11/29/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $21.99

Pauline Frommer's Hawaii: Spend Less, See More (Pauline Frommer Guides)

Pauline Frommer's Hawaii: Spend Less, See More (Pauline Frommer Guides)

by: Jeanette Foster, Pauline Frommer, David Thompson

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 11/29/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $19.99

If You Are Travelling to Hawaii With Children, Don't Forget To Check Out My Page About Hawaii For Kids 

featured lens Hawaii For Kids By A Kid

Aloha and welcome to Hawaii for kids by a kid. In 2001, my family was privileged to go to Hawaii for a week. When we returned home, my son prepared a speech on his tropical vacation for his class at school. This lens will provide both his and my slan...

Have I Managed To Give You Some Souvenir Ideas? I Certainly Hope So! 

And I hope you manage to pick up a few 'memories' of your time in Hawaii to hold close to your heart forever.

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We Went To The Kodak Hula Show But We Were Shy... 

We Should Have Watched I Want To Be A Hula Dancer Before We Went!



Your child can learn to be a Hula Dancer before you leave home.
Click here to buy I Want To Be A Hula Dancer from Amazon.
$19.99.

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