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Our Top 10 Best Hawaiian Souvenirs

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We Recommend These Hawaii Souvenirs

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!

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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!

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
a genuine Kukui Nut Lei
from Amazon.

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.

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

Hibiscus Panel Men's Hawaiian Aloha Shirts

Hibiscus Panel Men's Hawaiian Aloha Shirt

Hibiscus Panel Men's Hawaiian Aloha Shirt

Amazon Price: (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now
List Price:


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.

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: $10.51 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $16.99


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.

Release Date: 09/01/1987

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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.



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
from Amazon.

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


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

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

A Hawaiian Children's Picture Book

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.

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

Hide & Seek in Hawaii, 2

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 see Amazon's collection
of Hawaiian themed artwork.

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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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 see Amazon's
collection of Sea Turtles t-shirts
by The Mountain.

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.

A Professional Photo

The best souvenir of 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!

A Great Travel Guide

Fodor's and Frommer's guides.

Not exactly a souvenir but definitely a MUST HAVE. When you are spending all that money for the trip of a life time, make sure you spend a little on a couple of excellent guidebooks. You may be pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive they are. I always use Fodor's and Frommer's guides. Pauline Frommer's guide is part of a new, budget-conscious series by Frommer's that I have not seen yet but which sound intriguing.

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Have I Managed To Give You Some Souvenir Ideas?

I 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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  • Reply
    Tipi Jan 8, 2012 @ 9:28 am | delete
    I would love to vacation in Hawaiian someday. My brother and sister in-law did bring me back a souvenir when they went there for their anniversary one year. ~ This is a fun lens!
  • Reply
    CruiseReady Nov 1, 2011 @ 12:39 pm | delete
    I'll bet you will never forget your time there. Thank you for sharing your souvenirs.
  • Reply
    debbie Aug 30, 2011 @ 10:08 pm | delete
    I'm going to Hawaii with my best friends, (boyfriends not invited). What can I bring home for him? He doesn't wear jewelry and would only wear a Hawaiian shirt on halloween. T-shirts are boring. Any suggestions?
  • Reply
    Treasures-By-Brenda Aug 31, 2011 @ 7:05 am | delete
    Hi, Debbie ~ My husband and I have a few ideas. How much they will appeal will depend so much on your husband's interests and age. I think you can still bring home pineapple, which would be a tasty souvenir (but not lasting.) What about Hawaiian music or a season of the television show, Magnum P.I.? What about a Hawaiian coffee mug? (That's practical, too.) If he likes to cook, you might try a Hawaiian cookbook. Finally, my husband thinks there are items related to Pearl Harbour, if your boyfriend happens to be interested in history. Good luck and have a great trip!
  • Reply
    indiavacationplans Jul 7, 2011 @ 2:58 am | delete
    Thanks for a very well written informative lens. I look forward to seeing lots more great lenses!
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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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Treasures-By-Brenda

Here are our recommendations for ten fantastic family souvenirs of your trip to Hawaii. By them before, during or after your trip!

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