Hawaii Private Island Tours
Weʻre Back – (For Real)
Alright! We are cautiously optimistic this will finally be the last addition to the Weʻre Back Series. So we might as well bring you up to speed. Since Fall 2021, when we wrote Part 4: Weʻre Back (Again), we have been able to drop all guest-facing COVID changes. Not only that, we are back to 100% capacity and have resumed all tour routes. So we could not be more excited (and much more confident than we were in Part 3 to announce that Your Hawaii Private Island Tours are back, for real!
However, like the rest of the world, some things changed in the last two and a half years that will probably stay. Weʻll share that in this post as well. But if you havenʻt read the other parts of this series, you may want to start from the beginning. It provides real-time information on how we responded to the pandemic and some relevant historical information.
“‘Ulu o ka lā.”
The sun grows; very first light – Pukui
30 long and bizarre months in Oahu, Hawaii
The last two and a half years have been pretty weird, to say the least. For those of you who have read the four-part series (and those who donʻt want to relive it), we give you the short(er) version here. But for the record, weʻre not advocating for or against anything that happened. We are also not saying our way was the right way for everyone, and certainly not the only way. This post is simply a recap for those who are curious. Like everybody else on Earth during these crazy times, all we could do was our best.
March 2020 – October 2022
What did you do without any private island tours?
If the only true constant is change, then the last two and a half years were incredibly consistent. If you want the nitty-gritty details, you definitely will want to start from the beginning. But weʻll give you the high-speed version here. Even though we werenʻt giving private island tours, we stayed busy. Just not in the way we were used to. When we first started DeliverWE, the original intent was to be a temporary business. It immediately became apparent that it was cheaper to do community service (and prepare for the future) instead.
Early days of the pandemic
Now donʻt let us fool you. There was plenty of surfing involved. We learned pretty quickly that working on the computer doesnʻt require sunlight. There were fewer people in Waikiki than there had been in 100 years.
We also had the pleasure of working with Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies, delivering free food to new families. It gave us an excellent opportunity to serve this wonderful Community and a good reason to get out of the house.
With a unique history, Hawaii chose a different path
We helped shed a little light on potential reasons Hawaii chose the path it did during part 2. But it was undoubtedly separate from the Continental 48. Attitudes generally seemed different here, even from how it was before. We had some of the heaviest restrictions, and they changed very frequently. With so many drastic adjustments, we wanted to ensure we could consistently communicate, adjust, and deliver where we could.
Temporary COVID restrictions
Once the test, then vaccine exemptions were put in place, tourism resumed. But there were still mask mandates and capacity restrictions. Often they could change overnight. Not to mention adjusting for any cancellations or shutdowns.
On the other hand, the Community still couldnʻt visit loved ones in hospitals, go to school, or even have funerals. All things considered, we basically took just enough tours to survive until Spring 2022.
Lasting changes to Hawaii private island tours
We are extremely happy that we were able to remove all customer-facing COVID restrictions by Spring Break ʻ22. But we kept the disinfectant procedures and still air out the vehicle during stops. Any positive test will trigger the same action plan as before. All of those will all stick around for a bit. In addition, there were some significant changes to the laws regarding commercial vehicles.
Several law and permit changes
You donʻt have to know much about Halia Tours and Transportation to know we shoot for 100% compliance. So our operation changed quite a bit in the last two years to adjust. Especially when it comes to beaches on the North Shore. Guests also must reserve a time to visit Hanauma Bay now.
In order to provide a consistent, affordable experience in response to some of these changes, guests now rent snorkels from third parties. Many of the hikes also now require reservations. It is the same thing with the Arizona Memorial.
Still 100% custom and Hawaii private island tours
So with all that said, it is a thrill to announce that we are back to 100% capacity for the 2022 holiday season! This August, we brought airport and cruise ship pickup for Your Private Transfer Tours. Not only that, weʻre working on a plan for more water activities by next summer and have already added something extraordinary. Your Hawaii Private Island Tours can still take you virtually anywhere that is safe, legal, and not in a neighborhood. Just the definition of the first two things has changed slightly.
New website and more info
Over the last 30 months, we have put significant effort into renovating and enhancing this website. We have improved the user experience, look, speed, and accessibility. Not to brag, but we really like the new design and feel.
While we will continue to improve those things, we also want to provide you with as much information as possible. One of our goals is to be the most transparent Hawaii private island tour Company on the island.
In addition to our Details and Policies, weʻve created more resources for you to gather information to customize Your Private Island Tours. If you are looking for something specific, make sure to take a look at the resources below. Of course, if you prefer, feel free to contact us with any questions.
Thatʻs not all that happened on Oahu recently
Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic wasnʻt the only tragedy in Hawaii. In November 2021, a massive leak occurred at the Red Hill underground fuel facility. Since itʻs commissioning, it has leaked at least 200,000 gallons 100 feet above the primary Oahu aquifer. Nearly 100,000 servicemembers had to be evacuated to Waikiki hotels for the holidays because of this. We helped with an impromptu gift and water distribution on Christmas Day along with some great organizations and people. They still do water distributions every month, but the good news is that defueling has begun.
More positive developments in Hawaii for 2022
We were also able to find the time to create brand-new Audio Tours. They are GPS-led and narrated by our favorite local storytellers. Each self-guided tour is hosted on the VoiceMap mobile travel application.
We launched three routes with Audio Tour Hawaii. Perfect for those who want to explore on their own, but not alone. For those with a rental car, check out the self-driving tours. There are two available routes that you are sure to love.
Perhaps our favorite one is Part 1 of the Waikiki Walking Tour. It is built around the Waikiki Historical Trail. It takes you through the history of several Chiefs and Royalty who loved this area. Not only will you love the tours, but there are free quizzes and scavenger hunts for you and your family to enjoy.
We made it through, thanks to the best guests ever!
Okay, we are not saying itʻs over or not. But weʻre obviously hoping that the worst of this entire situation is way behind us. We cannot express how important your support has been over the last two and a half years. There is no possible way to explain how much it meant. Whether you decided not to travel or specifically made a point to try and support a devastated industry, thank you. We appreciate the different perspectives and paths. Every reassuring comment, dollar spent, friend referred, or positive thought made a difference and mattered.
Hawaii private island tours supporting small businesses
Out of respect for our Community, the limited tours we did offer, were primarily food and shopping private island tours at small businesses. We know for a fact that those businesses appreciated you as well. Especially for putting up with longer than typical waits.
There were a few scenic activities, but the options were minimal. Many beaches, including the one in this picture, were no longer offered for several reasons. Massive mahalo to everyone who understood, and let us show you a good time. Hopefully a great one.
Finally a real 2022 holiday season in Hawaii!
But like we said, hopefully that should be all behind us. We are firing on all cylinders going into the 2022 holiday season and beyond on the island of Oahu. We are officially operating at 100% capacity and have brought back all the features of Your Hawaii Private Island Tours. Thank you again for all the support over the years, and we hope you enjoyed this (and hopefully, for real the last) episode of Weʻre Back on the Things to do in Oahu Blog. Hereʻs a few of Your Favorite Private Tours to celebrate the holidays.
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Did you miss part of the Weʻre Back series about the pandemic?
Donʻt worry. Here are the links to the other 4 parts of this series about our recovery from the COVID pandemic in the Hawaiian Islands. The series starts just after easing the 14-day mandatory quarantine in October 2022.
