There's a New Way to Get Around Hawaii Without Having to Rent a Car

There’s another way to get around Hawaii without having to worry about surge pricing or rental car availability.

Holoholo is a new ridesharing company that launched last month on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Hawaii Island, and Lanai. Like Uber and Lyft, Holoholo uses an app to connect riders with drivers. It doesn’t, however, allow for demand-based fare adjustments known as surge pricing.

“I never liked the surge pricing when it happened to me,” founder Cecil Morton told Travel Weekly. “It felt like I was being taken advantage of.”

Riders using Holoholo – a word that means going for a walk, ride, or sail – have the option of choosing drivers pre-approved to enter U.S. military bases, hybrid or electric vehicles, luxury rides, or options requiring additional mobility assistance. Fares are based on distance and calculated up front, and rides can be scheduled in advance.

Drivers with hybrid or electric vehicles receive a 5% bonus – something Morton hopes will encourage them to sign up at a time when companies like Uber and Lyft are struggling to recruit enough drivers to keep up with a resurgence in demand.

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Morton, who lives on Maui, sees Holoholo as a natural extension to the airport shuttle business he’s been operating in Hawaii for more than 20 years.

SpeediShuttle operates airport shuttle services and also has limos, sedans, and SUVs available for private rides. It also offers small group tours in Mercedes Sprinter vans – another option for travelers looking to explore Hawaii without a car, especially now that the destination has announced its plans to remove the last of its pandemic travel restrictions.

Hawaii plans to lift all travel restrictions and the statewide Safe Travel program when 70% of its population has been vaccinated. So far, just over 54% of the state has been fully vaccinated, according to Hawaii’s Department of Health.

Meena Thiruvengadam is a Travel + Leisure contributor who has visited 50 countries on six continents and 47 U.S. states. She loves historic plaques, wandering new streets and walking on beaches. Find her on Facebook and Instagram.

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