Volunteer Packing Information
What To Bring
- Shorts
- T-shirts, tank tops
- Swim suit
- Long pants
- Sweatshirt (for cooler evenings)
- Skirts, dresses, sarongs
- Flip flops, sandals (slippah's)
- Beach towel
- Sunscreen
- Sun hat
- Sunglasses
- Books
- Camera
- Medications
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Bandanna or head coverings (if working in kitchen)
- Laptop (wireless access available)
- CD player or iPod with headphones
- Toiletries (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.)
- Lightweight rain coat and/or umbrella
- Bug spray (lemon eucalyptus oil is a good natural choice) or anything with DEET
- Phone card for making long-distance calls
- Spending money for excursions, shopping, etc.
- Tennis shoes or close-toed shoes for walking on lava, hiking (and if working in the kitchen, agriculture, or maintenance) Optional: rain boots (for winter months)
- Fabric for decorating your room or A-frame (A-frames are screened in and fabric can also help provide privacy)
- Yoga mat and props, if you prefer to have your own (we do provide yoga mats and props)
- For campers:
- Tent
- Sleeping pad/blow up bed (we provide bedding)
What Not To Bring
- Bedding and towels (we provide these)
- Pets
- Unnecessary valuables
Climate
Kalani is in a tropical jungle! It rains more than 100 inches/year on our side of the island, more so in the winter months, so it helps to have a lightweight raincoat/umbrella and rain boots. Some find the first few weeks to be challenging while getting use to the combined humidity and heat. The weather here is relatively warm and tropical all year round. Bring sunscreen, as the sun can be very intense during the day. Day time highs range from mid-70s to mid-90s, and evenings are mild, mid-60s to low-70s. The winter nights can get into the 50s. Once you are acclimated to the weather, evenings can feel somewhat cool and you may want cloths which will keep you warm at night such as long pants and a sweatshirt, especially in the winter months.
Dress Code
Kalani is very casual, as is most of Hawaii. Most people wear shorts, t-shirts, and sandals or flip flops (‘slippahs’ if you use local words). If you are assigned to the Maintenance, Agriculture, or Kitchen department, you will need to wear close-toed shoes during your shifts, as well as a head covering in the Kitchen department. Work in all departments can be dirty at times, so please bring clothes for working that might get stained. Kalani also has a great 'free box' that can be a source of clothing for both work and play. And at our quarterly Art Shows, the sky's the limit!
Shopping and Transportation
Kalani is in an isolated location 25 minutes from Pahoa, the nearest village, and 50 minutes from Hilo, the nearest town.
Pahoa is a tiny local village which has a health food store, post office, supermarket and some restaurants. Hilo has a shopping center with a Wal-Mart, Borders, Office Max, Ross, a natural foods store, and other stores. Downtown Hilo and Pahoa both have wonderful farmers markets that sell local produce and flowers, as well as lots of local crafts for gifts.
We offer a van ride into Hilo every other Saturday, and every Sunday morning to Pahoa Farmers Market for supplies and shopping. There is also a free county bus that runs between Kalani and Pahoa/Hilo. It comes by a couple times a day and returns in the evening.
Some volunteers choose to rent a vehicle for a portion of their time here to go on short trips and adventures around the island. Several rental car companies offer vehicles at the Hilo Airport which you are able to rent for a few days, a week, or a month at a time.
Contact Volunteer Coordinators: Salita and Tiffany
Please contact Salita or Tiffany for additional information or if you have any questions.
We would love to hear from you!
Phone: 808-965-0468 ext. 117
Online: Contact form
