Happy in Hawaii, of course! If you make it to Hawaii, check out the free Hawaiian music show or Hawaiian concert series.
ALOHA!
So you’re looking to bring some of that ALOHA spirit into your home?!
With the ukulele originating in Hawaii, a ukulele makes a GOOD choice for doing so! 😉
If you can’t go and listen to Hawaiian music for yourself in Hawaii… then bring some of that Hawaiian music in your own home!
First, if you want to get right to it, here are the ukulele brands to take a look at!
- Made in America ukulele brand | Kala ukulele | Twenty One Pilots ukulele
- THIS starter ukulele for beginners
- Ukulele brand that has the namesake of one of the best places in Hawaii | Lanikai ukulele
- THIS ukulele that’s made from Hawaiian wood on a Hawaiian island $$$ 😉 | Best ukulele Hawaiian-made
- THIS starter ukulele for beginners
- Recap: Best ukulele for beginners
Note on a cheap ukulele
You can find cheaper ukuleles like this one (at least at the current price it’s quite a bit cheaper anyway), but if you know that you’re going to commit for at least several months, you will probably find that getting one of the best ukulele brands will prove to be worth it!
If you are looking for an even cheaper ukulele, there’s this one, but a bunch of negative reviews like this review might be enough to, at the least, go for the other cheaper ukulele. The other one has pretty good reviews, considering how much the cost of the ukulele is, like this review.
If you do go for a beginner ukulele, even ones from the best brands, just recognize that the price you’re paying for it means there will be at least some flaws, no matter what!
Now, here we go with a little bit more about these 2 ukulele brands!
Kala ukulele: Made in America ukulele brand
Well, made in Hawaii would be the #1 best thing ever, but we’ll say that made in California is the #2 best thing ever. 😉
The Kala Brand Music Company was born in California, and they continue to work (and play ukuleles ;)) out of California.
See this video here to take a peak into what it looks like to build a custom ukulele at their shop and the quality of care that goes into it.
A band member from popular American band Twenty One Pilots has used a Kala ukulele during his shows. If you’ve never heard of Twenty One Pilots, just know that they are famous among teens. 😉
If it’s the ukulele brand that a professional musician uses, that’s a good enough reason to go with a Kala ukulele, right? 😉 Because it does mean that they trust their professional performances in front of thousands of people with it!
Now, this video here is one of the Twenty One Pilots band members playing a Kala ukulele.
Starter ukulele for beginners
Kala touts that the Twenty One Pilots ukulele that can be seen played in many videos is the Kala Hawaiian Koa Tenor Cutaway ukulele, which you can see what that one looks like here. He also plays a custom-made ukulele.
But if you’re just starting out in your ukulele journey, that might be a bit of a higher price point than you’d like.
Instead, THIS ukulele makes a good choice if you’re more on the entry-level side of how to play a ukulele, with one of the most trusted ukulele brands! And if you’re doing some gift shopping for teens, a Kala ukulele might be a good one too, because of that Twenty One Pilots thing! 😉
Side note!
See about the best shoes for hiking in Hawaii and what to wear snorkeling in Hawaii! And for Hawaii vacation ideas, see the best things to do in Waikiki that will give you Hawaii vibes!
Lanikai ukulele: Namesake of one of the best places in Hawaii 😉
What makes a Lanikai ukulele a good ukulele? The name! 😉
Because let’s be honest, sometimes the name matters. And Lanikai is one of the best spots in Hawaii!
Okay, so the name isn’t actually all that matters… And it’s a top brand not just because of its name.
But still, let’s take a look at Lanikai in Hawaii…
Just dreamy! Just Hawaii! Just ALOHA!
Now you know a little bit about Lanikai in Hawaii, you get a piece of Hawaii with a Lanikai ukulele! 😉
True Hawaiian ukulele
One of the best ukuleles you could buy from the Lanikai ukulele brand is THIS one. Now, if you’re a beginner ukulele player, it’s probably a bit out of your price range, but you may want to keep it in mind when you want to step up your ukulele game!
What makes that ukulele so great?!
That one IS Hawaiian made!
It’s a part of the Makau ukulele series which means that it’s built completely on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Oahu is the most populated island in Hawaii where the capital of Honolulu is located.
Not only that, but Hawaiian wood is also used to build the ukulele. The wood comes from another Hawaiian island. As the Lanikai ukulele brand says… to build their Hawaiian ukuleles, they use “the top 1% of solid Koa wood collected from the high slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii.” Now if that doesn’t sound like Hawaiian wood, who knows what does! 😉
So go ahead and take a look at the true Hawaiian ukulele!
You can also add on a 4-year warranty to that Lanikai ukulele.
Starter ukulele for beginners
Now, if you’re early on in your ukulele career and that’s a bit much to spend so soon, the Lanikai brand also has starter-type beginner ukuleles too.
Have a look at THIS starter ukulele.
Best ukulele for beginners
About the ukulele size
When buying your first ukulele, you’ll also want to pay attention to the ukulele size that you buy. While there are a few different ukulele sizes, generally speaking, a soprano ukulele is a more standard size which can work better for smaller hands, while a tenor ukulele can be better for larger hands.
The sizes of ukuleles, in order from small to large, are: soprano, concert, tenor, baritone.
So to recap, have a look to these 2 ukulele brands when you’re learning how to play the ukulele!
HAPPY UKULELE PLAYING!
Now once you’ve got your Hawaiian music taken care of with your ukulele, get in the Hawaiian mood further by taking a look at… 😉
And once you’re ready to start planning your trip to Hawaii, be sure to take a look at the list of Oahu luaus for Hawaiian music and food, as well as the Oahu planning map!
ALOHA!!
There are affiliate links on this page. Among other partners, as an Amazon Associate, I may receive a commission.
🐠 Here are things you must consider packing!
- Swimsuit or swimming shirt aka rash guard
- rash guard: swim set for women and swim shirt for men
- Water shoes
- Waterproof phone case (so you can capture pictures of fishies underwater!)
- cheapo phone case OR waterproof camera
- I also have this "camera" wrist float to attach to my cheapo waterproof phone case so my phone won't sink to the bottom of the ocean in case I somehow let go of it. (Mine does stay afloat - test this for yourself before completely trusting it!)
- Swimming goggles or snorkeling mask set
- Reef-safe(r) sunscreen
- lightweight travel towel:
- walking sandals:
I also don't go snorkeling without a personal swim float buoy. Not only does it help to keep me visible, but it makes for a perfect way to rest out in deeper water! Oh, and it also serves as a dry bag so I can take stuff into the water with me.
Another way I have taken valuables into the water with me is to wear a travel money belt that I don't mind getting wet with salt water (it's not waterproof but I have several so I just use one of them) and then I put things in a ziplock freezer bag, and put that freezer bag in the money belt.
There are also designated waterproof waist pouches that you can store your valuables and take into the water with you.
see more:
- What to wear hiking
- What to wear snorkeling