Hawaii, The Big Island
Make it stand out
We’ve made the trip to the Big Island twice, in 2014 and 2021. The Big Island is the largest of the Hawaiian islands at 4,028 square miles, which is more than all the other Hawaiian islands combined. The island is 92 miles long and 76 miles wide and represents almost 63% of the state's total landmass, However, it has only 13% of Hawaiʻi's population.
The Big Island of Hawaii was formed from five volcanoes: Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Hualalai, Kohala, and Kilauea. Mauna Loa rises 13,679 feet above sea level and comprises over half of the island, is the largest shield volcano on Earth in terms of volume and area. At 13,803 feet above sea level, Mauna Kea is slightly higher than its massive neighbor. When measured from the seafloor to the summit, Mauna Loa is the tallest mountain in the world, topping even Mount Everest. In fact, the Big Island is still growing. Since the 1983 eruption of Kilauea, hundreds of acres have been added to the Big Island. In 2018 alone, new Kilauea eruptions through 24 different fissures add about 875 acres of volcanic land.
Mauna Loa and Kilauea are part of Volcano National Park, which was receiving over a million visitors a year, prior to COVID. Kilauea is the world’s most active volcano, spitting lava almost every day. Until May 2018, Kilauea had been erupting continuously for over 30 years. Mauna Loa's most recent eruption occurred between March and April of 1984 and is considered an active volcano. Kohala is extinct while Mauna Kea and Hualalai are dormant.
In addition to volcanoes, the beaches are one of the main attractions of the Big Island and are great for being lazy, snorkeling, surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, or anything else you would want to do. Of course, most beaches have beautiful white sand, but the Big Island also has black sand beaches and a green sand beach. Other things to do and see on the Big Island include whale watching, zip-lining, scuba diving, night snorkeling with Manta Rays, helicopter tours, cascading waterfalls, lush rain forest hikes, Donkey Balls (macadamia nuts covered in thick milk chocolate) plus snow and star gazing at the top of Mauna Kea.
Where to Stay on the Big Island
We stayed on the Kona coast (west side) during each of our visits (most recently at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort). Hilo is on the eastern side of the island and has a lot to offer, but the vast majority of visitors stay on the Kona side. The Kona coast has better weather and beaches, the resorts are newer and bigger than those in Hilo and there’s more nightlife than in and around Hilo. In addition to the big resorts, Kona has a lot of vacation rentals. Hilo is nice and is worth a visit, but we wouldn’t recommend staying for more than a night or two. There is also some lodging around Volcano National Park, which seem to be smaller lodges and are mostly used by visitors to the Park.
What We Did on the Big Island
South of Kona - We did a one-day tour of the coast south of Kona. Our first stop was in the town of Captain Cook for some shopping and visits to Kona Coffee Living History Farm and Konaloha Coffee Company. The town, in addition to the home of the Original Donkey Ball Store, has some boutique shops, art galleries, and coffee shops. After Captain Cook town, we drove to our most southern stop, the Place of Refuge or Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park.
The Place of Refuge is a sacred site and was used by Hawaiians for centuries as a safe haven for those that broke the Kapu laws, which in old Hawaii were punishable by death. If you reached the Puʻuhonua, you would be pardoned and given a second chance at life as no physical harm could come to those who reached the boundaries of the Puʻuhonua.
Place of Refuge
As you enter the Place of Refuge, you’ll walk beneath towering coconut palms. These trees are part of a royal coconut grove, planted to commemorate chiefs who have passed on. You are walking in the footsteps of those that sought refuge here over the course of centuries, and where the Aliʻi and Kahuna who pardoned them resided. We walked through the park for about half a mile on a self-guided tour, using a park map that we picked up at the visitor center. Park Rangers at the visitor center can answer any questions that you have, and give information on Hawaiian culture, history, geology, and legends. There are also plenty of online resources that you can find to understand the different points of interest.
After the place of refuge, we headed north back to Kona and stopped at Two-Step Beach at Honaunau Bay. This beach was completely volcanic rock, and there are two steps formed by the volcanic rock which allow easy access into the water. This was an amazing place to snorkel. Our next stop was Kealakekua Bay, where Captain James Cook was killed in 1779, a white obelisk across the bay marks the spot. We thought the water looked a little rough here, so we decided not to snorkel and went to Kahalu’u Beach Park. We did snorkel here for a bit, but Two Step was much better!
North of Kona, Hamakua Coast, and Hilo - We also did a one-day tour of the North and East parts of the Big Island. This was a full day, covering over 150 miles. We headed to Waimea and went to their Farmers Market. It was fun with lots of delicious food vendors! Our first stop on the Hamakua Coast was the Waipi'o Valley Lookout, overlooking the breathtaking and historic Waipi'o Valley. This sacred valley was the boyhood home of King Kamehameha I and the capital and permanent residence of many early Hawaiian Aliʻi (traditional nobility, part of a hereditary line of rulers). The valley is about one mile across and five miles deep, surrounded by cliffs as high as 2,000. The first time we were on the island, our helicopter tour flew across the Waipi'o Valley, including going to the back of the valley to get a look at the island’s tallest waterfall, the 1,300 foot Hiilawe Falls. After the lookout, we drove through the small town of Honokaa and stopped by Tex Drive-In for their famous malasadas (deep-fried dough balls with different fillings). They were delicious!
Waipi’o Valley Lookout
Waipi'o Valley Lookout
Feeling re-energized, we got back in the car, enjoying the sweeping coastal views, a lush rainforest in spectacular canyons and waterfalls as we went south down the Hamakua Coast.
Our next stop was Laupahoehoe Point, which was a great place to see the ocean and the strong waves hitting the black lava rock cliffs. Also here is a memorial here for the approximately 160 people who lost their lives in the 1946 tsunami. While most deaths occurred in Hilo, a school at Laupahoehoe was wiped out, drowning twenty students and four teachers.
Our next stop was Akaka Falls, a stunning waterfall that drops 422 feet. The falls are home to the cliff-climbing goby fish or o'opu alama'o. These fish lay their eggs at the top of the falls, the eggs go down the falls and hatch and these embryos drift into the Pacific Ocean, where the fish grow big and strong. Once they are ready, the fish then swim back upstream to the waterfall, and upon reaching the base of the falls, begin climbing up the sheer rock wall (while water is flowing down the sheer rock wall) with specially adapted suckers on their undersides and climb their way back to the top to lay eggs.
We made it to Hilo and grabbed delicious smoothies at Makani’s Magic Pineapple Shack. We hung around in Hilo for a bit before getting back in the car. Our last stop was Rainbow Falls. To see rainbows while looking at the falls, you need to arrive early on a sunny morning.
Rainbow Falls
Volcanoes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - The park covers a lot of ground and contains the summits of two of the world's most active volcanoes, Kilauea (world’s most active volcano) and Mauna Loa. The park rises from sea level to the 13,681-foot summit of Mauna Loa. There are countless articles online and in guide books dedicated to Volcanoes National Park. The National Park Service has the most up-to-date information regarding any closures, alerts, or other important information.
We spent about six hours there, and aren’t going to pretend to be experts. Having a couple of full days would probably be best, if you really want to explore the park, take a lot of hikes and spend decent time at the visitor center and other educational points of interest. You can read about all the park has to offer and decide what appeals to you the most.
This is what we did on our visit;
Started at the visitor center, checked out the exhibits, and watched a film in the theater. This helped us decide how we wanted to spend our time here
Crater Rim driving tour - The Crater Rim road is a short road with many stopping points and/or scenic overlooks. Including, the Kilauea crater overlook, providing the most dramatic views of the Kilauea caldera.
Thurston Lava Tube - A short walk through the rainforest leads to a 500-year-old lava cave. Walk in the dark through Nahuku, known as the Thurston Lava Cave. This 600-foot long cave was created by a lava flow over 500 years ago.
Devastation Trail - This is an easy 1-mile hike in the area that was destroyed in 1959 by an eruption.
Chain of Craters road - This scenic road was built in 1928 and stretches almost 19 miles to the end of the road. There are many points to stop here, with more scenic overlooks, hiking trails, and other sights. The road also gets you up close to old lava fields (destruction from previous eruptions), including parts of the original road that was covered by a lava flow in 1969.
Stopped again at the Kilauea crater overlook on our way out of the park to see the lava flow at night.
Scuba diving, dolphin and whale watch snorkel cruise - We’ve used Jack’s Diving Locker for multiple-day diving trips, one night dive and night snorkel trip, plus a dolphin and whale watch snorkel cruise (we’re heavy contributors to Jack’s retirement plan). Their service and equipment were in tip-top condition and we’d recommend using them. We’ve seen great marine life on our dives, and our dolphin and whale watch snorkel cruise was amazing. So many dolphins were diving in and out of the waves created by our boat that we couldn’t count all of them. When we stopped to snorkel, there were dozens of dolphins in the water with us. After we’d been in the water with dolphins for a while, we got back on the boat and went to another place where we snorkeled with manta rays. There weren’t nearly as many manta rays as there were dolphins, but it was still very cool. On the way back to the harbor, we saw a couple of humpback whales in the distance. After disembarking from our boats in Honokohau harbor in the daylight, we’ve spent some time hanging around watching the fishing boats come in and unload and weigh their catches.
We later did a night tour with Jack’s where we went to a cove that manta rays often visit to feed at night. Two of us snorkeled and two went diving. The snorkelers held onto floating tubes that had lights underneath which illuminated the shallow bottom. Mantas are filter feeders and feed on plankton attracted to light. The divers had flashlights and headlamps to help us see. This was the first time I’d been night diving. It was interesting. The darkness of the water was very eerie and creepy. While you could flash a light at whatever you were looking at directly, you don’t have any peripheral vision in the underwater darkness. It was uncomfortable not knowing what, if anything, was just a couple of feet above you, a couple of feet below you, behind you, to your right, and to your left. Unfortunately, no Mantas showed up that night. We did see some eels out swimming and hunting, which was pretty cool. Jack’s has a guarantee on the night trip stating that if you don’t see Mantas, you get another night trip at no charge. Hopefully, we’ll get back to the Big Island and have a successful Manta Ray night dive.
Helicopter tour - This was the first time any of us had been in a helicopter. I’m a nervous flier and wasn’t sure about going up in a helicopter. When we took off from the Waikoloa heliport for a 50-minute tour, I didn’t even notice the take-off, as we rose from the ground so easily I didn’t even notice until we were a few hundred feet above the ground. The flight was exhilarating. We had stunning views of cascading waterfalls thousands of feet high dropping into the rainforest, steep coastal cliffs, and lush rainforests. The Kohala coast was the highlight as we arrived above the Waipi’o Valley where the towering sea cliffs open into the dramatically deep and meandering valleys of the Kohala Mountains. While hovering above the valley, we were lucky enough to see a double rainbow. As we began our trip back to Waikoloa, I started to feel some motion sickness. While I was enjoying the views and the thrills of the ride, I couldn’t wait for the helicopter to land. Once we landed, I was relieved to be back on solid ground. It was a great experience, and I’d do it again, but it felt so good to get out of the chopper.
Beaches - We stopped at a lot of beaches, some of which we’ve already mentioned. Sometimes we grabbed picnic foods and had lunch at the beach, sometimes we did body surfing and/or boogie boarding, sometimes we went snorkeling, and sometimes we just sat in the sand, maybe even took a few naps. On each beach, we took a few minutes to just enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and the beauty of the sand, water, and sky. Some of our favorite beaches were Hapuna State Beach, Anaeho’omalu Bay, Manini'owali Beach, and Punalu’u, a black sand beach.
Punalu’u, a black sand beach
Surf and Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP) lessons - I (Jason) did surf lessons with the kids on the first visit and he wasn’t a quick learner. The kids had a blast, but I was very frustrated. Finally, after what felt like hours, I was able to stand up and ride a wave. I probably rode the wave for two seconds and three feet, but I felt like the King of the World. Unfortunately, I couldn’t re-capture that feeling for the rest of the lesson. I think surfing is better learned as a kid, not when you are in your 40s. When we went without the kids, we did stand-up paddleboard lessons. This was a little easier, but I’m definitely better suited to activities on snow than activities on the water.
Hawaiian Luau - we attended a Luau with Island Breeze Luau. The adults had a very good time, but the kids enjoyed the experience even more. The luau attendees gather on the shores of Kamakahonu Bay as the Royal Court of King Kamehameha I floats across the water on a raft before arriving on stage (luau location is held on Kamehameha the Great’s former Kona estate) and being greeted by a Court Conch Herald and Court Chanter.
The luau performers wear beautiful costumes as they sing and dance to traditional Polynesian music. Polynesian music discusses stories about the splendor and beauty of paradise through song and dance from the islands of Samoa, Tahiti, and New Zealand. In addition to the music and dancing, the luau generally includes hula dancing, lei making, Samoan fire knife dancing, imu ceremonies, storytelling, the unearthing of the pig ceremony, and a buffet dinner. For a large buffet that served hundreds, the food was pretty good. A bit of advice, avoid the poi. It’s purple and looks terrible. Don’t look at it and think that it has to taste better than it looks. It doesn’t. It’s a purple paste made from the taro root that tastes worse than it looks. And, it looks awful.
Were We Ate on the Big Island
Lava Lava Beach Club Restaurant in Waikoloa Village - Great setting with terrific sunset views. The outdoor waiting area is very cool. An old VW bus serves as their outdoor bar, they have ping pong tables, cornhole games set up, and other activities to kill time while waiting for your table. And, you’ll probably wait. Lava Lava is pretty popular. The ownership is the same as Huggo’s on the Rocks.
Kona Brewing Company in Kona - Good food, nice setting. Kim had a Lemongrass beer that was out of this world delicious! We haven’t found that beer in cans or bottles anywhere else in Hawaii.
On the Rocks in Kona - Good reliable food and drinks at a casual beach bar that often has live music and is a nice place to relax with scenic views of the ocean
Cool Runnings food truck in Kona - We had jerk chicken, ribs, rice, pumpkin cornbread, and potatoes. It was delicious!
Tommy Bahama Restaurant in Waimea - Nice restaurant, especially if you are celebrating a special occasion.
Tropics Ale House in Waikoloa Village - Good bar food, lots of craft beers, and sometimes has live music.
Foster’s Kitchen in Waikoloa Village - A farm-to-table type of place with a little bit of everything.