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Big Island (Hawaii)
Our favorite island is the Big Island of Hawaii. Active volcanoes, great hotels, marvelous golf courses, and white sand beaches. We tend to spend at least a week on the Big Island, splitting our time between a couple days in Hilo/Volcano, and the rest of the time on the Kohala Coast.
We'll often fly into Kona, drive to Hilo around the south end of the island, drive to the Kohala Coast via the northern route or the Saddle Road, and fly out of Kona. We've also flown into Hilo and flown out of Kona, but there's often a drop-off fee for the rental car.
Top things we like to do:
- Volcano National Park. This is probably our favorite destination in Hawaii. Web site.
Spend at least a full day at the Volcano National Park. We'll try to spend 2-3 nights in Hilo (about 30 miles away) or in Volcano village or park. Get to the park early in the day, and spend the morning checking out the sites on Crater Rim Drive. (This way you avoid the tour buses, most of which will be making the trip from Kailua Kona and thus won't appear until late morning.) Our favorite locations include hiking across Kilauea Iki crater, Devastation Trail, Thurston Lava Tube, and Halemaumau crater.
Have lunch in Volcano village, and then spend the afternoon traveling down the Chain of Craters Road to the coast (the buses don't take this trip, since they'd have to turn around and come back up). If you have the opportunity to hike out to visible lava flows - do it! Listen to the advice of Park Service people, and don't do anything stupid. But if the flows are accessible, they'll tell you. Bring water - it's hot walking on black lava fields.
- Helicopter Ride. If there is lava action, this may be the only way to see it. Even if there is no surface flow, the view of this big island and the massive lava flows is awesome from the air.
- Waipi'o Valley. A stereotypical deep Hawaiian valley. Even if you don't go into the valley (typically done through a special tour; we've never done it), the outlook itself is worth a trip.
- Saddle Road. Driving the Saddle Road is spectacular. Technically, driving this route across the island violates your rental car agreement, but the risk is mostly the excess charges you'd face getting your car down the mountain if you suffer a breakdown or have an accident. The roads are good (a little curvy on either end), but the scenery is amazing.
- Place of Refuge. The politically correct name is Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, but like the singer Prince, everyone will know what you mean if you use the other name. A well restored site with a lot of history. Web site.
- Hilo. Downtown Hilo doesn't look like its changed much in the last 40-50 years, and has a number of neat shops and restaurants. We often find some lovely Island art at the Dreams of Paradise Gallery, 308 Kamehameha Ave, to bring home. Check out the paper mache lava and turtles. Drive up along the Wailuku River, checking out Rainbow Falls and the Boiling Pots.
Notable Restaurants:
- The Canoe House (Mauna Lani Bay Hotel)
- Cafe Pesto (Hilo and Kawaihae)
- Cafe 100 (Hilo)
- Roy's Waikoloa Bar and Grill (Waikoloa)
- luau at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
- Daniel Thiebaut (Waimea)
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