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Published: August 15th 2013
After 4 trips to Hawaii it was time for me to get to the Big Island. My friend Ryan and I had a conference in Honolulu and then headed for Hilo soon thereafter.
Like the other Hawaiian Islands the Big Island is a contrast of terrains (and many other things) with the lush Hilo side on the east and the dry Kona-Kailua side on the west. We started in Hilo for the first two days and ended in Kailua-Kona for the last four. We really preferred the feel of Hilo itself whereas being in Kailua-Kona was more of a means to an end to get to the great beach locations. We stayed at Holmes Sweet Home run by Charlotte and John Holmes who are in their 80s. Charlotte was on the Island during the attack on Pearl Harbor and she has many great stories to tell and advice to provide. It was a great guesthouse in a wonderful setting and quiet neighborhood just on the outskirts of downtown. The accommodations were spacious with an additional common area for eating and lounging. Charlotte prepared yummy breakfasts of fresh fruit and homemade muffins. There was also an abundance of resources for Hawaii
information plus for your trip (e.g., coolers, ziplock bags, flashlights, maps, etc.). Their place was very near Rainbows Falls and Boiling Pots. And you can’t beat the price in Hawaii for a place like this.
In downtown Hilo you’ve got to go check out Lucy’s Taqueria for Mexican food and Wilson’s By the Bay for Shave Ice. Lucy’s had incredible fish and chicken tacos (the two types we tried) and great homemade chips and salsa. Who would think that you could go to Hawaii and get great Mexican food?! Wilson’s was top of line shave ice with unbeatable prices and sizes . . . I wish I could go there every day. Plus, they provide friendly service to boot. Also, Ken’s House of Pancakes is an institution in Hilo and we got great breakfast food there. But, bring your reading glasses and a bookmark as the menu is quite extensive and the choices innumerable. I really liked the coconut pancakes. The Walmart in Hilo was very disappointing to pick up food and snacks. For some reason the shelves were cleared we went. We were told that this was because it was the beginning of the month and students were
headed back to school. Hmm . . . didn’t know people consumed more water and snacks when their kids went back to school.
In the Hilo region we started by going to see the crater in Volcano’s National Park at night. We started with a good view of the smoke plume from the lookout near the steam vents just past the visitor center. We then moved to the Jaggar Museum where we took in the museum and waited until dark to see the changing colors arise from the caldera. Unfortunately, it began raining just after dark but we were able to see the fiery pit lit up for a few minutes beforehand. The thing we most wanted to do on the volcano side was hike out to the active lava sites at night. However, we couldn’t seem to get a straight answer about the legality of doing this without hiring a guided service. The rangers at the Museum wouldn’t give a direct answer and others portrayed the situation as the guided service being the only option. So, to our disappointment, the closest we got to lava was driving out to the end of the road on Route 130 and
seeing the lava-destroyed subdivisions. We later found out from locals that, in fact, it is not illegal but just highly discouraged to do the hike on your own. Ryan and I are both experienced hikers and were planning on being very cautious as compared to some of the recent tourists who have met their demise doing this hike. In the end, the visit to Volcano’s National Park was the biggest disappointment for me on the Island as the Crater road was closed at the Jaggar Museum, we got rained out during our night watch of the caldera, and we didn’t get to see active lava flows. On a related note, the signage put up by locals warning “no trespassing” is almost comical and you will know what I mean if you have been there. If you were to head these warnings you would probably never set foot on a beach or geological feature on the Island. In fact, we even “learned” through one such sign that a “school” owns Makalawena Beach on the west side.
By far our best experience while in Hilo was a trip over to the Puna area at the very east of the Island to
snorkel at the Kapoho Tidepools. You park in the neighborhood, walk through a grove of trees, and emerge in a lava rock wonderworld of snorkeling. You won’t find sand here, only interconnected tidepools with clear water and lots of colorful fish. You can easily spend 2-3 hours here exploring the various tidepools each with their own underwater landscape. Ryan and I both agreed that this was the most underrated thing that we did on the trip.
In our transition to the west side of the Island we had originally planned on driving up to the Waipio Valley and doing a hike down into the valley. Instead, we ended up driving up to the Valley stopping along the way to see Akaka Falls, took in the view at the Valley lookout, and then continued down to Hapuna Beach on the west coast. Then, on another day we drove up around the north side of the island and hiked into the cliff-lined valleys from the other side starting at the Pololu Valley Lookout. I’m glad we did it this way as it offered an easier entry. The trail started right on the Pololu Beach and wound up and down each cliff.
The trail was a bit rough in places and ropes were provided for one section because of the slippery dirt and angle of the trail but you got nice payoffs in the form of amazing views at the top of each cliff. If I were to return I would consider extending this hike into the Waipio Valley. As it was we hiked at a fast pace for about 3 hours and made it to a view of Waimanu Valley. If you head this way from Kona-Kailua consider stopping for a shave ice at Anuenue Shave Ice in Kamuela.
We made quick stopovers at both Hapuna Beach and Mauna Kea Beach. Hapuna is generally rated very highly as one of the best beaches in Hawaii and the US in general. We didn’t find either beach great for snorkeling on the day we were there but if you are looking for a nice beach to layout and possibly catch the sunset they would probably be prime locations. The secluded Makalawena Beach just a 20-minute walk north of Kekaha Kai state park is a beautiful white sand beach that is more secluded and less crowded. The beach in the middle is also
beautiful and worth a visit. If you want something close to Kona-Kailua one option is Kahalu’u Beach Park that has a great diversity of fish if you enjoy snorkeling and also frequent visits by turtles. However, by far the best snorkeling was in Kealakekua Bay. Given that you can’t currently take your own kayak into the bay we would highly recommend parking your car on Napoopoo Road and hiking down to the beach rather than taking a tour. This way you save a significant amount of money and can spend as long as you want in the water. In fact, we spent two days there and loved it. The water was clear, the fish abundant, and on the second day we saw a number of spinner dolphins in the bay. We were also treated to the appearance of a 7-8 foot moray eel that we were able to watch swimming for quite a distance. The hike down took us about 40 minutes and the hike back up 45 minutes. It was a hot trek and you should wear good shoes (not just flip flops) but it was worth the freedom it gave us at the Bay. If you are making
a day of it in this area be sure to also hit up Kalama’s restaurant for excellent shave ice and great food. But keep in mind that they are only open from 11/12 to 3/4pm depending on the day of the week.
A big shout out goes to Danielle at Coffees N’ Epicurea south of Kona-Kailua in Honaunau. Visit here if you can. Not only does their place offer amazing coffee and pastries (and kalua pork plates or some specialty one night a week) but Danielle provides excellent suggestions for activities and restaurants on the Island. We anointed her with our unofficial Aloha Spirit award. Her suggestions greatly improved the quality of our visit. Two restaurants that she recommended were the Strawberry Patch and Annie’s Burgers. At the Strawberry Patch Ryan and I agreed that we got some of the best margarita pizza that we’ve ever had (and that is saying a lot!). The dessert was amazing as was our garlic bread starter. I can’t wait to return one day and eat there again. My mouth still waters at the thought of their food. And if you are in the mood for a good burger Annie’s certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Visit there with confidence. Finally, the Kona Tiki Hotel in Kona-Kailua was a great find! I would definitely return there on another. The price was unbeatable for the area, the staff was friendly, the sunsets great, the breakfast very nice, and you slept just paces from the ocean waves. The place is not fancy but very comfortable and each room comes with a kitchenette, microwave, and some dishes and supplies.
Overall the Big Island was a great place to visit. I would say that it offers a similar array of activities and landscapes as Kauai and Maui but in a significantly larger space. This can mean longer driving distances but it can also mean less congestion. And it’s definitely on the list of places I’m heading back to!
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Graciela
non-member comment
IS IT REAL???????
Your pictures are amazing. The quality of the potos is really excellent. Is it real??? I mean, is the wáter that clear? Just wondering... Hugs from Argentina.