Hawaii, or the “Big Island” as it’s called, is the largest island in the Hawaii chain. You could fit the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Lanai, Maui, and Molokai in it and still have room to spare. It takes about 8 hours of nonstop driving to cover the island’s perimeter, though it’s a drive worth taking – new and beautiful vistas open up at every turn. Hawaii’s got a startlingly diverse geography, with a desert-like western half known as the “Kona side,” and a much more tropical eastern “Hilo side.”
The Big Island is packed with sights to see and adventures to go on; it’s an outdoor enthusiast’s dream!
Come with me on my Hawaiian journey…
Aloha, Hawaii
I landed on the Kona side of Hawaii. The airstrip is built right on top of a lava flow, carved into the igneous rock. It’s quite unique and beautiful, and a reminder of what you actually just landed on: a group of five volcanoes. Hard to imagine that a few hundred thousand years ago, this beautiful and abundant island was just a desolate black rock.
Immediately after arrival, I hurried to the rental lot. I suggest that you rent a car, as it’s one of the best ways to experience the island. GPS in hand, I set out for the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Kona. The resort is located on the historic site of Kaupulehu, about a 10-minute drive from the airport, laid out along half a mile of white Kohala coastline. It’s an incredible piece of land, and the resort takes great care in keeping with the nature and solitude.
Four Seasons Hualalai is a quiet, serene place where you can take yourself or your family for a relaxing time. It’s got five pools, three wonderful restaurants, and a top notch fitness club. It also offers tons of recreational activities, including tennis, canoeing, surfing and, for those who want to relax while they’re relaxing, a full service spa where you can have an outdoor massage or body scrub.
Endless Adventure
Once I was settled, I ventured out of the resort, ready to take advantage of all the Big Island had to offer. There are dozens adventures to go on when you visit Hawaii; it’s an outdoor enthusiast’s dream!
One of the best adventures the Big Island has to offer is a tour of an active volcano on the Hilo side of the island. Blue Hawaiian Helicopters offers the most spectacular way to see it… and really the only safe way, if you want to get in close. They provide several aerial tours, which take you over and around the volcano, over the Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa Volcanoes (now extinct), Parker Ranch, and through the Kohala Mountains to the magical 1,000-foot waterfalls that cascade down the cliffsides. It’s an experience you can’t afford to miss. Even if you don’t have time for anything else, make room for this helicopter tour. And while you’re at it, request pilot George Nischan for the adventure – he’s a great flyer and a very informative guide.
There’s another cool way to see this vast island: by boat! The ORCA Raft Adventure takes you on the ride of your life aboard their 28-foot, 350-horsepower hard bottom boat. It’s great fun and a fast way to get you in the water at Kealakekua Bay and snorkeling with spinner dolphins. Let the incredibly knowledgeable Mitch Stauffer and Kirk Hering round off the experience with detailed info about the island and its underwater life, sea caves, and lava tubes.
Did you know that the Big Island is one of the best areas to stargaze? For hundreds of years, explorers and astronomers have flocked from all over the world to Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, the highest point in the Pacific. It’s technically the tallest mountain in the world, (though more than half of it is submerged) rising 33,100 feet – more than twice the height of Mount Everest!
Mauna Kea is home to the enormous Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, where you can take guided tours up to the summit (about an 8-hour journey). But if you’re not keen on frigid day-long ascents, or if you just don’t have time for the climb, that’s okay! The Four Seasons, as well as many other resorts on the island, regularly invite expert astronomer Wayne Fukunaga (and his telescope) to share his knowledge with the visitors. It’s a very educational — and far less exhausting way to stargaze.
Scuba divers take note! If you’ve never tried a night dive, this is the place to do it. Multiple Kona diving facilities offer what’s called “dinner with the manta rays” (don’t worry, you’re not the dinner). It’s an amazing experience to be in the water with these shy sea creatures. The adults have wingspans of over 12 feet and can weigh as much as an elephant. Each manta has a descriptive pattern on its underside, and over 100 of these have been identified and studied. While I was there, three new ones were added to the list. If you’re a diving enthusiast, you won’t want to miss this one of a kind experience.
Take a Little Drive
Navigating Hawaii’s endless roads can be quite daunting at times, but driving offers some spectacular views that might otherwise be missed. Take Pu’u Mahana, for instance. Also known as the “Green Sand Beach,” it’s got a beach full of emerald sand. Yes, you read that right. Green. It’s probably the only time you’ll ever see signs urging you not to steal sand. Accessible from Highway 11, it’s a moderate 6-mile hike down to the beach area.
If for some reason you hate the color green, don’t sweat it. Instead check out one of the many black sand beaches around the island. Particularly famous is Kehena Beach, formed virtually overnight some time long ago when hot lava met sea water. Here you can explore the lava inlets, where sea turtles sometimes visit, and relax in lava-lined pools, heated by a volcanic stream to 95 °F.
In addition to gorgeous beaches, the Kona area is also known for its coffee farms. You’ll find a bunch just off Road 11, and more on the way to the green and black sand beaches. On one of these farms you can find Margaret McGuire in a makeshift tent, selling her specialized coffee from the mountains of Waialua Valley. Purchase a cup of coffee, a bag of roasted beans, or, for those not into the caffeine scene, some white chocolate and macadamia nut spread. McGuire’s coffee is called Kilauea Kofe, and is some of the best I’ve ever tasted. I recommend the Pahoehoe, a delicious dark blend.
There are some great restaurants to check out on the Big Island. Try the Kilauea Lodge, which won the Aina Award for being one of the best restaurants on the island. If you’re looking for a luau, head over to the Kona Village Resort for an evening to remember!
So Much to Do, So Little Time
There’s a tourist book I saw at the airport that says there are 101 things to do in Hawaii. If you ask me, that’s an underestimate! The entertainment and activities here are inexhaustible. You can “Go Flumin'” through the old sugar plantation waterways or Humvee-ing in the rainforest, hike under a 500-foot waterfall or ride an ATV from the mountains to the sea. You can go rafting, ride horses, roast your own coffee, watch whales, surf, kayak, visit Waimea Town, tour an ancient peace temple, and, of course, shop till you drop.
Whatever part of the Big Island you choose to visit, you’re in for a unique and unforgettable experience. And with the number of things that’ll be left to do at the end of your stay, you may just have to start planning a return visit.
The blue hawaiian helicopter really is nice. We were lucky to have a clear blue sky and an excellent pilot. The ground team was very friendly yet professional and the ride was very comfortable. Our pilot was very knowledgeable and engaged everyone on the plane. I think your pilot is a crucial factor on how you’ll enjoy the ride, because it creates an ambiance of excitement for everyone that could make everyone’s faces light up the entire trip. I love that we got to see parts of the island that we would never have had the chance to see it if it was not for the excursion. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
The four seasons resort is beautiful but the rooms are due for an update. We paid $1700 a night for what looked like an older room at a Holiday Inn. The closet shelves looked like they were from Ikea and they were old and the veneer was peeling. We definitely did not pay that much just to stay in that kind of place. While we’re not here to mock the beauty outside of the hotel, we would have appreciated it more if the place was 100% in good condition because you paid a lot for it.
Surfing is something that I love doing in Hawaii. Although I haven’t done most of the things listed here, (probably because we prefer water sports more) than taking scenic photographs.
We booked Blue Hawaiian for a helicopter tour of Kauai. Kauai is one of the most beautiful places on the planet, with its stunning coastline, majestic waterfalls, including the ‘Jurassic’ waterfall and breathtaking Waimea Canyon. Our tour was professionally run from the safety demonstration to the state of their helicopters which seemed to be relatively new, to the experienced pilots. The helicopter we took had 7 passengers with good viewing from all seats, but the front two seats with the pilot were the best. Too bad you can’t really pick seats so you have to make the most of what you have. Still a great experience though.
Sharing this article with my friends because this sounds like the perfect groupie tour! ? I also heard that the cuisine is marvelous and so yumyum.
Sharing this with my girls too! #VACATIONGOALS
Great article. My family and I were considering going here next summer. I’m twice as excited now because the place is really beautiful and there are a lot of things that you can do. We’re planning on staying for just 3 days but I bet it’s going to be such a busy one.
We had our 5th stay in Kilauea Lodge and we have stayed in different units each time. This time it was the very private 2 bedroom getaway near the golf course. We had our own hot tub and a very large backyard where we enjoyed watching the pheasants trot by. Although small, we managed to cook a full turkey dinner for Christmas and it was probably the best Christmas ever. We never really leave home for the holidays but this year we decided to do it for the first time and none of us regret the decision. We usually just go in Hawaii for the summer but not during Christmas. Now we’re thinking of going here every Christmas instead of just summer time. The folks at Kilauea are very hospitable and the food is delicious too. Not sure what cuisine type it is, but it’s refreshing to the palette. My family of 5 really loved our stay.
This is really an ecstatic place to be. Better pack your most comfortable clothes and shoes for a lot of hiking and going around. Your water gear is also a must, since you’ll be treading rocky waters too.
Hawaii has great waters. It’s really a must to do water activities there such as the scuba diving and snorkeling. It’s a haven for marine animals and it’s nice that even with tourists all over the place, the spots have been preserved for living creatures to thrive. Just a message to those planning to go there in the future: respect the place. It can’t be preserved without our efforts.
We were told to include a helicopter ride on our first visit to Kauai. My husband and I are so glad we budgeted for this memorable adventure. The hour-long ride circled the entire island and included close up views of Kauai’s numerous waterfalls. Our pilot even maneuvered us into the crater from which the island was built. Occasional narration explained points of interest, and calm music filled our headphones. The Na’pali views were breathtaking. The ride was smooth all the way around. I can’t recommend it enough. The article says it all, don’t miss this. You’ll regret it. Include it in your budget before anything else.