Big Island Hawaii Travel Guide: Reviews, photos, & videos
The world map is full of misnomers—Greenland isn’t really green and Iceland isn’t covered with ice. But the Big Island is big. Really big. As in almost-the-size-of-Connecticut big. And it continues to grow as Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano, spews lava into the ocean. Watch the spectacle as the glowing-hot lava meets the cooler ocean waters along the south-east shore. The exact flow changes with the mood of the lava, but a park ranger can point you in the right direction. At the summit, watch the volcano’s growl from the viewing platform, at a safe distance from steam, lava and projecting rocks. The northwestern parts of the island are the most developed with large resorts, while the southwestern coastline is far less commercial. Take part in a free night stargazing program at the visitor’s center at Mauna Kea, the Pacific’s tallest peak. Make a point of swimming at a beach of every color—there are white, yellow, green, gray, and black sand beaches.
Estimated travel time: 5 hours, 30 minutes by plane (from Los Angeles, CA); 40 minutes by plane (from Honolulu, HI)
Most visitors to Hawaii arrive at Honolulu International Airport on the island of Oahu. From Honolulu, you can connect to Hilo International Airport and Kona International Airport on the Big Island on Aloha Airlines, go!, Hawaiian Airlines or Island Air. The connection from Honolulu to Kona takes 40 minutes. Four airlines service Kona Airport directly: American Airlines, United Airlines, Aloha Airlines and Japan Airlines.
Partly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning...then showers likely in the afternoon. Highs around 79 at the shore to around 65 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent. Hi: 79° F, Low: 63° F.
Tomorrow's forecast
Mostly cloudy with showers likely. Highs 60 to 76. West winds up to 10 mph with higher gusts shifting to the northeast around 10 mph with higher gusts in the late morning and afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent. Hi: 76° F, Low: 57° F.
Whether you’re in the mood for exhilaration, relaxation, or education, Hawaii’s Big Island delivers.
See an Active Volcano
The Big Island is home to one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Kilauea, which has erupted a total of 40 times since 1924.
The current ongoing eruption began on January 3, 1983, and wiped out several housing developments. It shows no signs of stopping.
By air
The best viewpoint to appreciate the true power and size of Kilauea is from above. Helicopter tours fly directly over the mouth of the crater itself, allowing you peer down into the violence of steam, sulfur, and lava.
A helicopter tour also affords views of Hawaii’s other natural attractions, such as cliffs, waterfalls, macadamia nut and coffee farms, and rolling green hillsides.
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters offers first-class tours and the highest ratings for safety, employing some of the most experienced pilots. The company’s been featured in National Geographic, and Hollywood film productions like Jurassic Park, The Lost World, and Pearl Harbor have hired its services.
By sea
The lava itself is best seen from the sea, as day turns to night and the newest land in the world begins to glow with an inner fire. The lava flows from the caldera more than 3,700 feet to the coast, where it drops into a steaming ocean.
Just before twilight, spectators gather in the dozens and sometimes hundreds on a nearby cliff to watch the spectacle. But nothing gets you as up close and personal as an ocean-bound vessel.
Captain “Lava Roy” Carvalho is an experienced boat tour operator who has been in business since 2005. He’ll expertly navigate you to within a hundred yards of shore, where you can clearly watch the liquid lavafalls meet the surging sea.
By land
The expense of a helicopter or boat tour isn’t necessary, however, to have a volcano experience. At Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, visitors can view the Kilauea crater from a prime overlook, as well as tour the adjacent Thomas A. Jaggar Museum with its geologic displays, working seismic equipment, and videos of previous eruptions.
Excellent hiking trails run throughout the park, one of which leads through the Thurston Lava Tube, an extinct lava tunnel created by flow from Kilauea.
For the car-equipped, the Chain of Craters Road is a forty-mile drive taking about three hours round-trip, with spectacular vistas of both the volcano and the surrounding rainforest.
Guests can stay overnight at Volcano House Hotel, and campgrounds are also available within the park.
Get on the Water
From its unique selection of beaches — with sand of the white, black, and even green varieties — to its diverse range of water sport activities — surfing, kayaking, sailing, diving, snorkeling, and more — the Big Island delivers for ocean fans.
Combining some of these into a multi-sport adventure makes for an incredible day.
A popular trip is to kayak the mile and a half across Kealakekua Bay to the Captain Cook Monument, which marks the spot where the first European visitor to the Hawaiian Islands died.
With its sheltered waters, extensive coral reef, and abundance of underwater life, the bay provides superior snorkeling and diving year round. It’s also inaccessible by car, so the only people you’re likely to encounter will be your fellow kayakers. Spinner dolphins and green sea turtles like to hang out here too.
Just off the Kona Coast, a community of the giant manta rays feeds on plankton each night, drawn by the lights that spill over the water from the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort. The Travel Channel has called a night dive/snorkel with these creatures one of the “Top 10 Things to Do in Your Lifetime.”
The rays are gentle and non-territorial, with no barbs or teeth, simply gliding silently through the waves as if flying (their wingspans can measure up to twelve feet).
The phosphorescence of the plankton gives an eerie bluish-white glow to the graceful rays, their whale-like mouths open wide as they filter feed.
Experience Hawaiian Culture
You don’t come to Hawaii and miss a luau, so head to the above-mentioned Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort, just meters from the manta rays’ feeding spot. It offers dinner and a show called Firenesia every Monday night.
With great drama and exhilarating dance, the performers demonstrate their skill and grace as you dine on traditional luau dishes at the water’s edge on Keauhou Bay.
The birthplace of Hawaii’s great King Kamehameha III, Keauhou Bay is rich with historical sites.
Just a few miles south, Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park — meaning “place of refuge” — protects 180 acres of ancient homes of the chiefs, royal palaces, and temples. Beautiful at sunset, this sacred place gives visitors an important glimpse into Hawaiian culture.
Further north in Kohala, you can hike through the Valley of the Kings, known as Waipio, where waterfalls rush over the edge of steep green cliffs and drop into the ocean.
Or, walk the 1.5-mile Malama Trail to view the 1,200 petroglyphs found at Puakõ Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve. A total of 3,000 designs have been identified, including paddlers, dancers, animals, and deity symbols, providing a fascinating view into the lives of pre-colonial Hawaiians.
Love the colors of Mother Nature? Then check out the many colors of Hawaii’s big Island in an eco-friendly way! Hike the black rocks to see raging orange lava meet the Pacific’s cobalt blue waters, or take a soothing uphill bike ride through green meadows to the top of Mt. Kilauea. Vacationing on the big island of Hawaii provides for a trip to suit any family type. Young families with hyperactive kids who love to run and jump and never seem to nap ought to try out one of the island’s surfing schools dedicated to teaching kids the art of surfing. And for those lucky families who’ve already put the kids through college and are now happily celebrating their empty nests, the big island allows for that perfect getaway with over 15 luscious ocean-view golf courses and countless resorts that will pamper and sooth away your every whine and whimper.
If you’re heading to Volcanoes National Park from the western side of Hawaii’s Big Island, don’t forget to make a few stops.
First, there is windy Ka Lae, the southernmost point in the United States. Marked by cliffs and unswimmable waters, the area also includes wind turbines that supply seven percent of the island’s power.
Fifteen miles northeast, Punaluʻu Beach is more hospitable to tourists. That is, if you don’t walk on its black sands in your bare feet. Created by cooled lava that flows into the ocean, Punaluʻu is a popular spot for Hawksbill and Green sea turtles. If you’re lucky, you might see one basking on the sand.
Hungry? You won’t be after visiting the nearby Punalu'u Bake Shop. Justly famous for its sweet breads, it’s serves plate lunches.
In other words, don’t just go to Hawaii to see the volcanoes. Enjoy the scenery along the way.
Most folks who go to Hawaii want to stay on Maui or Oahu; they're fabulous, no doubt. But no vacation to the Hawaiian Islands is complete without a trip to the Big Island. Watching an active volcano create the black rock and sand that comprise the beaches there is truly amazing. It is important to get a good tour with a knowledgeable guide to make sure you're safe and get correct information. But it's well worth any extra efforts to do it.
Hawaii, aka the Big Island, is a land of stark beauty and stunning vistas. If you are fortunate enough to travel when the lava is flowing, be sure to take a morning hike out onto the lava fields to view this spectacular phenomenon. In the town of Volcano, enjoy delicious Thai food at the peculiarly named “Thai Thai Restaurant.” Over the 4th of July weekend, you can witness the Annual Parker Ranch 4th of July Rodeo where you can witness the Paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) in action. The Big Island might as well be called the “Festival Island” for all the celebrations you can enjoy on the island. From the Obon Festival dances to the Aloha Spirit Film Festival, there is something for everyone. And of course, if you are a fan of the Ironman competition, this is the place to be in October, when the annual world championship is held.
On Hawaii, there’s a beach in every color—white, yellow, green, gray and black. White we had seen plenty, and black as well. But green? We had never seen a green beach. The fact that it was difficult to get to just made it so much more alluring. What’s a bit of a hike at the chance of seeing a green beach? We drove down the six-mile dirt road from Ka Lae towards Puu Mahana as far as we dared in our rental car, and then we parked and hiked the rest of the way, jeeps passing us. The sun was already setting and we didn’t want to get stuck in the dark. And again, what’s a bit of a hike?
Then a crescent-shape cove guarded by steep cliffs opened up before us. Puu Mahana is a volcanic cone and over the centuries, waves crashing against the cone have carved out a small bay, flushing away volcanic ash and exposing the olivine crystals, a green semiprecious mineral, within the cone. So, was it green? Well, not the Technicolor green I had imagined, but yes, greenish. And in the setting sun, against the blue waters of the Pacific, it was nothing short of magical.
There’s no fresh water at Green Sand Beach, so make sure you bring your own. Also, beware of strong winds that can make swimming dangerous.
A true geological hot spot, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is home to two of the world’s most active volcanoes—Mauna Loa and Kilauea, which continue to spew lava and transform the surrounding landscape. Amazing as the sight of the Kilauea crater was, what impressed me even more was seeing the molten lava make its way down the side of the volcano to meet the much cooler ocean several miles away in a hissing cloud of steam. Trekking way past the sign that said not to go any further, trying to get as close as we could to this meeting of the elements, I could feel the heat rising from the ground. Just a little bit further, I said, I need a picture. It was getting really hot. Checking the soles of my shoes, I could see that the rubber had started to melt. We backtracked a bit and found a lookout point on a cliff just as the sun went down. Within minutes it was dark and all we could see was glowing lava creeping its way across black rock and into the dark sea. And yes, I got my picture… :)
Write a Review
