Big Island of Hawaii

Hawaii is the youngest and largest of all the islands in the Hawaiian Chain. The island is commonly known as “The Big Island”, to eliminate confusion with Hawaii, the state. The interesting thing about Hawaii is that the island continues to grow thanks to Mount Kilauea. Mount Kilauea is an active volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park which continues to spew lava into the ocean creating more land. The Big Island is not known for its beaches as the other islands are, but this island offers a lot more than others. The Volcanoes National Park is the centerpiece of the island and attracts many visitors every year to admire the wonder of an active volcano that has been continually erupting since 1983.

In the center of the island you will find Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, two dormant volcanoes and the also the highest point in Hawaii. Mauna Loa has been classified as the largest volcano on earth. Mauna Kea, its neighbor, is the tallest point in Hawaii at 13, 796 feet and when measured from the base to the summit, the tallest mountain in the world. While Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, Mauna Kea has another 20,000 feet which is buried underneath the ocean bringing its height to 33,000 feet. This is a wonderful place to stargaze at night or admire the island from above.

With the island’s location in the Pacific, it contains the southernmost point of the United States. Known as Ka Lae or Southpoint, it also the site of an unusual beach. Papakolea is a green sand beach and only two are known to exist anywhere in the world, the other being in Guam. The journey to the Green Sand Beach is difficult than it looks, but if you are up to the challenge, it is well worth the trip.

The island has three other National Parks to include Pu’uhonua o Honaunau, a sacred burial ground and home to the Royal Chiefs of Hawaii. The Big Island is also a great place to go whale watching when the migrating season pushes them from up north to the warmer waters of Hawaii.

Quick Tips:

Highway 200, otherwise known as Saddle Road, crosses between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Do not be fooled. If you are looking at the map and you want to cross from one side of the island to another, it may appear that Highway 200 is the quickest route. However, Highway 200 has so many curves and dips that it nearly impossible to go faster than 30 miles an hour. It is more advisable to take the longer route and go a lot faster.

If you plan to visit the Green Sand Beach, be advised that due to the conditions of the road leading to the beach, that many car rental companies forbid you to take their cars on the road. If you do in violation of the agreement, they can void your contract. Clear it with the car rental company before proceeding.

Best Way To Get Around:

The Big Island has two major airports, Hilo and Kona, the two major cities on the island. The only way to get around the island is by car. There is limited transportation in the two major cities. The roads on the Big Island follow the coastline. The only road that cuts across the island, Highway 200, should not be used except for visiting Mauna Loa or Mauna Kea. The drive from Kona to Hilo is about a 100 miles and takes about two hours.

The Royal Kona Resort is located in Kona, one of the two major cities on the Big Island, the other being Hilo on the other side of the island. The resort is situated directly next to the ocean which offers scenic views during your stay. The resort has 436 rooms located in three different towers spanning twelve acres. The hotel is a mere 9 miles from the Kona International Airport and minutes from downtown Kona.

The lobby, like most hotels in Hawaii, is open-air and is accessed by walking over the pedestrian bridge spanning a Koi pond. The resort is split into three towers named the Alii Tower, Lagoon Tower, and the Bay Tower. All of the towers are six floors except for the Alii Tower which has seven and they all have two elevators. They all have oceanfront rooms and there is not a bad view even if you do not get an oceanview room. The Alii Tower could very well be classified as the main tower. It includes the reception desk, gift shop, and the two main restaurants on site, Don the Beachcomber Restaurant and Don’s Mai Tai Bar. The massage and spa center are located in the Bay Tower and is the closest to the town of Kailua-Kona. The Lagoon Tower has a beauty salon and laundry facilities.

The rooms are spacious with 390 square feet while a king corner room has 450 square feet. The rooms were being refurbished while I was there, which now consists of granite countertops, marble showers, new furniture, plush bedding and new fixtures. All of the rooms come equipped with A/C, refrigerator, in-room safe, color cable television, a private lanai, as well as many others.

The hotel offers a concierge service to assist in making reservations for dinner or activities around the island. The ocean around the Big Island is very rough which is why it is not famous for its beaches like the other islands. The hotel offers an outdoor swimming pool and a private beach area which contains a saltwater snorkeling lagoon. The lagoon is surrounded by huge black rocks which separates it from the ocean. The lagoon is also home to hundreds of black crabs which blend in with the rocks to protect them from predators. They are interesting to watch as you relax in the lagoon or sun bath on the shore.

The hotel also boasts it owns nightlife by hosting a luau every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday named Lava, Legends & Legacies. The Royal Kona Resort has also become a popular place to have weddings, which they offer different packages to make the most of your wedding and honeymoon.

The hotel charges to park your vehicle but it substantially less than most of the other hotels in the area. The hotel could very well be a budget hotel because of their prices but their accommodations and amenities speak luxury.

If you happen to be coming from Kona, perhaps on your way to the Volcano National Park, try stopping off at another national park that lies directly next to the ocean. The park is called Pu’uhonua o Honaunou, which I still do not know how to pronounce, but translates into Place of Refuge. The park is accessible from Highway 11, known as Volcano Road, which is where you pick up Route 160 which leads to the coast and the park.

Pu’uhonua o Honaunou was a sacred place among Hawaiians which is evident from the enormous wood carved Tiki statues that adorn the grounds. The park is known as “Place of Refuge”, because until the 19th century, if a Hawaiian broke a law, the penalty for such an offense was death. Hawaiians escaped death by first fleeing their pursuers and then reaching a pu’uhonua, or place of refuge. There a priest would absolve the Hawaiian and he would be free to leave.

As you enter the park from the Visitor Center, you are immediately struck by the beautiful views of the ocean interspersed with many thatched buildings and wood carved statues, known as ki’i, keeping watch over the property. Besides from being a place of refuge, it was also home to many Hawaiian chiefs, or ali’i, who took up residence on the Royal Grounds. While there was no single royal structure, there are many different buildings that housed the ali’i.

One of the best places to visit on the grounds is Keone’ele Cove, which was used by the ali’i as the royal landing for the canoes which came ashore. The area was forbidden to all except for the ali’i, and anyone violating this was put to death. Today, visitors come to the cove to admire the endangered sea turtles which swim in the cove and occasionally sun bath on the beach.

The Royal Grounds are separated from the Pu’uhonua by a wall, which is made of huge blocks of lava rocks and is only held together by the friction between the stones. The wall measures 17 feet thick and 10 feet tall. The wall, more commonly known as the Great Wall, has stood since the 1500’s and needs constant care as parts of it has become unstable over the centuries.

The halau, or working areas, are thatched buildings in which tools or weapons were made. I was able to witness a Hawaiian carving a canoe, which was the main mode of transportation for the Hawaiians in that time.

The park is still considered sacred grounds to many Hawaiians and while you explore the park, that should always be kept in mind. This park is also a cemetery as the bones of the Hawaiian chiefs were buried here in the Hale o Keawe Temple. There are 23 sets of bones buried inside the temple with the Tiki statues keeping watch. The park preserves the spirit of the Hawaiian people and their culture and it is impossible to leave without feeling that presence.

Mauna Kea is the largest mountain in the world. How can that be when Mount Everest is the tallest in the world? Mount Everest has a height of 29,029 feet while Mauna Kea has a height of 13, 796 feet. However, when Mauna Kea is measured from its base to its summit, it is 33000 feet, 20000 feet which is below the Pacific Ocean. Mauna Kea is flanked by its neighbor, Mauna Loa, which has a height of 13, 679 feet, a little over 100 feet smaller.

Mauna Kea has been considered one of the most important astronomical sites in the world. There is an observatory at the top of the mountain and scientists from around the world come to Mauna Kea to do research because in a given year there are over 300 clear nights which contributes to the many clear pictures of the night sky.

I decided to make my journey to the top of Mauna Kea at night to go stargazing. I turned onto Highway 200, also known as Saddle Road, which cuts between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The road is not flat nor is it fast. The fastest I could travel on the road was 30 mph and that is because of the many dips and curves that wind its way to the entrance of Mauna Kea.

Once I finally made it to the entrance to Mauna Kea, the road did not get any better. Since I was going up a mountain, the road began to constantly curve until I made it to the top. It was interesting to see cattle grates on the road as there used to be a problem with cattle on the mountain.

I finally made it to the observatory which is operated by the University of Hawaii. I actually came on a good night, because there were over twenty high powered telescopes that I could look through and see the many different constellations and stars in the night sky. Volunteers from the university were on hand to answer any questions that we had about what we were seeing.

One of the most interesting views was a close-up of the moon. You could actually put your camera lens onto the telescope view finder and take pictures of the moon. However, I didn’t need the telescope, because the sky was so clear, that it seemed that I could literally reach out and touch the moon.

If you are looking to do something at night, stargazing on the highest point in Hawaii is a great start.

The Big Island has perhaps one of the most unique National Parks in the United States and resides just off the southeastern coast, known as Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It is the only place in the US that you can see an active volcano, Mount Kilauea. The volcano has continuously been erupting since 1983 and is the reason why the island continues to grow in size. The park is so unique that it has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.

A visit to the park begins off of Highway 11, otherwise known as Volcano Road, for obvious reasons. Our first stop in the park is at the Kilauea Visitor Center, where you can pick up maps of the park and find out the latest eruption information. Before you come to the park, it is advisable to bring warm clothing as the temperature can change drastically as well as become very windy. The best way to explore the park is by taking the Crater Rim Drive, which is an 11 mile drive along the crater of Kilauea.

Our first stop was to admire the steam vents and sulphur banks of the volcano. Ground water penetrates the volcanic rocks which come back up to the surface as steam. The huge caldera pit also contained sulfur which was unmistakable from the smell of rotten eggs that hung in the air. The park advises anyone who has respiratory problems to stay away from this area as toxic gases released from the crater could cause health problems.

There are other lookouts that give great views of the craters before you reach the Jaggar Museum. The museum gives you a chance to get out of the car and away from the weather while learning about volcanology. The museum displays older equipment used by scientists and working seismographs. The museum also offers a sheltered view of the caldera and main crater.

Upon leaving the museum, you approach the southwest rift zone which is unique for the lack of vegetation. The area receives 30 to 40 inches of rain a year, but it is all acid rain due to the sulfur dioxide in the air. From there you approach Halema’uma’u Crater, which is home to Pele, Goddess of the Hawaiian Volcanoes. The crater contains an overlook which looks directly into Pele’s home. The crater measures 3000 feet wide and 300 feet deep.

A few miles away, Crater Rim Drive intercepts Chain of Crater Road. This road is a 40 mile roundtrip drive that descends 3700 feet to the coast. The road dead-ends because of a 1995 lava flow that rolled across it forever closing the road to vehicles. You park your vehicle on the side of the road and walk over the molten rock. On a busy day, cars are lined up on the side of the road up to a mile. There is a ranger station to advise you on conditions at the bottom. You need to be very careful walking across the rocks as it is uneven and deep holes exist which can cause possible injury if you fall into them. The interesting thing about this area is it where the lava flows into the sea. However, to get anywhere near the lava, you have to take a few miles walk across the rocks. I did not take the hike since I was informed that even if you made it out there, the chance of seeing the lava is slim. However, I did get to see the massive steam vents which is caused by the lava flowing into the ocean. If you want to be guaranteed to see lava, your best bet is to take a helicopter tour which takes you to the edge of the volcano. Although, the trip to the bottom is only forty miles roundtrip, expect that side trip to take at least 3 to 4 hours.

Once you get back on Crater Rim Drive, you are treated to a few more scenic outlooks of lava flows that have occurred over the years before returning to the visitor’s center. You should visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, if you do nothing else on the island. It is a once in a lifetime experience and should not be taken for granted. Although the volcano has been erupting since 1983, it could stop at any time