Our Most Favorite Island in Hawaii

Cruising among the Hamakua Coast lush foliage. Stopping at every bridge and find a beautiful little valley full of exotic greenery. Going on the scenic drive and stopping at the bend to glimpse at the breathtaking ocean. Picking wild flowers and foliage to make lei and haiku lei. Stopping at unattended foodstands along the roads to buy tropical fruits on the honor system. Living in swimsuit, board short and rubber thong. Snorkeling and swimming in the warm oceans from sunrise to sunset. Lying lazily by the pool, sipping a tropical drink and watching the hula show at sunset.

Quick Tips:

The Big Island is the home of the two most active volcanos in the world. It also offers plenty of lush rain forests and sumptuous beaches. The East Coast is often wet with exotic greenery, wild flowers and foliages. The West Coast is drier and more popular with the island visitors looking for sunshine and endless beaches.

To visit all the major attractions on the Big Island, you will need about a week. Do split your stay between Hilo and Kailua Kona. These two areas provide easy day trip to other parts of the island and offer more choices and reasonable price accommodations.

A few recommended "must visit" sights are:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Thurston Lava Tube
Mauna Kea State Recreation Area
Hamakua Coast
Waipio Valley
Akaka Falls State Park
Wailuku River State Park
Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park (Place of Refuge)
Kahalu'u Beach
Disappearing Sands Beach (also known as White Sand Beach Hapuna Beach State Park
Anaeho'omalu Beach

Pack light and bring plenty of t-shirts, shorts and sunscreen. Everyone dresses casually on the island.

Best Way To Get Around:

The Big Island is "big", therefore it is best to rent a car. There is public transit in most towns but they are not very frequent, only stopping at important areas and the ride can be lengthy.

Most hotels and condos are located in Kailua Kona ("Kona"). The majority of them are on Ali''i Drive. These hotel and condos suit all budgets. The more expensive and luxury resorts are found on the Kohala Coast. Kona and Kohala have easier access to the beaches. Hilo serves as the best base to see the rest of the island, but it only have a handful of big hotels and inns. If you like to stay close to the National Park area, your choice will be restricted to the Bed and Breakfast. The high season is from mid November to mid April. The low season is between late April and early November.

On our most recent trip, we rented a condo in the Kona Bali Kai Condo Resort. Kona Bali Kai is on Ali’i Drive between Kailua Kona and Keahou. The resort is also a very short distance to the Magic Sands Beach and Kahalu''u Beach, one of the island''s best snorkeling beaches. Kona Bali Kai has several low rise complex facing both the ocean side and mountain side of Ali''i Drive. It has an activities desk, a sundry shop, a pool, jacuzzi, beachfront gas barbecues and picnic areas.

The unit we rented is a one-bedroom mountainview unit with a full kitchen equipped with microwave, coffee maker, color cable TV, wall unit air conditioning in the living/dining room area and ceiling fan in the bedroom. All the furniture and carpet were new. Overall we were pleased with the unit. Our only complaint was that the bedroom did not have air conditioning, so it was a bit unbearable in the late afternoon. The mountainview outside of our bedroom window was beautiful at night.

On our second trip to the island, we stayed at Royal Kona Resort ("Royal Kona"). Royal Kona is considered one of the best resort hotels in Kailua-Kona. It is on the oceanfront side of Ali''i Drive and in the heart of Kailua Kona Village.

The resort is surrounded with tropical trees. Royal Kona does not have a natural beach, instead it has a manmade salt lagoon. The resort has an open-air reception desk, a huge parking lot and several separate complexes.

The guest rooms are roomy and furnished with tropical-style furniture. All have lanais, most with ocean view. We were able to watch the hotel luau from our lanai. We learned that the condition of the rooms and complexes varied considerably. We found the condition of our room to be damp and shabby. But our friends said their room was nice.

We could not comment on the resort restaurant because we did not visit it.

Royal Kona is within walking distance to most shops and restaurants and could be a very nice place for a short stay if it is better maintained.

Hilton Waikoloa Village is certainly worth a stay or at least a visit. The resort is huge and fairly exceptional but lacks a sandy beach.

All the palm trees, grass and sands were imported from other places on the island to built the lagoon. Hilton has its own on-site transportation of monorail and boat to take its guests from one side of the resort to another. The main attractions are the hotel landscapes, manmade saltwater lagoon, and the main swimming pool with huge water falls, long water slide and three jacuzzis. It also has two golf courses, and an 18-hole putting course. The hotel ground resembles a water amusement park.

The rooms were just rooms. They were no different than other hotel room with two large beds, a nice bathroom and a balcony. The ocean was beautiful, but the shore was too rough to consider going close to the water!

King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel is the only central Kailua-Kona hotel with a pocket white-sand beach. The hotel is large, has some newly remodeled rooms and all are with private lanai (porch). The staff is very friendly, there are a lot of gift shops and good dining. There is a pool and tennis courts, a bar and hula shows. The hotel offers free tours explore the grounds and Ahuena Heiau. It is the most convenient of the hotels because it is right in Kailua Kona next to the Kailua Pier. The travel books have been raving about this hotel. However we found that other than the good location, this hotel is pretty shabby and stuffy.

And, don’t be fooled by the advertisement on the Imu sight and explanation on the preparation for the luau. The Imu was just a pit in the earth where man dressed like construction worker unceremoniously dump dirt over a pig covered with leaves and wood. The area was surrounded by an ordinary fence. The Imu was not a sight worth seeing.

Outrigger Waikoloa Beach Resort is a nice hotel. It is built on one of the finest beaches on the Big Island of Hawaii, the Anaeho''omalu Beach. The open lobby had a large outrigger canoe on display in the ample lobby. The hotel has an open air restaurant, a large pool with a waterfall and a slide, a shallow kiddie pool that features a sand beach for the kids to play in, and a jacuzzi area.

To get to the beach is a short walk past the historic fish ponds and by the petroglyph areas (ancient Hawaiian carvings). These are interesting sights but could also be deadly hot during the sunny afternoon to past through. There are plenty of beach chairs and a water activity desk in this area.

Dining in Hawaii is wonderful feast for the senses. You must anticipate new and exotic flavors. Kailua Kona has a wide variety of ethnic restaurants for all budgets.

The cheapest, most recommended restaurant is the Kona Mixed Plate. This restaurant offers mixed plate Japanese, Korean and American menus. It is located in the Lahaina Shopping Center.

For noodles of the world, go to Oodles of Noodles located in the Crossroads Shopping Center. This restaurant serves all types of noodles dishes. The foods are good, but the menu is pricier, the portions are smaller than the portions served at their mainland locations.

One of the local favorites is the Ocean View Inn. This restaurant is located in the heart of Kailua Kona, just down from Kailua Pier. The menu included Chinese, American and Hawaiian food. Many people said that the food here is good and inexpensive. We stopped by but decided not stay since the food looked kind of greasy and sad to our palate.

Another cheaper restaurant is Café Sibu located in the Royal Banyan Court on Ali’i Drive. This restaurant serves generous, inexpensive and good Indonesian food.

Huggo’s is pricey but worth a splurge. The restaurant is built on the rock and is a good place to watch sunset over Kailua Kona. The food and the nightly live entertainment that Huggo’s offers makes it a local popular spot.

Some of the best foods in town are found at Jameson’s by the Sea. This restaurant is next to the Magic Sands Beach. You can dine inside or outside, right on the water. This restaurant has great seafood.

For Italian food, go to Basil’s Pizzeria and Ristorante on Ali’i Drive, or Bianelli’s in the Crossroads Shopping Center. The prices are reasonable at both places.

For Thai food, we recommend Bangkok Houses in King Kamehameha Shopping Center, Thai Rin on Ali’i Drive and Su’s Thai Kitchen on Pawaii Place (in the old industrial area). Bangkok has good curry entrée and the price is reasonable. Su’s Thai is the least expensive of the three restaurants. It is said to be a local favorite.

If you have a big appetite, go to Ocean Seafood Restaurant in King Kamehameha Shopping Center. The Chinese buffet dinner there is less than $10. If you like all you can eat steamed mussels and shrimps like we do, this is the place for it.

If you have an urge for fast food, go to Wendy, this fast food place is located on the high hill in Keahou. From there you can enjoy a panoramic views of the coastline.

An alternate reasonable choice in Waikoloa is the Grand Palace Chinese Restaurant in King’s Shop. Their menu offers cuisine from many regions. We liked their sautéed seafood.

In Hilo, we recommend:

Pescatore, an Italian restaurant in downtown Hilo. They offer traditional Italian dishes such as eggplant parmigiana and lasagna, veal, prosciutto, cioppino.

Uncle Billy’s Restaurant on Banyan Drive, the décor is pure Hawaiian. You can dine, watch and participate in the free nightly hula. We like their fishes, especially the mahi-mahi in macadamia-nut sauce, and teriyaki beef .

Harrington’s for steak and seafood. This restaurant is right on Reeds Bay, the restaurant lanai is extended over the water. The fresh mahi-mahi meunière and the Slavic steak are good.

Waimea is a heaven for meat-and-potatoes. Try Parker Ranch Grill in the Parker Ranch Shopping Center for beef entrées such as ribsteak with pistachio-roasted chili butter.

And don't forget the luscious fresh fruit of the Big Island: the small and sweet apple bananas), papayas, mangos, guavas, lychees, pineapples, liliko`i (passionfruit), and coconuts.

Hamakua Coast is a picture book scene. It is a drive through former sugarcane plantation lands which are gradually being overgrown with exotic vegetation. While on the Hamakua Coast, be sure to visit:

Waipio Valley - as you travel through the valley you will see lush tropical vegetation, a giant orchard of guava, mango, mountain apple and java plum trees grow wild, jungle, taro patches and waterfalls. You might see wild horses, too.

Akaka Falls State Park - with the cascade Kahuna Falls, free falling Akaka Falls plunges from 442 feet into an eroded gorge.

Laupahoehoe Beach Park - with breathtaking view of the ocean and greenery picnic area.

The Volcanoes National Park, the world's most active volcanoes and Thurston Lava Tube are in this district. Be sure to drive down to the south end of the park, along Route 130 to view streams of Kilauea's lava flows south into the ocean. To get to these attractions, you will be driving through stretches miles of lava flows. This is where lava flows from the early ‘90s covered several acres of land and destroyed roads, power lines and many homes. Driving in this area gives a feeling as of being in another planet.

A word of advice is not to live the park to late, since the ride back to town is pretty far; the road is pretty deserted. Make sure you fill up your car at the first sign of a gas station.

This is where the famous Punaluu Beach Park (also known as Black Sand Beach) is found, the beach is made up of granulated lava; it is a popular spot to view green sea turtles. The Green Sand Beach, Papakolea, is also located in this district. The town of Na’alehu in Kau is the southern most residential area of the US.

The passage through Kau consisted of farming land, rugged coastal areas, hills, mountain slopes, dry upland forest and lava deserts.

Kailua-Kona is the visitor center for the Kona Coast. It offers a significant number of activities and attractions such as cultural sights and beaches. Most of the hotels and resorts are also found in this area.

In the Kailua-Kona town, you will find the following:

• Hulihe'e Palace on Ali’i Drive – once the summer home of Hawaiian royalty and now a museum of rare Hawaiian collection.
• Ahuena Ehiau - next to the King Kamehameha Hotel.
• White Sands Beach – also known as Disappearing Sands or Magic Sands Beach. This is a wonderful bodysurfing beach. The currents are generally strong. This beach is one of the local favorite beaches. It is crowded with both tourists and locals on the weekend.
• Kahalu’u Beach – one of THE best snorkeling beach on the island. The shallow water makes it an excellent choice for beginner swimmer and snorkeler. This is also the home of several green sea turtles. They are friendly, you can swim along side them. If you see them laying on shore, don’t be alarmed, they are not dead or laying eggs; they are just there sun bathing.

In South Kona, the attractions are:

• Kealakekua Bay – has good snorkeling and is the scene of Captain Cook’s death.
• St. Benedict’s – the painted church by a Belgian priest in the late 1800’s
• Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park – also known as the Place of Refuge. Here you will find the great wall, temple platforms, royal fishponds, and the site of a coastal village. Snorkeling is excellent in Honaunau Bay. This is absolutely a must see!
• Roadside Attraction – The unattended fresh tropical fruit stands between Kailua Kona and Honaunau where purchases are made on an honor system. There are lots of tropical fruit trees along the road, they are tempting but do not pick the fallen ones like we did; they are infested with creepy crawlies, such as worms as we belatedly discovered.

Kohala is the birthplace of Hawaii’s first king, King Kamehameha I. It is now the island leading luxury resort destination. Some of the largest resorts top golf courses are found on the South Kohala coast. Kohala Coast spreads out approximately 20 miles on warm and dry lava desert. The drive from the airport was like going through the surface of the moon as there was nothing but volcanic ash; but do not get discouraged because once you get to the resort area there will be oasis of lush plants and trees everywhere.

A few attractions to visit here are:

Anaeho`omalu Beach Park – the largest white sand beach of the island. It is located in Waikoloa. This beach is wide spacious with beautiful coconut trees. The water is very calm here. A picturesque locale with good swimming and snorkeling, it is also one of the island’s favorite surfing and windsurfing spots.

Hapuna Beach – another nice and popular white sand beach. It is ideal for swimming, bodysurfing and sunbathing.

Spencer Beach Park – the safest and best swimming pool beach in South Kohala. It also offers excellent snorkeling.

Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site – a temple constructed by King Kamehameha.

Lapakahi State Historical Park – a reconstructed Hawaiian fishing village. Visitors can take self guided walking tour

The Kohala Mountain Road has beautiful views of rolling mountains, green pastures and is one of the most scenic drives on the island.

Waimea links Kona and Hilo. It is a cozy little town with lots of places to explore. This is the home to the famous Parker Ranch, the largest family-owned ranch in the US. The Parker Ranch Visitors Center and Museum is at the Parker Ranch Shopping Center in town. The historic ranch home is open to the public and is located on the west edge of town. Guests can take guided horse rides around the grounds. There is rodeo ride, horse races on the Ranch during the Fourth of July Celebration every year.

Waimea is also where the world best astronomical observation, Mauna Kea, located. There are guide walks through the observatory during daylight hours.

Hilo is the capital city of the Big Island. It is located on the lower end of the eastern coast of the island. The attractions to visit in Hilo are:

· Lyman House Museum - where you can learn about the multi-cultural history of the Big Island · Waianuenue Falls - an 80 foot waterfall with colorful rainbows of mist · Wailuki River State Park - the park popular attractions are the Boiling Pots area at end of Pe'epe'e Falls and the Rainbow Falls. · Hilo Farmers' Market - the gathering place of the local artists and farmers from all five Hawaiian Islands. You will find splendid orchids, heliconias and other cut flowers for sale, plus exotic produce such as pineapple, papaya, mango, guava, sour sop, sabote, etc. · Suisan Fish Market – where the fish auction goes on every morning · Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens – one of the most beautiful places in Hawaii. As you wander the trails throughout the Garden, you pass through wild orchids, coconut groves, mango and monkeypod trees, palm jungles and a giant fern tree forest, waterfalls, streams and at several points you even reach the ocean. The garden has over 2000 species of plants.

There are public transportation, shuttle services and taxi on the Big Island; however the best way to explore the island is to rent a car.

Bus and shuttle are available in most towns. The Big Island's public transportation, Hele-On, runs the main route between Hilo and Kailua-Kona once a day in each direction, and several routes to Volcano, Pahoa and Waikoloa two or three times a day. Fares range from $2.25 -- $5.35 each way depending on the route.

The Speedi Shuttle in Kailua Kona runs from the airport to most major hotel on the Kona Coast. Fares range from $15 to $62 depending on the distance of the hotels. A taxi ride will cost about $12 to $15 more than shuttle service.

Kailua Kona also has the Ali’i Shuttle. This shuttle only services the Ali’i Drive in Kailua Kona. Fare is $2 each way.

If you'd like to kick back and leave all the worries to someone else, hook up with a tour group. The tour group we saw more often on the island is Robert's Hawaii Tours.

If you decided to drive, make sure to fill your car up before driving a long distance. The gas stations are fairly far apart. Gasoline price is much higher in Hawaii than on the mainland. A gallon of regular unleaded was about $2.23 on the Kona Coast and $2.12 in Hilo early July. The roads are in good condition and rarely congested. The main roads are generally two-lane, narrow with no shoulder. If you are lost, don’t be alarmed (unless you are low on gas) keep on driving and you will eventually find civilization again. Do not hesitate to stop and ask for help, the Kamaaina (local) are friendly and always happy to help. The maps found in the Big Island activities magazines are good driving sources.

Distance/Driving Time between destinations:

· Kona International Airport is about 9 miles north of Kailua-Kona;, 35-minute drive from the northern Kona Coast; 20 minutes from Keauhou; and 10 minutes from Kailua-Kona. The only available route is Hwy 19. · Hilo International Airport is about two miles from the major hotels on Banyan Drive. · Kona to Hilo via Hwy 11 (southern route) is about 2.75 hours (125 miles) · Kona to Hilo via Hwy 19 (northern route through Waimea and down the Hamakua Coast) is about 2 hours (100 miles). The alternate choice is Hwy 190 from Kona to Hilo; this route is about 30 minutes less driving then via Hwy 19. · Kona to Volcanoes National Park via Hwy 11 is about 2 hours · Hilo to Volcanoes National Park, via Hwy 11, is bout 45 minutes to 1 hour