So, 2 months in Hawaii--what’s a girl to do? Well, Hawaii has it all. Great beaches off the beaten track, active volcanoes, waterfalls, great diving, surfing, and just in case you get tired of the sunshine, there’s a snow-capped mountain to explore (but more about that later). This is one island that really has it all! Once you get past the pronunciations, there are some great places to discover.
The west (or Kona) coast is the hottest and driest, and further to the northeast (Hilo) is generally cooler and gets a whole lot more rain. The best sandy beaches tend to be the ones off the beaten track on the west coast--ones that require some serious 4x4 skills, a lot of nerve, and if you’re a girl, a sports bra to defy gravity. To the south, Manuka Bay is a gem, and you can camp out at the bay; it’s utterly beautiful. Word of warning: it’s a good 35 minutes or so off-road down some bumpy tracks to get there, but well worth the trip. There’s even a loo on the hill overlooking the bay that has to have the best view I have ever come across on such occasions!!
Head further south and go to Green Sands Beach, again worth the drive and yes the sand really is green. A little way on is South Point, the southernmost spot in the USA; apparently this is up for debate with some folks in The Keys, but I’m not going to argue. Not really a huge amount down here, other than the disused wind farm rusting away.
The Volcanoes National Park is definitely worth a trip, if you’re lucky the lava can be seen flowing on the surface. It’s a fair hike (about 3 miles) to the active vent from the road – make sure you take plenty of water, its seriously hot underfoot as well as the sunshine! The visitors centre has some interesting stuff, especially watching the needle on the Richter scale jump around when you’re standing on the same spot.
Mauna Kea, the snow-capped mountain, was probably the highlight of my trip. After sitting on a beach in the morning, it seemed a little strange to be packing up the truck with layers of clothing, fleeces, jeans, and a hat whilst it was still 80 degrees or so. Driving across Saddle Road (or Straddle Road, as it’s known by the locals--everyone drives down the middle, thanks to some genius road engineering when they widened the road from a single track by putting about 6 inches of tarmac on each verge) isn’t as bad as the guidebooks make out. I’d half expected all kinds of phenomena to appear after reading tales of desolate landscapes and ghostly visions. I saw a few cattle, and that was the extent of my terror. Once you get to the visitor centre, it’s really advisable to stop and acclimatise yourself and to put on the jeans, three t-shirts, two fleeces, jacket, and hat you’d brought. Word of warning: it’s seriously cold up there, and the wind can really blow (check out the holes drilled thru the road signs on the way up to stop them from being blown over), and when it does, it’s damn cold. So no flip-flops, shorts, or bikinis. The sunset is incredible once you get up there (4wd definitely required); it really does leave you in awe, and the photos just don’t do it justice. On the way back down, if it’s a clear night, the star show at the visitors centre is worth a look. I even saw Saturn!
There is a good choice of bars and restaurants in Kona--for the love of god, branch out and don’t eat at Wendy’s/Taco Bell/McDonalds! The Brew Pub in Kailua, Kona, does the best freshly made pizzas, and the beer is pretty fine too. The Bangkok House Thai restaurant is a good meal. Happy Hour at Oceans is worth a visit--just dodge the chicken nuggets on the pupu menu, as I think the unanimous verdict was that it was a roadkill nugget, but everything else is great. The Sunset bar is right on the sea front and nice to go to once to watch the sunset with a cocktail in hand.
Hawaii also hosts the annual IronMan Triathlon, and you see folks in training all year for this feat. I'm not sure whether to admire them or label them as crazy. I think it’s held in September, when thousands of competitors descend on the island. Perhaps a time to avoid if you have an aversion to lycra.
So, the verdict: Hawaii is great. The people are really friendly, the weather is constant, and there is so much to see and do. Where else in the world can you see rainforests, waterfalls, lava, beaches, and a snow-capped mountain all in one place? Admittedly, that would involve driving very far and probably breaking the speed limit, but you catch my drift.