The Big Island is an underrated travel location amongst the islands of Hawaii in my personal opinion! Growing up, Hawaii was just jumbled up as one place in my mind when in fact, there are four main islands that are popular for tourist destinations - Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.
Here is the layout of what the Hawaiian Islands look like:
The only part of Hawaii I had ever been was Maui as a 10 year old and absolutely loved it. That family vacation was one of the brightest memories of my childhood - learning to snorkel with my Dad, picking up geckos with my brother Danny, and petting parrots on the Road to Hana with my mom.
My Dad works for FedEx and has had several business trips to Hawaii in the last few years, which I hadn't been able to join due to being a student with final exams in university. However, another trip came up while I was a working young lady with accrued PTO (hurrah!) and I decided I would not miss out on this one. My Dad extended his business trip into vacation, where my mom and I then joined him. I was so excited to experience Hawaii as an adult, where I could better appreciate all that mother nature had to offer us.
We went to the Big Island towards the end of September into early October of 2018. When you think Hawaii, most people envision it as a summer destination, which is when I had gone to Maui. I was curious to see if the fall was a good time of year to visit, and I was pleasantly surprised. The weather was warm and humid, with an inviting presence of summer feels in the fall. There were no crowds of people, which really added to the zen and peacefulness of the trip. It truly felt like we had the island to ourselves. The beaches weren't overpopulated, the roads were wide and empty, and the adventure was waiting for us!
As we made our way towards the island, I could see the depths of the ocean water and the lush green of the jungles down below. It felt like we had just landed on Mars, with dark chunky rocks surrounding the airport grounds.
The Resort:
We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, a 4 star hotel located about 20 minutes away from the airport in Kona. Our room had an epic ocean side view and golf course right below.
The view from our room was one I wish to wake up to every morning. We would sit on the balcony to start off our day and soak up the fresh salty air.
The hotel included several swimming pools, a lagoon with dolphins, a tram to take you between the lobby and your room, and several delicious restaurants to dine. If you chose to walk instead of tram, it was about 15 minutes long. The walk included a long path that had many pieces of art, history, and plenty of geckos sprouting from the walls. My favorite thing to do would be to count how many geckos I saw, while I observed their different sizes and color of camouflage.
Night time strolls looked a lot like this; felt very much like a Survivor tribal council (shout out to all you fellow fans)
After spending some time at our incredible resort, we started exploring all that the island had to offer.
Mode of Transportation:
We rented a bright red Jeep Wrangler to get us all around the island. It's called the Big Island for a reason - it's super widespread, so a car is an absolute must to ensure you are able to see everything this magical place has to offer! I would recommend an SUV, as there are some hilly and bumpy entrances into many spots of sight seeing. Additionally, you'll be spending more time in the car than you would think, so it's important to be comfortable. At the airport, they had a shuttle to take directly to the car rental, which made it easy to get going right into your trip.
The Itinerary
Kua Bay
This was the first stop my mom and I made during our time here. We hopped into our jeep with the windows down and music blasting, feeling the warm air blow back our frizzed hair. We stumbled across this particular beach as a wonderful surprise. The ocean waters looked pure turquoise from the road, so we couldn't resist getting out to see it for ourselves. This beach continued to rank my favorite throughout the week, solely for its aesthetic beauty, calming waters, and stunning views.
I loved this place so much, I requested we come see it in the evening during sunset. We spent our last night taking a walk along the shore.
Magic Sand Beach
Similar to the beach above, this one had white sand and turquoise colored water. I personally enjoyed the remoteness and spaciousness of Kua Bay more, but this one was a quick drop and dip in the water!
A glorious sand castle! Which I did not build 😛 This lives up to the beach's name.
Kahalu'u Beach State Park
This was our go-to, favorite location for snorkeling as we spotted plenty of wildlife here. The water was more on the shallow side, so we felt comfortable getting right in. You can go deeper the further out you swim, but the option for low depth is available, which makes for a great spot for beginner snorkelers. The beach location has an easy access parking lot, making it very convenient to come and go as you please. This state park has black sand with a rocky shore. However, this made for prime snorkeling. Water shoes will be your saving grace, as much of the beach has rocks.
Spotted: plenty of sea turtles! I got close and personal to this beautiful marine animal, without touching it as it's illegal to do so. I felt so lucky to observe in their natural habitat.
There was a variety of fish here - my favorite was the rainbow one! I highly recommend investing in a go pro and purchasing a water proof case so you can capture what's under the sea.
In full snorkeling gear; we brought our own masks, as some beaches don't offer rental. I would bring your own to be prepared to dive in anywhere!
You could spend countless hours at this beach location due to the awesome snorkeling. I would also recommend bringing snacks and sandwiches to munch on, as swimming in the water can definitely grow your appetite! We spent time here during sunset, enjoying the shoreside views.
Two Steps
This area is deemed the best spot for snorkeling. However, it is definitely more advanced. The layout of this area is based upon rocks, with no actual shore to lounge on. There's literally two steps that you go down, which takes you about 15 feet deep into the ocean. When we went, the water was choppy and the currents were rough. We were not expecting the water to be this deep, so it was quite difficult to keep afloat. If you decide to snorkel here, I would highly recommend having a boogie board or something you can lean on while swimming, since you will have to tread to keep afloat amidst some rocky, deep water. This spot is actually pretty hidden. To access, go to the location of Pu'uhonua o Hanaunau National Historical Park. The two steps snorkeling location is to the right of the park. There is also a more shallow area to hang out in and soak up the views of the palm trees.
Pu'uhonua o Hanaunau National Historical Park
The Big Island has four national parks and each one is worth giving a visit to! These landmarks are preserved due to their unique and untouched beauty. This one was my favorite national park visit here, due to the tribal vibes and the extravagant palm trees. The park was small with an ocean side view, but was not accessible to snorkel in this premise.
Kaloko - Honokohau National Historical Park
This national park was another hidden gem and was the last stop we made. It was an epic scenery to close out our memorable trip. There was a few minute walk to find the opening of the park, but you'll see a tribal hut indicating you have arrived to your destination. We did not take a swim here, but spotted a few sea turtles popping their heads out of the water to tell us aloha.
Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historical Site
This national site was historic, where you could walk the paths of the beginning stages of the Hawaiian Kingdom. There are several miles of trails here, but we did a quick 30 minute walk of the site to check it off the bucket list.
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
This park is epic. You truly feel you have entered into a jungle upon arrival. However, we went the week the park re-opened after the volcanic eruption that had caused a complete shut down. We had driven two hours deep into Hilo to see it. I would definitely make another visit here for a time the park has more open sites to explore.
In front of a large gaping volcano ☄️
Waipi'o Valley Lookout
This viewpoint was breathtaking and is my dad's favorite place in the world. Located in Hilo, it was a bit of a drive to get there. Unfortunately, the clouds started rolling in and there was a heavy down pour when we arrived. My dad was so disappointed that the view wasn't what he had hyped it up to be because of the storm. We got out of the car and stood soaked in rain, laughing at how hard the rain drops pelted us.
Determined for us to see Waipio Valley at its prime, we made another visit and luckily we were in for a clear skied day.
On our way out, we saw a local with a coconut shack cutting the fresh fruit up off the side of the road. We couldn't resist a taste!
Captain Cook
We checked out this super cute local cafe called the Coffee Shack, located in Captain Cook. We stopped here on our way to Hilo for a breakfast outside with a stunning view. This place is known for all the geckos hanging out on the deck. The reason they all come out here is for the guava jam that people leave for them.
Akaka Falls State Park
This state park is located in the jungles of Hilo. The trail is about a 0.5 mile loop. If you brought bug spray, this is the time to pull it out and save yourself from the mosquitos! There was intense humidity, so make sure and bring water to stay hydrated. We started the trail by going to the right, where it ended with a gorgeous waterfall view.
Huggos on the Rocks
This was a fun local restaurant based in the downtown area of Kona. There were several restaurants on this strip, but this place was so fun and tasty! We ordered pina coladas and fish and chips. The tables are located on sand with a live singer performing while dining for pure entertainment.
Punalu'u Black Sand Beach
The drive to get here was gorgeous! We made a quick pit stop to check out the unique sand. It resembled the color of ashes, with a nearly black tone.
We spotted large sea turtles hanging out on the shore, playing in the sand.
Night snorkeling with Manta Rays
This was the highlight of the trip. We booked the tour through our hotel, but there were also options to do so online. Our tour started with us boarding on a small boat while the sun began to set. We were provided wet suits and snorkeling gear that was properly sanitized for us to use. My dad wears glasses, and they offered goggles that had his prescription so he was able to see the mantas clearly!
As the sun began to set, the crew and tourists began jumping into the depths of the ocean. There were other tour groups out at sea as well. Each boat had a large surf board with a railing around the edge for us to hold onto, and bright lights underneath so we could get a good view of what was below us. As they released plankton, a group of manta rays came to visit us.
Up close and personal with the majestic manta! I didn't pet even though it was right in my face as the crew members advised us not to. The oils of our fingers weighs them down, which makes their lives more difficult to swim. I was just happy to observe in their home!
How we were seeing down below 🌊
Again, a go pro is highly recommended for this trip!
Lava Tubes
Lastly, I would recommend taking a peak at the gaping lava tubes. As you drive along Kona, you will spot plenty of dark rocks, which are actually dried up lava. There are some areas with large holes, where you can look down into the earth.
Overall, the Big Island is full of adventure and jaw dropping nature sights. You can get your fix for sight seeing, snorkeling, beach lounging, and jungle exploring. I hope to make it back over there one day and relive the incredible memories. For now, I'll keep looking through photos and tell everyone to check it out!