Island of Hawaii or The Big Island: To go or not to go?
Written: Nov 05 '02 (Updated Apr 28 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The Volcano, the gorgeous beach, the snorkeling.
Cons: Not enough to keep busy for more than 3 days.
The Bottom Line: Go here for the Volcano, the most gorgeous beach I've seen, the coffee and a wonderful snorkeling spot.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Island of Hawaii |
The Big Island (Often confused as the location of Honolulu because it is called the Island of Hawaii also.) was the third island we went to June 2002 during out 3-week visit to Hawaii. It is very different than Maui and Kauai. Much of what you will see will be lava. It has an amazing diversity of climates. A 50-mile drive will take you through all four seasons! It is also the biggest island of Hawaii, the youngest and least populated. In addition, it has the highest peaks in the Pacific and the most volcanoes of any among the Hawaiian islands.
The first thing you want to do after landing at the airport is pick up brochures. There will be dozens and most of them will come in handy. We landed at the Kona International Airport and stayed at the Royal Kona Resort (Reviewed and recommended) in Kailua-Kona. These are on the West Side of the island. If I had to do it again, so I am recommending this to you, is go to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park during your last two days on the island staying in Hilo one night. The next day you will go back to the Park and then leave The Big Island from Hilo International Airport, both of which are on the eastern side. This will give you two days in the Volcano without it costing you additional money to stay overnight in Hilo. We ended up visiting the Park only one day because it was so far from our hotel and didn’t want to spend a night in Hilo when we were already paying for a hotel on the other side of the island.
As I did in my Maui and Kauai reviews, I will take you through our 5 days (One of the 5 was an evening) on The Big Island. If what we did I would recommend I will say so and vice versa. If I have already reviewed something I will tell you and not review it again here. I will start by saying that although there is a lot to do here, especially if you go to the Volcano twice, since we did not, 5 days is too many on this island. This was the only island that we found ourselves floundering for things to do or feeling as if we were just killing time, waiting to leave.
We got in late Thursday night so we ate dinner at Pancho-Lefty’s, 75-5719 Allii Drive. Allii Drive is the major strip in this area and parking is scarce. Our hotel was almost across the street (and was directly across the street from The Hard Rock Café) and just a minute walk away plus we had a coupon from The Entertainment Book so that’s where we went. The food was just all right. If we hadn’t had the coupon and if you do not, I would recommend The Hard Rock Café.
Day one took us to Volcano National Park. The lava was flowing so we didn’t want to put it off. We left the hotel at 5:45a.m. because of the distance. I have reviewed this thoroughly and will just say that, of course you are going here. Even if you are not staying on The Big Island, you will probably find yourself flying over for a day to go to this Park. It is a must, must, must do. Even if the lava isn’t flowing, it is awesome!
Day two (and this was a floundering day, in my opinion) found us deciding to spend some time at the pool at our hotel. The buffet breakfast, although touted as the best in the area, was not very good. We ended up on the other days having a bagel or pastry and decent coffee at Island Lava Java, which is on Alii Drive (on the same side as The Hard Rock Cafe.), and you can park in the back. There may not be a sign telling you that there is parking there, but we had no problem and others parked there as well.
We then decided to visit coffee plantations. There are many! As the must have book, Hawaii The Big Island Revealed by Andrew Doughty and Harriett Friedman will tell you, although coffee tours are advertised in brochures and even on signs as you pass them, when you go in, they may be surprised to see you, especially if you actually want to buy coffee. Kona coffee and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee are considered the best in the world. You will pay $20-$25 per pound!
We took one nice tour that I can recommend and the daughter of the owner was very nice. You find samples of all sorts of chocolate covered beans and treats to taste and she’ll talk to you for as long as you want. This was at Greenwell Farms on Route 11 at marker 112. Also recommended by the above authors is Bayview Coffee Farm, which is on Painted Church Road. You might want to see the Painted Church. (Since you are there and have nothing else to do.) There was no tour here but what we did find was a small store with antique coffee grinding equipment that worked and the owner who was one of the nicest of men. Talk to him about his son at an East Coast Ivy League University and and you will get a terrific deal on Macadamia nuts! I also thought the chocolate he sold was well priced and couldn’t pass up a small piece (Ok, large piece). You will notice that coffee and chocolate go together in Kona. In one of the brochures you have, 101 Things To Do you will find one of the things to do is go Kona coffee tasting. This is the best guide to the coffee plantations that I’ve seen.
If you are more adventurous than we were at this point in our trip you will want to snorkel at Cook’s monument. You have to cross Kealakekue Bay. The snorkeling is supposed to be fantastic and spotting dolphins is not unusual but when we went to look at the area, the water looked a little rougher than I was comfortable with in a kayak so we skipped this recommended spot.
I mentioned in another review that I found the authors mentioned above to be reckless at times in their recommendations. They will tell you that you can swim to the area – about an hour each way with fins on or you can walk about 98% of the distance on boulders exposing yourself to “the ocean’s whims.” They like the kayaking method which will take you about 30 minutes each way. You can also take a trail to it, which is 2 miles each way with a 1300-foot constant descent to the water. Truly, I thought my 9 lives were up after the previous 2 islands so I was done with this kind of risk taking.
We stopped at Baskin-Robbins. You’ll find a 2 for 1 in many of the guidebooks as well as The Entertainment Book in Lanihau Center at 75-5595 Palani Road. We found ourselves in this shopping center a lot. There is a post office, Hilo-Hattie for more souvenirs as well as a Wal-Mart here for more souvenirs and to get your pictures developed. It is right off of Highway 11 also known as Queen Kaahumanu Highway
Along Alii Drive you will find a lot of shopping and it is just a nice walking area. You will also find the newest Farmer’s Market on Alii drive, just south of downtown. The hours are irregular so you may have to just take your chances or ask where you are staying if they know their current hours. This was where we found the best price for Kona coffee as well as a few souvenirs including the very popular Hawaiian shirts.
A nice place to watch the sunset happens to be where we were staying. From 6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m. you can have their happy hour special drink in the Windjammer Lounge at the Royal Kona Resort or outside. Sit outside for a great view.
We had dinner at a restaurant that was one of the best in which I have eaten. It is on Alii Drive and it is called Kona Teang on Thai. We went there knowing nothing about it except that it was still open when we got hungry and it was excellent. It was empty at 9:00p.m. but I imagine it gets quite a crowd. It is upstairs. Many stores and restaurants on Alii Drive are two stories with one store on the bottom and one on the top. This one is on the top. Don’t miss it!
Day Three found us once again at Island Lava Java and I will recommend the muffins. We got a papaya muffin and a coconut-pineapple muffin and they were the most incredible I have had. These didn’t have essence of fruit but huge chunks of papaya and coconuts in them. A definite recommend!
This was our snorkeling day and we decided ahead of time on 3 beaches. The first one was Kahalu’u Beach Park where you will find restrooms and incredible snorkeling. There is easy, free parking and a very short stroll to the beach. The beach itself is not that nice. It was very gravelly and didn’t feel as clean as the beaches we had been used to but it was fine and I have to recommend it because the snorkeling was incredible. We just walked right into the water – it was easy snorkeling – with no coral to get cut on. We saw a huge (3 feet maybe) parrot fish, needlefish (I have an amazing picture of him eating another fish. I have no idea how my husband caught that shot!), all sorts of tang but we never saw any turtles while snorkeling in Hawaii.
Our next stop was Pu’uhonua O Honaunau. This is actually a national park called The Place of Refuge and in spite of the guidebook saying don’t miss it, we decided to. To avoid wasting time at the gate where you would have to pay to go into The Place of Refuge, take the turn before you get to the gate at a hydrant. This will take you to the beach.
This looked to me like a place where locals hang out. There were only porta-toilets and the parking was on a dirt lot by the honor system with a box to put our few dollars in. There actually was no beach just lava rocks. You walk on the flat rocks to get to the water. If you are not an experienced snorkeler, you will not enjoy this stop. The water was choppy and very deep so the fish cannot be seen as well as at the previous beach. It is also very, very difficult to get in and out of the water because of the rocks and the tide. The coral was the nicest here that we found among the islands but not as nice as what you will see if you go to The British Virgin Islands! We did see a trumpet fish so it wasn’t totally a waste.
The first two areas have lagoon or tide pool areas, which are great for children.
On the way to our third beach we continued north to the upscale area of Kohala, which is 30 miles north of Kailua-Kona . Passing miles and miles of desolate land with lava rocks scattered around note the white stones that spell words or are just piled around. At first you will think it is graffiti but it is not. Locals place them there and it is considered a really bad thing to do if you are not from The Big Island.
Hapuna Beach north of Waialea Bay and just south of the very nice Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is a must see beach. My notes say, “it is the nicest, softest sand I’ve seen.” It is magnificent. Along the coastline you will see the upscale hotels. The water is crystal clear, not a stick or piece of seaweed could be found. The snorkeling was bad – in fact there were almost no fish to see even along the reef where it is suggested we go. We went along it and fairly far out, but were not at all impressed with the snorkeling so don’t go here for the fish. Go here to see this 1/2 mile long and 200 feet wide beach. In fact Conde Nast Traveler has often voted it the best in the entire nation!
There are showers, restrooms, lifeguards and a concession stand here but it wasn’t very crowded and this was Sunday. The most crowded of the day was the first beach mentioned.
We ate dinner at Oodles of Noodles in the CrossRoads Shopping Center in Kona at Palani and the highway. It is very close to Lanihau Center mentioned above. The food was very good but a bit pricey. I would recommend it though and children under 3 are free.
Day Four (I didn’t count the first evening as one) was our last day on The Big Island. We had a 2 for 1 at The French Bakery in Kaahumanu Plaza, on the corner of Highway 19 and Kaiwi Street in Kailue-Kona. We bought $10.00 worth of the most delicious whole-wheat croissants and a pastry called UFOs for $5.00.
We decided to make Malama Petroglyph Trail in Kohala our destination but not before stopping at Mac Pie. This place is famous for their delicious Macadamia Nut pies. They are famous because they are delicious. You’ll find them at 74-5035 Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway in Kailua-Kona and again we had a 2 for 1. We bought two 6-inch pies for $6.00. This is a definite recommended stop.
We also stopped (remember we are still heading north in the upscale area) at Kings Shops for Starbucks Coffee. It is a wonderful shopping area if Louis Vuitton and Ferragamo are in your budget. They aren’t in mine but it is a nice area to walk around and you can sit outside and drink your coffee.
At Mauna Lani (It appears that you will be going to the hotel but you aren’t) we drove to a nearly empty parking lot with beautiful restrooms. There is a beach there as well but it isn’t one I would recommend. There is a beach trail to the resorts if you want to take a look. The path to the petroglyphs is an easy 25-minute walk through a forest where you will end up in what appears to be a field of petroglyphs or carvings in lava. There is supposed to be a wonderful petroglyph field at Kilauea Volcano but we never got there.
This smaller one is still one of the largest in the state and worth the trip if seeing how ancient Hawaiians expressed themselves through carvings in the lava is up to you. I found many if not most of the carvings very difficult to make out and I wouldn’t recommend this unless you or your children have never seen a petroglyph before. If you have skip this.
Still heading north we stopped at Spencer Beach Park in Kohala to cool off. (Always wear or bring a bathing suit wherever you go.) There were very few people on the beach. It appeared that this is an area for locals who were camping. The facilities were wonderful with barbecue pits and showers. The water was warm, clear (in spite of my recommended guide saying it was cloudy), calm and gorgeous. This is a great spot for children. The beach wasn’t anything special but it was a nice place for a quick stop.
Another interesting spot, which I might review separately, is Puukohola Heiau. (An Hawaiian Temple). It is in Kohala on Highway 270 near Kawaihae Harbor. Besides the history of it, the view is amazing.
Hawaii is a small town on the very northern tip of the island. The famous Tropical Dreams ice cream is located here (as well as in other areas). The Macadamia Nut ice cream was wonderful (I do love these nuts). This is a cute town with a small strip of interesting stores where you will find handmade crafts and crystals.
You can go back the way you came or you can do what we did and take Highway 190 south where you can stop at the Parker Ranch Visitor Center. John Palmer Parker has an interesting history and the area is dominated by his legacy. What we cared about was the gorgeous scenery as we drove through the mountains and fields. We had a view of the water and could see Spencer Beach. You will see a lot of horseback riding and this is the place to go if you want to ride. It is a beautiful drive.
We ended our last night on The Big Island at The Hard Rock Cafe with wonderful salads. It was a treat to go to the restaurant, also a museum of sorts if you have never been to a Hard Rock before – so now would be a good time to go.
My final thoughts:
Certainly you want to go to Volcanoes National Park. Other than the Park, I would, if I were going to go to Hawaii again, make a day trip to the Big Island or stay for 3 days one of which would be in Hilo. There certainly are things to do…..101 things to be exact! I think if you read my other reviews, though, you can tell the difference among the experiences. We saw lava so it will be hard to give The Big Island a 4. I didn’t think anything in Hawaii would be rated 4. Of course we don’t want to forget a terrific snorkeling site (or more if you get to Cook's Monument) and the most gorgeous beach. Yet, 4 it will be rated.
Please feel free to leave me a comment. If you are going to Hawaii and have any questions feel free to e-mail me.
Other Hawaii reviews you may be interested in:
Traveling to Hawaii on a Budget
The Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel
Aloha Airlines
Garden Gate Bed and Breakfast in Maui
Maui
LahainaTown Maui
Hana Highway in Maui
Haleakala National Park in Maui
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaiian Airlines
Puff the Magic Dragon Lived in Kauai
Waimea Canyon on Kauai
Poipou Beach Area, Kauai
Na Pali Coast, Kauai
Hideaway Cove Villa, Kauai
Royal Kona Resort,The Big Island
The Island of Hawaii - The Big Island
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island
Oahu
USS Arizona Memorial on Oahu
DiamondHead State Monument on Oahu
Polynesian Cultural Center,Oahu
Wailua River State Park in Kauai, Hawaii
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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