We stayed in the charming
and historic beach town known as Kailua-Kona on the west coast, which is the
most popular city to visit and seemingly the most contemporary on the island. The
main strip of hotels, boutiques, and restaurants are lined up along the turquoise
waters of Kona Bay. The weather is almost always perfect, which explains why
Hawaiian royalty used to escape here. There are some incredible beaches, such
as Kua and Hapuna, just up the coastline. However, driving just a few minutes
outside of town will remind you that you're on a volcano that is young and
still constantly growing. Black soil and lava rocks make up much of the
landscape on the island, a stark difference from the other Hawaiian islands
that are mostly lush green and red clay dirt. You may even feel like you’re on
another planet since the scenery is so unique. For this reason, many people
prefer other islands over Big Island but I found it fascinating and beautiful.
The only other large
town (which is still relatively tiny) on the island is Hilo, on the east coast.
It takes a little less than two hours to drive across the island between the
two cities, which is several times more than it would take to drive across the
island I live on. Everyone warned me that Big Island is a LOT bigger and
involves more driving than what I'm used to on Oahu, but nothing could prepare
me for the 16+ hours I drove over the four days we visited. I didn't mind it
for the most part, since I was among such gorgeous sights and in full explorer
mode.
Walking around Hilo is
like stepping back in time. It's a very sleepy little town, and far less modern
than Kona. However, it seemed to be a lot more laid back and old fashioned.
What I love was the abundance of hippies and natural lifestyle type stores and
restaurants. We also encountered a fantastic farmers market, which not only had
fresh produce but also lots of goodies like jewelry. We could have spent
all day there, as we loved the vibes. However, we were not impressed with the
food selection from what we could see. Also, this is not the best place for
beaches. But if you’re a nature lover like me, it’s a treasure with luscious forests
and waterfalls nearby. We got to check out Rainbow falls and Akaka falls, which
were both super quick and easy so I highly recommend them.
Unfortunately for us,
during the time of our visit the island was (and still is) dealing with an
outbreak of Dengue fever. So one of the attractions I wanted to see most (the extremely
sacred Waipio Valley) was closed. But since I definitely did not want to get eaten
alive by mosquitos and infected by any disease, it was best. We still got to
visit the breathtaking Waipio lookout to see the iconic view of the valley and
cliffs right on the ocean, all while doused in bug spray of course. Hopefully
next time I go, the efforts to get rid of Dengue on the island will have worked
and I’ll be able to actually visit the valley. It’s definitely a must-see.
On the bright side, I got to do the coolest thing on the island, which is visit Volcanos National Park to see one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Kilauea. It’s not what you’d probably expect of a volcano, but it was an amazing experience nonetheless. We could not get close to the caldera but we saw it from a distance, including the smoke and at night you can definitely see the lava glowing. Hawaiian legend for this revolves around Madame Pele, the goddess of fire. It was all pretty fascinating, and it was especially trippy standing on lava flow.
However, what topped this and became one of my favorite things I've ever done was going on top of Mauna Kea to watch the sunset from above the clouds, at an altitude of 10,000 feet. We wanted to go even higher to the summit, which would have been 14,000, feet but we got there just a little too late. Next time for sure, because this was such a dope experience, even despite the altitude sickness. The key is to get to the visitor center early (around 4) and give yourself a good amount of time to acclimate before heading to the summit. This is the tallest mountain in the world from the ocean floor (33,000 feet) and the most sacred place for native Hawaiians. You can certainly see why when you feel the powerful energy and look down at the clouds, as if you're in heaven. It was simply spiritual. After the sun sets, this is the best place in the entire world for stargazing. We could actually see other galaxies and millions of stars with the naked eye. Just incredible. I was in awe for days after this, and probably always will be!
Another highlight
for me was of course centered around food. There are a plethora of great
choices in the Kailua-Kona area, especially for carnivores like me since Big
Island is known for its grass fed cattle, so beef is really fresh. The best
meals were the ono (Hawaiian word for yummy) kalbi short rib omelet at Broke Da
Mouth Grindz (which translates to amazingly delicious in Hawaiian pidgin), the
roasted pork at 808 Grindz, and the guava ribs and chicken at Splashers. However,
I must say favorite part were the many quaint little coffee shops on every
corner that all sell irresistible Kona coffee. Since I gave up coffee about a
year ago, it’s nice to indulge while on vacation and this is some of the best I’ve
ever had, by far. So I may or may not have had 2-3 cups a day. This stuff is
super expensive and a hot commodity most places, but a cup of 100% Kona coffee
will only run you about $3 while in Kona, so don’t let the hotel rip you off.
Of course we were
visiting during the Super Bowl, so we spent much of our last day at a sports
bar watching the game and meeting other tourists from all over the world. After
all the driving and running around we did, it was a nice way to end the weekend
and get ready for our short journey back to Oahu. Plus, what better way to watch a game than with the ocean and palm trees right behind you?
Although many tourists
opt to skip Big Island for the more popular attractions on Maui and Oahu, this
island really has so much to offer and I truly enjoyed it. The pace is much
slower and the people are even friendlier, so it is the true aloha spirit I
always envisioned of Hawaii, which is not always so common these days in other
busy parts of the state. While I am definitely a city girl, it’s always nice to
escape to the country, breathe in fresh air, and relax. This short trip was
just what I needed and an unforgettable experience. I’m already looking forward to returning again!
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