HAWAII – THE BIG ISLAND

An unrivalled expression of the power of nature, Hawaii’s Big Island is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who visits.  About the size of Connecticut the Big Island spans over 4000 square miles, which is more than twice the size of all the other islands combined!  The island also boasts 11 of 13 of the world’s climatic zones making it one of the most diverse places on earth.

Lava Viewing at Kilauea

One of the most popular tourist destinations of the island is Hawaii’s Volcano National Park.  The island is made up of 5 volcanoes, the most active being Kilauea which has been continuously erupting since 1983.  While in the park you are sure to see spewing steam vents, lave tubes and lava craters.  If you can, plan to spend a full day at the park, as there is so much to do and see.  It is also worth considering venturing to the park near sunset, as the volcanoes can look completely different during the day to night.  This is surely something you do not want to miss out on!  At 4200 ft elevation the temperature can drop and be quite cool so be sure to pack warm clothing just in case.  From Kona the drive is approximately 3 hours south.  However it is not your ordinary drive as you will head through coffee country as well

Coastline

as see many spectacular views of the coast.  As well, the route offers many popular historic monuments.  A few of the places that we recommend stopping at is Punalu’u Black Sand Beach and the Punalu’u Bake Shop!  Both places are easily accessible and are great stops along the way! The Portuguese donuts at the Bake Shop are absolutely delicious!

There are also many amazing beaches on the Big Island! Ranging from Black Sand to White Sand, and even Green Sand, the beaches of Hawaii’s Big Island are sure to impress anyone who visits.  These beaches also

Sea turtle at Kahalu’u

boast some fantastic snorkelling.  The best and most popular spot is at Kealakekua Bay, near the monument of Captain Cook.  It is accessible by boat tour, the most popular being aboard the “Fair Wind”.  We also found great snorkelling locations at Hahalu’u and Waikoloa.  At many of the beaches we visited there was an abundance of wildlife as we saw sea turtles at both Kahalu’u Beach on the Kona Coast and Hapuna Beach near Waikoloa.

The Big Island is sure to be entertaining for everyone as there is so much to do!  One of the most popular tourist

activities are the helicopter tours.  Paradise Helicopters offers a doors off tour which we found to be absolutely amazing! This was also a fantastic way to see the volcanoes from a different perspective as you can see much more from the air than from the ground.  We got great views of the flowing lava and even got close enough to feel the heat coming from the mouth of the volcano!

View of the Volcanoe from the sky.

Overall this was an amazing trip and is highly recommended as it is attractive to all demographics and is sure to be a very memorable vacation!

For more info contact Susan Small at susan@roblintravel.tempurl.host or at 604-792-4696.