Short Trip Series: road trip around the Big Island of Hawaii

The Big Island is larger than all the other Hawaiian Islands combined and the only one still volcanically active. It would be a pity to get to a hotel on Big Island and to not spend some time exploring the many wonders the island has to offer.

The west side of the island, or the Kona side, is the most touristic side, so this itinerary has been based on staying around Waikoloa Beach, about 1/2 hour drive North of Kona.

Lodging options:

Around Waikoloa Beach, you have different options to spend the night depending on your group size and budget. You can stay at one of the villa at Kolea at the Waikoloa Beach Resort. The Marriott Waikoloa is also a great option with direct access to the beach, 2 swimming pools, a sandy baby pool and a water slide.

Arriving day:

Your first afternoon after landing late in the morning is to unpack, unwind and get into the island spirit. Nothing is better than going for a swim in the ocean right outside your garden door and try to spot and follow some sea turtles. Sea turtles are sensitive to stress (caused by humans), so please follow the guidelines when observing them: observe turtles from a distance; do not attempt to touch, ride, or feed turtles and limit your time observing an animal to 1/2 hour.

If swimming is not your activity, then go for a stroll along the beach and try to find some shell fish to bring home as souvenir.

As the day softens into the night, it’s time to get ready for your first Mai Tai and your first sunset. Simply walk to the beach and get to the Lava Lava Beach Club. Grab a chair and enjoy life. They serve one of the best Mai Tai of the island.

Dinner is easy, you can grab a bite at the Lava Lava Beach Club or on your way back, you can walk to the Three Fat Pigs restaurant in Waikoloa Beach King Shops where you can try their home-made chicken pot pie. Be careful this is a hawaiian version, it has a curry-based sauce with a bit of a spicy kick. The 3 Fat Pigs are also known for their beer and cocktail selection.

A combination of the trip fatigue and the jet lag makes you quit early. Tomorrow will be a full day anyway with your sunset lava hike, so better get some sleep. From your room you can hear the ocean waves, nothing better to put you to sleep.

Day 1: Sunset hike to the Kalapana Lava viewing area in Volcanoes National Park

Planning:

• Long day, lots of stops, 4 hour hike (about 4 miles round trip on somewhat flat but rough terrain, definitely not for small children or anybody with walking issues),  back in Waikoloa around 11pm-midnight
• Reserve the guided hike a couple days before ($100/person)
  
• Carry plenty of water, you can usually refill your bottle at the guide’s house.
• Bring one flash light per person as the way back from the hike will happen well after sunset.
• Cary a light rain jacket as it might rain during the hike
• Wear good shoes for the hike (NO OPEN shoes, snickers will do but they will take a toll, hiking shoes recommended)
• If you have an old whisk (stainless steel), also bring it with you with some tape so you can make a lava sculpture with it (taped to a wooden pole because you’ll never get your hand that close to hot lava)
• A cooler with ice packs will be nice to have if you want to leave some food in your car for after the hike as most dinners might stop serving food by the time you are back from the hike.

Itinerary:

You will probably wake up early due to the jet lag as there is a 3 hour difference in summer with the West Coast. Around 6am,  you can enjoy a cool hawaiian morning. This is my favorite part of the day, looking at the ocean with a cup of coffee in hand. The swimming pool is still at 88F and if you stay at the Marriott or at one of the villas, good news, it’s open 24/7 so you can take a swim by yourself (not much crowd at that time of the day) before hitting the road.

There are breakfast options in the Waikoloa Beach area but we suggest that you leave the hotel around 8am and  drive 1/2 hour to get your first real meal of the day (with excellent coffee) at Wameia coffee.

Around 9:30, get back on the road and drive to the Waipio Valley Lookout (allow 30min drive from Waimea Coffee Company). Located on the northern Hamakua Coast, the sacred Waipio Valley was the boyhood home of King Kamehameha I, and an important center for political and religious life in Hawaii. Not only is “The Valley of the Kings” an important site for Hawaiian history and culture, it’s also a place of dramatic tropical beauty. If you want to hike this is the place. Horse back riding is also possible.

Continue on Rte 19 in the direction of Hilo and stop to load on cookies at Donna’s cookies, you will need some tonight for the lava hike.

Time to pick up lunch at Hilo Farmers market which as of this writing opens every day till 4pm (best days are Wednesdays or Saturdays)  or some poke to go at Hilo. The poke place closes around 6pm. If you have not already bought sandwiches or snacks for dinner after the hike, this is a good place to get some (but you need a cooler as this is raw fish). Once you are loaded on food for lunch and dinner, head to the Bay Front Park to find a spot to have lunch.

From Hilo, it takes about 1/2 hour to get to the guide’s house. So you have some time to spare that you can spend at the macadamia nuts plantation.

Hike to the Kalapana Lava Viewing Area

Note that you do not have to use a guide to go see the hot lava. But here are the things you need to know. There are a few ways to get to the Kalapana area. One is from the National Park itself, but it is a 12-mile hike. The other way is to drive at the end of road 130 and park there. The hike is only 4-mile and the parking is free but they do not allow vehicles to stay after 9pm, which means you must be back before 9pm and that’s difficult if you want to stay close to the lava after sunset. If you go by yourself, make sure you read all the recommendations that are available on the National Park web site before you go. Walking near hot lava is dangerous for the unprepared and walking on cold lava is also treacherous. The way we describe below, using a guide, allows you to safely park your car at the guide’s house, be accompanied by a person that knows the way in and out as well as the hazards of being close to hot lava and also to be able to stay past sunset. That will also make your trip back to your car a lot shorter because the guide knows the flattest way to get back to the house where your car is parked.

Arrive at the guide’s house a little before the meeting time as they don’t wait too long for late people because they have to get to the lava field before sunset and it’s a 1:30-2 hours hike. If you are early you can ask the guide the questions you are dying to ask him (you’ll understand once you get there). There are no restrooms during the hike so you might also want to ask to use the one in the guide’s house. When it’s time to leave, you’ll be on your way walking on cold lava all the way. You can see where you are going because in the distance you will see that large vapor cloud formed by the hot lava rolling into the ocean. It will be somewhat hot during the hike depending on the time of the year you are visiting. Make sure you stay hydrated. You will make a few rest stops on the way in and you will get to a first viewing area where you can see the full lava falling into the ocean. Take on the view. Take all the pictures you want from there because you won’t be coming back that way. Then you hike some more and you get close to the hot lava (like really close).

It is amazing to see the lava just burping slowly out of a spot and flowing as it cools down and darkens. Mostly you would want to set your camera in video mode or in time lapse mode as flowing lava is really impressive when moving. Make sure your camera is in landscape as vertical videos always look weird. Your guide will offer you a snack but you have some time to enjoy your sandwiches and cookies if you got any. You will be joined by other groups too and it will get pretty busy. Your group will stay after sunset so when it’s starting to get dark, get your flashlight handy, you will soon be starting your hike back. That will probably be uneventful except for some rain. You will just be walking in single file with a couple stops. If your group walks well, it will take about 1:45 to get back to the house.

Lava is better seen in video.

For more info on the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, read the blog series from my friend Tuan at terragalleria.com.

From there you can just get back to the hotel (unless you have energy to explore Hilo by night, but we did not). We advise that you take Saddle road across the mountain. It’s a little winding but much shorter than going back any other way.

 

Day 2: Visit of Kona Coffee plantation, Sunset at Mauna Kea Observatory

Planning:

• Mauna Kea summit elevation is 13,796 feet (4205m). There is about 40% less oxygen there so everything you do exhaust you even if you are fit. You will be panting just by trying to put a sweater on. And you will get cold. You can experience shortness of breath and/or imparied judgement. Read the Mauna Kea Hazards page.
• Allow at least 1/2h at the Visitor Center at 9,200 feet (2804 m) to get acclimated to the elevation and the lack of oxygen.
  
• Bring warm clothing (like real warm) as the temperatures are subfreezing most of the time, especially after sunset and the wind is really blowing and cold. You won’t find any parka or warm pants in stores on the island but at the visitor center (for a steep price). If you can bring your parka in your luggage, it’s best to do so.
• If you are there way before sunset, bring sunscreen as UV at that altitude are not filtered as much as they are at sea level.
• Although if you go in summer, you might find that the road is technically accessible to normal cars, it is nevertheless required to have a 4-wheel drive vehicle per the sign that is posted right after the Visitor Center. I think it makes sense because at that elevation, the weather can change rapidly, ice can form and driving conditions might deteriorate pretty fast. Again, read the Mauna Kea Hazards page.
• Bring food with you if you plan to go by yourself as there are no restaurant out there.
• There are licensed tour companies that will offer you dinner and a parka and pick you up at Waikoloa Village in a comfortable 4-wheel drive coach, but you need to book it in advance as they fill up pretty fast (we were not able to get a same-day reservation). They also do not stay as late as you might want to stay, but that’s definitely an option to consider if you do not have a 4-wheel drive vehicle nor warm clothing.
• There are also plenty of other ways than the one described below to visit the Summit or do stargazing and even if you’ve seen a sky full of stars before, you definitely want to do it there.
• Bring some tea bags or express coffee from the hotel if you are cheap or just buy them for $1 at the Visitor Center. Cups and hot water are located outside. The Visitor Center closes at 10pm so be back by then is you still need hot water.
• Bring a flashlight as once the sun sets, you are requested to not turn your headlights on as to not disturb the astronomers that are running experiments. You will be able to put your parking lights to descend the summit (very slowly because it’s pitch-dark out there if there is no moon) till you have your back to the observatories and you can turn your headlights back on.
• If you intend to take pictures of the sky at night, you will need a heavy tripod (because of the wind) and a camera with high-ISO/low noise if you want to be able to photograph the milky way.

Itinerary:

Since you came back pretty late yesterday and you will again come back late tonight, you can enjoy the morning at the pool or at the beach. It’s going to be a long day (again), let’s sample some local coffee and a good way to start the day is to head up to Hula Daddy Coffee plantation and taste their fresh brewed coffee and attend one of their (short) tour where they will tell you about coffee beans and how they hand pick them.

Once you’re caffeinated, you can head for brunch at Holuakoa Café. Have a good meal as tonight’s fare will be on the light side again.

After lunch, you might want to stop by a grocery store and fill up on food and water for tonight’s sunset viewing (unless you booked a tour). On your way back to the hotel, you can stop by Costco to get some great Hawaiian shirts made in Honolulu.

You should leave Wiakoloa around 3:30-4 to get to the Visitor Center of Mauna Kea by 4:30-5pm. Once at the Visitor Center, you will already get a feel for the lack of oxygen and the cold wind you will expect 5,000ft higher. Even walking seems harder. You just got that funny feeling that something is pushing you in the other direction. If you haven’t brought any warm cloth, the Visitor Center is your last chance to get any. Also, buy some hot chocolate powder or tea bags for on the way back. Note that there are no public restrooms at the summit. After spending between 1/2 hour and 1 hour at the Visitor Center, if you are equipped for, you can start driving up to the Mauna Kea summit. It’s about 5 miles off road and another 3 paved miles to the summit on steep but relatively well maintained road and if road conditions are good, it will take you about 1/2 hour to get there. That leaves you plenty of time to decide where you want to watch the sunset from.

Once at the summit, you will luckily be above the clouds and the sun will start to get closer to the horizon. The 360 degree view is incredible. That’s the highest I have been so far and that’s quite an experience. It’s cool too to see the telescope domes open or close and turn around.

After the sunset and if you brought some blankets, a nice way to look at the sky is to lie down on the ground (well on one blanket and use another one to keep you warm) and watch the sky lying down. If you can find a spot where there is nothing around you that’s a view that will astonish you (be careful not to be in the parking lot or where cars are moving because they wont see you).

If you’ve stayed to take pictures, and you have not planned to stay the night, 8:30-9pm is a good time to start going back down and meet a group of astronomers at the Visitor Center. They can tell you which star or constellation is which. Get some hot water for your preferred drink, stay as long as you like and when you’re ready head back to the hotel by the same road you came in.

Day 3: Luau show

Planning:

• Reserve your seat for the Luau Show at the Royal Kona Resort

Itinerary:

You might be a little overwhelmed and tired from the past 2 days, so today is about relaxing and enjoying the tropical side of this island. Choose a beach close to your hotel or explore some more.

For lunch, if you want to try typical Hawaiian food, try the sampler at the Kanaka Kava Bar.
If you’ve never had Poi (it’s the sauce in the side bowl below), ask for a sampler on the side. It is like tasteless yogurt at first but it goes very well with the pork. Don’t miss the taro tart for dessert. Don’t order too much food, as this is really fulfilling.

The Kava drink is also something to have a taste of, but the person from the bar told us it was best appreciated when relaxing with friends. There are some side effects to it but she did not go into details and since we were going to drive after, we decided against it. Here is a site that explains what Kava drink is and what should be expected.

Get to the Royal Kona resort early to sample some drinks at Don’s Mai Tai Bar. The resort also offer a buffet plus luau show with a Fire Dance Finale and the one we saw was pretty impressive.

That’s it ! Your short trip is over, time to go back home. Don’t worry we you will be back.

Travel details

Here is the entire trip in one convenient map.

View Short trip in Kona in a larger map

All the images presented here are available for licensing or as fine art prints.