I love Hawai’i, with the warm weather and beautiful beaches, what’s there not to love? I visited the Big Island in February of 2022, where the weather stayed around 80o F almost everyday and the water was surprisingly warm to swim in. This is my second time visiting the Aloha state, but my first time on the Big Island. It’s easy to find new things to try on the Big Island and the options seem limitless! It has so many things to offer for every type of traveler, whether you’re a relaxing kind of vacationer, nature-lover, or an adventurer.
To kick off the trip, I flew into Kona International Airport (KOA) and stayed in Waikoloa Village, which is an area lined with resorts and hotels. On the way to the Airbnb, I saw wild goats, beautiful mountains, and roads lined with lava rocks. (BEWARE! Do not take a volcanic rock home, it is believed that the rocks will bring you bad luck until it is returned, this is known as Pele’s curse.) As you may have known already, the Big Island is the largest island of Hawai’i. It takes about two hours to drive from one side of the island to the other, so I definitely recommend renting a car. So, I hope you’re ready! Get your bags packed and your comfortable shoes on, here’s your itinerary for a week long vacation on the Big Island!
NOTE: Please check Hawai’i’s website to review the requirements for entry prior to arrival.
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HILO
Things to do in and around Hilo
If there’s a farmers market, you can always catch me there. The first of three markets I visited on the Big Island was at Hilo Farmers Market. We went on a Wednesday, where there are more vendors out than any other days of the week. One section of the market offers fresh produce and local products, where you can find avocados as big as your hand, pastries, and even a stand cutting fresh coconuts to drink from. Across the street, you’ll find all sorts of crafts being sold, ranging from clothing, art, and even hand made obsidian knives. Surrounding the market are other stores and restaurants that you can also pop by in! This is a great activity for anyone who loves local shopping and walking around in fresh air.
You cannot go to Hawai’i and not see a waterfall. One of many falls offered on the Big Island is Rainbow Falls. This is an easy fall to view, as it is a short walking distance from the parking lot. There is no entry fee to view the waterfall, but parking is limited. However, if you like nature walks and seeing all sorts of plants, you need to go to Akaka Falls. Parking at Akaka Falls is $10 and entry fee to the falls are $5 a person. Once you walk through the entrance, you will follow the cemented trail around the park while getting the opportunity to view exotic plants all around you. The walk to the 442 feet waterfall is fairly easy and shaded, but it isn’t stroller or wheelchair friendly. If you only have time for one waterfall, I would definitely recommend Akaka Falls.
Located 30 miles southwest of Hilo, you can visit Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, where the park fee is $30 per vehicle, and the ticket is valid for entry for 7 consecutive days. This park is huge and you can easily spend most of your day here. Since my family and I had a dinner reservation that night, we weren’t able to visit the whole park. But we did get to walk through Thurston Lava Tube and the crater and overlook trail. Thurston Lava Tube was a fairly easy trail, if you entered it to the right side. The tube was one of the most fascinating things I experienced. It is a short walk through the cave, which was wide and cool. The lighting wasn’t the best in the cave and was a bit dark, so please bring a flashlight if you are visiting the tube later in the day. The crater and overlook trail was about two miles long, with about six switchbacks. It’s an easy trail down to the crater, but a moderate hike back up on an incline. You can also choose to walk the whole crater if you wanted to. It’s an amazing site to see and partake in if you are able to. TIP: Please wear appropriate shoes for your visit to the park, I made a horrible mistake of choosing the wrong type of footwear. Believe it or not, I accidentally wore sandals and my sister graciously switched with me, which are the shoes I’m wearing in the photo.
Things to eat in or around Hilo
On the way to Akaka falls, I came across a small shack named Mana’s Aloha Farm, selling fresh coconuts and pineapples. They cut the coconuts for you to sip out of and then take all the meat out of the coconut for you when you’re done! You can add the coconut meat to fresh pineapples, or you can purchase them separately. The service was great and the owner was super friendly. They were extremely grateful for the local support, so please stop by if you get a chance!
If you made a stop at Hilo’s farmers market, you have to get a meal at Poke N Sides at Hilo’s Farmers Market. Trust me, you won’t regret it! It’s a red stall, located across the street from the produce section of the market and behind the craft section. They offer Hawaiian dishes, such as loco mocos, Korean burgers, and poke. This was hands-down my favorite place that I had poke at. The store had a showcase of all sorts of poke and sides to choose from and it was DELICIOUS! The fish was fresh and seasoned so well and the sides were amazing (minus the crab salad). My only regret was not going back for another bowl before my trip ended… this is a MUST TRY.
Right next door to Poke N Sides, you will find Kula Shave Ice, who sells açaí bowls and shaved ice. I tried the Kula bowl and “The Local” shaved ice. The Kula açaí bowl was SO yummy!!! It had granola, banana, honey, chia seeds, peanut butter, macadamia nuts, and papaya. All of that mixed together just sends your taste buds to the moon. With that being said, I was a little disappointed in “The Local” shaved ice. It was sour and the topping didn’t seem to match the flavor profile to me. So, I preferred the açaí bowls over the shaved ice and would definitely recommend stopping by to try one! You will not be sorry!
For all of my adventurous foodies out there, you can stop by a 7-Eleven store to try musubi. When I stopped by, they had spicy tuna musubi, spam musubi, as well as sushi rolls. My group tried them and thought they were good, but even better, no stomach aches! You can also walk around the convenience store to find items you don’t usually see either, such as Hawaiian drinks, canned bubble tea drinks, and even ube slushi! If you are planning to visit a store, keep in mind that you can only find 7-elevens in Hilo on the Big Island.
Kona
Things to do in and around Kona
Kona Farmers Market, located in Kailua-Kona, is a large market with local venders selling fruits, vegetables, and crafts. There are many free parking areas, so be sure to drive around to find one of the lot. Within the same area as the farmers market, you can venture off to do some shopping on Ali’i Drive. You can stop by one of the many shops and restaurants lined along this street to view and purchase things. I stopped by this area a few times, especially to grab some souvenirs from the ABC stores. TIP: Keep your ABC receipts to redeem a gift, if it totals to at least $100. It does not have to be in one receipt, you can add all of them together to reach the total.
Only a 10-15 mins drive from Kailua-Kona, you can visit Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park. I went to the beach section of the park, where there were so many sea turtles lounging in the area. I have never seen a sea turtle that close, but be careful!! You must keep at least 20 feet away from the turtles and do not disrupt them! To get there, you will arrive at the entrance and follow the trail to your left. Once you get to a split path, you will take the trail to the left via the sign that says “Al Pop Fish Trap.” You will then walk through a shaded dome and will emerge onto the beach. I do recommend water shoes, the sand was rough and there are algae covered rocks in the water. This is a must see if you are looking for sea turtles and easily one of my favorite things I did on the Big Island.
One of the first things I did on the island was an afternoon sail and snorkel at Captain Cook Monument. I booked my excursion with Viator, but many other sites offer this as well. This was a 3 hours event, with 45 mins to reach the monument, 45-50 mins of snorkeling, and then 45 mins sailing to return to the dock. Once we reached the monument location, we were off in the ocean with our snorkel gear. Below the water, you can see the plentiful coral and a large variety of fishes, with some fishes even approaching you! It’s a great way to spend an afternoon, to soak in the warm weather and take a nice dip in the ocean. I would definitely suggest this excursion to any water lovers out there! TIP: Only REEF FRIENDLY lotion sunscreens are allowed in Hawai’i. The state is trying to regenerate the coral that were killed from sunscreens introduced to the ocean over the years. This means that mineral lotion sunscreens are the only and best option to help preserve sea life. Be sure to keep this in mind when preparing for your beach/water days.
Heavenly Hawaiian Kona Coffee Farm is a coffee bean farm located a little outside of Kona in Holualoa. I must warn you that getting there is a bit scary, only because it’s on top of a hill, but it is so worth it! My family and I booked an hour long walking tour for only $8 per person, which you can book in advance on their website. The staff was so friendly and knowledgable about the production of their coffee, and even offered some samples to try. We were shown how their coffee beans are harvested, roasted, and packaged while overseeing the beauty of the large property. They also had several other fruit trees planted, which the staff was kind enough to pick fruits out of from requests! Ever had a fresh guava? I was able to try one from their farm and it was delicious!! Be sure to stop by their gift store on the way out, my family and I purchased a lot of different teas and coffees from there. My favorite treats were the Kona coffee brittle and milk chocolate Kona coffee macnuts! YUM!!
Pure Kona Green Markets is located a little further south of Kona, in Captain Cook, and is a local farmers market that are ONLY OPEN on SUNDAYs from 9am-2pm. There were great selections to view and sample from and all of the venders were locals. In the end, I purchased some honey, jam, fruit tape candy, and even a small painting to take home. I visited three farmers market on the island, and this was by far my favorite. It is a smaller farmers market compared to the others, but it was great to visit one with a local vibe.
Thing to eat in and around Kona
I love açaí bowls! After my first visit to Hawai’i back in 2018, I could not stop talking about it and have dreamed about it since. I was so excited to be reunited with my açaí bowls on this trip and was probably what I was most looking forward to. If you have not had the chance to try an açaí bowl, think of it as a thick smoothie bowl topped with fresh fruit and granola. One of the best bowls that I tried on the Big Island was from Kona Wave Cafe. I ordered the Kona wave bowl and added sliced papaya to it. It was very refreshing and everything about it was great!!
I also tried an açaí bowl from Basik Açaí in Kona. This was my least favorite açaí bowl place that I tried, but it was decent! The açaí was a bit sour, each bowl had a form of hemp, and it didn’t have much fresh fruits. I ordered a large Banyan bowl with no hemp hearts and look how big the large bowl was!!
The Coffee Shack is located in Captain Cook and is a nice place for breakfast and lunch. I ordered the fried egg sandwich with potatoes which was good. You can also order ahead online to save you some time! It’s a great option for a light and filling breakfast.
Located in Kailua-Kona, Umekes Fish Market & Grill is a modern restaurant that’s great for lunch and dinner. With a large menu, there is something for everyone! I tried the wings and the bulleh fries as appetizers and these are great! The fries were devoured within minutes and is a great plate to share with the table. Then as the main dishes, I tried the fish tacos and the big boy poke plate. Everything was delicious, but I definitely preferred the poke over the tacos.
Broke Da Mouth Grindz is a take-out restaurant that offers both Hawaiian and Filipino inspired dishes. They are best known for their Garlic Furikake chicken, which also comes in “spicy.” The plates can be ordered in mini and regular portions, but I found that even the mini size was large enough to share. I tried their “spicy” Garlic Furikake chicken and the beef ribs with a guava lemonade. The beef ribs were delicious!!! So tender and flavorful! The chicken was flavored excellently and was super crispy but personally, I preferred the ribs over the chicken.
Another great spot for a quick lunch is Pine Tree Cafe. The menu was large and so are their portions. I ended up sharing a plate of the short ribs and rice, which was large enough to get us both through the day without feeling too stuffed. The ribs were seasoned well and fell off the bones. It was delicious and really hit the spot!! I definitely would recommend this place to a group of travelers because there were so many different plates offered on the menu.
Hawai’i has many shaved ice locations to try and we stopped at Scandinavian Shave Ice. They offered shaved ice in every flavor you can think of and soft served ice cream. I was excited to see that they offered Dole Whip soft served ice cream, which was tasty as usual! I had the watermelon and lychee flavored shaved ice, and it was so soft, it immediately melts in your mouth (cue the drooling). I was surprised at how big the portions were and definitely should have shared that time!
To no one’s surprise, I had to get myself a frozen treat at Gypsea Gelato. You are able to choose two flavors per scoop and I tried the hazelnut and Mauka trail. The gelato was smooth and delectable, and I stopped by twice to treat myself.
Waimea
Things to do in Waimea
I woke up at 4:30am to catch the sunrise at Kohala Forest Reserve. It’s a short (0.8 mile), steep hike to Pololu Valley and very dark early in the morning. TIP: Be sure to have a source of light when making your way down the trail, I used a flashlight and my phone to guide my steps. You can follow the trail down to reach the lookout point, where you will get to view the skyline and the beach below. Just keep following the trail until you see a cliff cut out and a flat surface, be sure not to stand too close to the edge as there are no railings or guards up! But of course, you can stop anywhere you find a great view and feel more secure in. The sun rose around 6:30am but it was extremely cloudy that morning which caused an absent sunrise for me. However, it was still a great spot to take in the beautiful views and to venture off to see the black sand beach and Pololu Stream. It was a short and easy hike down the trail from the lookout point, and the beach and stream are located a few feet across from each other. Pololu Stream made you feel as if you were teleported to a tropical forest in another country. It was so breathtaking, and felt surreal. I spent a few minutes there taking photos, and even my photos look liked it was taken off the internet. Then across from the stream, you could make your way to the black sand beach. The sand felt soft from under my shoes, and was covered with large rocks, but keep in mind that this beach is unsafe to swim in. I spent a while here, looking at all the stacked stones and wedged rocks made into shapes from other visitors, walking along the shoreline, and admiring the black sand. It was truly beautiful and I highly recommend visiting this area if you are capable of making your way through the mountain.
The Big Island is a great spot to watch some humpback whales migrate for mating and birthing season! Whale watching season is considered November through April, with the best months to view them being January and February. I booked a whale watching cruise with Oceans Sports, who sails in Kohala Coast. We were able to see 2 adult female humpback whales and 1 baby whale. It was amazing to see the baby whale jump and the tails of the larger whales in the open ocean. I thought this was super cool! TIP: Bring a hat and a light jacket. The sun was pretty hot when sitting idle in the ocean but also gets a little chilly when the boat moves.
My favorite beach on the island was Kauna’oa Beach, as known as Mauna Kea Beach! This beach felt very exclusive and private and had many shaded areas to lay your blanket under. The water was crystal clear and the sand was the softest I have ever experienced. It felt like walking on powder. To access Kauna’oa beach, you have to enter through Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. You will arrive at a gate and tell the tenant that you are there to visit the beach. If you are driving, the tenant will either tell you to return back at another time if all parking spots are taken, or provide you with a ticket to be able to access the beach parking lot. You do not need a ticket to enter if you are being dropped off. Once you have secured a ticket, you will follow the road straight down until you reach the parking lot. Be sure to park in the appropriate spot available since the lot is driven in one direction and once you exit the lot, you would have to get another ticket to re-enter. After parking your car, enter through the green gates and follow the trail all the way to the beach! Then you can lounge around or even find this tree for a cute photo op!
Just a 10 mins drive from Kauna’oa beach, you can find Hapuna beach. This is another great beach to go to with clear water and powder like sand. My family and I really enjoyed the warm water and body boarding on the waves. Looking back, this was my favorite day out of the whole trip.
TIP: All beaches in Hawai’i are public. Please be cautious of the waves and currents. If you are not a strong swimmer, you should stay in the shallow area of the water.
Places to eat in Waimea
Hawaiian Style Cafe has probably popped up in your search of the Big Island. It’s a great spot for breakfast and lunch, serving both Hawaiian dishes and classic breakfast. (Keep in mind that this restaurant only accepts cash and is open for limited hours.) I made the mistake of trying their breakfast menu, ordering the two egg breakfast with Haupia pancakes and iced coffee. The Haupia pancakes had a delicious coconut cream topping and was huge! Definitely something that you would be able to share, but there is a small fee for sharing plates, if you don’t order a meal of your own. Don’t get me wrong, the breakfast meal was good, just nothing special. (I’m someone who loves to try new things and dishes I can’t normally get.) So, I recommend ordering from the lunch menu. I had other family members rave about their lunch dishes and I will definitely be trying that next time!
MOA Kitchen is a Japanese style restaurant that serves dishes like sushi, ramen, and rice plates. I ordered edamame, Hawaiian Spicy Ramen with medium spice, and the Chicken Katsu. Personally, I thought that the rice plate was better than ramen, but let me know what you think in the comments if you have tried it!
If you love fresh and hot fried dough, you must try Hot Malasadas Truck. It’s a blue trailer parked off the main road, located at 1 Puako Beach Dr, Waimea, HI 96743. This truck is cash only and everything is made fresh and to order! If you haven’t tried malasadas before, think of it as a fried donut covered in sugar with so much filling, that oozes out of the dough. There were several types of fillings to choose from, so don’t be shy! These are a great sweet treat!
Other things to do on the Big Island:
I visited the Big Island with my family, and each person had something he/she specifically wanted to do. Here’s a list of other things to do on the Big Island that I didn’t try but my family did and enjoyed!
- Surf lessons
- Submarine tour
- Kona Brewing Company tour
- Helicopter ride
- You can do a coastline or a volcanic tour
- Green sand beach
- This requires either a four wheel drive or an hour hike to reach the beach
Overview
The Big Island is a great place for every type of traveler. My favorite day during the whole trip had to be body boarding at Hapuna beach with my family. I hope that you’ll get the same opportunity to make memories with the ones you love on the Big Island too. I had a blast getting to try new activities and eating my way through the island. Personally, I believe that poke and açaí bowls just don’t taste the same on the main land. I guess this means I have to go back to Hawai’i…
If you’ve been to the Big Island before, don’t forget to comment on any tips and stories you have for your fellow rovers! I would love to hear them too!
As always, thank you for being here and reading all of my stories. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I love getting to share them with you. May your next visit to the Big Island be full of sunny skies, warm water, and sweet pineapples and coconuts.
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Lena The Rover 