Stunning Big Island

December 2019

Big Island is the first Hawaiian island we visit. We fell in love with this island. The weather is perfect, there is plenty of snorkeling, trails, amazing views and good food. In addition we really enjoy the Aloha spirit. In this post we are proposing an 8 days itinerary around the island. From the amazing beach of the west to the surprising trails of Volcano Park. (go here to see our posts for each Hawaiian island)

8 days itinerary:

Practical Information

• Where to stay: If you want to enjoy all the island you will likely need to stay at least at two different places. We spend most of our time in Kona where it’s always sunny, and few days closer to Volcano National park. It is a good mix for us.
• How to go from point A to point B: In Big Island you need to rent a car.

Day by day Itinerary

Step 1: Kona (West Coast)

Our trip starts with 5 nights in Kona, this is the best place to stay on big Island as it is always sunny and surrounded by the most popular beaches and snorkeling spots. 

Day 1: Pololu valley – Hapuna Beach

First day in Hawaii means early wake up due to jet lag. This is the perfect time to catch the sunrise at Pololu Valley. We leave our hotel when everything is still dark hoping to arrive early enough. Unfortunately, we are 30 minutes late for the sunrise (about 1h30min drive from Kona). We can park easily on the few spots available at the lookout and can enjoy the amazing view even if the sun is already high.

After few pictures we start the trail down to the beach. The path is steep but large and we arrive quickly at the beach. The view is wonderful with the sea, the cliff and the forest. We are nearly alone with only a local surfer and another couple on the beach. We spend some time exploring the area and decide to continue walking to the Honokane Nui lookout. This trail starts on the south east part of the beach. It is not as popular as the Pololu trail, but it’s fairly well maintained, and you can’t really get lost. After 200m of elevation we arrive at the lookout and can enjoy a magnificent view of the coast from the top of the cliff. 

We follow the same trail to go back to our car, as we get close to 10am we see more people and the weather starts getting warmer and more humid. (AllTrails ref: Awini Trail to Honokane Nui Lookout).

Our best spot for early evening in Kona is the Island Lava Java in Coconut Grove marketplace. We go early to enjoy the happy hour at the bar while looking at the sunset. The food and the daily cocktails are really good. We also like the area because we can walk around the marketplace to buy souvenirs and gifts.

Day 2: North west coast beaches

For our second day we decide to explore more the beach of the west coast. Our first stop is Mauna Kea beach (about 1hr drive from Kona). I have read a lot of very enthusiastic reviews about this beach, so I hope to have good snorkeling. We arrive early to be sure to have a parking spot (check on internet or ask the Mauna Kea resort gatekeeper to have reliable information about when to arrive to be able to park). After passing the resort gates we drive through the Golf to arrive at the parking beach. Accessing the beach requires a very short walk, and some amenities are available (showers, restrooms …).

The beach is wonderful, nice sand, few people, but there is too much swell today and the water doesn’t offer good visibility. Unfortunately, it’s not a good day for snorkeling (I was aware of this risk in winter). We play a little in the wave and go back to the car to discover other spots. 

Going back in the direction of Kona, we stop by Kīholo State Park Reserve. We follow the signs and the unpaved road which goes on the direction of the sea to find a parking spot. We then walk along the beach which is made of black rocks and enjoy a short promenade along the sea. Just enough to spot few turtles swimming. As in Mauna Kea the swell is too high to have a good view. Back in the car our next stop of the day is Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park. We park at the marina which is on the south side of the park and take the 5 min walk to the beach. The area is more crowded (or less empty) than what we have done so far. There are more people but also fortunately more turtles. It’s very easy to spot them while walking along the sea. We love to see turtles, so we spend some time exploring this area. 

Day 3: Mauna Loa

We wake up very early, dress with our hiking gears and get into the car to hike Mauna Loa today. This is the most challenging hike of our Big Island trip. Our timing is perfect, we access the narrow Mauna Loa observatory road for the sunrise. It gives a magnificent color to the rocks. We finally arrive at a small parking with really few spots at the end of the road with some traces of broken glass on the parking – careful to your valuables, even there ! (about 1h45min drive from Kona). 

(Warning: the Mauna Loa Observatory road / trail could be closed. Check the info before going. If closed Mauna Kea may be open)

Backpacks ready, we start the hike on the large unpaved road (AllTrails ref “Mauna Load via Observatory Trail and Summit Trail“). So far, we don’t feel the effects of the altitude. After a few minutes we turn left to start ascending in the middle of the lava rocks. The weather is chilly, but we have perfect visibility and have no issues spotting the cairns. This is fun to create your own path. The landscape is amazing (and monotone) with all the different shades of dark magmatic rocks.

We were not expecting the altitude to have so much effects on us as we have been many times from 300 to 3600 meters without any issue. Maybe starting from the sea level or the recent flight / swimming increase the effect of elevation on us. Not being able to see the crater is a deception. But I’ll keep good memories of this small adventure. 

Day 4: Captain cook

Today is snorkeling day at Captain cook monument. This is one of the best Snorkeling spots in Big Island so I look forward to it. There are multiple options to go to the monument with a group: boat, kayak, car + short walk, but as the site is also available with a moderately difficult trail we decide to go for this option. It’s another early wake up so we can arrive at the parking area soon enough to have a good spot (about 30min drive from Kona).

Entering the water is a little bit challenging (wearing water shoes may help). But inside, the water is super clear and there are lots of fish. The only negative point is the corals that are not very colorful. Overall this is one of the best snorkeling spot I have ever done, I’m really impressed by how clear the water is and by the large size of the area to explore.

After about 1 hour groups are starting to arrive from the ground and the sea. This is the time for us to leave (one advantage of the presence of groups is that they have a small ladder to enter and go out of the water). The walk back is a little bit more difficult due to the temperature and the fact that we are going up. But nothing really challenging if you have some water. Overall, I really recommend this experience. Do not get scared by the beginning of the trail, and enjoy this very cool hike / snorkeling combo. 

Step 2: South: part Ka’u and Volcano national Park

After this perfect introduction of 4 days in Kona we plan to spend 2 nights on the South side of the Island. It’s more difficult to find a housing on this part and we decide to go for a budget Airbnb option in Ocean view. It’s not very close of all the activities but the weather is better than around Volcano Park (and the view from there looks good).

Day 5: Punalu’u Beach (black sand beach) and Volcano Park

We leave Kona early to have the time for a few stops before arriving at Volcano park. The south west road is good and gives some nice views. We nearly always see the ocean and the surrounding changes, from areas with a lot of vegetation to areas with only lava rocks. After 1h40 we arrive at our first stop: Punaluʻu Beach (black sand beach). It’s about 9am and the beach has just opened. There are few people on the beach, 2 turtles resting on the black sand and enjoying the sun. We see some other turtles swimming the water.

Some comments on the internet indicate that the snorkeling is good here, but we are in “winter” and there is too much swell to really enjoy it.  We admire the turtles and go back in Naalehu to eat something at Hana Hou Restaurant, which has good reviews on the Lonely Planet. We try the homemade pies as advised. They are good but a little bit too rich for us. Our breakfast is in fact going to be our lunch as well. Belly full, we are ready to go to Volcano park. 

We arrive at Volcano park around noon and decide to avoid the visitor center as it seems crowded.  Our 1st stop is the Steam vents, from there you have a good view on the main Caldera. After this short stop we go for our trail of the day: Kīlauea iki trail. We decide to do the trail counter clockwise based on some advises, and this is a good choice. The trail starts in the rainforest and go West. It is the first time I see a rainforest and I am impressed by all the different ferns. The trail is very pleasant and as we arrive close to the Waldron ledge the trail switches south to go down into the crater. In just a few meters we switch from the full green of the forest to the darkness of the lava rocks. This darkness is pimped by the red of the many flowers on the trees. This crater area is astonishing and we spend a long time checking all the flowers and ferns living in this difficult environment. After about an hour of taking pictures we arrive at the east part of the crater and start the ascension to go out. We are back in the full green of the rainforest. 

After this must do walk, we go to the visitor center to get few tips and start a short trail accessible from the parking:  Sulphur Bank trail and back to the visitor center by the Iliahi trail. This is a 30 or 45min loop which is easy to do, and offers nice views. 

We are very pleased with our 1st day at Volcano park and as the rain comes, we decide to go back to our Airbnb for the night. On the road we stop for a food pick-up in Naalehu, at the Aloha Mix Food Truck Cafe. Their food is very tasty end we enjoy our shrimp / steak plates paired with a local beer, while watching the sunset from our terrasse.  

Day 6: Green Sand Beach, Punalu’u Bake Shop, and Volcano Park

After a good night of sleep we are ready for a hiking day. Our first step is Green sand beach. We arrive at the trailhead parking spot before the local 4×4 service starts (we prefer to walk) – (AllTrails Ref: “Papakolea Green Sand Beach“). This trail goes along the coast through the different car tracks. The temperature is perfect, and we are the first ones to arrive at the beach. From the top we take the steep path down to the beach. The sand is beautiful, but I will describe it more as goldish brown than green. I want to take some sand in a bottle but refrain myself and follow the instructions present on the beach: do not take back sand with you. We spend some time enjoying the beach until the first people in 4×4 arrive. For us this is time to leave. The walk back is slightly more challenging as the temperature is higher. Nothing difficult but have water with you.

We are then back at Volcano Park. On our way there from Green sand Beach, we stop by Punalu’u Bake Shop in Naalehu. This Bakery is a very good surprise for us. In addition to the very good pastries, they also have a gift shop. It contains all the standard gifts and souvenirs but also some products from the bakery like cookies or brioche cooking kits. For us this brioche cooking kit is the perfect gift, it’s easy to pack, local, and enables us to bring back home the delicious taste of the local brioche. 

After pastries and coffee, we are back in the car. When we stopped at the visitor center yesterday, they advised us to do the Mauna Ulu trail, so we will follow the advice. We park at the Pu’u Huluhulu Trailhead and take the Napau crater trail. It takes us a few minutes to find the good trail (I don’t think the Google map trail is accurate, the Alltrails one looks good). Then it is easy to follow it until the Pu‘u Huluhulu cratere view point. The trail is nice and mainly in the middle of the lava rock. After going down from the viewpoint we try to find the trail to Mauna Ulu (No ref on Alltrails). We can’t find a clear trail, so we continue the Napau trail. After some time walking east, we understand that this is not the good trail and decide to go back. We do see some people at the top of the crater but no path to go there. We don’t know what are the risks to go off track in this environment, so we decide to go back to the car. After checking more on internet, it was confirmed that there is no official trail. My advice would be to ask the ranger very precisely when to leave the Napau trail and if there is any risk at going to the top of the Mauna Ulu crater. 

After this slight disappointment, we drive down to the Holei Sea Arch. It’s around 3pm and the sun starts to be lower in the sky offering a nice luminosity on the lava rocks. We take nice pictures and decide to go back to our room in Ocean view.

For our dinner tonight we choose the best price/quality restaurant. We stop at Ocean view market to buy a nice piece of fish and some deluxe mac & cheese. We can cook them in the small “kitchen” at our Airbnb. The advantage of the deluxe mac & cheese is that you don’t need milk to cook them (convenient when there is no fridge and you’re itinerant). We enjoy this dinner watching the sunset and get prepared for the road trip tomorrow.

Step 3: Back to Kona (West Coast)

The step 3 our Big Island trip is to go from the south to Kona through Hilo. It’s a good way to check some waterfalls and Hilo. Then we will finish by 2 nights in Kona enjoying the last must do of the area: two steps snorkeling, and Manta ray watching

Day 7: Road trip from South to Hilo, Akaka falls, Rainbows fall, and to Kona

We leave our Ocean View Aribnb early as we have a lot of road today. On our trip to Hilo we can’t avoid doing again two of our best stops in the south: Punalu’u Bake Shop, and Punaluʻu Beach (black sand beach). We are happy to see again some turtles on Punaluʻu Beach but must wait for them a little bit. Maybe they wait for the sand to be warm enough before going out of the water for a sun bath.

We can now go to Hilo. We are a little in advance on our planning so we decide to stop by Mauna Loa Macadamia nuts factory and Hilo Zoo (Panaewa Rainforest Zoo) which are on our way. The Macadamia nut factory could have been skipped, but we are positively surprised by the Zoo. There are some nice animals and the trees and flowers are beautiful. After these two unplanned stops we are heading to Akaka falls.

We arrive around 12am and the parking lot is full. We find a spot along the road which ends up being free, so we only have to pay the fees to enter the Akaka falls area. Inside there is a 30min paved loop walk, which is very nice. It takes us through bamboos and a lot of other beautifully local flowers. The waterfall itself is impressive, but it’s difficult to take good picture with the luminosity. 

 After this nice short walk, we decide to go back to Hilo to find something to eat before going to Rainbow fall. Following the Lonely Planet advice, we go at the KTA Super Stores. And we must say this is a very good advice. In the supermarket there is an amazing choice of Poke and you can buy cooked rice. We buy delicious Pokes and rice, at a very competitive price (you can also find the Macadamia nuts there if you want to skip the factory shop). We take our food and go to the Rainbow fall for a picnic. The waterfall is nice, and you can take good pictures. There is no hike there, and this must-do activity can be done quickly. I would not skip it as this is the typical Hawaiian postcard. This is our last stop of the day, and we are ready for our 1h30min drive back to Kona. 

Day 8: 2 steps, Kona, Manta Ray swimming

For our last full day in Kona we want to try snorkeling at Two Steps, so we leave the hotel early. There is a relatively short drive to arrive at the location. Finding a parking spot can be challenging, but we manage to find a spot pretty close. We take our snorkeling equipment and follow the advice of Tropicalsnorkeling for the water entrance. There is not a lot of swell so entering the water is easy. In the water we can see lots of fish and corals. I would say that there is as much to see as in Captain cook monument, but the water is not as clear as Captain cook. After a 30 min swim we go back at our hotel to enjoy a nice breakfast. 

For the rest of the day, we don’t have specific plans, we book last minute tickets for the Kanaloa Octopus Farm and plan to try a night Manta ray watching session. The visit of the farm is a little strange at the beginning as you must wait in a parking lot to enter the Energy laboratory. But during the tour they explain that the visits are a way to finance their research, and it all make sense.  The guide gives interesting explanations about Octopus and we can touch some of them. It was not my best visit in Big Island but the fact that it helps to finance the research makes it a good stop. 

For our last night in Kona we try Manta ray night watching. This activity is expensive, and we hesitate a lot, but this is our last night in Big Island so let’s try it. We check online for the best company and choose a sunset tour with Kona Snorkel Trips as they have very good reviews. We arrive on time and get the equipment while waiting for the other members of our group. Other four people in the group can’t arrive early enough so the captain decides that they will do the tour another day and our group tour became a private tour, we are lucky.

It takes about 30 minutes of boat to arrive at the Manta spot, where many boats are present. The trip is a good opportunity to admire the sunset from the sea.  Before to go in the water we get some interesting explanations about Mantas and some advices. On the water we must hold a surfboard with handles and light. We go at a first spot where there is nothing to see. We then try another spot where we can see some Mantas. In this spot there are many lights on the bottom of the ocean and divers with bottles. We start to see some nice Mantas, and all the underwater landscape with the lights, the divers, and all the bubble released by the divers are super impressive. We then try a last spot, the best one. Here we can see about 5 Mantas, they are very close from us (less than a meter sometimes) and are dancing in the water. This is an amazing experience and one of the best spectacle I have been given to see. 

That’s it, our trip in Big Island ends up with this magical experience. Tomorrow we take a flight to go to Oahu for a few days. 

Reflecting on the itinerary

The itinerary presented in this post is not too packed and will give you time to rest. We missed some areas of the north east like Mauna Kea which was not available and Waipio valley. They are certainly very nice places to visit. If needed you can spend less than 8-9 days, but the island is big (it’s in the name) and you do need to check Volcano and Kona areas which are far from each other.