Frommer’s EasyGuide to the Big Island of Hawaii

By Martha Cheng and Jeanne Cooper

An essential stop for any visitor to Hawaii, the "Big Island" of Hawaii features the unforgettable active volcanoes of Volcanoes National Park (a World Heritage site), ranches tended by Hawaiian cowboys, beachfront hotels of every size, historic local towns, superb shopping, and more. This guide, written by a resident of the Big Island, offers a concise but richly detailed look at the island’s top nature sights and adventures, its lodging options, its culture, history and much more.
Inside the guide:
• Detailed maps
• Full color photos throughout
• Exact pricing, opening hours, and other important details to remove the stress from planning
• Star ratings to help you scan quickly to pick out the highlights and hidden gems
• An insider’s take on what’s worth your time and what can be skipped, as well as insights on the culture, history and natural history of this delightful island

• Language: English
• Publisher: FrommerMedia
• Release date: Jun 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781628875355

Book preview

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Akaka Falls in Hilo

Larger than all the other Hawaiian Islands combined, the Big Island truly deserves its nickname. Its 4,029 square miles—a figure that has grown recently, thanks to one of its three active volcanoes—contain 10 of the world’s 13 climate zones. In less than a day, a visitor can easily traverse tropical rainforest, lava desert, verdant pastures, misty uplands, and chilly tundra, the last near the summit of Mauna Kea, almost 14,000 feet above sea level. The shoreline also boasts diversity, from golden beaches to enchanting coves with black, salt-and-pepper, even olivine sand. Above all, the island home of Kamehameha the Great and Pele, the volcano goddess, is big in mana: power and spirituality.

Essentials

Arriving

The Big Island has two major airports for interisland and trans-Pacific jet traffic: Kona and Hilo.

Most people arrive at Kona International Airport (KOA; hawaii.gov/koa) in Keahole, the island’s westernmost point, and can be forgiven for wondering if there’s really a runway among all the crinkly black lava and golden fountain grass. Leaving the airport, the ritzy Kohala Coast is to the left (north) and the town of Kailua-Kona—often just called Kona, as is the airport—is to the right (south).

U.S. carriers offering nonstop service to Kona, in alphabetical order, are Alaska Airlines (www.alaskaair.com; telephone_black.eps

 800/252-7522

), with flights from the Pacific Northwest hubs of Seattle, Portland, and Anchorage (plus Nov–Apr from Bellingham, Washington) and from Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland, California; American Airlines (www.aa.com; telephone_black.eps  800/433-7300), departing from Dallas–Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and Phoenix; Delta Air Lines (www.delta.com; telephone_black.eps  800/221-1212), flying from Los Angeles and Seattle; Hawaiian Airlines (www.hawaiianairlines.com; telephone_black.eps  800/367-5320), departing from Los Angeles; and United Airlines (www.united.com; telephone_black.eps  800/241-6522), with flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Denver. At press time, Southwest Airlines (www.southwest.com; telephone_black.eps  800/435-9792) was planning nonstop service to Kona from California and had already begun connecting service through Honolulu from Oakland and San Jose.

Air Canada (www.aircanada.com; telephone_black.eps  888/247-2267) and WestJet (www.westjet.com; telephone_black.eps  888/937-8358) also offer nonstop service to Kona, with frequency changing seasonally, from Vancouver. Japan Airlines also offers weekly nonstop service from the mainland to Hilo International Airport (ITO; hawaii.gov/ito), via Los Angeles.

For connecting flights or island-hopping, Hawaiian and Southwest (see above) are the only carriers offering inter-island jet service. Hawaiian flies several times a day from Honolulu and Kahului, Maui, to both Kona and Hilo airports; it also flies daily nonstop between Kauai and Kona Hawaiian’s Ohana by Hawaiian subsidiary flies from Kona and Hilo to Kahului on 48-passenger, twin-engine turboprops. Mokulele Airlines (www.mokuleleairlines.com; telephone_black.eps  866/260-4040) flies nine-passenger, single-engine turboprops to Kona from Maui’s Kahului and Kapalua airports, and to Waimea (Kamuela) from Kahului. Note: Mokulele weighs passengers and their carry-ons to determine seats; those totaling 350 lb. or more are not allowed to board.

Visitor Information

The Big Island Visitors Bureau (www.gohawaii.com/big-island; telephone_black.eps

 

800/648-2441) has an office on the Kohala Coast in the Shops at Mauna Lani, 68-1330 Mauna Lani Dr., Suite 109B, Mauna Lani Resort ( telephone_black.eps  808/885-1655).

This Week (www.thisweekhawaii.com/big-island) and 101 Things to Do: Big Island (www.101thingstodo.com/big-island) are free publications that offer good, useful information amid the advertisements, as well as discount coupons for a variety of island adventures. Copies are easy to find all around the island.

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Kona Coast

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Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park

Konaweb.com has an extensive event calendar and handy links to sites and services around the island, not just the Kona side. Those fascinated by the island’s active volcanoes—including Kilauea, which saw dramatic eruptions at its summit and in lower Puna between May and September 2018—should check out the updates, maps, photos, videos, and webcams on the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website (hvo.wr.usgs.gov), which also tracks the island’s frequent but usually minor earthquake activity.

The Island in Brief

The Kona Coast

Kona means leeward side in Hawaiian—and that means hot, dry weather virtually every day of the year on the 70-mile stretch of black lava shoreline encompassing the North and South Kona districts.

North Kona   With the exception of the sumptuous but serenely low-key Four Seasons Resort Hualalai 3_starBlackText.eps north of the airport, most of what everyone just calls Kona is an affordable vacation spot. An ample selection of midpriced condo units, timeshares, and several recently upgraded hotels lies between the bustling commercial district of Kailua-Kona 3_starBlackText.eps , a one-time fishing village and royal compound now renowned as the start and finish of the Ironman World Championship, and Keauhou, an equally historic area about 6 miles south that boasts upscale condominiums, a shopping center, and golf-course homes.

The rightly named Alii (Royalty) Drive begins in Kailua-Kona near King Kamehameha’s royal compound at Kamakahonu Bay, which includes the off-limits temple complex of Ahuena Heiau, and continues past Hulihee Palace 3_starBlackText.eps , an elegant retreat for later royals that sits across from the oldest church in the islands. Heading south, the road passes by the snorkelers’ haven of Kahaluu Beach 2_starBlackText.eps , as well as sacred and royal sites on the former Keauhou Beach Resort, before the intersection with King Kamehameha III Road, which leads to that monarch’s birthplace by Keauhou Bay. Several kayak excursions and snorkel boats leave from Keauhou, but Kailua Pier sees the most traffic—from cruise-ship tenders to fishing and dive boats, dinner cruises, and other sightseeing excursions.

Beaches between Kailua-Kona and Keauhou tend to be pocket coves, but heading north toward South Kohala (which begins near the entrance to the Waikoloa Beach Resort), beautiful, uncrowded sands lie out of sight from the highway, often reached by unpaved roads across vast lava fields. Among the steep coffee fields in North Kona’s cooler upcountry, you’ll find the rustic, artsy village of Holualoa.

South Kona   The rural, serrated coastline here is indented with numerous bays, from Kealakekua, a marine life and cultural preserve that’s the island’s best diving spot, down to Honaunau, where a national historical park recalls the days of old Hawaii. This is a great place to stay, in modest plantation-era inns or bed-and-breakfasts, if you want to get away from crowds but still be within driving distance of beaches and Kailua-Kona—you may hear the all-night cheeping of coqui frogs, though. The higher, cooler elevation of the main road means you’ll pass many coffee, macadamia nut, and tropical fruit farms, some with tours or roadside stands.

The Kohala Coast

Also on the island’s Kona side, sunny and dry Kohala is divided into two distinctively different districts, although the resorts are more glamorous and the rural area that much less developed.

South Kohala   Pleasure domes rise like palaces no Hawaiian king ever imagined along the sandy beaches carved into the craggy shores here, from the more moderately priced Waikoloa Beach Resort at Anaehoomalu Bay to the posher Mauna Lani and Mauna Kea resorts to the north. Mauna Kea is where Laurance Rockefeller opened the area’s first resort in 1965, a mirage of opulence and tropical greenery rising from bleak, black lava fields, framed by the white sands of Kaunaoa Beach and views of the mountain. But you don’t have to be a billionaire to enjoy South Kohala’s fabulous beaches and historic sites (such as petroglyph fields); all are open to the public, with parking and other facilities (including restaurants and shopping) provided by the resorts.

Several of the region’s attractions are also located off the resorts, including the white sands of Ohaiula Beach at Spencer Park 2_starBlackText.eps ; the massive Puukohola Heiau 3_starBlackText.eps , a lava rock temple commissioned by King Kamehameha the Great; and the handful of restaurants and shops in Kawaihae, the commercial harbor just after the turnoff for upcountry Waimea. Note: The golf course community of Waikoloa Village is not in the Waikoloa Beach Resort, but instead lies 5½ miles uphill from the coastal highway.

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Keck Observatory in Mauna Kea

Waimea (Kamuela) & Mauna Kea   Officially part of South Kohala, the old upcountry cow town of Waimea on the northern road between the coasts is a world unto itself, with rolling green pastures, wide-open spaces dotted by pu’u (cindercone hills, pronounced pooh-ooh) and real cowpokes who work mammoth Parker Ranch, the state’s largest working ranch. The postal service gave it the name Kamuela, after ranch founder Samuel (Kamuela) Parker, to distinguish it from another cowboy town, Waimea, Kauai. It’s split between a dry side (closer to the Kohala Coast) and a wet side (closer to the Hamakua Coast), but both sides can be cooler than sea level. It’s also headquarters for the Keck Observatory, whose twin telescopes atop the nearly 14,000-foot Mauna Kea 3_starBlackText.eps , some 35 miles away, are the largest and most powerful in the world. Those opposing the building of more observatories often stage peaceul protests in Waimea, including along its historic Church Row, which is also a popular spot for local food vendors. Waimea is home to several shopping centers and affordable lodgings, while Merriman’s 3_starBlackText.eps remains a popular foodie outpost at Opelo Plaza.

North Kohala   Locals may remember when sugar was king here, but for visitors, little-developed North Kohala is most famous for another king, Kamehameha the Great. His birthplace is a short walk from one of the Hawaiian Islands’ largest and most important temples, Mookini Heiau 1_starBlackText.eps , which dates to

a.d.

480; you’ll want a four-wheel-drive (4WD) for the rugged road there. Much easier to find (and photograph): the yellow-cloaked bronze statue of the warrior-king in front of the community center in Kapaau, a small plantation-era town. The road ends at the breathtaking Pololu Valley Overlook 3_starBlackText.eps .

Once the center of the Big Island’s sugarcane industry, Hawi remains a regional hub, with a 3-block-long strip of sun-faded, false-fronted buildings holding a few shops and restaurants of interest to visitors. Eight miles south, Lapakahi State Historical Park 2_starBlackText.eps merits a stop to explore how less-exalted Hawaiians than Kamehameha lived in a simple village by the sea. Beaches are less appealing here, with the northernmost coves subject to strong winds blowing across the Alenuihaha Channel from Maui, 26 miles away and visible on clear days.

The Hamakua Coast

This emerald coast, a 52-mile stretch from Honokaa to Hilo on the island’s windward northeast side, was once planted with sugarcane; it now blooms with macadamia nuts, papayas, vanilla orchids, and mushrooms. Resort-free and virtually without beaches, the Hamakua Coast includes the districts of Hamakua and North Hilo, with two unmissable destinations. Picture-perfect Waipio Valley 3_starBlackText.eps has impossibly steep sides, taro patches, a green riot of wild plants, and a winding stream leading to a broad, black-sand beach, while Akaka Falls State Park 3_starBlackText.eps offers views of two lovely waterfalls amid lush foliage. Also worth checking out: Laupahoehoe Point 1_starBlackText.eps , with its mournful memorial to young victims of a 1946 tsunami; and the quirky assortment of shops in the plantation town of Honokaa.

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Rainbow Falls

Hilo

The largest metropolis in Hawaii after Honolulu is a quaint, misty, flower-filled city of Victorian houses overlooking a half-moon bay, a historic downtown and a clear view of Mauna Kea, often snowcapped in winter. But it rains a lot in Hilo—about 128 inches a year—which tends to dampen visitors’ enthusiasm for longer stays. It’s ideal for growing ferns, orchids, and anthuriums, but not for catching constant rays.

Yet there’s a lot to see and do in Hilo and the surrounding South Hilo district, including indoor attractions such as the Imiloa Astronomy Center 3_starBlackText.eps , Lyman Museum and Mission House 2_starBlackText.eps , Mokupapapa Discovery Center 2_starBlackText.eps , and the Pacific Tsunami Museum 1_starBlackText.eps . Outdoors, you’ll want to see Hilo Bay 3_starBlackText.eps , the bayfront Liliuokalani Gardens 2_starBlackText.eps , and Rainbow Falls (Waianueanue) 1_starBlackText.eps —so grab your umbrella. The rain is warm (the temperature seldom dips below 70°F/21°C), and there’s usually a rainbow afterward.

The town also holds the island’s best bargains for budget travelers, with plenty of hotel rooms—most of the year, that is. Hilo’s magic moment comes in spring, the week after Easter, when hula halau (schools) arrive for the annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival hula competition (www.merriemonarch.com). Plan ahead if you want to go: Tickets are sold out by the first week in January, and hotels within 30 miles are usually booked solid. Hilo is also the gateway to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 3_starBlackText.eps , where hula troupes have traditionally performed chants and dances before the Merrie Monarch festival; the park is 30 miles away, or about an hour’s drive up-slope.

Puna District

Pahoa, Kapoho & Kalapana   Between Hilo and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park lies the Wild Wild East, which gained international fame in 2018 with the onset of devastating, dramatic lava flows that lasted 4 months. Although no lives were lost (scientific monitoring allows for early warning, and lava doesn’t move that fast here), the flows claimed some 700 homes—including oceanfront vacation rentals, an isolated suburban subdivision, and farmsteads—and filled all of Kapoho Bay with molten rock up to 900 feet deep. The Lower Puna eruption also caused Green Lake to evaporate and buried the volcanically heated waters of Ahalanui Park, the Kapoho warm ponds, and Waiopae tidepools, all beloved attractions and unique ecosystems. However, not all was lost: The ghostly hollowed trunks of Lava Tree State Monument 2_starBlackText.eps remain standing, while a new black-sand beach and lagoon formed at Pohoiki Harbor in Isaac Hale Beach Park 2_starBlackText.eps , which currently requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle to access. At press time, officials were still mulling how to allow safe access to newly created thermal ponds near the extended shoreline, but a lively night market still takes place in Kalapana on the acres of lava that rolled through the hamlet in 1986. The part-Hawaiian, part-hippie plantation town of Pahoa was threatened by a lava flow in 2014 that consumed miles of forest before stopping just short of the village and Hwy. 130, its lifeline to the rest of the island.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 3_starBlackText.eps    This is America’s most exciting national park, where a live volcano called Kilauea continuously erupted from 1983 to 2018, and put on many memorable displays long before Mark Twain recorded its scenery and sulphurous odors in 1866. At press time, steam still wafted around Kilauea’s edges, while its magma chamber far below the earth was slowly beginning to refill after having poured out lava through Puna’s Lower East Rift Zone. The months of sporadic but massive, steam-driven eruptions of ash at the summit in 2018 not only drained the famous lava lake at Halemaumau Crater inside Kilauea’s caldera, but also quadrupled the size of the caldera, which expanded more than a square mile. The crater floor dropped from 280 feet to as much as 1,500 feet in places. While the vast park had yet to reopen all roads, trails, and attractions at press time, visitors should still ideally plan to spend 3 days at the park exploring its spectacular landscape, including cinder mounds, lush rainforest, stark-hued shoreline, and cultural sites. Even if you have only a day, it’s worth the trip. Bring your sweats or jacket (honest!); it’s cool and often misty up here.

Volcano Village   If you’re not camping or staying at the historic, 33-room Volcano House 2_starBlackText.eps inside the park, you’ll want to overnight in this quiet hamlet, just outside the national park entrance. Several cozy inns and B&Bs, some with fireplaces, reside under tree ferns in this cool mountain hideaway. The tiny highland community (elevation 4,000 ft.), first settled by Japanese immigrants, is now inhabited by artists, soul-searchers, and others who like the crisp high-country air, although proposed county regulations may drastically limit vacation rentals here.

Kau District

Pronounced kah-oo, this windswept, often barren district between Puna and South Kona is one visitors are most likely to just drive through on their way to and from the national park. Nevertheless, it contains several noteworthy sites.

Ka Lae (South Point)   This is the Plymouth Rock of Hawaii. The first Polynesians are thought to have arrived in seagoing canoes, most likely from the Marquesas Islands, as early as

a.d.

124 at this rocky promontory 500 feet above the sea. To the west is the old fishing village of Waiahukini, populated from

a.d.

750 until the 1860s; ancient canoe moorings, shelter caves, and heiau (temples) poke through windblown pili grass today. The east coast curves inland to reveal Papakolea (Green Sand) Beach 2_starBlackText.eps , a world-famous anomaly that’s best accessed on foot. Along the point, the southernmost spot in the 50 states, trees grow sideways due to the relentless gusts that also power wind turbines in the area. It’s a slow, nearly 12-mile drive from the highway to the tip of Ka Lae, so many visitors simply stop at the marked overlook on Highway 11, west of South Point Road.

Naalehu, Waiohinu & Pahala   Nearly every business in Naalehu and Waiohinu, the two wide spots on the main road near South Point, claims to be the southernmost this or that. But except for delicious malasadas (doughnut holes) or another pick-me-up from the Punaluu Bake Shop 1_starBlackText.eps or Hana Hou Restaurant 1_starBlackText.eps , there’s no reason to linger before heading to Punaluu Beach 3_starBlackText.eps , between Naalehu and Pahala. Protected green sea turtles bask on the fine black-sand beach when they’re not bobbing in the clear waters, chilly from fresh springs bubbling from the ocean floor. Pahala is the center of the burgeoning Kau coffee-growing scene (industry might be overstated), so caffeine fans should also allot at least 45 minutes for a visit to the Kau Coffee Mill 1_starBlackText.eps .

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Papakolea (Green Sand) Beach

Getting Around

The Hawaiian directions of makai (toward the ocean) and mauka (toward the mountains) come in handy when looking for unfamiliar sites, especially since numbered address signs may be invisible or nonexistent. They’re used with addresses below as needed.

By Taxi and Rideshare   Ride-sharing Uber and Lyft came to the island in 2017, although at press time coverage was spotty outside of Kailua-Kona and Hilo. Kona airport pickups are allowed at the median between Terminal 1 and 2; in Hilo, find your ride-share curbside, near the helicopter tours. Licensed taxis with professional, knowledgeable drivers are readily available at both Kona and Hilo airports, although renting a car (see below) is a more likely option. Rates set by the county start at $3, plus $3.20 each additional mile—about $25 to $30 from the Kona airport to Kailua-Kona and $50 to $60 to the Waikoloa Beach Resort. On the Kona side, call Kona Taxicab (www.konataxicab.com; telephone_black.eps  808/324-4444), which can also be booked in advance for airport pickups; drivers will check on your flight’s arrival. On the Hilo side, call Kwiki Taxi (www.kwikitaxi.wordpress.com; telephone_black.eps  808/498-0308).

By Car   You’ll want a rental car on the Big Island; not having one will really limit you. All major car-rental agencies have airport pickups in Kona and Hilo; some even offer cars at Kohala and Kona resorts. For tips on insurance and driving rules, see Getting Around Hawaii (p. 601).

The Big Island has more than 480 miles of paved road. The highway that circles the island is called the Hawaii Belt Road. From North Kona to South Kohala and Waimea, you have two driving choices: the scenic upper road, Mamalahoa Highway (Hwy. 190), or the speedier lower road, Queen Kaahumanu Highway (Hwy. 19). South of Kailua-Kona, the Hawaii Belt Road continues on Mamalahoa