Explore The Big Island | Ocean & Volcanoes

Growing up, my grandmother worked at the University on The Big Island in Hawaii and I always wanted to go. If you know me, you know that I live for being by the ocean and being able to explore. I am definitely related to my grandmother who has travelled the world. Crazy fact: she was travelling when 9/11 happened. She was temporarily stranded in London on her way back to Vancouver. 

In 2020, my in-laws had posed the idea of a family trip to Kona, HI. Now, I was hesitant to do a big family trip, but I also really wanted to explore. I love my husband’s family, and they’ve been nothing but kind and welcoming to me since day 1 so that wasn’t the problem. I love to explore, do my own thing, and most importantly, have my own space – that’s the introvert in me. But, we booked the trip in 2021, and then I refused to get excited about the trip, because well, you know – the big C.

Nearly Time For The Big Island

In January this year, I was feeling very sure we were NOT going to be able to travel. The big C was exploding yet again, and my husband even [presumably] had tested positive and another round of restrictions was in place.

Travel is something both my husband and I love to do, and I’m hoping that we’re on the up and up where I can start posting about new experiences so that the travel section of my blog isn’t so boring.

Things calmed down, and my in-laws and their friends were able to fly out to the Big Island. Even still, I was hesitant. In the pre-panny days, I would be counting down the days months in advance!

The week of the trip arrived, and I began to prep by pulling out the summer stuff and doing laundry, but still cautious. We headed to the airport to take our C Test and as we were heading to dinner, we got our negative results and were able to check in for our flight.

HAWAII HERE WE COME! 

Big Island Time – Highlights

Lots of people go to Maui or Honolulu when they go to Hawaii, but Jason’s family has been doing trips to the Big Island for years now. I was worried that my husband would just be toting me around to all the things he’s already done, but he was excited for us to explore Kona together. He’s always been limited in what he could do previously as he’s never been able to rent a car previously. Being under 25 problems back in the day 😉

We did things that he had never done before, and I wanted to offer some highlights that I think everyone should aim to do and see. Kona aka the Big Island has lots to offer, and I will definitely go back. Once Waipiao valley is open again though.

Cinder Cone – Pu’u wa’awa’a

Don’t even ask me how to pronounce this, but let me tell you that this is a must-do on the big island. You start out down in the lava fields, as this was once – well, is – a volcano. A dormant volcano, don’t panic. It’s an 11km hike (according to my Garmin) with 514 meters of elevation, and it took us just over 3 hours to complete with stops for photos and taking in the moment.

I’d say this is a moderate hike, solely because of how steep it is at the top and its total distance, but there is good footing. While I’d recommend hiking shoes, I did just wear my running shoes and I was totally okay.

You get to see wildlife and get spectacular views down to the water. The greenery as we ascended reminded us very much of the highlands in Scotland. We didn’t find this trail to be even remotely close to busy, but I’d definitely recommend going in the morning, as the heat can make this hike feel more difficult. Trust me. 

Captain Cook’s Place Of Refuge

A spot known for its sea turtles was definitely something I needed to check out. We didn’t see as many sea turtles as I had hoped, but the yellow fish we saw everywhere were so cute.

Volcano National Park

We pulled into the visitor centre to use the washroom and as we were walking by, Jason heard “who wants to see some lava” and naturally we said yes. So we hurried off to go see some lava. Now, you’re far away for obvious safety reasons, so it’s not like you’re in immediate danger. Seeing lava in real life was wicked cool. I can’t guarantee you’ll have that same experience but definitely stop by the visitor centre to see if the volcano is currently erupting.

Want to experience more of the volcano? Check out the Kilauea Iki Crater Hike which takes you from the lush rainforest down to the crater where you feel like you’re on a whole other planet. It’s a surreal experience and if you’re down for the hike, it’s well worth it. It’s about a six km round trip with minimal ascent. It took us under 2 hours to complete, but there was lots of stopping to take photos. So if you’re not going to take 6,000 photos, you should be there less time.

Did I run a little bit? Obviously.

After that, we grabbed lunch and then headed down the backside of the park which previously connected you to Hilo. The latest major eruption in 2018 caused a lot of damage and that road is now closed. I’m not sure if it will ever reopen, but it’s definitely worth driving down to the water and taking it all in. The temperature swing is crazy, at least it was when we were there.

Snorkel Boat Tour

Y’all. We don’t do tour things very often as we prefer to explore things on our own. However, I wanted to see dolphins and sharks and the girls were coming and they wanted to see all the sea life. If you’re coming to the Big Island, this is a MUST.

My brother-in-law booked a boat snorkel tour. Ours was with Kaimana Ocean Safari and they were so wonderful to spend the morning with. We saw dolphins as we were coming out of the marina harbour, so honestly, my day was made right then and there.

I am not a strong swimmer, but I only used the noodle for my first excursion out of the boat.

Waimea & Waipi’o Valley

Waipi’o is the land of King Kamehameha (kuh·may·huh·may·uh) and was our main goal for the day we were heading through Waimea from Kona. As we were driving to the lookout, we saw a sign saying closed to all except local residents. We continued on, and when we got there we spoke to the ranger and the hike down is closed indefinitely due to instability.

It sounds like there’s concerns with erosion and rock/mud slides, so until this can be stabilized, you’ll only be able to look down from the lookout. Don’t pay attention to Google showing it open, because the hike is closed indefinitely to tourists/visitors according to a government website. 

We chose then to head back to Waimea and hit up a beach with the girls, and keep an eye on the weather up on Mauna Kea. We made it to Spencer Beach Park and enjoyed some ocean time with the kids. We called up to the visitor centre for Mauna Kea, and we’re given news that made our day. So on that note …

Mauna Kea Sunset – The Big Island Experience of a Lifetime!

If you love sunsets, this is a must. Mauna Kea is the highest point on the big island and the sunset will take your breath away. The visitor centre is where everyone can get to, and access up to the Mauna Kea summit is restricted to approved cars. If you have any health conditions, going all the way up to the summit may not be for you.

Think about it; you’re at sea level and you head up to the visitor centre, which is approximately 9,500 feet. The summit is at 13,796 feet so if you are in fact going up to the summit, they tell you to wait at least 30 minutes before continuing on to the summit if you’re able to. Our rental car was not approved, nor did we think it would be good for my little asthmatic self.

Fun story time. My aunt and uncle went to the Big Island for their honeymoon in ’91 and took up my grandmothers cavalier to the summit of Mauna Kea. Y’all! I’m sure that they and many like them, are the reason there is now a ranger that approves you going up or not now. 

Trust me. This is a must see if you’re heading to the Big Island. But keep an eye on the weather up there (they have webcams) because if it’s not clear or rainy, it’s not worth it. I do believe you can also go for the sunrise  at the summit, but it’s through a tour only. So with the pandemic, I’m not sure that’s something they’re offering. We went for sunset, and it was so worth it. An experience of a life-time.

Kiholo bay

Secluded beaches are always a hit for myself and Jason, and this time we brought the fam with us while my father-in-law went golfing. We only went partway as mobility can sometimes be an issue so we’re here to keep everyone safe and in one piece.

The snorkelling where we were was underwhelming but it was sea turtle heaven. I’ve never seen so many sea turtles in one area and me, Jason and Anna were enthralled. I would definitely recommend heading here and you can go further along which we weren’t able to do this trip. Next time!

Big Island Restaurants To Visit

• Magic Sands Grill
  • Legit right on the beach rocks. Great cocktails, food, and sunny views. We never made it for brunch, but their bartender told us that they do have an epic brunch on the weekends. We’ll make sure to hit that next time. 
• Merrimans
  • We went for lunch and would definitely recommend. Dinner is a set course menu and very expensive, but we took the girls for lunch and was a great way to get a more upscale meal at reasonable prices. 
• Huggos On The Rocks
  • Sunset here is amazing and the entrees are DELISH! 
• The Coffee Shack
  • Amazing brunch, and even more amazing pies/cake. Their carrot cake is my grandmothers favourite, and I had some very delicious key lime cream pie. It’s up from where the place of refuge is, so you’re getting a great view of the ocean from the hillside. 

The Big Island of Hawaii Wrap

I know that this was a long blog post, but if you’re planning on heading to the Big Island, these are the places that are must see’s, in my humble opinion. I still wish we could have gone tothe black sand beach in Volcano, and the Waipi’o valley but hopefully we can hit those next time. We’re all in the decompression stage from our holidays so there’s no imminent plans to go back as a family.

I’d love to explore the other islands, and one can easily island hop so when we go back, it’ll be a multi-island kind of trip.

Have you been to the Big Island of Hawaii before?