The Big Island, Hawaii, February 2012.
If you’re a non-US national like us, a first time visit to
any Hawaiian island is most probably going to shock you. This could be a shock of seismic proportions,
potentially even earth shattering. You
may have the idyllic vision of a remote Hawaiian Island comprising of a glorious
white sandy beach, with palm trees swaying gently behind you as the crystal
clear ocean laps in front of you, and a Hula girl serves you the freshest of tropical
cocktails. And you may well find this.
But you’ll also find islands of destructive and seemingly bleak volcanic
landscapes, huge rugged and smouldering mountains, lush tropical rainforests,
and windswept isolated coastlines battered relentlessly by Ocean. Some of the volcanic plains are too volatile
to visit, large stretches of the coastline too dangerous to even paddle in, and
the climate so diverse that you could be sunbathing and skiing all on
the same day. This is the real Hawaii, and once you’re over the shattering of
your pre-conceptions, one that will make your visit simply unforgettable.
Hawaii is the fiftieth and newest member of the United States. It’s an archipelago of hundreds of small islands, and home to some of the largest and most active volcanoes on the planet. This is most evident on the largest of the Islands officially called Hawaii Island, but more commonly referred to as the Big Island, and just a short forty five minute transfer from Honolulu. Volcanoes dominate the landscape wherever you are, from the lava fields that surround the airport as you arrive, to the dormant Mauna Kea volcano which looms over the island’s capital of Kailua-Kona. We spent ten days touring the Island in February 2013, heading anti clockwise by car, and staying at a variety of guest houses and hotels along the way. We suggest that this is the best way to fully experience all it has to offer.
‘Kailua-Kona’ or Kona as it's commonly called, is the tourist centre of the Island and a good base to explore the drier climate, warm waters and fabulous beaches of the West Coast. This was our first stop, spending two nights with ‘Kona’ Dave and Wendi at the very welcoming and peaceful Hona Kai B&B (www.honukai.com). Kona itself is a pretty and compact tourist centre with a reasonable variety of places to shop and dine. It’s perched on a bay, and whilst it doesn’t have a good beach itself, there are plenty in close proximity to the north or south. The alternative to staying here is to choose one of the large beach resort hotels to the north along the Kohala Coast, and although you benefit from staying right on the beach, there really isn’t much more going on. Dave and Wendi of the Hona Kai have access cards to one of the beach clubs and will happily let you borrow the cards for a day, which is a really nice touch (for obvious reasons they don’t advertise this.) They will also let you know where you can find some excellent volcanic tubes close by.
The Kohala, better
known as Humpback Whales, clearly adore the West coast, and are one of the key attractions. They migrate to the
region each winter from Alaska where mums give birth and school their newborns
and the rest just seem to come to play. There are thought to be hundreds, maybe
even thousands of them in the area at any given time. And although a boat tour
from Honokohau Harbour is highly worthwhile to get up close and personal, it's entirely possible to
whale watch simply from the shore, or even straight off the highway. The humpbacks are the size of a bus, so spotting them
as they come to the surface to breath and spurt out huge streams of water is
not too difficult. It is also a breathtaking experience, and one reason why you
should time your trip for the winter.
Honu, or Hawaiian
Green Turtles, have also made the West coast their home. It’s quite normal to
see Turtles up to a metre in size basking on the beach, right next to
sunbathers under their parasols. Local laws insist you give them up to three
meters space, though they really don’t seem to mind sharing their bit of
paradise with the rest of us. We saw turtles all over the island, but the West
coast is where you can get closest.
The South West tip of the island is windswept, barren and
rugged, and its major draw is the hour long stroll through the dunes to Papakolea Beach, one of only two beaches
in the world made up of fine Green Sand, and even though this is a very popular
and well-trodden tourist hike, it’s still worth the effort. Locals will try to
insist you take their four wheel drive taxis to get there, but the damage they
are causing to the landscape is good enough reason
alone to walk, never mind the fantastic views you’d miss en route by driving. We
chose to stay at Leilana B&B for
two nights (www.leilanibedandbreakfast.com)
in the spookily quiet Ocean View development. This is a large residential
subrub that’s been waiting to take off for quite a few years by all
accounts, and is still waiting. It isn’t particularly scenic, and there’s just one shop and pizza
joint, but if you plan to explore as we did, then it’s a reasonable choice. The
B&B had the most amazing home-made muffins for breakfast, but we felt it
lacked a little warmth and hospitality on the whole.
The other easy trip to make from here is north to the Captain
Cook monument in Kealakekua Bay. The monument
marks the spot where Captain Cook was killed by locals, shortly after being the
first European to arrive on these shores. It’s only accessible by kayak, which you can rent
from a number of locals in the car park which is easy to find and well
signposted. It takes about thirty minutes to paddle to the monument across the sheltered bay, and there
is excellent snorkeling as the area is an official marine sanctuary. There
are frequent sightings of both whales and dolphins here, often right next to
your kayak.
Moving east along the South Coast brings you to the main
draw of the Big Island, the Hawaiian
Volcanoes National Park, a park that stretches over five hundred square
miles, rising from sea level to the summit of the world’s largest volcano, Mauna Loa, towering above you at over four
thousand metres. The Village of Volcano
is an ideal base to explore the Park, and also one of the islands wettest
towns. The climate here is sub-tropical with lush rainforests stretching to Mauna Loa and its parkland.
Visiting the Volcanic Park really needs at least two days,
there is so much to see, and we chose to extend this to three. We visited the main Caldera twice, both by day
and at night, when you get a chance to see the smoking fireworks in all their
glory. Yes, this is a very active Volcano, and parts of the Chain of Craters
road are frequently closed when the sulphur emissions rise to dangerous levels
and the wind carries them over the road. Many visit just to witness huge lava
flows descend into a steaming flurry into the Ocean. We weren’t so lucky, as
it was deemed too dangerous during our stay and the area was closed, but with
so much to explore including the 4 mile Kilauea
Trail which takes you through the forest, across a still steaming crater
floor, past huge Cinder Cones before returning to the crater rim. You will also
want to have your photo taken at the point where the lava flow cut off the main
highway near the ocean – the ‘road closed’ sign is just about visible, encased
forever in black lava.
We stayed at Volcano
Suites B&B (www.volcanosuites.com)
– at the time we visited they had just one double, spacious and well-furnished
room available, but they are planning at least four more in the lush gardens.
Highly recommended, nestled off a secluded drive into the rainforest, but do
take a rain coat to cope with the wet micro climate that happens year round. The very friendly & helpful B&B owner
Lenny was also working at the Thai restaurant in the village, which is
excellent, and there are a handful of other stores and restaurants to choose
from.
We then headed north east to the capital Hilo, which does not receive
particularly great reviews in any travel guide but we would highly recommend it
for at least an overnight stop. It’s probably the only opportunity to see the
real Hawaii and where the locals live. We stayed at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, (www.castleresorts.com)
overlooking Coconut Island, and just off the tree-lined Banyan Drive. It’s a
three star hotel whose best days may be long gone, but the rooms are large,
clean and comfortable, and with gorgeous views of the bay. You can easily pass a day wandering around
town, starting at Ken’s House of Pancakes
for breakfast, before visiting the local market, and then taking in the shops
and other places of interest. Kolekole
Beach Park to the north is also worth a visit, with a fine black sand
beach, nice views and another good chance to spot turtles. Our favourite day
trip from Hilo was to the village of Pahoa
in the Puna district to the south. It’s a village that appears a little lost in
time, with wooden stores on covered boardwalks, and a distinctive hippy vibe.
It’s a colourful place touched with a hint of the Wild West, and the main
street is lined with a good selection of cafes, speciality stores, and
restaurants.
Onwards from Hilo, we then headed north west to the town of Waimea for a couple of nights for our
final stop of the tour, staying at Aaah
The Views B&B (www.aaahtheviews.com), another
delightful guest house with excellent hosts, Derek & Erika. Southern Views
to the rear of the property look out towards the impressive Mauna Kea Mountain in the distance, and
this can either be enjoyed from the comfort of your own room or from the deck
where breakfast is served. The climate is in the north-west is different again,
due to its higher altitude and the cool dry winds sweeping in across acres and
acres of open farmland.
Mauna Kea is a
once highly destructive but now dormant volcano rising to four thousand two
hundred metres above sea level, and has some of the most rewarding stargazing opportunities
in the world. Judging by how many astronomical observatories are perched at the
summit, it would be a hard fact to dispute. Late afternoon is a great time to visit, as
you will get to take in the sunset over the Kohala
Coast, and then have plenty of time to join the free star gazing programme
from 6pm at the Visitor Information Station. Be sure to pick a clear night by
checking with the local weather forecast, and wrap up warm as temperatures can
drop to zero. Erika from the B&B was very kind in letting us borrow their
ski jackets, and our advice would be not to visit at night without them. You’ll
be glad you braved the cold, as you’ll be shown various planets and galaxies
through telescopes and laser pointers.
Some
of Hawaii’s most spectacular and famous valleys and waterfalls are also located
in this part of the Big Island. Waipi’o
and Pololu Valleys are easily
accessible north from Waimea and make
for rewarding day trips. We chose to visit Pololu
Valley, a forty five minute drive from Waimea.
It’s a steep thirty minute descent on foot from the car park down to the black
sand beach, but it’s clearly signposted and easy to follow. The views looking
away from the ocean will probably be the ones you remember most of your trip to
the Big Island, they are truly magical, as your look up towards the densely
forested valley sides. You would be well advised to leave a little more time
for the climb back up, and this is a walk for the physically active only and
with sturdy footwear essential as the path can get very muddy. 
If you
want to finish off your Big Island tour with a spot of relaxation, then Hapuna Beach is a perfect choice, and
just a short drive from Waimea on the
north-west coast. You will happily find your own piece of paradise on its pristine
white sands and turquoise waters. The public park has good parking, bathrooms
and pavilions.
This is the first of three articles I plan to write on
Hawaii, covering the islands of The Big Island, Oahu and Kauai, spread over two
separate trips in February 2012 and March 2013. We don’t usually head to the
same destination twice in two years, or even twice in a lifetime, but we made
an honourable exception to the rule when it came to the Islands of Hawaii. I
hope that the reasons for this become as clear to you as they were to me once
you’ve finished reading our adventures.
No comments:
Post a Comment