We had the opportunity to travel to the Big Island in early March because friends of ours were temporarily living on the island and invited us to visit! So we planned a trip to the Big Island and then to Kauai. This blog is a recap of our time on the Big Island, highlighting some of the things I loved the most, including the black sand beaches, Volcanoes National Park, and the manta ray snorkel tours.
Traveling There and the Arrival
First of all, I need to share some of the logistics involved with getting to the Big Island because this wouldn’t be a complete travel blog if I didn’t share all aspects of travel. We woke up around 5:00 AM in Rochester, NY, and drove to Syracuse, where we met our friends Adam and Jessica. We flew from Syracuse to Denver, had a one-hour layover, and then flew to Kona on the Big Island. We chose a flight with fewer layovers, and I honestly recommend it. There’s less room for delays when you have fewer flights!
Seeing the island from the plane was amazing! Everything from the lava flow fields to the green hills and Mauna Kea in the background was so picturesque. When we landed, we deboarded via a portable staircase and walked to the outdoor baggage claim. Our friends Sarah and Levi picked us up in their minivan and brought along chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, as well as leis, of course!
Where We Stayed
Since our friends were living in Hilo, we booked an Airbnb on the north side of the island in Keaau for Joel and me, and Adam and Jess. It was the perfect size, and it was great having mornings there. It was the rainy season, so there were showers every morning, but it just added to the rainforest effect. The majority of people who visit the Big Island stay on the south side near Kona. We were not aware of this when we booked our trip, and our focus was on being as close to Sarah and Levi as we could, which we don’t regret.
However, we learned later that the south side is better for snorkeling, scuba diving, and doing just about anything, especially during the winter months. Hilo experiences rough waters in the winter, making it a bit tricky and dangerous to go to the beach or engage in water activities.
Our First Day – The Hilo Market, a Nude Beach, & Mauna Kea
Market in the Morning
On our first day, Sarah had to work, so Levi brought us to the Lilioukalani Park and Gardens and the Hilo market. The park was pretty, and the market is worth a visit for fresh, local fruits and souvenirs. Then we went exploring in the minivan and made our way to Kehena Beach.
Nude Beach in the Afternoon
Unbeknownst to us, Kehena Beach is often treated as a nude beach, although it is illegal in Hawaii. Imagine our surprise when we looked over the ledge and saw the slew of naked people!
We continued driving up the coast and saw some incredible volcanic shorelines, blue waters, and yes, eventually, we made our way to a different black sand beach at Isaac Hale Park with clothed people on it.
Mauna Kea at Sundown
One of the first “big things” we had planned for our trip was to drive up Mauna Kea and watch the sunset. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano over 13,000 feet above sea level. When measured from its base on the ocean floor, it’s the tallest mountain in the world. We rented a 4×4 Jeep and arrived around 5:00 PM. When you take this trip, you have to stop at the visitor center, where they check your car to make sure it has 4WD and that it works. They also have you put your vehicle in a lower gear to get up the mountain. On the way down, they stop you again to check your brakes. It feels like overkill, but I guess an abundance of safety isn’t the worst thing in the world.
We made our way up the mountain, and, wow, the drive up is incredible. You go higher and higher until you’re above the clouds. We parked our Jeep alongside many other 4×4 vehicles, and we spent the majority of the time in the vehicle. Even though we were prepared, it was cold up there! We got out for pictures and then huddled back in the Jeep to watch the sunset. Once the sun goes down, the park rangers signal for everyone to head back down the mountain. We stopped at the visitor center there, and they offered a tour of the stars. We were so cold and tired that we left, but the trip up Mauna Kea was a great ending to our first day on the Big Island.
Day 2 – Volcanoes National Park
On our second day on the Big Island, we visited Volcanoes National Park. Unfortunately, Adam woke up sick this day. He powered through to see the park but was sick for the entirety of the trip. Our first stop was the Thurston Lava Tube, a short and easy hike that is a must-see. We drove through the park, stopping to see the various craters, their steam, and the vast fields of old lava flow. It was an unreal place, and I can’t believe people are allowed to visit when there is an active volcano there – Mount Kilauea – and so many steaming vents. A couple of hours after we got back to our Airbnb, Joel got sick, so we were now on day two with two sick people.
Day 3 – Kona
On our third day, we left the two sick husbands at the house, and Jess, Sarah, Levi, and I went to Kona. The original plan for the day was to spend time in Kona, visit some beaches, and then snorkel with manta rays at night. We were able to postpone the manta rays to the following day in hopes that they would feel better by then, but the rest of us still went to Kona. We went to a beach and saw dolphins in the distance, so we went snorkeling. That was my first taste of how strong the current was there because I fought for my life at one point to not get tumbled in a washing machine and thrown into a giant urchin-riddled coral. It was a sad day for Jess and me as we worried about our sick husbands and felt bad that they missed out on a day of vacation.
Day 4 – Kilaua Erupts, Whale Watching, and the Manta Ray Snorkel
Mount Kilauea Erupted
Kilauea erupted overnight, so when we woke up, we made the trip back to Volcanoes National Park to see the lava. Joel stayed at the house, too sick to care about the volcano, but Adam managed to come along to see it. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in my life. Seeing red-hot lava blasting out of a volcano with my own eyes was never on my bucket list, nor was it something I thought I’d ever get to experience, and I was amazed to witness it.
Whale Watching in Kona
Joel and Adam were not feeling any better, but we couldn’t postpone the manta ray snorkel again, so we were able to cancel their trip. The four of us then made the drive back to Kona for another day. We felt so bad because they wanted to see the manta rays, but were too sick to leave the house. We sat on a beach watching the sun on the ocean when I saw something spouting off in the distance. I asked what I was seeing because in my brain, I thought it was a steamship of some kind. But Sarah said, “It’s a whale!” We had binoculars with us and got to see whales spouting and diving down, not too far from shore.
Snorkeling With Manta Rays
Our reservation to see the manta rays was not until 8:30 PM, so we got some Domino’s pizza and then made our way to the meeting point. The group that went before us got off the boat and walked by, and Jessica asked if they had seen anything. One woman said no. They saw one in the distance when they first got there, and then nothing else – it was a disappointment. Our hearts sank, but we tried to stay positive. When we got on the boat, the guides said we were going to a different spot that might have better luck.
About 20 minutes later, we arrived at the location. There were other boats there with snorkelers in the water. We all got in and got into our position on the surfboard-like board we had to hold on to. It had blue lights underneath it that attracted plankton, which in turn attracted the manta rays.
We saw something in the distance, and I thought it was our one manta ray sighting. But then we saw another one. And another one. They were flipping upside down and coming within inches of us to get the plankton! The experience went exactly as advertised, with giant 1200 lb manta rays swimming directly in front of your face. We were amazed and thrilled that our experience was better than the group before us.
Some googling on the way home told us that it’s better to do the later tours because they would know where the manta rays are by then, and the manta rays will already be there. If you are looking to do the manta ray dive or snorkel, consider skipping the 6:00 PM tours and holding out for the later one for the best chance of seeing these incredible ocean creatures.
Day 5 – Scuba Diving and the Southernmost Point of the United States
Scuba Diving
As much as I wanted to dive in Kona, I couldn’t because we were staying in Hilo. The road from Kona to Hilo has a significant elevation change, where you cannot drive from one to the other if you dive. So, I found a company to dive with in Hilo called Hilo Scuba Diving. I booked an early morning one-tank shore dive and rented gear. I almost backed out because this was the most expensive dive of my life, but I had to follow through so I could say I had dived on the Big Island.
The water was choppy, and the current was strong, as expected, but they made sure I felt comfortable, which I did. We then went over a briefing and made our way into the water. The visibility wasn’t great, but honestly, I didn’t care. It was better than I expected. I had a hard time finding my buoyancy, but when I did, I really enjoyed the bright corals and fish and, of course, turtles.
We got home from snorkeling wth the manta rays late the night before. I didn’t get to sleep until about 1:30 AM and had to meet for diving at 7:00 AM. I was definitely tired. So when we were swimming back to shore, and the current was trying to force me back out into the ocean, I was exhausted. It took everything in me to relax when the tide pushed me in and kick like crazy when it tried to push me back out. Then we had to scramble onto the volcanic rock shoreline with a tank to get out. I was beat, but the dive was worth it, and I’m so glad I didn’t cancel.
The Southernmost Point of the United States
Punalu’u Bake Shop
We had heard about this donut shop at the southernmost point, so we made that our first stop. It’s called the Punalu’u Bake Shop, and it has souvenirs, lunches, and yes, donuts. We got a dozen, and the best ones were the taro donuts. Taro is a sweet potato-like vegetable and was a main food source for Hawaiians before the Western world got involved. Natives consider it to be sacred since it was a vital source of sustenance for them. The taro donuts are the locals’ favorite flavor of donut, so that’s the one I had to try, and out of the dozen donuts we got, the taro was by far the best one!
At the Cliff Edge
The southernmost point of the United States is a huge cliff made of black volcanic rock. There were other people there exploring and cliff jumping, and locals were there fishing for big fish. Jessica and Levi jumped off the cliff into the water, but Adam and Joel were still sick, and I am not keen on cliff jumping.
Another Black Sand Beach
We left and made our way to the Punalu’u black sand beach. It was an idyllic scene, with black sand and bright green trees at the back that looked like a T. rex from Jurassic Park would emerge from at any moment, and a bright blue ocean on the other side. But more excitingly, sea turtles were resting on the beach. It has always been a goal to see turtles on the beach, but seeing them on a black sand beach was truly incredible.
Day 6 – Rainbow Falls & Off to Kauai
Before heading off to the Hilo airport, we made a stop at Rainbow Falls. It’s one of the must-see waterfalls if you are on the Big Island. In Hawaiian mythology, it’s believed that the lava cave behind the falls is where Hina, Maui’s mother, a demigod, and the goddess of the moon, lives. We flew to Honolulu and then to Kauai, and each flight was no more than 30 minutes. We were at our Airbnb in Princeville, Kauai, by 6:00 PM, unpacked, and preparing for the second half of our trip.