Posts Tagged With: Hawaii Island

Miles of volcanic rock, waterfalls, steaming craters and lava flowing into the ocean. Everywhere you look, Hawaii Island, commonly referred to as the Big Island, gives you another scene for another adventure.

After spending a week on the island, we found that it wasn’t nearly enough time to explore all of the sites and activities. But we tried. Here’s where our adventure took us:

Volcano: We drove up to (mountain) to see the famous Kilauea crater. Alas, no lava was visible from our national park vantage point and some sections of the road were closed due to previous lava flows. We did see several steam vents, reminding us that the volcano is still active. We had a chance to hike through the Kīlauea Iki Crater, which made us feel like we had landed on another planet. Uneven ground, rocks cracked against each other and steam from the Earth painted an amazing terrain. Right across from the crater, we walked through a tunnel created by a previous lava flow.

Kayak and snorkel: We drove out to the Kona Boys to take a kayak and snorkel tour of the Kealakekua Bay. The waves were a little rough during our day, so no dolphins frolicked near us this time. However,

Ziplining KapohoKine Adventures: I’ve ziplined before but this was my first experience on a dual line. It’s tons of fun to go along side someone, and the sights here are amazing. The staff is fun, which makes it a great experience.

Driving along the coast. We drove from Hilo back to the Kona side by the north coast. Not nearly as twisty as the Road to Hana in Maui, this drive is nearly as spectacular. Plunging cliffs, raging waterfalls and crashing waves give you the sense of the untamed island.

Whale watching. We were on the Big Island in January, so the whales were in full Hawaii mode. We took a catamaran cruise from Ocean Sports, behind the Marriott Waikoloa and were thrilled with the wild ocean show that the whales put on, including lots of tails, a fin slap and a full breach, which we were told is pretty rare.

One thing that we didn’t get a chance to work into our schedule was the observatory and stargazing at the top of Mauna Kea. Since my son says he wants to be an astronomer when he grows up, I hope to bring him to this paradise one day so he can commune with the galaxy.

Disclosure: Many activities were provided to us. Reviews were not required and not endorsed. The opinions are my own.