Pololu Valley
For those of you who find the idea of a whole day in Waipio too time consuming, try this. From Waimea, take Highway 250 to Hawi, through the beautiful Kohala Mountains where you pass from stark desert to lush ranch lands. Early in the morning is especially beautiful; as you're ascending from Waimea, take the time to stop at lookouts and look behind you. On clear days, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Hualalai create a breathtaking panorama. From Hawi (a delightful town to browse in), take 270 to its end at the Polulu Valley overlook. You're gazing into an uninhabited valley, smaller than Waipio, but with its own beauty, appeal and its own river. It's an easy walk down a switch-back trail. In Jan., Feb. and March, whales are often blowing and breaching just off the beach. Take your time hiking out, turning often to savor the views. Return on the ocean road (270), stopping at Lapakahi State Park for some hands-on history and you'll have driven the Kohala loop. A sunset picnic at Hapuna is a delightful end to a roaming day. Horseback/mule rides are now available around the rim- look for brochures!
Mike’s Crazy See The Whole Island In A Day Trip
Planning on spending your whole vacation diving and left only one day to see the other sites? Well, first of all, you are my kind of visitor. But what to do on that one day? Although not for the faint of heart or the weak-willed, here is an itinerary that can be done (I’ve done it) and will get you the highlights of the island.
Get up early and head down to Lava Java for a cup of Kona coffee and a muffin. You’ll want to be on the way out of town no later than about 7:30 AM. Leave Kona behind and head towards Waimea. Take the Saddle Road and go up Mauna Kea to the summit. It is a truly fantastic view, especially in the morning before the clouds roll in. Spend some time at the visitor center and then head on down the mountain, continuing on the Saddle Road to Hilo. Don’t stop though. Instead turn left and head up towards Waipio Valley. You don’t really have time to go down into the valley, but take the time to enjoy the view from the rim. Depending on your timing, stop and have lunch either on the way up or on the way back at the 50s Roadside Diner in Lapahoehoe (This is Kendra and Chris’ restaurant.) Either way, you need to be back in Hilo by about 2:30 PM. Frankly, there isn’t much to see or do in Hilo. One nice and very short side trip is to drive up Waianuenue Ave. to Rainbow falls and then a little further to Boiling Pots and Pe’epe’e Falls. Just follow the signs to both sites that are about 10 minutes from downtown Hilo. By 3:30 PM you need to have packed a sandwich, lots of water, some extra batteries for your flashlight and be on your way to Volcanoes Park. There is a very good natural foods store with a deli on Kamehameha in the main shopping district. Your goal is to get to Volcanoes before 4:30 PM. It’s about 30 miles from Hilo. Once in the park, stop at the Visitor’s Center and then take the Chain of Craters Road. Have a look at the Kilauea caldera and then head down the hill to the beach where you have a chance to see surface flowing lava. You’ll want to be parking your car at least an hour before sunset. Now the hiking begins. Ask the ranger how far to the lava and head on out. The idea here is to be to the flow (wherever that is) by about sunset, give or take. Now wait for the sun to go completely down and enjoy the spectacular fireworks show Mother Nature puts on almost every night. Once you’ve had enough, hike back out and head for home. It’s about a 2-hour drive back to Kona and you’ll be very glad you brought that sandwich because there is not much to eat on the way back.
So there you go. You’ve seen most of the island in just one day.
AROUND KAILUA TOWN
Farmers' Markets
Our favorite one is every Wed-Sun. from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. local growers bring their goods to the Kona Inn Parking lot on the corner of Ali'i Drive and Hualalai Road. There are all kinds of fresh fruits and veggies, from tomatoes and cucumbers to papayas and bananas. Fresh flowers, Kona Coffee, (look for GP farms in the front of the market, great 100% Kona coffee), local juice drinks, and an assortment of baked goods make it a great place to stock up, browse and meet people. A fun place to browse and pick up some gifts to take home to family and friends. The International Marketplace on Luhia Street in the old industrial area is a great place to shop. The newly opened Kona Commons on Makala Blvd. houses our new Target store, Sports Authority, Petco, Office Max, etc. A side note, a few of our favorite shops there are the children’s store, Aloha Kona Kids, LLC, and Emma’s flowers. Emma's has the best leis and we have known many visitors that have shipped orchids home to enjoy.
Holualoa
Take Hualalai Road (182) out of town up a winding, twisty road for about 4 miles, turn left at the top and step back into time in the tiny old coffee town of Holualoa. Before you make the turn, however, look to your right at Kimura's Lauhala Shop, a treasure trove of local woven goods. The town is a charming place to pass a morning or afternoon. A half dozen or so galleries in restored old buildings, a potter's shop, a framing shop, a coffee shop with wonderful coffee and the original, old Kona Hotel will give you a taste of life in Old Hawaii.
OTEC and HOST (Natural Energy Lab of Hawaii)
If you're heading out towards the airport, look for the turn just before the airport turn off. It's an experimental station for creating power by pumping very cold water up from the depths and using the difference in temperature between that and the warmer surface water to change ammonia from a liquid to a gas and back again, thus creating power. With all this cold water , they are raising all kinds of cold water sea life- nori, spirulina, oysters, Maine Lobsters, etc. There are all kinds of fascinating experiments going on out there. Tours are limited. Call (808) 329-7341 for information. OTEC beach, as it is locally known, is a great place to go and watch surf and sunsets. People jog and run their dogs out there. Join them!
ACTIVITIES
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
Unfortunately for us, there are all kinds of things to do on this island that distract people from their diving. Not being golfers or tennis players, we'll leave those two sports to the "pros" and explore a variety of things to do that are generally not found in the tour books, or variations on some that are. Throw your backpacks, hiking shoes, bathing suits, and sweatshirts in the car, pack up a small cooler, and you're ready for almost any adventure.
Waipio Valley
Very few of our visitors make it past the lookout above this paradise within a paradise. There are three ways to do the valley besides the jeep and van tours, which simply do not give you the real feeling of the valley. Hiking is the most intimate way to see, hear and feel the valley. Plan to spend a whole day if you can; otherwise, early morning is best. If you drive down, a 4-wheel-drive vehicle is a must - don't even think of trying it without one. The road into the valley is narrow, twisting, and extremely steep, with a cliff rising above you on one side, and dropping below you on the other. There are a few pull-offs. Downhill traffic always yields to traffic coming up. At the base of the hill, turn right to go to the beach - a mile long black sand wonder bisected by a river. Play in the surf, but be careful of rips. Take a hike back up the road you came out on through profuse greenery, waterfalls and taro patches. Or, cross the beach and find the trail that heads up the other side. If you're remotely comfortable on horseback, riding across that beach in the breeze on a horse is a magical experience. Call "Waipio On Horseback" at (808) 775-7291 for information and reservations. Or, the third option, for the lazier among us, there is a delightful mule wagon ride that lets you experience the wonder of the valley without the exertion involved in hiking or horseback riding. Call "Waipio Valley Wagon Tours" at (808) 775-9518.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Ok, everybody knows about the volcanoes and, yes, it is a regular stop on the tour bus circuit. But is it ever a cool place! If you’ve never been, go. It is definitely worth it. The guidebooks are full of helpful information that we will not rehash. A day in the park is a must just to get the feel of this "gentle" (as volcanoes go) creative force. There is wonderful hiking all over the park, from short self-guided walks to more arduous treks. If the eruption that began in 1983 is flowing, it is very impressive to view by day, but beyond words when viewed at night. To behold liquid fire plunging into the steaming sea after dark is a mesmerizing, unforgettable experience. The hike out to the flow can be as long as 3 or 4 miles over rough lava flow, but it truly worth the effort if you can get right up to red hot, flowing lava. Call The Eruption phone at (808) 967-7977 for current flow information. Bring good shoes, a good flashlight and water. It is most fun to pack a few sandwiches, go out for the sunset and watch the show come alive in the gathering darkness. Stop at park headquarters on your way in for directions and last minute information. An important tip, learned the hard way by yours truly. Bring something to eat if you plan to stay after dark. By the time you have had your fill of lava and walked back to car and then driven out of the park, it is going to be after 9:00 PM. They pretty much roll up the sidewalks in the town of Volcano at 9 and there is nowhere to get anything to eat until you are back in Kona two hours later (and then pretty much your only choice is Denny’s).
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures-
(808) 322-2366
We have had excellent reports on this excursion to the stars. The summit of Mauna Kea at 13,796 feet is so far removed from the palm lined beaches and blue ocean as to give one the feeling of being on another planet. Paradise Safaris will pick you up in their 4-wheel-drive van and provide you with a warm parka, soup & sandwich supper and guides who combine their knowledge with the natural phenomena to make this an outstanding trip. You can also drive yourself to the top. There is a 5-mile unpaved section, but most any car can make it, unless it has recently snowed.
Caution: Both of these trips involve driving to altitude - 4,000 ft. at Volcanoes and 13,796 ft. on Mauna Kea. Be cautious and allow plenty of time after diving - at least 24 hours before making the Mauna Kea trip.
Green Sands Beach and South Point
Drive approximately 12 miles down the South Point Road, off Highway 11 to the southernmost point in the United States. As you're getting close, the road forks; the right fork takes you to the point itself, the left fork to the South Point launch ramp and the "road" to Green Sands Beach. The Point itself is barren and windswept, with its own form of wild beauty, some neat blowholes, and ladders down the cliffs where fishermen can off load and replenish their supplies without coming into a harbor. To get to Green Sands, take the left fork (it appears that you're going straight), to the concrete ramp, park and lock you car. Do not attempt to go any further without a 4 -wheel-drive vehicle with good clearance!! (This is a good time to ask yourself if maybe you should have gone ahead and taken that extra insurance.) It's an easy 2-mile hike through a desertscape of wild grasses and flowers contrasting with the rich red dirt, the black lava shoreline and the brilliant blue white capped ocean whipped by the almost constant trade winds. Just when you think you'll NEVER get there, you'll see an outstanding bluff rising a distance ahead of you. That's Green Sands!!
Climb down the wind and sea carved cliffs, or if you're really brave, slide down the sand chute and play to your heart's content. The beach's high olivine content gives it both its color (more a green-gold than a true green) and it's name. Bring plenty of water and make sure to slather yourself with plenty of sunscreen. On the way down and back, there's a lovely arboretum called Manuka State Wayside, just about 7 miles south of the Miloli'i turn-off, which makes a great rest stop and pleasant place to explore.