Things to do in Big Island

There's always plenty to see and do on Hawaii's biggest island. With no shortage of natural beauty, many holidaymakers spend the weekend to explore the breath-taking scenery in Volcanoes National Park, Waipi`o Valley, Akaka Falls, and the slopes of Mauna Kea. There are also several beautiful botanical gardens around Hilo.

The beaches of Big Island, while not as famous as Waikiki, are also worth seeing, as they are made up of more unusual black and green sand. Kua Bay is also a stunning white sand beach with good facilities.

Visitors who want to get up close and personal with nature can go on dolphin and whale-watching trips, and The Hilton Waikoloa Village offers a swimming with dolphins experience.

For a glimpse into life on Big Island, several coffee farms offer tours, as well as the Hawaiian Vanilla Company, the only vanilla farm in the US.

Lapakahi State Historical Park offers another perspective as a partially restored fishing village dating back 600 years. Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park is also a must-visit to learn about Hawaiian heritage, though it is often crowded with tourists.

Hilo photo

Hilo

Overlooking beautiful Hilo Bay and dominated by two volcanoes (the active Mauna Loa and dormant Mauna Kea), Hilo was a trading centre for native Hawaiians in ancient times, becomin…

Hilo

Overlooking beautiful Hilo Bay and dominated by two volcanoes (the active Mauna Loa and dormant Mauna Kea), Hilo was a trading centre for native Hawaiians in ancient times, becoming an important port once the westerners had discovered that the area was ideal for growing sugar cane. More modern times have seen Hilo bear the brunt of two tsunamis, one in 1946 and another in 1960. But the hardy citizens of Hilo cleaned up their city after each affliction and now the high-water marks of these devastating events are a tourist attraction, along with the Pacific Tsunami Museum on the corner of Front and Kalakaua Streets. Although reminders of the past are everywhere in the architecture and attractions, Hilo remains a young city with a small-town feel, home to the University of Hawaii and the Merrie Monarch Festival, which celebrates hula dancing annually in the week after Easter. Another of the hottest happenings in Hilo is the Farmers' Market, held on Wednesdays and Saturdays along Front Street, when more than 100 vendors set up their stalls selling everything from fresh produce to Portuguese pastries and native crafts. The downtown area of Hilo contains Hawaii's largest collection of historic buildings, dating back to the turn of the century. There are plenty of restaurants, museums, a rainforest zoo and the beautiful Nani Mau Gardens to explore.

Hulihe'e Palace photo

Hulihe'e Palace

The stately mansion of Hulihe'e is situated on Alii Drive in Kailua Kona on the west coast of Hawaii's Big Island. It was built in 1883 and served as the holiday home of Hawaiian r…

Hulihe'e Palace

The stately mansion of Hulihe'e is situated on Alii Drive in Kailua Kona on the west coast of Hawaii's Big Island. It was built in 1883 and served as the holiday home of Hawaiian royalty until 1925 when it was turned into a museum; it now houses a collection of ancient Hawaiian artefacts and personal memorabilia of the Hawaiian royal family. The bust of King Kalakaua's presides over the entrance hall, while the beautiful Koa dining table carved from a single log of wood graces the Kuhio Room. Little touches such as Princess Ruth's hatbox made from the trunk of a coconut tree and the cradle of Prince Albert, son of King Kamehameha IV, bring alive a sense of history in the house.

Website daughtersofhawaii.org

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park photo

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

In the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park surrounding the earth's largest volcano, Mauna Loa, visitors can actually watch lava flow into the sea from Kilauea, the still active on-site …

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

In the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park surrounding the earth's largest volcano, Mauna Loa, visitors can actually watch lava flow into the sea from Kilauea, the still active on-site volcano. Park rangers direct visitors to the daily eruption activity on a dramatic burnt landscape, which transforms the landscape with the ongoing eruption. The park is located 30 miles (48km) southwest of Hilo on Highway 11, on the southeast coast of Big Island, and is a designated International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Website www.nps.gov/havo

Pacific Tsunami Museum photo

Pacific Tsunami Museum

Hilo has been destroyed several times by tsunamis. The first-hand oral testimony of tsunami survivors is now preserved along with some other fascinating information in the Pacific …

Pacific Tsunami Museum

Hilo has been destroyed several times by tsunamis. The first-hand oral testimony of tsunami survivors is now preserved along with some other fascinating information in the Pacific Tsunami Museum, located on Kamehameha Avenue in the town. The museum features a series of permanent exhibits that interpret the tsunami phenomena, the Pacific Tsunami Warning system, the history of tsunami in the Pacific Basin, tsunami of the future, myths, and legends about tsunami and public safety measures for tsunami disasters.

Website www.tsunami.org

Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park photo

Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park

This important Hawaiian cultural and historical site on the black-lava Kona Coast of the Big Island contains some forbidding-looking giant idols, although it was in fact built as a…

Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park

This important Hawaiian cultural and historical site on the black-lava Kona Coast of the Big Island contains some forbidding-looking giant idols, although it was in fact built as a refuge for ancient Hawaiians who had violated kapu (social taboo) or as a sanctuary for defeated warriors. The surrounding area outside the huge enclosing wall was home to several generations of powerful chiefs. The 182-acre park also boasts other archaeological sites, including some temple platforms, royal fishponds and the ruins of ancient villages. The Hale o Keawe temple, which contains the mortal remains of 23 Hawaiian chiefs, and some thatched buildings have been reconstructed.

Website www.nps.gov/puho

Kona Coffee Museum and Farm photo

Kona Coffee Museum and Farm

For a taste of the coffee industry that flourished in the early 20th century on the Big Island, visitors can tour the Uchida Coffee Farm, south of Kealakekua town on the Kona Coast…

Kona Coffee Museum and Farm

For a taste of the coffee industry that flourished in the early 20th century on the Big Island, visitors can tour the Uchida Coffee Farm, south of Kealakekua town on the Kona Coast. Tour guides in period costumes show off the original farmhouse, bathhouse, coffee mill, and drying platforms. Only a few miles away is the Kona Historical Society Museum, housed in the old Greenwell family store, where photographs, ranching and coffee farming exhibits are on display. The store was built by Henry Greenwell in 1875.

Website www.konahistorical.org