The Big Island Of Hawaii Has Active Volcanos, Tropical Forests, Beautiful Beaches
This is the second installation of a two-part series about two Hawaiian islands, O’ahu, the state’s most populated island, and Hawaii, the state’s largest island.
By Sarah Davis
As the plane begins to touch down in Kona, it’s easy to feel like you’ve just warped into another world. The airport is surrounded by black and red lava rock, devoid of green.
The island of Hawaii, known as the Big Island, is the state’s largest, nearly twice the size of all the other islands combined and still growing. Lava has been flowing from Mt. Kilauea for more than 20 years, adding to the island little by little.
Pulling away from the airport, one gets a few of the diversity packed onto this paradise. On the Kona side of the island, which receives about 10 inches of rain each year, plants ideal for an arid life dot the landscape. Looking up, Hawaii’s tallest mountain, Mauna Kea, becomes lost above the clouds, holding secret its snow-topped peak.
In all, the Big Island is home to 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones. The opposite side of the island is vastly different from Kona and is known as the rainy side. Tropical plants cover the scenery on the Hilo side of the island, where precipitation totals 128 inches annually.
Flights landing from O’ahu take less than 30 minutes and are $39 one way aboard Aloha Airlines.
Once you’ve landed, a varied wardrobe will be called for, from a swimsuit for snorkeling to a parka for traipsing atop a mountain.
Kona
Kailua Kona Town is a bustling strip of shops and restaurants, sprinkled with hotels. But for those who want to watch from their balcony as giant Manta Rays feed below, the Sheraton Keauhou Resort and Spa is ideal. About 7 miles from Kona, the resort boasts its own memorable nightlife.
Once the sun goes down giant Manta Rays, sometimes reaching 16 feet wide, feed on free-flowing plankton attracted to the resort’s bright lights. The Crystal Blue Lounge overlooks the Cachou Bay, where the acrobatic mantas twirl gracefully during their meal.
For those looking to swim with the mantas, manta expert James Wing operates a guided tour for guests. Before slipping into the water, swimmers learn that aggressively touching the mantas would harm their skin, making them susceptible to infection, so everyone learns the proper way to float, letting the mantas do their thing.
As snorkelers dip in one by one, the bay begins to look like a miniature alien landing field, as each snorkel is strapped with a glow stick to keep track of the nighttime swimmers. With bodies floating above, those SCUBA certified get to sink to the bottom holding lights to attract plankton that will attract the mantas.
The creatures, weighing hundreds of pounds, open giant mouths to filter the water, trapping the minuscule food. As they swim toward the light and then away, humans see a giant mouth coming straight for them only to turn upward just before bumping.
The feeling is exhilarating, and swimmers feel privileged to be a part. Guides film the evening experience and lure the mantas to swim up close to those floating above. Occasionally, a manta wing flips out of the water or gives a snorkeler a tap.
Snorkeling
On mornings, guests can return to the bay to board the Fair Winds’ Hula Kai for a five-hour daytime snorkeling experience. Morning excursions include a breakfast of pastries, granola and fruit. Depending on the weather, the captain may make a stop at Kealakekua Bay, where Captain Cook was killed, Alahaka Bay, or Palikaholo or a few other ideal spots.
At Kealakekua Bay, the water is unbelievably blue. Hawaii’s volcanic black sand creates a blue that sparkles like a quality sapphire. From the boat, one would expect the color to change to the typical ocean blue once immersed but it doesn’t. The blue is still just as sparkling, still churning with a glow.
And then the coral comes into view. Greens and pinks that seem to wash out against a white sand background appear more colorful against the blacker sand. After about 45 minutes of snorkeling at this spot, passengers board again for another prime place.
At Palikaholo a sheer volcanic wall is hued red from oxidation. At the top, wild goats can be spotted every once in a while.
Here we experienced a rare treat - swimming with sea turtles. Swimmers bobbed their heads every few minutes to direct the crowd to another turtle, sometimes spotting nearly a dozen.
One group of snorkelers had the surreal experience of swimming with a lone dolphin. While the guides weren’t sure why the dolphin wasn’t with a pod, snorkelers reveled in the rare treat. Humans floated, making every attempt not to startle or disrupt the dolphin as it bobbed between the crowd.
Elated snorkelers boarded the 55-foot power catamaran again to venture to the next stop. It was time for lunch - grilled hamburgers and vegetarian options as well. There’s just something about a swim in the ocean that works up an appetite.
Land Tours
Once back at the bay, vacationers can head to Greenwell Kona Coffee Farm for a tour exploring Hawaii’s coffee heritage. Since 1850 coffee has been a part of the landscape. Tour guides explain how coffee came to the island and how Greenwell farms harvests the treasured Peaberry coffee bean (occurring in only about 5 percent of the crop), found when one bean in a pod seems to overtake the life - and flavor - of its sister bean.
After that, a meal including a taste of another popular beverage shouldn’t be missed. Kona Brewing Company is tucked among some warehouses down a side street, but is worth the maze. Popular beers include the Big Wave Golden Ale, the Longboard Lager and the Fire Rock Pale Ale. Three of Kona Brewing Company’s beers were named the Best of the Northwest/Pacific at the 2005 U.S. Beer Tasting Championship Summer Competition.
Mountains
One day was reserved for mountain exploring. Inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is Kilauea, still spewing lava. Locals and visitors alike enjoyed pulling up a chair, opening the cooler and watching the fireworks at night while the lava flowed slowly inches away.
Some visitors drove over to Mauna Kea for another nighttime show - stargazing atop Hawaii’s tallest mountain at 13,796 feet. Lucky visitors can catch a glimpse of the “flash of green” that sometimes happens as the sun sets in the distance. Even though the high elevation seems to make it difficult for some to breathe, what really takes your breath away is the view from the top of the Pacific.
HAWAII FOREST AND TRAIL OFFERS BIG ISLAND TOURS
Hawaii Forest and Trail epitomizes the Big Island, offering a plethora of big outdoor fun to some of the most significant ecosystems on the island.
In operation since 1993, the company emphasizes comprehensive interpretive training for its tour guides, to provide guests a high-quality experience with ample opportunity to ask questions and receive informative answers.
The roster of hikes and trips include expeditions to well-known attractions such as Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and to spots on private lands that few get to experience.
For example, Hawaii Forest and Trail’s Pinzgauer trip to Hualalai Holoholo traverses property owned by a land trust handed down through royalty. Hawaii Forest and Trail, named Ecotour Operator of the Year Award from the Hawaii Ecotourism Association in 2006, is the only tour operation allowed on the property.
Pinzgauers are open-air, box-like vehicles designed to tackle the Swiss Alps and ideal for Hawaii’s volcanic terrain.
Other tours include a stargazing experience at Mauna Kea, a journey to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, as well as bird watching trips to intact native areas.
On all journeys, guests learn important environmental facts about the island and about Hawaiian culture. Guides tell Hawaiian legends of flowers that, when plucked, cause it to rain because it has been separated by its love. Visitors can’t help but fall in love with an island so rich in lore and romantic tales.
Mauna Kea
Venturing to the summit of Mauna Kea, guests stop for an outdoor dinner at a ranch, affording a little more time to become acclimated to the increasing altitude.
Once back in the van, it’s time to continue the journey on Saddle Road, renowned as the road rental car companies won’t grant permission to travel on because of its reverse grades - designed to impede the transportation of any invading enemy.
The 9,000-feet high Visitors Center is a good spot for stargazing. If roads are clear of ice, vehicles complete the 8 winding miles to the observatories at the top where snow frequently covers the summit.
When it snows, locals head up with boogie board in tow. It’s easy to spot a few places where unlucky boarders zoomed straight into a guardrail. Some say doing something that crazy only comes from the delirium of altitude sickness; others say some locals take to the mountaintop the gumption to ride Hawaii’s massive waves and just convert it to snow.
Prices for tours range from $109 for a Kohala Country Waterfalls adventure to $165 for the venture to Mauna Kea’s summit. - Sarah Davis |
