What to do on the Big Island of Hawaii

One of our favorite destinations is Hawaii, especially when we’re too busy or broke to go somewhere more exotic.  Hawaii has its own lovely culture that feels like the Old World, yet we’re right here in the United States.  It’s the best of both options of staying domestic but experiencing a different culture.  Being in the West, it’s also a pretty easy flight. What about the big island of Hawaii?

We have stayed on all of the most inhabited islands.  They each have their own charm, but we typically gravitate toward Maui because it has a variety of things to do in the evening, as well as daytime activities.  We enjoy eating out, taking in a show, or live music.  We love strolling through the art galleries on Front Street in Lahaina, after a nice dinner and a bottle of wine. But let me warn you that this could be dangerous!  You might end up coming home with a new painting you hadn’t planned to buy.  I know…we’ve done it!

Five things to do on the Big Island of Hawaii

Because we got to planning a little bit last minute, we couldn’t get into our favorite Maui resort.  Instead, we traded into a resort on the Big Island of Hawaii.  It had been well more than 10 years since I had been to the Kona Coast, and Lee had never been, so why not, right? 

When we arrived, our villa wasn’t ready. Instead, we spent a couple of happy hours enjoying happy hour. What could be better than that?

Eat dinner at Sam Choy’s Kai-Lanai

I have the added bonus of having a very good friend who lives in Kona, and I was excited to be able to meet up with her and to introduce our men.  We did just that in the middle of the week, and had such a great time visiting and catching up.  We enjoyed drinks and pupus on their lanai and enjoyed a delicious dinner at Sam Choy’s Kai-Lanai restaurant.  The last time I had been to the island, that piece of property had been a Burger King! I remember grumbling that the amazing view property was destined to be a fancy restaurant.  I guess Sam Choy had the same thought!

When I look back on the trip today, I think it’s funny that I wasn’t super excited about a week on the Big Island, other than the chance to visit with my old friend.  I was worried that we’d be spending a lot of time doing nothing. Not that that’s a bad thing, since we needed to relax.  I didn’t remember there being much to do in the evenings, and other than taking a day to drive around the island, and have dinner with my friends, we figured we’d just stay put at the resort and relax for the week.  I seriously laugh about this now.  This vacation ended up being one of our all-time favorites.  We did so many different things and had such a great time.  I think we need to plan another visit soon.

Rent a kayak on the Big Island of Hawaii

Years ago, on an adventure in Kauai, we discovered that we love to kayak.  So, if kayaking is an option, we try to get out on a river or bay at least once.  It’s such a peaceful way to see things we wouldn’t see on land, and it’s a fun way to get a little bit of exercise.  We typically like to rent a two-person craft, though we’ve each paddled our own boats, as well.  This time, we got into one boat and took it out onto the Bay near our resort.  This was the perfect way to see the sea turtles that are protected in the Hawaiian waters.

Try a beer flight at the Kona Brewery Co.

We have friends that we try to take a trip with every year, or so.  On one of our cruise vacations, they had a “rule” that we had to enjoy a local brew (or beverage) in every port. It was a fun way to relax after touring the area, and to spend a little time with the locals. Lee has now adopted this civilized practice, being one to always try to support the local economy wherever we go.

I’m not a huge beer drinker, but I can always find a brew I like.  To accommodate his desire (read: to humor him), we found a local microbrewery that also serves food.  It was a fun place, with really good food.  We even bought those fun matching swag shades there. We highly recommend spending a lazy afternoon trying the beer and enjoying the atmosphere at the Kona Brewing Co.  You won’t be disappointed.

Fly in a helicopter over Kilauea

When in Hawaii, we always try to take in as much scenery as possible, in the water, and over land.  We love to snorkel and scuba, but on this particular trip we decided to spend our excursion budget doing something we hadn’t done before.  The Kilauea volcano has been active for quite a while, and neither of us had seen it up close and personal.  I’m fascinated by lava, and I have always said that I want to put a stick in it and feel the viscosity of the lava.  Because of this, Lee didn’t trust me to get that close to the flow so instead of a lava hike, we took a helicopter flight over the volcano! 

It was a very special treat that we’ll never forget. Due to the volcanic fog, called vog, pilots aren’t always permitted to fly in the vicinity, but we were lucky. We got close enough to see the red-orange lava in the caldera, and we also flew to where we could see it dropping into the sea, quite a distance away.  There was plenty to see of the island during this fantastic excursion.

Hike to Rainbow Falls

While flying over the island, we saw the beautiful Rainbow waterfall, and we were told we could hike to it.  So, on another day, we strapped on our Tevas, grabbed some water and snacks, and headed out to conquer the falls.  It was quite the hike through the rain forest to the riverbed, and although it wasn’t particularly far, it was steep!  We had to hold on to vines to navigate down, and then back out.  I had a momentary thought that we should have dropped breadcrumbs to find our way back to the car.  Once to the river, we climbed along the boulders, using the balance we gained from our yoga practice. 

There were several smaller falls along the river, and we had a great time jumping from rock to rock, trying not to fall in and drench ourselves and our belongings. There have been other trips where I dropped my camera into the river, and fell and sprained my ankle, making it very difficult to hike out.  But on this trip, the Hawaiian deities were shining on me, and I stayed safely and firmly upright on our climb.  Once we made it to the main waterfall, we stripped down to our swimsuits and dove into the cold, fresh water.

Our usual relaxing Hawaiian respite had turned into an active adventure tour.  We did so much, that it was hard to believe it when it was time to head home.  But even upon leaving, Hawaii filled our souls with Aloha.  We could hear the ukulele music and smell the plumeria as the breeze drifted through the waiting area for our flight, making it that much more difficult to come home.

Aloha!