Big Island: Day-trip Recommendation/Experience (from Waikoloa)

[NiteMaire]

We hit 3 locations today: Pine Trees Beach, Lava Tube, and Hapuna Beach. We packed our lunch and had dinner at our unit so no info on restaurants.

As I mentioned yesterday, one of our friends is a surfer. We headed to Pine Trees Beach which is, reportedly, one of the best places to surf. We were looking for a little help from Hector and we found it. While there, one of the locals gave us 2 coconuts (prepped for drinking) as a welcome gift. We greatly appreciated this nice gesture. After a few hours, we headed to Hapuna Beach.

On the way to Hapuna, we stopped at Lava Tube since there were only 2 vehicles at the site. To our surprise and enjoyment, they left as soon as we pulled up. We had the entire tube to ourselves for many minutes. I didn't realize it, but that tube goes back several hundred yards (probably more) with multiple openings. Great experience made better since we had it all to ourselves.

We ended the day with a visit to Hapuna Beach. The beach, swimming, and snorkeling were great! We ended up following a coral reef several hundred yards out and wore ourselves out on the trip back in. Other places I've snorkeled are better, but it was a nice time. We still plan on hitting several snorkeling locations over the next 1.5 weeks.

I think we're still feeling the hike from yesterday. It's not even 8:30PM and I'm the only one up...heading to bed as soon as I post this. We had a gorgeous sunset this evening!

 

[taffy19]

Thanks for posting your story and photos.

I never understand why some people do not like the Big Island because it has everything to offer and an active volcano too plus snow.

Who would expect that on a semi-tropical Island but I have seen it and local people downhill skiing.

The active volcano is nice to see from a distance but not when you live under Madame Pele’s path of destruction from her mountain down to the ocean.

 

[NiteMaire]

Another great day trip we do is hike at Kiholo Bay. Pack in lunch and lots of water. Pretty much guaranteed to see tons of turtles close to shore, black sand beaches, lava tubes that you can swim in, the Bali house and Dr pacemakers mansion, a little island to hang out at, etc... lots of goats roaming the area also.

After the Kiholo bay exploring we spend the rest of the day at Beach 69 (Waialea Beach). No signs to get there but look for a little post at mile marker 69 and head to the parking lot. A great white sand beach with tons of shade from the trees and decent snorkeling. We love one of the coves that has the rope swing. Kids can spend hours on the rope swing.

Thanks much. Neither Kiholo Bay nor Beach 69 were on our list. They may convince us to change a day of relaxing into a day of activities nearby.

 

[silentg]

Nice post, love the Big Island.

 

[pacman]

I don't think anyone has suggested going up north, to Pololu Valley, and then hiking down to the black sand beach there. That is always on our "to do" list on the BI. On the way back we always stop in Hawi for ice cream. We usually go Hwy 250 one way over the mountain, cutting through the edge of Waimea, and then hwy 270 on the way back, for a change in scenery.

 

[NiteMaire]

We visited several locations yesterday: Place of Refuge, Two Steps, Napoopoo Park, and Kahalu’u Beach Park. We packed our lunch, but ate at Randy's Huli Chicken and Ribs. Great decision.

We drove to Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National State Park (Place of Refuge). Toured the park a little, then walked to the Two Steps snorkeling area. Great location with a nice assortment of fish. You enter from shore (no need to hire a company) and don't need to swim out far before seeing lots of fish. There were fish within 3 feet of where everyone was entering. Also, there's a "lagoon" on the left side which also has its share of fish. Highly recommend for anyone.

Next on the agenda was the Captain Cook Monument. On the way we stopped at Napoopoo Park and could see the monument across the Kealakekua Bay. Initially, we had planned to walk the trail to the monument, but decided against it (at least for now).

Earlier in the morning, we stopped for supplies at Kona Boys. We noticed Randy's Huli Chicken and Ribs across the street and knew we had to eat lunch there. On the return, we detoured momentarily to get lunch at Randy's. Great decision. The chicken and ribs were superb! Better than Mike's Huli Chicken on Oahu. Randy's is located on Mamalahoa Highway, in Kealakekua.

Lastly, we went to Kahalu’u Beach Park to surf and boogie board. Waves were okay, but we had a blast for several hours searching for (and finding a few) waves to ride.

Dave and Jim, we're going to follow your suggestions tomorrow. Will share pictures.

 

[slip]

Great pictures, looks like s great time. I’ve never had Huli Chcken I didn’t like.

 

[DaveNV]

We visited several locations yesterday: Place of Refuge, Two Steps, Napoopoo Park, and Kahalu’u Beach Park. We packed our lunch, but ate at Randy's Huli Chicken and Ribs. Great decision.

We drove to Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National State Park (Place of Refuge). Toured the park a little, then walked to the Two Steps snorkeling area. Great location with a nice assortment of fish. You enter from shore (no need to hire a company) and don't need to swim out far before seeing lots of fish. There were fish within 3 feet of where everyone was entering. Also, there's a "lagoon" on the left side which also has its share of fish. Highly recommend for anyone.

Next on the agenda was the Captain Cook Monument. On the way we stopped at Napoopoo Park and could see the monument across the Kealakekua Bay. Initially, we had planned to walk the trail to the monument, but decided against it (at least for now).

Earlier in the morning, we stopped for supplies at Kona Boys. We noticed Randy's Huli Chicken and Ribs across the street and knew we had to eat lunch there. On the return, we detoured momentarily to get lunch at Randy's. Great decision. The chicken and ribs were superb! Better than Mike's Huli Chicken on Oahu. Randy's is located on Mamalahoa Highway, in Kealakekua.

Lastly, we went to Kahalu’u Beach Park to surf and boogie board. Waves were okay, but we had a blast for several hours searching for (and finding a few) waves to ride.

Dave and Jim, we're going to follow your suggestions tomorrow. Will share pictures.

What a great day! You're seeing and doing some awesome stuff.

What I've always found so fascinating about the City of Refuge was knowing it is a real place, and the reasons it existed. Life back then had to have been very hard, especially living under the Kapu system. (Being put to death for sitting in the King's shadow? Seriously??) Knowing people were given the chance to escape to the City of Refuge, spend a month, then return to the tribe as if nothing had ever happened, all seems so strange. But it was how they made things work. If you're ever on Oahu, and tour the Bishop Museum, you can see the kind of clubs and things warriors used. Being beaten to death by angry warriors who are wielding clubs made of sharks teeth seems like it would be a terrible way to die. A brutal existence, for sure. Then again, living on an island that may explode under your feet at any time couldn't have been too easy, either.

Dave

 

[NiteMaire]

Took it a little easy today. Guys surfed and boarded while the ladies went shopping. After we met back up, we looked at petraglyphs on the resort property.

We moved to Kohala Suites. Nicer decor, but we want the Bay Club back. Bay Club (Grand Villa) felt like a townhome; Kohala feels like a large hotel suite (yes, I know).

 

[chellej]

We did the vanilla farm tour when we were there last fall. You can do just the tour or also the tour and lunch. The tour was very interesting and the lunch delicious.
http://www.hawaiianvanilla.com/

 

[DaveNV]

Took it a little easy today. Guys surfed and boarded while the ladies went shopping. After we met back up, we looked at petraglyphs on the resort property.

So many petroglyphs look like doodling, don't they? Makes you wonder about the folks who did this. "Hey, let's get a stick and draw in the hot lava!"

Dave

 

[NiteMaire]

Locations visited: Sunrise on Saddle Road, King Kamehemeha statue, Rainbow Falls, black sand (and rock) beach at Kaimu Beach Park, Mauna Loa macadamia factory, and Akaka Falls. We ate lunch at Cafe Pestos. Thanks to Dave and Jim for the suggestions.

We woke up early to catch the sunrise on Saddle Road as we drove to Hilo. We drove right over the saddle and picked a place to stop (we didn't want to go up the observatory on Mauna Kea). It did not disappoint. Being above the clouds (about 6500+ft) and seeing the sunrise was an excellent experience. We had a bonus as we continued our way down Saddle as we saw the sun "sink" back into the clouds. A great sight to behold.

As we entered Hilo, we stopped at Just Crusin Coffee. Great coffee; they also have a very nice (and big) Banyan tree next to their property. After grabbing our coffee, we made our way to the King Kamehameha statue near the bay. The Vietnam War Memorial and Eternal Flame is located within walking distance of the statue.

Next, we headed to Rainbow Falls. We arrived at 7:50AM and had the place virtually to ourselves. The view did not disappoint. It was a beautiful sunny day and we definitely saw a rainbow in the mist. Take the walk up the stairs to view the falls from the top and continue into the trees. There you will see two huge banyan trees together. They make a great background for pictures.

We then headed to Kaimu Beach Park for the black sand (and rock) beach. The sound created by the rocks rolling over each other as they are drawn back into the ocean was phenomenal. I've never heard anything like it. To get there, park at Uncles Awa Club and Farmers Market take a short 1/4 mile walk to the beach. You won't regret it.

We then headed back to Hilo. We passed by the Mauna Loa macadamia factory, u-turned and headed in for a bit. There is a self guided tour (which we didn't do). Items are cheaper on the location than in stores so it's worth a visit if you're in the area. We finally made it to Cafe Pesto at 1:15PM and still had a 30 minute wait (they told us 10-15). Had a great lunch, but couldn't have the lilikoi iced tea recommended by Dave since they stopped serving it.

Our last location of the day was Akaka (and Kahuna) Falls. Akaka Falls was breathtaking! As for Kahuna, let's just say it was not the Big Kahuna (cheesy, I know). You can get to Akaka Falls in 5-7 minutes if you walk straight to it; otherwise it's a 15-20 walk if you do the entire circle which takes you to Kahuna and Akaka Falls. If you like scenery, walk the entire circle. I saw the tallest and widest diameter bamboo I've ever seen.

On the way home, we took Highway 19/Mamalahoa Highway along Hamakua Coast. Beautiful drive and views.

 

[crf450x]

Great pictures and now have a lot more great places to explore when we finally get back to the big island next summer.

Keep it coming and thanks for letting us live vicariously through your day trips.

 

[DaveNV]

This is great information to see. Sorry about no Lilikoi iced tea at Cafe Pesto. It was pretty good.

Dave

 

[NiteMaire]

Locations visited: Lapakahi State Historical Park, Hawi, Keokea Beach Park, Beach 69 (Waialea Bay)

We drove around North Kohala with no real agenda. Shortly after turning on 270, we saw Lapakahi and decided to stop. Lapakahi is a former fishing (and farming) village and its story provides insight into early life on the west coast of the Big Island. The individual on-site was very knowledgeable and helpful. While it's only a 1/2 mile trail, we got lost in time near the bay. There's a better/bigger structure than the one in the picture, but I didn't get an up-close picture.

As we continued North, we stopped in Hawi. Hawi is quaint with small town appeal. Very relaxing walk with several storefronts. We decided to eat at Bamboo. Yelp has it listed as Hawaiian, but there are several Asian dishes available. Very good restaurant.

After some shopping, we continued North and passed the original King Kamehameha statue. It is currently being refurbished so we didn't take pictures; nice statue. We turned off 270 and headed to Keokea Beach Park which a beach with cliffs. It was a nice departure from the "standard" beach. There is an old mission cemetery immediately before the beach.

On the way back to the resort, we searched for and found Beach 69. Decent beach with plenty of shade and snorkeling options. When we arrived, there were 2 sea turtles within 10 yards of shore. I didn't take any pictures, but we did enjoy the snorkeling.

Our son is joining us tomorrow for a 2-day visit (he's currently on Oahu). The guys are heading out today for a round of disc golf. Outside of a visit to Mauna Kea, we have probably wrapped up our site visits. Thanks for all the recommendations; they made our trip very enjoyable!

 

[dsmrp]

Locations visited: Lapakahi State Historical Park, Hawi, Keokea Beach Park, Beach 69 (Waialea Bay)

We drove around North Kohala with no real agenda. Shortly after turning on 270, we saw Lapakahi and decided to stop. Lapakahi is a former fishing (and farming) village and its story provides insight into early life on the west coast of the Big Island. The individual on-site was very knowledgeable and helpful. While it's only a 1/2 mile trail, we got lost in time near the bay. There's a better/bigger structure than the one in the picture, but I didn't get an up-close picture.

As we continued North, we stopped in Hawi. Hawi is quaint with small town appeal. Very relaxing walk with several storefronts. We decided to eat at Bamboo. Yelp has it listed as Hawaiian, but there are several Asian dishes available. Very good restaurant.

After some shopping, we continued North and passed the original King Kamehameha statue. It is currently being refurbished so we didn't take pictures; nice statue. We turned off 270 and headed to Keokea Beach Park which a beach with cliffs. It was a nice departure from the "standard" beach. There is an old mission cemetery immediately before the beach.

On the way back to the resort, we searched for and found Beach 69. Decent beach with plenty of shade and snorkeling options. When we arrived, there were 2 sea turtles within 10 yards of shore. I didn't take any pictures, but we did enjoy the snorkeling.

Our son is joining us tomorrow for a 2-day visit (he's currently on Oahu). The guys are heading out today for a round of disc golf. Outside of a visit to Mauna Kea, we have probably wrapped up our site visits. Thanks for all the recommendations; they made our trip very enjoyable!

Did you drive down the spine of the Kohala mountain range, on route 250? DH and I enjoyed that drive from Hawi back to Waimea, even tho' we didn't stop.
If you didn't, try it on your next trip
We liked Hawi too, and gotta try out Beach 69 Waialea Bay when we go there in March .

 

[NiteMaire]

Did you drive down the spine of the Kohala mountain range, on route 250? DH and I enjoyed that drive from Hawi back to Waimea, even tho' we didn't stop.
If you didn't, try it on your next trip
We liked Hawi too, and gotta try out Beach 69 Waialea Bay when we go there in March .

We considered it, but decided to take the same drive back.

 

[DaveNV]

Might be too late, but across the street from the Bamboo Cafe is the best ice cream anywhere. Just sayin'

Dave

 

[Luanne]

Might be too late, but across the street from the Bamboo Cafe is the best ice cream anywhere. Just sayin'

Dave

Love Bamboo. And love the ice cream store as well. We usually manage to time it to hit one, or the other, or sometimes both.

My dd loves the pot stickers at Bamboo, and if I recall they have a lilikoi ice tea.

 

[slip]

Geat pics, looks like a great time!!

 

[NiteMaire]

Geat pics, looks like a great time!!

We definitely enjoyed our time.

Last update:
We went snorkeling at Kiholo Bay 2 days ago. The coral was amazing and it had a good assortment of fish. Went to Randy's Huli Chicken for a late lunch and it was superb again (he'll be featured on Andrew Zimmerman's Delicious Destinations this week). Ended the day with a walk around the market area in Kona.

We spent yesterday winding down at one of the Hilton pools on property. Pool and slide were nice. In addition, we've seen sea turtles each time (3) we walked by the lagoon on property.

Enjoyed the discussions and recommendations.

 

[bizaro86]

I just wanted to bump this thread with a "thanks" to all of those who contributed. This has been a great read! We are in Waikoloa at Kings' Land for 13 nights, and are woefully under-planned, as things were pretty crazy during the 2 months pre-trip at home, so I think we will end up just relying on these recommendations.

We went to Kiholo Bay today with our 3/5 year old boys. Great time walking along the black sand beaches, we saw the Queen's bath, and lots of turtles. I think we'll try Beach 69 tomorrow.

I'd also like to hit the A-Bay beach, and would appreciate thoughts on where to park etc.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I love the Big Island. And now you know why I always pick the Bay Club over Kohola Suites for the HGVC owners. Right @NiteMaire ???? You agree too.

I was there is July/August when the Fissure 8 complex was still in full eruption. I went specific for that, but I brought a friend who had never been to BI before, while that was my 8th visit. This trip I split 4 days staying in Kona at Wyndham Royal Sea Cliff and then 4 days staying in HGVC Kings' Land. I own at both Wyndham and at HGVC, so no RCI involved.

 

[NiteMaire]

I love the Big Island. And now you know why I always pick the Bay Club over Kohola Suites for the HGVC owners. Right @NiteMaire ???? You agree too.

Absolutely agree, especially since we had a 2BR Villa (with covered parking) at Bay Club.

 

[lynne]

Our family was visiting us over the Xmas holiday and they had a wonderful time at the Kanaloa Octopus Farm at the energy lab. Our grandchildren 9 & 12 enjoyed this adventure better than the Seahorse Farm that we took them to in prior years.