My uncle lives on the Big Island of Hawaii and I have been to visit him & my cousin twice. It helps to know a “local” in Hawaii. He’s been able to bring us to some pretty cool places that aren’t well known to tourists. One of my favorites is this spot to go cliff jumping, I honestly still couldn’t tell you where it is. He brought us to it when I was about 12 years old and everyone wimped out and didn’t jump. 15 years later we went back and we all jumped! Below is a list of some of my favorite things from the Big Island of Hawaii.
Waipio Valley
My first visit we just went to the lookout, which was beautiful. On my second trip we drove down into Waipi’o Valley, which was quite the ride. The road is extremely steep and narrow, hikers will be making the trek on foot and you may run into some horses down at the bottom. The black sand beach down in the valley is top notch. A bunch of us hiked to Hi’ilawe Falls, while others stayed on the beach. This hike was no joke, we had to wade through water and climb up huge boulders. I ended up scrapping up my knees pretty bad, but it was totally worth it! If you are going to attempt this hike you must respect the locals who live down in Waipi’o Valley and make sure you know where you are going.
Please note that tourists are no longer allowed to drive or hike down into Waipi’o Valley, damages to the road have made it unsafe.
Manta Ray night dive/snorkel
This dive had been on my list ever since I got SCUBA certified. My boyfriend & I dove while the rest snorkeled up above. We sat on the bottom shining our lights up, while snorkelers shined their lights down and that night we had about 10 manta rays come through. They are so graceful and they would do barrel roles right over your head, skimming the top of your head. We went out with Kona Honu Divers and they were great. It was an amazing experience and I would definitely do it again! Check out my video footage of this experience on my youtube page.
Poke bowls at Umeke’s
If you love sushi, you will love poke bowls. My uncle told us about Umeke’s and he was not joking when he said it was the best! The fish is so fresh it just melts in your mouth, served with seaweed salad and sticky rice, you can’t beat it!
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
We only had a half day here, wish we had more time. We went to an area overlooking the massive crater and wished we were the people below hiking down in it (you need a full day to do that). Next we hiked through the lava tubes, which was pretty cool. Then we drove all the way down to where the hardened lava meets the ocean, amazing views even when hot lava isn’t flowing into the ocean! Hōlei Sea Arch was my favorite part. The sun began to set, so we headed back up to see the hot lava erupting at night time. This was a little too crowded for my liking, but still glad we did it. Plan your trip here.
Pohoiki Bay and hot spring in Ahalanui Park
This natural hot spring is located on the Hilo side of the island. It sits right on the ocean, with waves crashing over the wall into the hot spring. I’ve been both times I’ve been to Hawaii, the first time was less crowded, but still worth the trip the second time.
Akaka Falls State Park
You quite literally can drive right up to the waterfall. If you have anyone with you that does not love a good hike, this is the perfect place to go to see a waterfall, a quite large one at that.
Mahai’ula Beach to swim with sea turtles
I have also been here both times I’ve been to the Big Island and both times I have been able to swim with sea turtles right off the beach. The beach is a little bit of a walk from the parking area, and there is another beach beyond that if you prefer something more secluded. The beach is beautiful and the sea turtles are plentiful!
I am a Hawaii Destination Specialist, let me plan your dream trip to Hawaii today! Email me at jamie@tropecotravel.com
If you liked this post about the Big Island of Hawaii, check out my Top 10 things to do: Oahu, Hawaii!
