Island of Hawaii

The Island of Hawaii is an amazing place. The east and west sides of this island are such a contrast.

Accommodation: The decision to stay on which side of the island is a big one. If you are staying here for 4 or more nights, it is best to divide the stay between the two sides. The town of Hilo which is closer to the Volcano National Park is the only good place to stay. You should stay here if you plan to visit the Volcanoes and do lots of hiking. It will save you some drive time. Of course, the hotels on this side of the island are not great. For more sunny, beach weather, head to the west part of the island. Keauhou Bay area as well as the Kohala Coast are attractive destinations.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: This is a very unique place to visit. Stop by the visitor's center first thing in the morning and get the latest updates from the rangers. They will provide you the latest and best information about lava flows and trails. Lava flow changes a lot, so be flexible about your plans if you do want to see it. We booked a helicopter ride in advance to see the best lava flows from the air, but there wasn't much to see. Make sure you check on the lava flow update 48 hours before any helicopter ride so it will allow you to cancel if there isn't much to see.

Beaches: The best beaches are along the west coast of the island. However, if you have time, drive south past the volcano national park to black sands beach. It is one of the most unique beaches that I have seen.

Mauna Kea: Be sure to visit the Mauna Kea visitor center and stay past sunset to see the amazing night sky views. You can see thousands of stars and so much more without a telescope. There are organized tours to the summit which can be expensive and they come down to the visitor center for stargazing. If you have a four wheel, you can drive to the summit yourself. You can still drive to the visitor center in a two-wheel from Thrifty since they are the only ones to allow their cars on Saddle Road. Of course, the drive itself can 1.5-2 hours from the west coast resorts to the visitor center. We did the organized tour and were glad we didn't have to drive so much through the desert landscape.

Big Island seems like a very different Hawaii, but there is still so much to do besides the water and beach activities.