If you had told me a few years back that I’d travel one day to Hawaii, specifically Big Island, and love it so much that I’d want to go back, I would have said that you had lost your mind.
As the name entails, Big Island is the largest Hawaiian Island and it continues to grow with each volcanic eruption.
Big Island has a very relaxed and laid-back vibe compared to O’ahu. It is a lot less touristy, especially on the eastern part.
If you are looking for a family vacation in Hawaii that won’t cost you a small fortune, travel to Big Island, sit back and relax. To save even more on the cost of lodging, for instance, travel to Big Island between September and November as it is considered the low-season. Don’t worry, it will still be hot there.
Big Island has a lot to offer if you enjoy the beach, tranquility and being in nature. It is one of the only places in the world where you can explore white, black and green beaches.
We recommend spending at least 4 full days on Big Island if you can in order to let everything sink in.
Our real Hawaiian family experience and travel began when we arrived at Hilo airport on Big Island. We picked Hilo instead of Kona because of its closeness to the Volcanoes National Park which was on our must-see list.
How to get to Big Island Hawaii
For a short family vacation, you’ll want to travel by air to Big Island.
There are two airports on Big Island.
To the East you have Hilo International Airport (ITO) and to the West, Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA).
Hilo’s airport offers minimal service from the mainland and is mostly used for island hopping. The airport is small and easy to get around.
On the other hand, Kona airport offers non-stop services from most major U.S. west coast airports and access to the Hawaiian islands.
Getting around Big Island Hawaii
If you want to be in control of your family vacation, the easiest option to travel around Big Island is by renting a car. This is especially true if you are only spending a few days there. Since we only had 4 days on Big Island, we didn’t want to overdo it but we wanted to make the most of it.
When driving around, be aware of the mongoose that seem to be daredevils as they enjoy crossing right in front of you all the time.
The mongoose were introduced on purpose to the island around 1883 to control the rat problem in the sugarcane fields. It was an epic fail to say the least as the mongoose population has severely increase since then. You see, mongoose are more active during the day whereas rats are active at night. The mongoose have virtually no natural predator.
Big Island by bus
However, there is a bus you can take on Big Island, but it’s not as efficient it seems like the ones on O’ahu.
The Hele-on bus is meant to accommodate workers on Big Island to get to and from work. Consequently, most of the bus departure times are early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
Where to stay on Big Island
Pahoa is located close to Hilo. If you are interested in visiting the Volcanoes National Park, you might want to consider sleeping in that area as it is closer than Kona.
Also, Hilo has a more chill vibe than its counterpart Kona and is a lot less touristy. However, one set back is that the Eastern side of the island sees more rain. Hilo is referred to the wet side.
I have come to the conclusion that all the Haight hippies in San Francisco back in the day (see article Once upon a time in…San Francisco) sold their homes and moved to Pahoa with their kids.
The end of the road area as the locals like to call it is very bohemian, free-spirited. It made me smile to see a baby wearing a cloth diaper in the grocery store. At last, I was in an area free of high end, superficial tourists.
Our little piece of heaven
We stayed in yet another Airbnb in Pahoa at the Avocado Tree House.
Run on solar power, water collected from rain, bathroom, and shower outside, kitchen separate from the bedroom. It was AMAZING!
I brushed my teeth while looking at avocados dangling on the branches in front of me.
The tree house is located on an organic farm on the eastern part of the island. Words nor pictures can express the beauty of the site and the experience we had.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by chickens, roosters, geckos, coqui frogs. Fresh eggs and fruits awaited us on our outdoor kitchen’s doorstep. What a beautiful welcome!
Places to visit on the Eastern side of Big Island
As our place in Pahoa wouldn’t be ready until the end of the day, we had a full day to explore our new area with our rental car that we got at the airport.
When you travel to a beach destination, always keep your beach gear in a smaller backpack or day pack to make it easier to use. That way, you won’t have to go through your suitcase or huge backpack to find your bathing suit, towel, sunscreen etc. This is particularly true if you have to leave everything in your car when you leave it to go and explore. The less people see what is in your trunk the safer you’ll be.
Lili’uokalani Park
From the airport, we headed to Lili’uokalani Park and Mokuola coconut island. It is a beautiful place, especially early in the morning, when there aren’t too many people around.
It has a Japanese garden with a bunch of bridges, impressive trees and a footbridge that takes you to the little island called Coconut Island where you can swim and picnic. Blondie Bear and I took our first dip of the day there. The water was a bit chilly but clear.
Access and parking : FREE
Rainbow Falls
About 7 minutes away from Hilo, you can visit Rainbow Falls. It isn’t a must-see although it does attract a bunch of tour buses. The forest beside it is actually more interesting than the actual falls and still makes it a pleasant pit stop. It’s also FREE to park and visit.
Onekahakaha Beach Park
One of the highlights of our family vacation on Big Island was at Carlsmith close to Onekahakaha Beach Park in a tide pool (very common in that area).
The owner of the natural food store in Hilo suggested we go there to see turtles. Sure enough, we saw one and swam alongside it.
I never saw Blondie Bear that happy and excited before. It was the best moment ever!
The tide pools are cool but best to visit in the morning. By the end of the day, too much sunscreen makes the water murky. Also, you have more chances to catch an infection due to bacteria if you have an open wound, so just be careful.
You can’t really lay around at this tide pool except on the grass. The water isn’t deep, so you can easily walk around in it, swim or snorkel.
What to do when you see have a turtle in the water
If you want to see turtles, this would be a good spot. The tide pools are part of the turtle’s feeding grounds and it is a little off the beaten track. Just don’t be stupid and use common sense if you see one especially if you have kids.
DON’T touch the turtles, DON’T feed them, and LEAVE them room to go about their business.
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Please, please, please, do not scream or yell or shout near them. Have some respect! It’s ok if they touch you but don’t touch them especially if you have oil or sunscreen on.
Lighthouse
We went all the way to the easternmost tip of the island to see Cape Kumukahi Lighthouse. Although we were not impressed (rather disappointed actually), this was our first glimpse of what lava does. To access the lighthouse you will have to go through a dirt road.
For some reason, Blondie Bear thought it was cool.
Isaac Hale County Beach Park
We just drove past Isaac Hale County Beach Park as were heading towards our tree house. However, I thought it was still worth mentioning.
The roads in this area are quite scenic and worth exploring.
One of the roads runs along the coast through tree tunnels in the lush Puna district, passing by a few beach parks which make great stops to take in the surroundings, and stops at the Isaac Hale beach park.
Lava Tree State Monument
Our Airbnb host had provided us with a specific map of the area around Pahoa. During our first full day there, we wanted to take it easy as we had gotten up bright and early for the last 2 days.
We stopped by the Lava Tree State Monument (free).
It’s about a 30 minutes walk where you get to see trees petrified by lava and what kind of flora can grow over lava. It isn’t a very exciting place but it makes for a nice stroll.
Kehena Beach
Take the Pohoiki Road along with the Kama’ili Road (scenic routes), grab some sandwiches from Subway, or prepare your own and hit Kehena Beach located at mile marker 19.
Of course, we missed it the first time around.
Most places are not identified on Big Island. Use mile markers as a reference instead when possible. Usually, when you see a bunch of cars parked along the road it is generally a good indication that there is something going on.
The Kehena Beach is a remote, secluded, black sand beach that you can’t see from the road and where clothing is optional. The black sand is from molten lava that poured into the ocean and cooled rapidly.
Word of advice. Don’t take back any sand or lava rock with you on purpose. By doing so, legend has it that you’ll be cursed by the volcano goddess Pele. For more information about lava, volcanoes, and legends, don’t miss out on the Bishop Museum when visiting O’ahu.
To access it, you have to go down a cliff (it’s not too hard). It is also dog-friendly, pot-friendly and drum friendly…just letting you know what you would be walking into.
Blondie Bear wasn’t too shocked but he did let out a “you must be kidding me” when a naked man started doing a handstand by the water..facing him….hahaha.
The water there is rough, the pebbles can be hard on your feet. It’s a good place for bodysurfing and sunbathing in the nude but not so much for smooth swimming.
I would make it a pit stop though, it is worth the sight in all shapes and forms.
Food and Entertainment near Hilo
While we stayed in Hilo, we mostly cooked our own food. However, the first day we arrived, as we didn’t have access to our Airbnb, we opted to have lunch at Cafe Pesto.
Blondie Bear and I shared their homemade lemonade (free refills) and it was almost as delicious as the one Junior makes. This was by far one of the best meals we would have in Hawaii and not too pricy.
An evening in Pahoa
Uncle Roberts or Uncle’s for the locals is located in Kalpana at the end of the red road.
During our 4 days on Big Island, the only time we went out in the evening was to this bar and farmer’s market. Wednesday nights, around 5 pm, is when to go.
I had read about this place while researching for this trip and our host recommended it as well. It sounded cool and it was.
Uncle’s is packed and jamming on Wednesday night, mostly with locals, which is always a bonus. If you want to get a seat at a table, do arrive early.
A ‘hippie’ farmers market takes place selling anything from bar soaps and jewelry along side various street food vendors. You can also bring in your own food and alcohol if you so wish.
It is a huge outdoor yet covered place with live Hawaiian entertainment: musicians and hula dancers and has a very laid back vibe.
We had a great evening and Blondie Bear tried some hula dancing on his own, even trying out some new moves on the dance floor.
This is also the spot where you can also watch the lava flow into the ocean or book a lava tour.
Big Island Volcanoes National park
Visiting the Volcanoes National Park was at the top of our list of things to see in Hawaii along with Pearl Harbour on O’ahu.
In fact, before leaving for our trip, we went to check out the exhibition on Pompei in Montreal at the Museum of Fine Arts. I thought that it would be a great way to prepare Blondie Bear for our trip and learn more about volcanoes. Getting your children involved or interested in your upcoming family vacation is a great way for them to be better prepared and feel comfortable once they arrive at the new destination. For more tips on how to prepare them, read HERE.
The Volcanoes National Park on Big Island is the #1 reason why people travel to this island. I mean, where else in Hawaii can you watch lava flow into the ocean? Only on Big Island.
Where to go near Kona on Big Island
As part of our last full day on Big Island, we decided to go to the beach near Kona. From what I had read, on the western side of the island, you find better beaches.
Kona is a much more happening place than Hilo. If you are looking for night life, this is probably the only spot on the island where you can find some. It is also a totally different vibe and crowd than Pahoa to say the least.
It’s a 2 1/2 hour drive from Hilo which took us almost 4 to accomplish due to traffic and construction.
The route along the coastline was pretty from what I saw as I slept most of the way. I think if you want to really experience Big Island you need to rent a 4WD car so that you can go to remote beaches which we couldn’t do with our car (budget). We did test it on some dirt roads but didn’t want to abuse it.
Manini’owali Beach
We settled for Manini’owali Beach (Kua Bay) in Kekaha Hai State Park, just a few miles north of Kona’s airport between marker 88 and 89. It isn’t very big and has a crescent shape. It can get very crowded on weekends apparently with lots of families.
It’s FREE to park and access.
If you are looking for a simple yet dreamy beach, this one is worth checking out. We really enjoyed our time there between swimming in turquoise water, laying on soft white sand, and jumping the waves. You can bodyboard in the afternoon as the waves pick up more then.
It’s also possible to snorkel there as well and apparently a turtle swam underneath me as I was floating away, darn I missed that!
This is the beach we liked the most on Big Island and during our trip to Hawaii.
Green Sand Beach
Although we didn’t go there as we didn’t have enough time, nor the proper car, I thought it would be worth mentioning. Actually, I didn’t realize in what located on Big Island until we visited the Bishop Museum on O’ahu.
The green sand beach, also known as Papakolea Beach, is located on the southern tip of Big Island. Once you park, in order to access it, you’ll have to do the rest on foot. It’s a 2.5 miles hike one way.
This green sand beach is one of the few found around the world. Its sandy shores are said to be almost the same hue as the surrounding grass due to olivine crystals left behind by the lava. Legend has it that they are the Goddess Pele’s tears…
Olivine is often referred to as ‘Hawaian Diamond’ and can also be found in O’ahu’s Diamond Head.
Scenic Route
There are many scenic drives to takes throughout Big Island and if you enjoy being in the car, there is no better place to do that than on this island.
To get back from Kona to Pahoa we took Saddle Road, Rte 200. It only took us 2 1/2 hours.
Gone were the tropical trees and forests with lush colours that we encountered near Pahoa. Instead, they were replaced by rolling hills of bright green grass growing over old lava fields. It was pretty mystical.
Saddly, we couldn’t really make any stops to take it all in, as we were exhausted. If we ever make it back there again, it’s one place we’d like to explore more.
Our top picks on Big Island
To travel to Big Island as a family, is a once in a lifetime experience. For us, Hawaii was truly an AMAZING trip.
I would definitely love to go back to Big Island and our Avocado Tree House and check out the other islands. Maybe someday. I think my soul is somewhere in Hawaii.
Blondie Bear’s list:
- Manini’owali Beach
- Black sand beach
- Walking on a crater
- Lighthouse
- Turtle tide pool
- And to add to this list from my perspective: Uncle’s
Aloha always!
