While the west side is arguably the most popular Hawaiʻi Island destination, it is most certainly the driest side. Here, you can find long stretches of barren lava rock formations, relatively uncrowded beaches, world-renowned Kona coffee—on nearly every corner!—and plenty of marine life. This itinerary takes you a bit beyond the main visitor hub of […]
It seems like everything grows on Hawai‘i Island, from coffee beans to sweet potatoes, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Hilo. Gorgeously lush, the town features a distinctly overgrown aesthetic with small businesses, shops and natural wonders around every corner. And even if you travel a few miles out of town, you’ll find
The beaches on Hawaiʻi Island are some of the best in the state—and there are a lot of them. Due to the island’s ever-growing coastline and massive size, there are hundreds of beaches dotted along the Big Island, some of which can’t be found in magazines or on websites. Even the ones that are easy to
Unlike O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i and even Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i’s youngest island is also the biggest in the state. And that’s very exciting. Those with a sense of wanderlust, who love exploring unmarked dirt paths, who are always searching for the next best thing, will find solace on Hawai‘i Island. Calling the island and its beaches, businesses and boroughs hidden is almost
As news spread of a new eruption at Kīlauea on Hawaiʻi Island, hundreds of visitors rushed over to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park yesterday and today for a glimpse of the spectacular sight. SEE ALSO: There’s a New Eruption at Kīlauea Volcano in Hawaiʻi But park officials are stressing the importance of safety—both because of high amounts
It seems like everything grows on Hawai‘i Island, from coffee beans to sweet potatoes, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Hilo. Gorgeously lush, the town features a distinctly overgrown aesthetic with small businesses, shops and natural wonders around every corner. The store specializes in gorgeous hand-woves lau hala hats. Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino Hana Hou
If any one thing defines Hawai‘i to travelers, it would be our beaches. The Islands boast some of the most diverse stretches of oceanfront, from the jet-black sands of Punalu‘u on Hawai‘i Island to the otherworldly red landscape of Kaihalulu Beach in Hāna on Maui. And there’s so much to do on these beaches, from
On a short stretch of Māmalahoa Highway, just before the town of Kealakekua, you can spend your entire day perusing the various wares, relics and vintage clothing of thrift and antique shops of Captain Cook. Make sure your eyes aren’t bigger than your savings, however, or you’ll lose your afternoon and whatever you’ve got in
Every time I visit Hilo, I’m amazed by how much the sleepy town on Hawaiʻi Island has changed—and how much is hasn’t changed at all. The little town on the northeastern side of the Big Island has seen a lot of changes. It was first settled around A.D. 1100 by Polynesians, who established agricultural and
My husband and I think about food most of the time, so it is only fitting that our vacation itinerary revolves around the next meal. Instead of museums or monuments, you’ll find us at farmers markets, tasting rooms and hole-in-the-wall restaurants. We find more pleasure in collecting edible experiences than tangible souvenirs, which would only
It’s pretty hard to have a proper road trip in Hawaii. Driving from Oahu’s central city of Honolulu to the North Shore, for example, takes less than an hour (without traffic). This is not the case on Hawaii Island, which rightfully earns its moniker, the Big Island. Driving to and from the island’s two largest
Family-owned mom-and-pop shops are harder to come by these days amid all of Hawaiʻi’s chain stores and off-island brands. Fortunately, the island of Hawaiʻi still has plenty of small, locally owned, often family-run businesses. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the small town of Hōlualoa, located on the upland slopes of Kona. This area—at
