January 15, 2015
Just because you’re on the seat of a Harley doesn’t mean you’re ready to go everywhere. Even the most-seasoned BIKERS need to plan their Hawai‘i Island trips carefully. Think of the island as circular in shape with a few zig-zagging…
January 15, 2015
HULIHE‘E PALACE, located on Ali‘i Drive in the heart of Kailua-Kona, is a vintage palace that once served as the VACATION RESIDENCE FOR HAWAIIAN ROYALTY. Today, the palace is a museum and showplace for fascinating Hawaiian artifacts and beautiful furniture.…
January 15, 2015
The 45-MILE HĀMĀKUA COAST ROAD TRIP from Hilo to Honoka‘a is stunning. Highway 19 rises above HIGH, EROSIONAL CLIFFS that drop to the foaming surf below. Above the highway, the mountainside is blanketed in greenery interlaced by rushing streams, with…
January 15, 2015
SHAVE ICE is not your average snow cone. Debates rage over which shack, shop or stand has the most finely shaven ice or perfectly crafted syrup. In fact, there’s even some disagreement about what it’s called. Hilo residents seem to…
January 15, 2015
The LARGEST ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY IN THE WORLD is located at the 13,796-foot summit of MAUNA KEA. Here, international scientists work with a sophisticated array of telescopes to gather data about the vast celestial universe. The mountain currently houses 13 WORKING…
January 15, 2015
The Hawaiian Islands, where CACAO (the bean harvested to make CHOCOLATE) is grown, are a decadent destination for chocoholics and sweets lovers of all ages and tastes. There are many BIG ISLAND-BASED CHOCOLATIERS AND CANDY MAKERS to provide you with…
January 15, 2015
There are helicopter tours, and then there are HELICOPTER ADVENTURES. Sightseers will want to book a tour; adventurers will go for the DOORS-OFF, MULTIPLE-LANDING option. PARADISE HELICOPTERS can accommodate either mood. Along with views of an active volcano, lava flows,…
January 15, 2015
The hip little enclave of HAWI is only about an hour drive north of Kailua-Kona, but this UPCOUNTRY HAMLET (with a population slightly more than 900) is worlds apart from its neighboring city. A major piece of Hawai‘i’s history is…
January 15, 2015
Whether you’re planning a Big Island SHOPPING SPREE or just a window-shopping walkabout, don’t expect to hit a mall stocked with mainland look-alikes. Part of the island’s charm is the fact that it’s not riddled with department store chains. Don’t…
January 15, 2015
Not far from Hilo, there is a lush garden laid out in an exquisite natural environment: BOTANICAL WORLD ADVENTURES. Botanical World Adventures (botanicalworld.com) is home to World Botanical Gardens and Waterfalls, and offers popular rainforest tours, zip lines, waterfalls, Hawai‘i’s…
January 15, 2015
You’ve seen the photographs and films of colorful reef fish undulating in the warm, deep-blue ocean currents, and now you want to experience the sensation of meandering alongside them. But diving with heavy tanks seems a bit much, and snorkeling…
January 15, 2015
They may look fearsome, but MANTA RAYS, known in Hawaiian as hāhālua , are really quite tame. Though related to sharks, these amazing sea creatures have no teeth and no tail stingers, making them harmless to humans but no less…