Trip Date: March 11th – 17th, 2017
In this second part of the review of the Big Island, we’re going to focus on the more notable points of interest that we visited while we were there.
Points of Interests
Carlsmith Beach Park, Hilo, HI
There were quite a few beach parks around Hilo to check out. After reading through reviews, Carlsmith Beach Park was one of the top beach parks to visit in Hilo. You can snorkel and swim around the lagoon without having to worry too much about big waves. There were people lounging in the sun, enjoying a picnic, and swimming around the lagoon. We spent most of the time snorkeling. The water was calm when we were there so it was good time for snorkeling without having to deal with choppy waters. There’s no beach here, but there is a large grassy area to lay out your gear and bask in the sun. Do be careful if you’re going to be going into the water barefooted. The lava rocks and reef can be unforgiving on your feet. I wore water shoes that helped with getting in and out of the water by the shore when having to step on the lava rocks. Great place to hang out for the day, relax, and soak in the sun.
Akaka Falls State Park, HI
If you want to get a glimpse of a waterfall around the Big Island, this is one of them. This one is larger than Rainbow Falls, which I’ll talk about next. The state park is a short drive northeast from Hilo. There wasn’t much to do here at the park. Only one way of the circular path was open, so there were some decent foot traffic going to the lookout point. You get a decent view of the waterfall and that’s about it. The park has bathrooms and picnic tables. There are information boards that tell you about the history of the falls. It was a good walk to the lookout point, nothing too strenuous. When we were leaving, we noticed a couple of roosters roaming around. Definitely go check it out if you want to enjoy a nice drive into the countryside of the Big Island. It’s not too hard to find as there are signs posted everywhere for it.
Rainbow Falls, Hilo, HI
Rainbow Falls is in the Wailuku River State Park in Hilo. The park itself is pretty big with areas to swim at the top of the waterfall. It’s a good place to chill and you’ll meet people from the area jumping off the large rocks near the top of the falls. You’re supposed to see many rainbows here that come from the mist of the waterfall. But we didn’t see even one and it may be due to the low level of water of the falls. If you’re looking for a waterfall in Hilo, you can go here if you don’t want to drive out to Akaka Falls.
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
This is the big boy of the parks on the Big Island. It contains two active volcanoes and there’s quite a few things to do that will take all day or more. You’ll run into many tourists around this park. You may have a hard time finding parking around some of the park’s points of interest due to the many tour buses. We first stopped at the crater and the Jaggar Museum. Then headed on down the Chain of Craters Road to the end of it where the Holei Sea Arch is. From there, we decided to start the 5 mile hike out to the lava view point at Kupapau Point, but turned back after 3.5 miles. This was when I ended up with a foot injury to my right foot. After the walk, as we were heading out to the car, a couple of the guys saw whales breaching! All this moving around took most of the day. As we drove back from the park, it was getting dark already. Definitely a must-see destination for any visitors of the Big Island.
Waipi’o Valley
Located a little ways past the town of Honokaa, the Waipi’o Valley lookout point gives you a view of the majestic Waipi’o Valley below. Due to my foot injury and us not have a 4×4 vehicle, we weren’t able to go down the trail to get to the black sand beach at the bottom. If you’re looking to get to the black sand beach here, make sure you rented a Jeep Wrangler! The lookout point has a ranger on duty, a bathroom, and picnic tables. Parking is tight so be ready to pull around to park on the side of the road. You’ll also see stray cats running around the park too.
Hapuna Beach State Park
The beach is on the western side of the island, north of Kailua-Kona and Waikoloa. It has rocky cliffs that surround the beach area so make sure you’re not near them. There are decent size waves that roll in. There are two life guard stations on the beach. Showers and bathrooms, plenty of park area for picnics, and an on-site cafe that also rents out beach gear. For out-of-state visitors, you do have to pay a small fee like $5 but for Hawaii residents it is free. When we arrived, there were quite a lot of people on the beach especially families with younger kids. Good beach to go to if you don’t want to be at a crowded beach in Kona.
Kailua Beach
Located at the Old Kona Airport area, this is a great place to watch the sunset. Not too many people at this beach either and it was only a quick drive from the hotel. You’ll also get a good view of homes dotted all over the hillsides of Kailua-Kona. Check this place out if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the touristy areas of Kailua-Kona.
