When most people plan a family vacation to Hawaii, the first thoughts are going to Honolulu and the island of Oahu or the island of Maui. But if you want to experience something really different and special on your trip; and want more variety than the perfect beach and perfect weather, (which you will still have). then you owe it to your family to explore going to the Big Island of Hawaii. The Big Island is just that, big. And with all that room it has plenty of adventure waiting for the traveler willing to explore it. On the south side of the island, Kilauea Volcano is the world's most active and usually stuns visitors with its pyrotechnics show. The Big Island's east shore is home to Hawaii's capital, Hilo, which is the wettest place in the United States. The west shore is known for its drier climate and sunshine. Most of the big resorts are located along the coast north of Kona. Between the east and west ends of the island you will find everything from lush tropical rain forests to areas that look like like your on the surface of the moon, to snow and being able to ski and and hour later being on a perfect tropical beach.
Kilauea - Volcanoes National Park
One of the most active volcanoes on the planet, Kilauea is the main attraction in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where visitors can see hardened lava flows, feel and smell volcanic gases steaming from cracks in the earth, hike through lava tunnels, and if their lucky, view active lava oozing or exploding down the hillside to the ocean below. An interactive museum explains how the Hawaiian islands were formed and the continued volcanic process (some of the newest land on earth is being formed here - and the island is the youngest island in the Hawaiian chain). Affects of the volcanic activity can be seen all along the west coast of the island, but if you are looking for more stellar volcano, you can drive up the side of Mauna Loa, the world's biggest volcano and take a peek at the heavens at the Mauna Kea Visitors Information Center. If you lucky it may have just snowed and you will be able to go skiing.
Kona and the West Coast
The Big Island of Hawaii's west coast is all sunshine and beaches and therefore attracts the bulk of the tourists. It's an arid environment with lots of lava rock everywhere. To get a bit of Hawaiian culture in on this coast visit "City of Refuge" National Park. The park was used as a place of refuge inc ancient times, and later used as asylum from a death sentence for breaking Kapu, a local series of laws regarding conduct. Kids love the huge ki'i, large carved wood statues, which are still carved on premises. Kids also love playing lonane, a Hawaiian version of checkers played with lava rocks.
Along with some spectacular beaches, Kona is known for some fantastic scuba diving and snorkeling. Up the coast is the Hilton Waikoloa Village, a great place to stay or just spend a day. The village resort features ocean view pools, canals and lagoons filled with boats and kayaks, a train tram running through the resort to the beachfront, oceanfront golf putting course and more. In the oceanfront lagoon, the resort hosts Dolphin Quest, a really fun interactive dolphin program. Its really amazing getting up-close and seeing how fast a dolphin really moves underwater.
Hilo and the East Coast
The east coast of the island is much wetter and therefore much greener than the west coast. Hilo receives some rain an average of 275 days a year. The benefit of all that rain is spectacular vegetation and scenery. On the way to Hilo, stop in the Waipi'oValley, for an incredible view over the first of seven sacred valleys on the Hamakua Coast. Hiking into the valley is a popular activity, or you can hike to 'Akaka Falls. The easy path to the Falls winds through superb a tropical rain forest and past lookouts over two amazing falls, Kahuna Falls and 'Akaka Falls, which plunges almost 500 feet down a moss-covered gorge. In Hilo, kids will love the Pana 'ew Rainforest Zoo where tropical birds and turtles share billing with the white tigers. The monkey enclosure, which features a tunnel shape fence that goes straight through the center of the cage, will give your kids an up close view of squirrel monkeys, plus the kids will like watching the tiger feeding.
Getting to and Around the Big Island
There are a number of direct flight to both Kona and Hilo from most major cities on the West Coast. In addition, Hawaiian Airlines offers dozens of flight daily from Honolulu with more connections to the mainland.
The Big Island is huge, and therefore driving around the island takes a long time (6-8 hours to drive around the island; about 4 hours between Hilo and Kona). Some of the more spectacular features are remote and require a 4WD vehicle to reach them, (but its worth it).
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