Hawaiian Vacations - Hawaii

Big Island of Hawaii - Travel Tips

Our Big Island of Hawaii travel tips section is designed to provide you with valuable information on the destinations we serve. You can access weather reports, convert currency, browse through destination guides, research passport and visa information and much more.

Introduction

Dining & Entertainment

Entry Requirements

Money & Emergency

Weather

Map

Fun Things To Do

Health & Safety Links

Flight Overview

Introduction

Five volcanoes -- one still erupting -- have created this continental island, which is growing bigger daily. At its heart is snowcapped Mauna Kea, the world's tallest sea mountain (measured from the ocean floor), complete with its own glacial lake. Mauna Kea's nearest neighbor is Mauna Loa (or "Long Mountain"), creator of one-sixth of the island; it's the largest volcano on earth, rising 30,000 feet out of the ocean floor (of course, you can see only the 13,796 ft. that are above sea level). Kilauea's eruptions make the Big Island bigger every day -- and, if you're lucky, you can stand just a few feet away and watch it do its work. (In just a week, Kilauea can produce enough lava to fill the Astrodome.)

Steeped in tradition and shrouded in the primal mist of creation, the Big Island radiates what the Hawaiians call mana, a sense of spirituality that's still apparent through the acres of petroglyphs etched in the black lava, the numerous heiau (temples), burial caves scattered in the cliffs, sacred shrines both on land and in the sea, and even the sound the wind makes as it blows across the desolate lava fields.

What To Do

If you're into watersports, the Big Island is paradise. The two tall volcanoes mean the water on the leeward side is calm 350 days a year. The underwater landscape of caves, cliffs, and tunnels attracts a stunning array of colorful marine life. The island's west coast is one of the best destinations in the world for big-game fishing. And its miles of remote coastline are a kayaker's dream of caves, secluded coves, and crescent-shaped beaches reachable only by sea.

On land, hikers, bikers, and horseback riders can head up and down a volcano, across beaches, into remote valleys, and through rainforests without seeing another soul. Bird-watchers are rewarded with sightings of the rare, rapidly dwindling native birds of Hawaii. Golfers can find nirvana on a wide variety of courses.

Dining

Aki's cafe - This tiny neighborhood eatery has three things going for it: terrific food, cheap prices, and an oceanfront location on Alii Drive. The most popular meal is breakfast; regulars get in line before the 8am opening. Lunch and dinner (same menu and prices for both) draw crowds looking for authentic Japanese food or delicious American hamburgers. The menu features everything from chicken katsu to noodle dishes (ramen, yakisuba, even spaghetti) to sandwiches (from fresh fish to buffalo).

Lava Rock Cafe - Volcano Village's newest favorite spot is a cheerful, airy oasis with tables and booths indoors and semi-outdoors, under a clear corrugated-plastic ceiling. The cross-cultural menu includes everything from chow fun to fajitas. The choices include three-egg omelets and pancakes with wonderful house-made lilikoi butter, teriyaki beef and chicken, serious desserts (like mango cheesecake), fresh catch, T-bone steak, and steak-and-shrimp combos. The lunchtime winners are the "seismic sandwiches" (which the cafe will pack for hikers), chili, quarter-pound burgers, salads, plate lunches, and "volcanic" heavies such as Southern-fried chicken and grilled meats.

Roy's Waikoloa Bar & Grill - Roy's Waikoloa has several distinctive and inviting features, such as a golf-course view, large windows overlooking a 10-acre lake, and the East-West cuisine and upbeat service that are Roy Yamaguchi signatures. This is a clone of his Oahu restaurant, offering favorites like Szechuan baby back ribs, blackened island ahi, and six other types of fresh fish prepared charred, steamed, or seared, and topped with exotic sauces such as shiitake miso and gingered lime-chile butter. Always in demand are the hibachi-style salmon and, at lunch, the "lumpia basket" of fresh fish and stir-fried vegetables. Yamaguchi's tireless exploration of local ingredients and world traditions produces food that keeps him at Hawaii's culinary cutting edge.

Brown's Beach House - The nearby lagoon takes on the pink-orange glow of sunset, while torches flicker between the coconut trees. With white tablecloths, candles, and seating near the lagoon, this is a spectacular setting, complemented by a menu that keeps getting better by the year. The chef de cuisine, Stephen Rouelle, serves up Pacific Rim fare that includes unusual dishes like sautéed grilled moi and soft-shell crab, green garlic and herb roasted free-range chicken, Big Island swordfish poached in seasoned olive oil, sizzling ahi tataki with local exotic mushrooms, and crab-crusted sautéed opakapaka. Next door is Brown's Deli, with freshly made breads, pastries, and espresso coffees for breakfast, and pizza, salad, panini, and sandwiches for lunch and dinner. There are even grill tables along the oceanfront where you can grill your own food.

Entertainment

Jokes abound about neighbor-island nightlife being an oxymoron, but there are a few pockets of entertainment here, largely in the Kailua-Kona and Kohala Coast resorts. Your best bet is to check the local newspapers -- Honolulu Advertiser and West Hawaii Today -- for special shows, such as fund-raisers, that are held at local venues. Other than that, regular entertainment in the local clubs usually consists of mellow Hawaiian music at sunset, small hula groups, or jazz trios.

Music, Dancing & Comedy in Kailua-Kona
A host of bars and restaurants feature dancing and live music when the sun goes down, all of them on Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona. Starting from the south end of Alii Drive, Huggo's on the Rocks (tel. 808/329-1493) has dancing and live music on weekends, and next door at Huggo's Restaurant there's jazz and blues and a piano bar. Across the street from Huggo's, Durty Jake's Café & Bar (tel. 808/329-7366), in the Coconut Marketplace, has live rock 'n' roll on Saturday and karaoke on weeknights. Upstairs, Lulu's (tel. 808/321-2633) draws a 20-something crowd with music and dancing Friday and Saturday.

Just down the street, the Hard Rock Cafe (tel. 808329-8866), in the Alii Sunset Plaza, has music most nights. Sometimes it's live, sometimes it's DJ, but it's always a happening kind of place.

If you are in the mood for a few laughs, the Big Island Comedy Club usually has a live performance once a week of stand-up comedians on tour. Performances are at the Royal Kona Resort; for information call tel. 808/329-4368.

The Kohala Coast Resorts
Evening entertainment here usually takes the form of a luau or louge music at scenic terrace bars with scintillating sunset views.

The Friday luau at the Kona Village Resort is the best choice on the island. Otherwise, the resort roundup includes the Hilton Waikoloa Village's Legends of the Pacific (tel. 808/885-1234) Friday dinner show, and the Tuesday luau at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel (tel. 808/882-7222).

A popular nightspot on the Kohala Coast is the Honu Bar (tel. 808/885-6622) at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel, a sleek, chic place for light supper, live light jazz with dancing, gourmet desserts, fine wines, and after-dinner drinks.

Money

ATMs-- Hawaii pioneered the use of ATMs more than 2 decades ago, and now they're everywhere. You'll find them at most banks, in supermarkets, at Long's Drugs, and in most resorts and shopping centers. Cirrus (tel. 800/424-7787) and PLUS (tel. 800/843-7587) are the two most popular networks; check the back of your ATM card to see which network your bank belongs to (most banks belong to both these days).

Traveller's Checks-- Traveler's checks are something of an anachronism from the days before the ATM made cash accessible at any time. Traveler's checks used to be the only sound alternative to traveling with dangerously large amounts of cash. They were as reliable as currency, but, unlike cash, could be replaced if lost or stolen.

You can get traveler's checks at almost any bank.

Visa offers traveler's checks at Citibank locations nationwide, as well as at several other banks. The checks come in denominations of $20, $50, $100, $500, and $1,000. Call tel. 800/732-1322 for information. AAA members can obtain Visa checks for a fee (for checks up to $1,500) at most AAA offices or by calling tel. 866/339-3378. MasterCard also offers traveler's checks. Call tel. 800/223-9920 for a location near you.

If you choose to carry traveler's checks, be sure to keep a record of their serial numbers separate from your checks in the event that they are stolen or lost. You'll get a refund faster if you know the numbers.

Emergency

Emergencies-- For ambulance, fire, and rescue services, dial tel. 911 or call tel. 808/961-6022. The Poison Control Center hot line is tel. 800/362-3585.

Hospitals-- Hospitals offering 24-hour urgent-care facilities include the Hilo Medical Center, 1190 Waianuenue Ave., Hilo (tel. 808/974-4700); North Hawaii Community Hospital, Waimea (tel. 808/885-4444); and Kona Community Hospital, on the Kona Coast in Kealakekua (tel. 808/322-9311).Police-- Dial tel. 911 in case of emergency; otherwise, call the Hawaii Police Department at tel. 808/326-4646 in Kona, tel. 808/961-2213 in Hilo.

Big Island of Hawaii Weather

Weather Averages

Average High Temperatures	81.0°F 27°C	81.0°F 27°C	81.0°F 27°C	82.0°F 27°C	82.0°F 27°C	83.0°F 28°C
Average Low Temperatures	65.0°F 18°C	65.0°F 18°C	65.0°F 18°C	66.0°F 18°C	68.0°F 20°C	69.0°F 20°C
Average Temperature	73.0°F 22°C	73.0°F 22°C	73.0°F 22°C	74.0°F 22°C	75.0°F 23°C	76.0°F 24°C
Average Precipitation	3.1%	1.7%	2.1%	1.6%	2.3%	2.2%

Average High Temperatures	83.0°F 28°C	84.0°F 28°C	85.0°F 29°C	85.0°F 29°C	83.0°F 28°C	82.0°F 27°C
Average Low Temperatures	69.0°F 20°C	70.0°F 21°C	70.0°F 21°C	69.0°F 20°C	68.0°F 20°C	65.0°F 18°C
Average Temperature	76.0°F 24°C	77.0°F 25°C	77.0°F 25°C	77.0°F 25°C	75.0°F 24°C	73.0°F 22°C
Average Precipitation	2.5%	2.4%	1.7%	1.7%	1.8%	1.7%

General Details

Temperature and Climate Zones

Weather on all of the Hawaiian islands is very consistent, with only moderate changes in temperature throughout the year. This is possible due to the year-round warm sea surface temperatures, which keeps the overlying atmosphere warm as well. In practical terms there are only 2 seasons here: the summer months (called Kau in Hawaiian) that extend from May to October and the winter months (Ho'oilo) that run from November to April. The average day-time summer temperature at sea level is 85 degrees F. (29.4 C) while the average day-time winter temperature is 78 degrees (25.6 C). Night-time temperatures are approximately 10 degrees F. lower.

Visitors to Hawaii will find that it is a marvel of nature. As a result of the shielding effect of her volcanic mountains and the differences in weather found at various elevations, there are as many different climate zones here as exist along the entire coast stretching from Alaska to Costa Rica. The islands can be described as an incredibly diverse collection of many micro-environments, each possessing unique weather, plants and animals. To see the full impact of this natural wealth visitors only need to explore the islands by car, or helicopter and they will be struck by the beauty of tropical rain forests, cool alpine regions, stony deserts and sunny beaches, all within the span of just a few short miles.

Rainfall and Storms

Through most of the year Hawaiian weather patterns are effected primarily by high pressure zones in the north Pacific that pump relatively cool, moist trade winds down onto the island's northeastern slopes. This pattern holds true for most of the summer and approximately half of the time in the winter. These winds are forced up-slope by the mountain heights where ultimately their moisture condenses into clouds that produce rain. Most of the rain then falls in the mountains and valleys on the windward (northeastern) side of the islands. It is this weather phenomenon that creates the rich tropical environment of flowers and verdant greens that have made Hawaii famous. The wettest months are from November - March, but these winter rains do not generally disrupt vacationer's plans, since the very localized nature of the weather usually means that if it is raining where you are, there is almost always a sunny spot to be found by a short drive around the coast.

The action of trade winds here means that there is always a cooling breeze. The strength of this wind builds as the heat of the day rises and reaches a peak in the afternoon, only to diminish in the evening and start again the following day. Several times during the year the trade winds will stop completely and the wind will switch around to come out of the south or west, bringing stormy or hot sticky weather. Islanders sometimes call this "Kona" weather, because kona is a polynesian word that means leeward or South, and this points to the direction from which these weather systems arrive. Stormy weather does come to the islands, primarily in the winter and sometimes lingers for several days. Severe storms, however, are not a common occurrence here.

Water and Surf Conditions

Beach-goers will be happy to learn that the temperature of Hawaii's near-shore waters stay comfortable throughout the year. The average year round water temperature is 74 degrees F. (23.3 C), with a summer high of 80 degrees F. (26.7 C). Wave action varies a great deal between winter and summer, and between island coasts. Generally summer waters are very gentle on all beaches. This changes in the winter on many north facing beaches, as storms far out into the Pacific drive ocean swells towards the islands, which build into large breaking waves.

As with island rains, wave conditions are often very localized, so if there is too much surf on your beach, you can usually find calmer water by taking a short drive to a beach that is sheltered from the prevailing surf. Swimmers should keep in mind that h4 currents can make any beach unsafe at any time during the year, but this is particularly true in the winter. When in doubt, simply ask your hotel staff or a local for their recommendations and also watch for warning flags and posted beach conditions.

Hawaii's Mountains and Volcanos

Many visitors to the islands will be drawn to the natural beauty found in the higher elevations such as Kokee on Kauai, or Haleakala on Maui, or Kilauea on the Big Island. In preparing for your trip you'll want to take long pants and several layers of cool weather clothing because the temperature in the higher locations drops 3.5 degrees for every 1,000 feet above sea level that you climb. For example, the summit of Haleakala at an elevation of 10,023 feet can be as much as 30 degrees F. cooler than the resort areas on the coast. Similarly the summit of Kilauea, which is at an elevation of 4,078 feet, can be 14 degrees cooler than the sea level temperature.

You should also be aware that because these peaks rise through the earth's atmosphere, there is less protection at these elevations from the sun's powerful burning rays. This burning effect can be easily masked by the cool temperatures on the mountain, so be sure to use your sun block liberally, and bring your hat and sunglasses.

Fun Things To Do on the Big Island of Hawaii

Attractions & Activities

Big Island of Hawaii Attractions

Ancient Hawaiian Fish Ponds -- Like their Polynesian forebears, Hawaiians were among the first aquaculturists on the planet. Scientists still marvel at the ways they used the brackish ponds along the shoreline to stock and harvest fish. There are actually two different types of ancient fish ponds (or loko i'a). Closed ponds, located inshore, were closed off from the ocean. Open ponds used rock walls as a barrier to the ocean and sluice gates that connected the ponds to the ocean. The gates were woven vines, with just enough room for juvenile fish to swim in at high tide while keeping the bigger, fatter fish from swimming out. Generally, the Hawaiians kept and raised mullet, milkfish, and shrimp in these open ponds; juvenile manini, papio, eels, and barracuda occasionally found their way in, too.

The Kalahuipuaa Fish Ponds, at Mauna Lani Resort (tel. 808/885-6622), are great examples of both types of ponds in a lush tropical setting. South of the Mauna Lani Resort are Kuualii and Kahapapa Fish Ponds, at the Marriott Waikoloa Beach Resort (tel. 808/885-6789). Both resorts have taken great pains to restore the ponds to their original states and to preserve them for future generations; call ahead to arrange a free guided tour.

Kohala Coast Petroglyphs -- The Hawaiian petroglyph is a great enigma of the Pacific -- no one knows who made them or why. The petroglyphs appear at 135 different sites on six inhabited islands, but most of them are found on the Big Island.

The Kings' Shops (tel. 808/886-8811), at the Waikoloa Beach Resort, offers a free tour of the surrounding petroglyphs Tuesday through Friday at 10:30am and Saturday at 8:30am; it meets in front of the Food Pavilion. For the best viewing, go Saturday morning.

Creeping Up to the Ooze. Since Kilauea's ongoing eruption began in 1983, lava has been bubbling and oozing in a mild-mannered way that lets you walk right up to the creeping flow for an up-close encounter.

Big Island of Hawaii Activities

Below are some of our favorite Big Island activities.

Going Underwater at Kealakekua Bay.
The islands have lots of extraordinary snorkel and dive sites, but none is so easily accessible as mile-wide Kealakekua Bay, an uncrowded marine preserve on the South Kona Coast. Here, you can swim with dolphins, sea turtles, octopuses, and every species of tropical fish that calls Hawaii's waters home.

Discovering Old Hawaii at Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park. Protected by a huge rock wall, this sacred Honaunau site was once a refuge for ancient Hawaiian warriors. Today you can walk the consecrated grounds and glimpse a former way of life in a partially restored 16th-century village, complete with thatched huts, canoes, forbidding idols, and a temple that holds the bones of 23 Hawaiian chiefs.

Stargazing from Mauna Kea.
A jacket, beach mat, and binoculars are all you need to see every star and planet in this ultra-clean atmosphere, where the visibility is so keen that 11 nations have set up telescopes (two of them the biggest in the world) to probe deep space.

Chasing Rainbows at Akaka Falls.
When the light is right, a perfect prism is formed and a rainbow leaps out of this spectacular 442-foot waterfall, about 11 miles north of Hilo. Take time to roam through the surrounding rainforest, where you're sure to have close encounters with exotic birds, aromatic plumeria trees, and shocking red-torch ginger.

Hunting for Petroglyphs.
The majority of Hawaii's ancient rock carvings are found in the 233-acre Puako Petroglyph Archaeological District, near Mauna Lani Resort. The best time to go looking is in the cool early morning or late afternoon. There are more than 3,000 petroglyphs in this area alone -- see how many you can spot!