Hawaii

Understand

The youngest and largest island in the Hawaiian chain, the Big Island contains five volcanoes, including Kilauea, one of the world's most active. It is an island with a long coastline of black, volcanic sand beaches where you may see leatherback turtles and a host of other marine life, and a large, sparsely-populated mountainous interior. Hawaii has a relaxed, rural and small-town atmosphere, and even the biggest city, Hilo, is neither very big nor heavily built-up. There are no freeways on the island, speed limits are low and drivers tend to drive under the speed limit. The Kona (west) side of the island, famous for its coffee, is the more touristy and drier side; the lush Hilo/Hamakua Coast (east) side gets about 180 inches of rain annually, the wettest in the 50 states, and is much less touristy, but the rain is often steady rather than torrential and may not last all day. In the interior, there is some great hiking, including the Kilauea Iki Trail in the unique Volcanoes National Park, where you can also safely peer into the caldera of Mt. Kilauea at night and see the lava glowing bright red and starting to solidify into rock as it's exposed to the air; also awaiting you in the interior is the unparalleled experience of viewing the Milky Way and the rest of the night sky from Mauna Kea, one of the clearest and least light-polluted locations in the world, though not without controversy, as many Native Hawaiians consider the Observatory on top of this dormant volcano to be a desecration of a place holy to Pele, the Volcano Goddess. Kamehameha I, called Kamehameha the Great, who was born in Kohala in the north of the island, probably in the first half of the 18th century, and became the first King of Hawaii (not just the Big Island but the rest of the archipelago) by 1810. His name remains much celebrated today, memorialized in the Kohala Historical Sites State Monument near Upolo that includes his birthplace, a statue and park in Kapaau and numerous street names

Getting there

By plane

There are two major airports if you are flying into the Big Island, Kona International Airport (KOA IATA) and Hilo International Airport (ITO IATA). There are a few nonstop flights to Kona from the mainland, mostly from California, Denver Airport, Phoenix and Seattle, but it is more common to arrive via Honolulu or Kahului. You should try to get a nonstop flight from the mainland to save time waiting (and walking) around the Honolulu Airport. If you can't find a nonstop flight, consider that Kona's airport is by far busier and requires a lot of time to pass all checkpoints. Hilo's airport has fewer flights, is smaller, so the time between rental drop-off and boarding is much shorter. As of 2023, Hilo no longer has flights from the mainland, and is only served by inter-island flights from Honolulu or Kahului. Southwest Airlines will begin offering direct flights to Hilo from Las Vegas starting on Aug 6, 2026. Inter-island "hoppers" arrive from all the other islands several times a day. Local flights are available through Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest Airlines to the two major airports. These airlines provide frequent service between the islands, largely connecting through Honolulu, although there are some nonstop flights from Kona and Hilo to Kahului, Maui. Mokulele Airlines also operates between Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE IATA) and Kahului in nine-seat prop planes. Keep in mind that an inter-island flight could use up almost an entire day, due to the fact that you must pack, check out of hotel, get to the airport, return your rental car, go through all the airport procedures, fly, wait for luggage, get your rental car, check in, and unpack. It's tempting to try to see as many of the islands as you can on one trip, but it's best to spend no less than three nights on an island. In the case of the Big Island, think of the two sides of the island as separate. It takes about 2 hours 15 minutes to drive from Kailua-Kona to Hilo, and about six hours to circ

Getting around

On Big Island, you need a car in order to get to most of the interesting beaches, parks or other attractions, or to travel from the Kona coast to the Hilo coast. Places like the green or black sand beaches, or the Mauna Kea summit and astronomical observatories are only accessible by four-wheel drive. Car rentals tend to book months in advance, depending on the season. If the major rental companies in Kona or Hilo are fully booked, you can still hope to find a used car to rent via Craigslist. These are older cars, most with dings or other cosmetic blemishes, but they don't make you look like a tourist. If you only plan to stay around one town, you can also rent a moped or bike. See Hawaii for moped/scooter regulations. Getting around by local bus, bikes, or on foot works well if you're staying in one area. Many budget travelers are unpleasantly surprised by the extremely limited public transport on the Big Island. The county's Hele-On bus is free until until December 31, 2028. (though the usual is a $2 fare), but the schedules are mainly intended for commuting. There are some bus companies offering excursions from Hilo to destinations like Volcano, but they require reservations. Hitchhiking is extremely easy and convenient on the Big Island. As most places are near the Mamalahoa Highway, you're never too far from a good hitching spot, and even the backstreets will have people willing to pick up a hitchhiker. As traffic generally flows from the Hilo side to resorts of Waikoloa Resorts in the morning, you can easily make it to the beaches without waking up at by 5:45AM to catch the Hele-On bus. As a large number of locals take the spirit of Aloha seriously, hitching is the best way to travel for free throughout the island. It's not just the usual crowd of young people picking up hitchers either: One visitor has reportedly been picked up by families, grandmas, and even the mayor of Honoka'a! The eastern end of the island is the most hitchhiker-friendly, and the far

Buy

Wonderful fresh fruits are grown and gathered wild on the island. Look for them in farmer's markets in cities like Hilo and farm stands. Wonderful jams in many flavors are also available at the farmer's market and in specialized stores in small towns. There is also beautiful artisanal bamboo jewelry for sale at craft markets, which may be associated with farmer's markets.

Sleep

The Big Island is the only county in Hawaii that has no restrictions on the operation of vacation rentals. Before making reservations, it's best to review a map of the island and plan ahead, thinking about the activities and sightseeing you'll want to do. For those that don't have the budget for large hotels and resorts, there are many less expensive options that are still enjoyable, such as local bed and breakfasts, small hotels, and hostels where you can stay for as little as $35 a night. Camping is also readily available all over the island.