Post #1524 by Traderpup on Thu, May 16, 2002 11:03 AM

I spent most of my Hawaiian vacation on the Big Island. I loved it! I wish I had more time to spend there. Here are some of my favorite spots on the Big Island:

The town of Kailua-Kona: a pretty much unspoiled beach town, with lots of Hawaiian history. Visit Hulihee Palace, built in 1838. Gives a good tour of the restored palace, and a look into 19th century Hawaiian royalty. Small gift shop with huge selection of books on Hawaiian history & culture. Also check out Kamakahonu Beach, where King Kamehameha the Great lived before he died in 1819. His home site is faithfully recreated with awesome Tikis guarding it. It is considered a sacred site and can only be viewed from outside its fence.

Honokohau National Historic Park: just a few miles north of Kailua-Kona, features a very creepy trail thru an arid forest, ending at a huge petroglyph site.

On the north shore of the Big Island, everybody visits Waipio Valley. I would suggest going a bit further north and take the slightly challenging hike down into Pololu Valley. You'll have an awesome descent into the valley, and enjoy a very secluded black sand beach.

Of course, you gotta visit Hawaii Volcanos National Park. If you can, try to stay a night at the Volcano House, a turn of the century resort right on the rim of Kilauea Caldera. Or, at least visit the volcano park via helecopter flight from Hilo.

Some of the best stops weren't in any of the tourist guides. We just followed some of the local signs and met some of the local artists, visited tiny gardens & coffee plantations, etc. And just ask the locals aabout those off-the-beaten-path sites.....

:tiki:

Trader Pup

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[ Edited by: Traderpup on 2002-05-16 11:04 ]