Travel | The Island of Hawai’i

This past December, my family took a trip to “The Big Island” of Hawaii. In 2016, we saw a lot of exciting milestones, (two graduations, an engagement, new jobs…) so we thought it was fitting to celebrate by crossing the Pacific and closing out the year on a tropical island ;).

Fun fact: The Island of Hawaii has 10 of the world’s 14 climate zones. It is, without a doubt, the most beautiful, breath-taking, place I’ve ever visited.  We would be driving through lava fields, and half an hour later be in the middle of a jungle. One of the world’s four green sand beaches is on the southern side of the island. The southernmost point in the United States is here. Kona coffee is sold in shops on the side of the highway, remnants of Hawaiian royalty and history remain all over the island, and I’ve never seen so much green (my favorite color!) in one place in my life. We also snorkeled with sea turtles and saw lava spouting out of an active volcano.

Below are some of my favorite places we visited on the island. If I haven’t persuaded you to add them to your bucket list yet, I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the convincing.

*Our greatest help in planning our trip was the book, “Hawaii The Big Island Revealed” by Andrew Doughty. It provides so much helpful insider information for visitors! I highly recommend it if you’re planning a trip.

National Parks:

• Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (Place of Refuge) – A lovely beachside Historical Park
• Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park – I saw actual lava and walked on volcanic rock. A true once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Hikes and Outdoor Activities:

• Green Sand Beach – My FAVORITE part of the entire trip. It’s one of only four green sand beaches in the world, and it’s truly my favorite spot I’ve ever visited. It’s a two mile hike out (or you can pay locals to drive you out and back)
• South Point – the southernmost point in the United States, with stunning views of the coastline!
• Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden – My mom and I love a botanical garden, and this one is unlike any I’ve every visited. It’s a rainforest, with so many plants and flowers unlike any you can see anywhere else!
• Rainbow Falls – my favorite waterfall we visited!

Food:

• The Coffee Shack – delicious breakfast with the most incredible view!
• Kalae Coffee – a coffee shop attached to a garden shop and nursery! It’s on the drive down to South Point Park 
• Tex Drive In – go for the Malasadas (a donut-like pastry!)
• *we actually cooked most of our meals while we were on the island – that’s why this list is so short! 

P.S. Like what you see? You can click the red “save” buttons on each image to save to Pinterest!