The Big Island has a lot to offer and that’s why we visited more than once. Visiting the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, watching the sunset from the Mauna Kea Observatory and exploring the beautiful lively colorful reefs are all top things to do on the Island of Hawaii.
Our first visit to the Big Island was by cruise ship and since then we’ve been back twice. Both times we stayed on the Kohala Coast, once in Waikoloa and on our most recent visit we stayed a bit further north at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. This beautiful resort, built by Rockefeller, was celebrating its 50th anniversary and had undergone many renovations. It really gave us a fabulous authentic vibe.
Every evening we witnessed glorious sunsets and watched manta rays feeding on plankton right next to the resort. A light was installed to attract these gentle giants. You can even sign up to snorkel with the mantas. In Waikoloa we explored the Waikoloa Petroglyph Reserve which was next door to our resort.
Exploring the Big Island’s underwater world
The Manta Ray Night Dive is an experience not to be missed! These majestic and gentle creatures mesmerized us. They seem to fly like birds, gliding effortlessly through the water. Diving with these gentle giants is the main reason we returned to the Big Island for a second time.
This dive should be on every scuba diver’s list. It was amazing! The huge (some with a wingspan of 15–18 ft) and graceful mantas come to feed on plankton that’s attracted by the lights from scuba divers down below and the snorkelers above. They glide, pirouette and do barrel rolls as they feast just inches above our heads.
Keep your eyes open for a friendly Green moray eel that likes to come and snuggle while divers are mesmerized by the manta rays. It’s an incredible show, the mantas are so close you could touch them but don’t! Even a gentle touch is bad for them as it wipes away a protective coat and exposes them to diseases. It’s also illegal in Hawaii.
The overall scuba diving experience was amazing. The water was clear with 80-100 ft visibility. On every dive an abundance of sea life added to the excitement. While we were too early in November to see whales, we did spot a spout in the distance. We also saw a large pod of dolphins.
However, we could not help but notice the bleaching on corals. Locals told us temperatures had been unusually warm but were confident that this was repairing itself as the temperatures fell.
If you’re not a scuba diver, snorkeling is a good alternative. Even in front of the Mauna Kea hotel we had plenty to see just snorkeling a few feet from the shore. This time around we dove around Kona with Big Island Divers and Kohala Divers near the Kohala Coast. We would definitely dive with them again.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Our helicopter flight over Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was a great way to get an overview of the active Kilauea Volcano and see molten lava. Our roundtrip ride from Kona across the island was also a lot of fun. We had tried three times to go before our scuba diving activities, but the flights were cancelled because of strong winds. We were told this happens a lot so don’t leave it for your last day. What a fantastic must-do experience!
We also returned to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to explored further. Visiting this natural treasure by car was ideal as it gave us plenty of time to stop at various points of interest along Crater Rim Drive and Chains of Craters Road. At one point, the road ends because of a past eruption, which engulfed it leaving road signs sticking out from the lava.
Overtime the land was transformed into shards of glass creating an eerie scene clearly demonstrating the power of the Kilauea Volcano and Pele, the Goddess of Fire. Local people believe that those who anger Pele by bringing home volcanic stones or sand will pay the price by suffering the consequences of Pele’s wrath bringing them bad luck and misfortune. Don’t take a chance. We didn’t!
At the visitor center, you can view the numerous letters of apology to Pele along with returned stones or sand taken from her, all in the hopes that good fortune will return.
Mauna Kea
Viewing the sunset on Mauna Kea was spectacular and definitely worth the drive up to the observatory. At the visitor center a vast collection of telescopes is available. Astronomers are on hand to help visitors get a closer look at the stars.
A full moon illuminated the sky on our first visit making it too bright to see the Milky Way. Be sure to check the moon phases and if possible, go when the moon is small to have the least amount of light. That’s what we did for our second visit and we were rewarded by an incredible view of the Milky Way. To see so many distant stars was a great reminder of how small we really are in this vast universe. How humbling…
Having more time before the sunset on our second visit, we also enjoyed a stroll in the garden behind the Mauna Kea visitor center where the rare and endangered Mauna Kea silversword has been planted in the hopes of saving this native plant. It can live up to 50 years and grow up to 6 ft tall. Once it blooms the silversword dies.
Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano and Hawaii’s highest point. It gets cold up there, especially after the sun goes down, so layer up and stay warm.
Other places to see on Hawaii’s Big Island
Kohala Coast
While touring the island we also enjoyed exploring the Kohala Coast, which is where we stayed. As you drive around you will notice the rugged lava fields, see beautiful white sand beaches and spectacular vistas.
An interesting place to visit is the Waikoloa Petroglyph Reserve which is situated in the busy tourist zone of Waikoloa.
There’s also the Waikoloa Anchialine Pond Preservation Area with trails and wildlife viewing opportunities. These brackish water lava pools are home to small fish, crustaceans, mollusk, and connected to the ocean by subterranean tunnels.
Kona Coast
On the Kona Coast we visited a coffee plantation and enjoyed some delicious Kona coffee. As a bonus we encountered this adorable Jackson’s chameleon.
We stopped at Kealakekua Bay, site of Captain Cook’s death. This bay is also great for snorkeling and it’s very likely that you’ll encounter a turtle, as there are lots around both in and out of the water.
We also visited the Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, a sacred Place of Refuge associated with the early Hawaiians. It was quite interesting to learn about the early settlers.
Punaluu Black Sand Beach
This picturesque black sand beach is known for its green sea turtles. In fact, they come to feed on the sea grass and it’s also a sea turtle nesting site. It’s a lovely beach for swimming, sunbathing and snorkeling.
Hamakua Coast
This part of the island is lush with green valley and waterfalls. Short hikes led us to Rainbow Falls and Akaka Falls.
Check the weather forecast before you head out because the roads can be treacherous, especially when combined with torrential rains, which can occur frequently on the northeast side of the island. Best to sit out the storm or plan for another day if it looks bad.
Conclusion
These are some of the top places to see on the Big Island of Hawaii. There are many other things to do around the island but for us these are the ones that we have enjoyed and visited ourselves. We would not hesitate to revisit the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Kea and of course the Big Island’s underwater world!
Related Posts:
- Visiting Hawaii by Cruise and by Land
- Must-See Places and Things to Do in Maui
- What to See and Do in Oahu, Hawaii
- How to Make the Most of Your Time in Port in Kauai
*Post updated in December 2020