3 Days On Hawaii's Big Island
|Languages spoken||English, Hawaiian |
|Average temperature||Summer: 85F, winter: 75F |
|High season|| April to November |
The mere mention of Hawaii brings to mind glorious sunsets, pristine beaches, bright blue oceans, and towering volcanic mountains. While the state of Hawaii is actually made up of six separate islands, collectively they have become one of the hottest American tourist destinations, as well as one of the most sought-after places to live. Hawaii is as calm, relaxed and joyful as the commercials make it out to be. Wouldn’t you be smiling if you called Hawaii home?
While most associate Hawaii with Honolulu, Waikiki, Oahu, and Maui, all of these very tourist-oriented destinations are actually located north of Hawaii’s biggest land mass: Hawaii’s Big Island. Its name doesn’t lie, as the Big Island is the biggest of them all. And should you try and fit all the little islands onto the Big Island, you’d easily be able to, with room to spare. Covering 4,038 square miles, Hawaii’s Big Island is constantly growing thanks to its still active volcanoes. The world’s most active volcano, Kilauea, is located on the Big Island and continually spews lava which creates the “vog” (volcanic fog) that hangs about the island year-round. Also located on Hawaii’s Big Island is the mountain Mauna Loa — no longer active, and last erupted in 1984 — which stands 13,677 feet high, and if it was measured from its very bottom in the ocean (where it first began erupting and building up) it would be nearly 30,000 feet high, which makes it the tallest mountain in the world. Everest, eat your heart out.
Traveling around Hawaii’s Big Island you’ll notice sudden changes in temperature and weather thanks to the severe changes in elevation, especially when you travel in the North through the mountains and along the coastal cliffs. It’s interesting to note that Hawaii’s Big Island is one of the only places in the world that boasts all of the Earth’s climates on one island; from rain-soaked cities on the East (Hilo) to chilly sub-zero winds in Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s Big Island has it all.
Landing on Hawaii’s Big Island is like landing on the moon — if any of you have ever had the chance to experience that. Kona’s International Airport on the western side is located amidst fields of hardened, ancient lava. Shades of dark brown, reds and blacks cascade down to the blue ocean, and it’s incredible to know that thanks to that same lava Hawaii’s Big Island will continue to grow and flourish for centuries to come.
Day 1: Live big on the Big IslandWhen you arrive on Hawaii’s Big Island you’ll be landing on the western side at Kona International Airport. You’ll want to find yourself a mode of transportation. If you decide not to rent a car, shuttle services and taxis will become your best friend. However, that won’t let you see much of the island, so car rental really is in your best interest. The roads may seem hard to navigate (with street names that are seemingly impossible to say aloud), but once you establish that finding the water means finding your way, you’ll easily traverse the entire island like it was your own hometown neighborhood.
The airport features a Hertz rental booth with plenty of cool rides to choose from. It seems that convertible Mustangs and Sebrings are all the rage — and you don’t have to worry about pickup and drop-off at the airport. Hertz works in collaboration with many of the resorts and hotels across the island and will make sure your car is ready and waiting for you at your hotel if you book in advance. And checkout is easy; just leave the car at the hotel or airport when you leave and your tab is paid. Should you want something a bit more upscale for your short stint on the Big Island, Big Island Exotic Car Rental is where you’ll want to go. With a fleet that boasts the likes of a Ferrari F430 Spider, Lamborghini Gallardo, Hummer H2, and Porsche Boxter these cars will not only have you livin’ large on the Big Island, they’ll also make sure you get noticed while you do it.
Your three days on Hawaii's Big Island continue...