We booked a trip to the Big Island with the plan to learn more about a new part of Hawaii while getting some surfing in. This post captures what I did, what I’d do differently, and the notes I’ll want next time. Hopefully you find it useful too. I’ll keep it brief.
Sat, May 9 - Seattle to Kona
Dropped off the car at Park N Jet at 12:30pm. For nine days, it cost us $102, a steal compared to taking a cab/rideshare. The shuttle to the airport is only 5 minutes, extremely reliable, and the staff is really nice.
Had airport lunch at Seattle Beer Union, a decent enough option. Leah thought the salmon burger was worth getting again. Afterward got a drink at Caffé D’arte. For something you’d find at an airport, their espresso drinks are notably good.
Our six hour flight left at 2:30pm, direct to KOA with Delta. Don’t expect wifi for most of the flight.
We booked a Turo rental car and the pickup was a 12min drive away. We got into a taxi dispatch line and the driver told us that the flat rate minimum was $46, and also cash only. We promptly got out and got an Uber for $16. I’ll mention that Lyft and Uber’s pricing was fluctuating wildly: $15 first, then $26, then finally $16, all within the span of four minutes.
I would’ve liked to load up on groceries at Costco but it closed at 7pm and we wouldn’t make it in time. I also would’ve liked to get a sandwich at Da Whip or poke for dinner at Sack N Save, but it was too late in the day. We settled for Ikkyu Ramen, priced relatively normally.
Went next door to Safeway to do most of our grocery shopping for the week, conveniently open all day and night. For some items (but not all), there’s a huge sticker shock (e.g., a bagged salad being over 2x what I’d pay in Seattle).
We drove over to Captain Cook where we’d be spending the week at an Airbnb. It has a treehouse in the jungle vibe. I’d definitely recommend.
Sun, May 10 - Pololū Valley Lookout
We both woke up to the sound of a rooster two hours before sunrise. On top of the earplugs I already had in, I threw on some noise cancelling headphones and got more sleep. This would be essential for the rest of the week.
We started the day at the Kona Farmers Market, both of us surprised by how few stalls there were. We grabbed a bag of lychee, mangosteen, and some whole and pre-sliced mangoes to snack on by the shore. While it was a nice experience to get our fingers sticky with fruit while listening to the waves at Hale Halawai Park, if you’re coming to the farmers market, set your expectations very low. Parking is paid ($11/hr when we went). Having a packet of wet wipes with you is a pro move.
We did the 90min drive to Halaula on the northern coast, taking the longer route along Hawai’i Belt Road. It was definitely worth it given how scenic it was: panoramic views of the rugged coastline from above, unexpected sightings of cattle on golden-green fields.
We had lunch at Gill’s Lanai, both of us getting the grilled fish sandwich. Although a bit pricey ($25 a sandwich), it’s local catch and damn was it good. Staff is super friendly and the open seating area is really pleasant. This ended up being my favorite meal of the trip.
We got some ice cream afterward from Our Founding Farmers. Without having to ask, they’ll give you a sampling of all of their top flavors made locally: gingersnap, lilikoi (passion fruit), matcha w/ honey, mango, etc. The crew is really friendly and they’ll likely ask you what the big flavor is where you’re visiting from. I got the lilikoi and was really happy with it. A small cup (w/ generous scoops) was $7.
We took a walk along the main street in town, stopping in at an artisan wood bowl gallery shop. All of the pieces were unique and fun to admire. We didn’t buy anything, but I’d happily go back to stare at some of them again.
We were a short drive from the Pololū Valley Lookout. There’ll likely be some staff and volunteers there to check that you’ve got water before you descend the ~500ft trail. If you’ve ever hiked, this will be no problem at all. Ideally don’t do it in sandals since parts of the trail get buffed and slippery from all the foot traffic. Nearly all the accidents happen on the first 10 feet. The other accidents happen from drowning victims. There will be a counter showing “days since last accident” and you might get an interesting story if you ask.
King Kamehameha I, the first ruler of Hawaii, was born near here and almost certainly had hiked this trail. At the bottom is a black sand beach and a spectacular view of the lush valley. There’s also an old burial ground that was disturbed by a 1946 tsunami. If you go at the right time you might even see a thousand Portuguese man o' wars washed ashore. Be respectful of the land, don’t cross into private property, and don’t duck the rope gate to stomp around the burial grounds.
We drove back along the coast, hoping to stop at Lapakahi State Historical Park. It’s the site of a partially restored ancient fishing village. Unfortunately, it closed at 4pm and we were too late.
We stopped by Costco to load up on groceries for the week. We didn’t stop to eat but I realized that the food court is an extremely good deal here. $1.50 for the hot dog is a great deal on the mainland, but insanely good on the island.
Mon, May 11 - Snorkeling at Two Step
We passed the morning working remotely, leaving the house a little after lunch. We drove to Honaunau Bay, one of the two top snorkeling spots on the Big Island. You might see it referred to as Two Step Beach. There’s a private parking lot right at the beach with a $5 fee to drop into a cash box. If you don’t have change, there’s an old guy in a scooter to solve that problem. The porta-potties are fairly clean. Don’t expect a shower or a place to rinse off though.
Bring some kind of chair to sit on the lava rock and settle in. Find a good place to drop in with your fins and snorkel mask. Watch your step to avoid stepping on a sea urchin accidentally. Use reef-safe sunscreen. We saw about 30 spinner dolphins moving in a pack fairly close to where snorkelers were gathered. One of them even jumped several times to do a series of aerial corkscrews. The law requires you to stay 50 yards away from them, even if they swim towards you. While in the water, we even caught sight of a solitary spotted eagle ray.
We were so close to Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park that we stopped by right after. Although we had a NPS pass, nobody was checking at 4pm. I do wish we’d come earlier as there’s a ton of history to absorb. There’s apparently a free NPS audio tour too. Although we didn’t go deep into the appreciation of the space, it was a great place to visit and we hoped to come back. It’s a sacred place, so be respectful. Cleaning yourself off in the restrooms after snorkeling is discouraged. You’re also asked to cover up if you’re in swimsuit attire.
On the drive back home, we stopped by Breadbasket, a farm stand with some baked goods. If you’re looking for gluten-free treats, you’ll be satisfied here. Even if you’re not GF, these were pretty great. We got a chilled chocolate chip cookie sandwich for $5. On the way back, I pulled over to look at the Slippah Pole, a telephone pole with a bunch of old flip flops nailed to it.
Tues, May 12 - Walking the Kona coast
We had a quiet day today, mostly working remotely. Our first stop was to Manini beach. Parking is very limited here. There’s a super friendly caretaker, Sandy, who will warmly greet you, asking that you read the big sign before you entire. The space feels like a secret: a serene open meadow with palm trees marking the boundary of the jagged, black lava rock coastline. If you keep walking further, you’ll find some fascinating tide pools. Leah and I spotted an eel ripping a crab apart, which was fascinating to watch. It’s entirely free and guaranteed not to be crowded given the limited parking spots.
We drove over to check out Hokuli’a Shoreline Park. To enter, you have to the new private Hōkūliʻa luxury residential community (homes in the $10m range). The guard will check your driver’s license and count the number of people in your car. Just say you’re here to walk the coastline. Also, don’t bring a pet with you or you’ll be turned back. Drive all the way down and you’ll find a parking lot. There’s a good chance you’ll be the only one there. The cliffs are fun to walk and lay down on. You’re expected to leave 15 minutes after sunset.
We finished up by getting a treat at Gypsea Gelato. I won’t say that the quality of gelato is very great, some flavors were done very poorly. I do think I nailed it with my choice of the Kona coffee and the toasted coconut (which was made similar to a stracciatella w/ shards of chocolate drizzle) and. Priced normally, I’d come back if I was in the area.
Wed, May 13 - Snorkel and South Point
We started our day at Manini beach again, hoping to snorkel the one mile trip each way from there to Captain James Cook Monument. The best snorkeling of the island is apparently near the monument, but getting there requires a bit of thought. You have a few options.
You can hike the steep trail up and down, hopefully after a local has cut the tall grass that obscures the path. Do this very early in the day and carry 2 liters of water.
You can hire a tour guide to take you via kayak, most importantly hiring them to hold your kayak while you snorkel.
Or you could do what we did: park at Manini beach and snorkel across the bay. This ended up being a bad idea. We made it over a third of the way in 25 minutes, even getting through the completely blind section where silty water obscures all visibility. We held hands and just kept snorkeling through during this section. Earlier, I made things more safer (but longer) by suggesting we not take the direct path because I didn’t like being so far from the shore. We turned back and found the snorkeling just off Manini beach to be pleasant enough. A local later told us that he’s only done the snorkel to Captain Cook from Manini once in his life and he’ll never do it again.
After showering and changing back at home, we went to St Benedict Catholic Church (the Painted Church). It’s free to enter. We didn’t spend long.
We then went to the Paleaku Gardens Peace Sanctuary, a beautiful space on a hillside overlooking the ocean. For $12 per adult, it’s one of the best value ways to spend your time. The garden is impressive and there’s lots of interesting monuments to peace from different religions across the world. We found the entire experience very relaxing and we could have spent all day there watching heaps of butterflies blowing in the wind.
We grabbed a smoothie from The South Kona Fruit Stand. The older woman at the shop was so welcoming and friendly. We also grabbed a fantastic pineapple carrot cake from the fridge. I was astounded by the prices. This was the only place where I thought they were undercharging us.
We made the one hour drive to South Point Park. This was the southernmost point of the US and where strong winds bent the sparse trees and created waves on the tall grass. It all ends on some steep cliffs where, if you’re lucky, you’ll find someone jumping off. Mostly you’ll find local fishermen with long rods waiting to catch something to grill. The waves are impressive to see as well. We didn’t have time to make it to the Papakōlea Green Sand Beach which was nearby.
I opted not to make dinner from Costco tonight and instead had a burrito at Mi Lindo Michoacán. I wouldn’t recommend it, but it was fine if you’re in a hurry. I made a note to cook at home for the next few days.
Thur, May 14 - Kahalu'u Bay surfing and Cloud Forest yoga
I had a 9am private surf lesson booked with Kahalu'u Bay Surf and Sea. The waves were pretty mellow at 1-2 feet but I had plenty of fun. I was on a giant foam board so it wasn’t hard to catch and ride waves. If you’ve got surf booties, I’d recommend bringing them. The actual time in the water was 1hr20min for the 2hr lesson. Apparently, it’s better on this break to catch the waves during low tide as it helps the waves stand taller. They’ve got a shower to rinse off. We always had no problem parking on the street here for free.
After having lunch at home, we headed out to the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary. It’s Hawaii’s only cloud forest, an area characterized by persistent-low level cloud cover. There are some unique plants that grow here and it’s a cool experience to see how quickly the environment changes as you drive up from sea level to over 3,000ft. Rather than book the pricey guided tour, we did a yoga session for $25 a person. It was tourist yoga: gentle and relaxing. I’d highly recommend it given the scenery.
I would’ve liked to do the nearby 3.8mi loop hike on the Makaula 'O'oma Trail. It seemed like a way to forest bathe at this elevation without having to pay for a guided tour at the Cloud Forest Sanctuary. We were hungry though, so we went back down to get early dinner at Da Whip Sandos. They make some creative, quality sandwiches. Really friendly. The best one seems to be the Richard Pickle, which is their take on a cubano.
Fri, May 15 - Snorkel Two Step again
We did another pre-lunch snorkel at Honaunau Bay (Two Step). I am going to assume that it gets the name because the best entrance into the water is from the two big natural steps that you can take near the orange cone. It’s where you’ll see everyone entering in and exiting from. The only downside is that there can be a bit of a traffic jam at that spot from folks awkwardly making the transition. You can definitely enter/exit from other spots, but depending on the tide it may be slippery or you might expose yourself to stepping on sea urchins embedded in the lava rock. We explored both the far left and far right side of the bay, and I personally found the most interesting snorkeling to be near that entrance zone. That area is shallow enough that the sunlight adds great visibility, there are enough terrain features to make it feel interesting, but you won’t get much solitude.
It was a hot afternoon, so we stayed indoors for the afternoon. Just before sunset we took out books and went to Manini beach again. This is one of my favorite spots from the trip. Sandy was there again to greet us with an aloha and we walked down the path to the multi-colored chairs overlooking the ocean. A very old guy, Ron, came by and sat next to us and we chatted with him for a while. He’s been living in the area for decades and was responsible for the chairs we were sitting on. He also planted the nearby baby palm trees 14 years ago. He suggested we at some point make our way to Ke’Ei beach, which was visible just to our south. He noted that it was either a 20min walk or a 20min drive, implying that the road was fairly rough for cars. It’s apparently like “what Hawaii looked like 100 years ago” according to him, and is primarily frequented by locals.
Sat, May 16 - Kahalu'u Bay surfing and Manta ray night snorkel
We went to Kahalu'u Bay Surf and Sea again, this time without an instructor. The waves were 2-4 feet and I grabbed the Modern 9’2” board. We caught some good waves, but the wind was making it harder to read conditions. Also, there were a lot of people out so it got frustrating at times. Still, I had a good time and we spent 3hrs out on the water before riding a wave back to shore.
After rinsing off we went to Homegrown Cone, an ice cream shop that blends frozen fruit grown on the island with a soft serve base. I was really happy with the papaya and calamansi combo. It’s overpriced but don’t think too hard about it. For parking, we’ve had luck on this street and then walking from there. If you want a shaded place to sit while eating, we found the bench outside Ka’ū Coffee Roasters next door to be a nice spot. They didn’t ask us to order anything, but I got a cortado after finishing up my ice cream and it was excellent. There are also free, pour-yourself samples of their different beans.
After hiding from the heat indoors, we set off and arrived to the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel resort at 5:45pm, parked with the valet (free in the evening), and explored the grounds. They have a very liberal policy for wandering around wherever you want and I was surprised by how chill the staff was. This was not the case when we’d wander into resorts in Mexico. Likely this culture stems from laws that designate all beaches in Hawaii are publicly owned up to the highest wash of the waves.
We got the pro-tip from staff that we should order takeout from Copper Bar, and then eat it right in front of the restaurant at the nice tables overlooking the beach and sunset. It was a brilliant idea: no wait for a table, a better view, and more privacy. We both ordered the burgers. It was okay and cost more than I would’ve liked to pay, but I didn’t let that kill the vibe. Note that the ice cream on the dessert menu is an extremely generous portion.
After sunset, we made our way to Manta Ray Point, a viewing platform right in front of the resort’s fancy restaurant, Manta. After dark, they turn on these bright lights that attract plankton. The gathering of the plankton in turn attracts the manta rays, which you can view from above. You don’t need to be a guest or a diner.
We had a reservation booked with the Manta Ray Advocates. My understanding is that there are three areas, all on the western side of the island, where manta ray viewing occurs. This was the northernmost one, and the only one where you snorkel a short distance (two minutes at most) to view them. The other sites frequented by tour groups have you take a boat or kayak out to view them, and you’re going to be in a group of 12-48 people, sharing the space with other tour groups of varying sizes. All of the tours are priced similarly. Some have an upcharge if you want to guarantee a sighting (i.e., you can book another day if no manta rays show up). Manta Ray Advocates was pricier, but I figured the premium was worth it for a smaller group (maximum of six).
We started with a safety briefing and in the middle of it, there was a surprise 15min spectacular fireworks show for the jazz festival happening at the resort. It was incredibly delightful and I was glad we weren’t yet in the water for that.
The guides are all super friendly and knowledgable. You will be required to wear a life vest, regardless of your experience level. I opted to also wear my wetsuit top and I’m happy I did although I would’ve been fine without it. After you get out of the water, it’s chilly night air you’re walking around in. You’ll notice the guides all have full wetsuits on.
You’ll typically see 1-4 manta rays, although they’ve seen 9 at once before. We were in a group of four people total. We saw two manta rays and it was an unbelievable experience. They get very close to you and they are enormous. I could not recommend it more. We paid the $20 to get the video clips the guide took and are happy about that.
You’ll spend 30-40 min in the water and after you get out, there are plenty of outdoor showers. There’s even a hot tub and pool you can get into and there’s no one to stop you.
I’m glad I did a guided tour, since that helped me learn about manta rays and how to behave so I don’t disturb them. I did wonder though whether I’d book with them again or if I would just buy my own bright light and snorkel out. Something to think about.
Sun, May 17 - Kahalu'u Bay surfing and Umeke’s
For my final day on the island, we started off at Kahalu'u Bay Surf and Sea. I had a lesson with Eli, who I would highly recommend if you’re actually interested in learning how to surf (rather than getting pushed into the waves). If you can, get out as early as possible in the day. Today, the waves were steep, 3-4 feet, and consistent. I grabbed the Modern 9’2” board and hoped I wouldn’t regret it. Fortunately there were fewer people out today and I had an absolute blast. I dropped in on the steepest wave of my life and had some phenomenal rides by learning to compress.
We celebrated a great session by going to Homegrown Cone again. We later got lunch at a solid Korean spot, Snow Island. Get the spicy pork.
Before flying out, we had dinner at Umeke’s. Avoid a wait for a table by sitting at the bar. You’ll see more locals hanging out at the bar too. We got the poke and the grilled catch of the day. Absolutely fantastic meals and they could get away with serving this at fine dining given how quality this was. It ain’t cheap, but for what quality they’re serving you, you’re getting a great value.
Tips/thoughts for next time
It gets hot in the afternoon. Plan to wake up early and get your activities done.
We did not snorkel at Captain Cook, and from what I’ve heard it’s marginally better than Two Step but requires a whole lot more effort. I’d like to go someday but I could also see myself sticking to Manini beach and Two step exclusively.
I wish we had time to check out out Makalawena Beach just north of the airport. It’s a long white sand beach that you have to do a 1 mile sun-expose walk to get to. You’ll have a lot of solitude there. Park near Kekaha Kai State Beach if you do it.
We didn’t at all go to the Hilo side (i.e., the eastern side of the island). It would have been a long day trip since we had lodging on the Kona side (i.e., the western side of the island). Someone told us that there’s 10x more annual rain on that side, so it’s a lot more lush and there are many waterfalls to check out.
We also missed out on episode 47 of the Kilauea eruption, which lasted for 9hrs while we were there. If I had more time I would’ve checked out Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and the stargazing at Mauna Kea.
