2 Days in Kona

We snorkeled, hiked waterfalls and volcanoes, ate lots of delicious, rare fruits in the Big Island, all in 2 days! Here is our itinery if you feel like packing all the activities in and driving more than 500 miles in 2 days!

Day 1

For a morning swim, we drove down to Kealakekua Bay and rented a kayak to get to the best snorkeling place, which was near the Captain Cook Monument. Turtles could be seen playing on the beach, and dolphins could be spotted swimming in the middle of the bay. Near the Monument where the mangroves were, there were abundant corals and colorful fish.

Next stop was a much needed cup of coffee at the Waimea Coffee Company. It has the best chocolate covered coconut macaroon. The coffee shop is in the middle of the island which made it the perfect stop. The drive was also beautiful with mountains of meadows where cattle and horses could be seen grazing.

Continuing the drive northeast towards the Waipi’o Valley, we stopped by Tex Drive-in to pick up some locomoco and malasadas for picnicking at the Waipo Valley Lookout. At the picnic site, besides breathtaking view, there were the best looking stray cats to keep us company.

Getting back on the road to catch the sunset on the west coast is one of the best fruit stand to enjoy a plate of exotic fruits. There were strawberry banana, ice cream banana, apple papaya, star fruit, star apple, longan and sour sop to name a few. While our very friendly host was preparing the plate, we relaxed on the hammock next to the horse!

The drive west was magical, with some mist and clout setting in on top of the mountains, I could totally imagine Howl’s Moving Castle suddenly appearing! The Mahukona Beach Park was a hidden gem for some last minute snorkeling and a great place to watch the sunset.

Finishing off the first day in the Big Island was a delightful meal with live music at Lava Lava Beach Club.

Day 2

After some refreshing cups of coffee and delicious crepes at Peaberry and Galette, we were energized for the second day. First destination was the Hilo Farmer’s market. We were excited to see mangosteens, rambutan and longan. The papaya and mangoes were one of the sweetest and juiciest I have ever had. Besides fruits, there were also local souvenirs shops.

The big portion of food served at Hawaiian Style cafe gave us enough fuel for the rest of the day. This part of the island is where the rainforest is. The Rainbow Waterfall was a short drive from Hilo. Unfortunately, all the trails were closed off when we went.

The rest of the day was spent at the Volcanoes National Park. The Crater Rim Drive took us to crusted volcano craters and steam vents. A short hike took us through luscious rain forest vegetations with sounds of different birds and insects into Nahuku, Thurston Lava Tube. Then the Chain of Crater Road brought us through a vast land of lava, towards the southern coastline. One could definitely appreciate the devastating effects of the past volcanic activities.

A 1.5 mile hike revealed the Puu Loa petroglyphs, ancient carvings on the lava rocks left by Native Hawaiian. The end of the Road was the sea arch, carved by the action of the waves against the cliff, contributing to the ever changing coast line of the Big Island.

The Big Island deserves more than 2 days, I do wish we had more time there.