A dear long time friend of mine is a member at the Hilo Yacht Club where we usually meet up before…read moreI leave the nice town of Hilo. Hilo Yacht Club is located on the edge of Hilo Bay about 3 miles from the Hilo International Airport. This visit brought us family style appetizers. The kalbi was well prepared (taste a bit too sweet for me but good nonetheless 3.5 stars), the calamari was fresh and deep fried (5 stars) with a decent tasting dredge pre-fry. The poke was okay (3.5 stars) and I say this because fresh fish is plentiful in Hilo. Knowing this I guess I expected a bit more from the standpoint of quality of fish. But, will I go back? Yup if I'm invited as the ambiance is relaxing and decent. Our server Justin was a great guy and made me laugh the entire time I was there! But if you've not gone there, be sure to use your global positioning service because the location is off the beaten path!

Sorry I have to mention that it's a private club. Hilo has…read morelimited upscale dining options and this place has consistently good service but kind of inconsistent food. No shorts/slippers in the dining room, but come as you are for the more casual outdoor dining section. We were impressed with their food options and pricing for a private party we had. Highly recommend if you know someone with a membership. Also it's weird they're a yacht club that literally has no yachts or even a dock.

I had to leave a review from a local who is not wearing rose colored glasses like a tourist from…read morethe mainland. This playground is not terrible, but often dirty and in disrepair. No shade or sitting area for adults to enjoy. I'm always uncomfortable while here with my daughter while she is playing. There's often a teen smoking weed in the baseball dugout not far from the playground and the smell is wafting over. Overall, not an enjoyable experience. I would most definitely recommend going somewhere, anywhere else

Entrance is safe since there's a signal light to turn in. Lots of parking. Accessible ramp to get…read moreto the playground and eating area. Bathrooms is right next to multiple of tables. Playground is clean. I'm from the mainland. Most parks in Hilo don't have a playground structure for kids to play on. There's mainly a field and ir basketball court. This is the only park we were able to eat, kids played on the structures, and use the bathrooms. Trash cans accessible.

It's a small but awesome zoo. My grandson enjoyed himself. It's not too crowded and he was able to…read moresee the animals. They were up and moving in their cages. The tiger exhibit was the highlight for us, as the tiger was out and walking in its big enclosure. Before we left we got us some braddah pops. Haven't had them in so long, it hit the spot after walking the zoo.

We're all for paying a fee to help keep the zoo going. Today was our 1st time since they began…read morecharging. The lady at the window asked me if I was kama'aina, I said yes. She asked for ID, and saw my original Maui address. She said she had to charge me full price because my address on my license (not expired) is not a Hawai'i island address. Then, my husband presented his ID which has our Hawai'i island address and he got a discount! If you ask me, that was wrong. We were charged $17 for 2 adults. Kama'aina should be state wide! When you go to O'ahu zoo, they don't ask for your address, they see the pink license and know kama'aina. Same thing when you go Maui, they see the pink ID and they know kama'aina.

This Beach park happened by accident when my niece was looking for a place for us to eat lunch in…read moreKona. This happened to be the closest picnic area that we could come to, thanks to a little tik- tok video she watched. If you're looking for a traditional beach with sand, this isn't the place. But what you'll get instead are the famous black lava rock formations Kona is known for that spill into several lagoons full of crystal clear water. As for eating, there are plenty of places to lay down a blanket in the grass, picnic and relax. The park has several trash cans for you to use as well and I did happily notice that the park was clean. I did not have to use the bathroom here so I can't comment on that. What impressed me the most was that they had built in stairs for you to walk into the ocean. In my entire life of traveling, I've never seen a beach park with built in stairwells to walk into the lagoons. This was a treat for me. If I have one big tip, it's to remember to have your water shoes because the rocks are sharp to walk on and can easily cut you if you're not careful. I also did read that they do have outdoor showers but I didn't see them when we were here. Lots of folks brought their own snorkeling gear because there were a lot of fish, not to mention at least 3 turtles that I saw swimming around. As I'm writing this review, I'm already missing Kona and the uniqueness of this island. If you plan on going to Kona, you must come and enjoy this place. It's truly special and I would recommend it to anyone.

After coming across social media post, Carlsmith Beach Park was a must visit for me! I added it to…read morethe list of places for my uber driver/hubby to take me. We missed it the very first time, the hubby took me to the wrong beach & had to re-route. I remember it is hard to find via GPS if you miss the turn. We found parking after the beach and walked down. When I walked to Carlsmith Beach to finally check it out for the very first time, my heart just melted and just had that Wow, grateful, OMG moments and also feels like DeJaVu. I also asked my husband to pinch me, that I am not dreaming. It was so nice to just experience this live in real life, such tranquil atmosphere, crystal clear waters. I just love the color of the water, the ocean, so beautiful! Carlsmith Beach Park in Hilo is a hidden gem for sure! After we took our tons of photos, enjoyed the scenery which I really wanted to stay longer but we had a busy day ahead. For next time I visit, I would love to picnic & enjoy lunch under the coconut, palm trees and go swimming. Although I didn't sea turtles during my visits, hopefully next time.

We found out about this oceanside swimming pool (250 feet long)from the Big Island Revealed app…read more It's five feet deep in some spots. Bring your water shoes and snorkel gear! It's 2.7 miles north of the corner from Highway 132 and 137 (so, go North on Government Beach Road). This is a paved road. Around 2.7 miles, you'll come across a small hill, on the downside of the hill, you'll see a dirt road on your right through a hau bush (twisted looking trees that are entwined). If you hit Pakaka Road, you went too far. There is no parking lot. There is a small one-spot parking space that you can back into (perpendicular to the road). There are two roadside beams indicating this spot. You can also park along the road. From Government Beach Road, on the dirt road, it's 1500 feet to the shoreline. The pool is 100 yards to the left once you hit the shoreline. I do not recommend driving down the path to the shoreline because the branches are low and it's super muddy. It's an easy walk. Towards the shoreline, you'll see an abandoned turquoise minivan. It's obvious that someone was squatting in the van at some point. The engine has been torn out, windows broken, carry-out boxes everywhere, and the rainforest has started to entwine itself with the car. On the coast, there were more signs of squatters. The pool was beautiful. We went during high tide and the pools were super full and the waves were crashing hard against the rocks. The app said we should go during low tide...whoops. We didn't run into a single person. It was super secluded and beautiful. Although the walk was really neat through the hau bush and having an oceanside swimming pool to ourselves was cool...I would not do this again. Honestly, I didn't feel safe. We didn't see any squatters but the signs made me uneasy. There is no cellphone signal and your completely isolated. I recommend this for large groups of people only.

Great spot. I Found a clothing made by a small surf brand that I grew up in southern CA that I had…read morenot seen for many years. The person (Casio Watch) that helped me with my shopping was great. Some of the Best customer service I have experienced Post-Covid. I honestly thought she was the owner by how great the service was. The shop was very clean, everything was displayed nicely, and the prices were fair for the quality of the product. Just Get more Kanvas by Katin shorts.

Check for access before planning to visit Coconut Island. The pedestrian bridge connecting it to…read more land collapsed earlier this month under the weight of a small excavator. The bridge was closed pending repairs.

Awesome property. Well kept and friendly staff. Waterfall swim area was a bit rocky but overall the…read morenatural beauty was to die for.

I had the time of my life here! It was pouring rain and we weren't able to kayak and do standup…read morepaddle boarding, but we were still able to walk to the waterfall and pick fruits/mac nuts and take in the natural absolute beauty that this place has to offer. Even just driving through the area was a breathtaking experience. Everything here is so lush and green. And the office manager was THE BEST. Extremely kind. So hospitable. Just entirely good vibes all around and so worth the experience. I will definitely be coming back here next time we visit!!

The evening was beautiful; a great meal overall. The atmosphere is a bit casual with the use of…read morefolding tables and chairs; but the meal made up for the casual setting. Host just left without an introduction to the support staff and has a lackluster approach to sharing details of each item on the menu. We understand the chefs mission and want to support this vision. Unfortunately; not sure if the menu warrants a second visit. Hawaii has lots of beautiful sustainable food resources that are unconventional. I will caution the use of wild deer meat for carpaccio. There is a concern to cook game meat before eating it. Venison can carry pathogens that cause brucellosis, campylobacteriosis, and listeriosis, and freezing, drying, pickling, and smoking are ineffective at killing these bacteria.

Na'au celebrating the "guts of the heart and mind". Chef Brian Hirata and his team, seeking to…read morebring global awareness and appreciation of Hawai'i cuisine, has created this experience for the lucky few able to dine with them. Reservations are required. At this time each evening's seating is limited to 24 persons. What you will experience: A drive to a remote area just on the outskirts of Hilo; Driving through sugarcane fields and farm roads to get to current location at Whitehaven Farm. Location opens up to a beautiful and scenic area on the bluffs overlooking the ocean. Prix fix menu changes monthly, or for special bookings. Each dish highlighting sourced ingredients from Hawaii. Each dish with a story behind it as so magically described by Robert, our host for the evening (and also found on their website). Highlights in food for me were the local breadfruit appetizer duo made into tostone and hummus and garnished with green big island plums dressed as olives, also the salad created out of ho'i'o, pickled hapu'u hearts, and kimpira takenoko... so very creative creating an ahh or an ohhh in every bite. Wait a second, that big island kanpachi prepared two different ways, kauai shrimp croquettes in the most delicious lemongrass red curry brown butter reduction, the big island lamb served 3 different ways...tantalizing the taste buds. All so very memorable. Not to be outdone, a dark chocolate tart with whipped lemon chevre dessert finished the evening. No liquor sold here, you are welcome to bring your own with a modest $20/bottle charge. If there were only one suggestion it would be to finish off dessert with a nice french pressed cup of Kona or Hualalai or Ka'u coffee or cup of Big Island mamaki tea. Then I would know I was in heaven on earth. Bravo Chef Brian, former Chef of the Four Seasons Hualala'iand Instructor at Hawaii Community College Culinary School, and recent James Beard nominee. Thank you for your innovative creations while educating us about the beauty of Hawai'i Cuisine. Do I recommend? I recommend staying at the Whitehaven property (they also have cabins and rooms to rent) so that you can dine here every single night of your Hilo stay!