We went on an almost 100% full (flower) moon. It was special to see the terminator line on the…read moreCelestron telescope - it had such great definition! The color of Mauna Kea with the moon shining on it was so magical all around us. There were some clouds that cleared pretty well by the end of our star gazing. We were the last ones up there so it got dark enough to see more than you'd expect with the moon. Jeff, our awesome tour guide, used a laser pointer to help us see the constellations we usually can't back at home. The images on the digital telescope like nebulas, the moon & star clusters were an amazing addition to have as keepsakes. My husband and I felt he made the tour a great balance of learning and fun. He had the group feeling like family before we even left from the pickup lot. Things to consider: I do recommend following the moons cycles booking this tour/your trip if this is especially important for you to see as many stars as possible. The sunset and views of the observatory's make it awesome anyways :) I struggled with altitude sickness around 12,000 ft. Jeff had made sure to let us know beforehand if we experienced any issues to speak up. I was hesitant as I know it would mean turning the whole tour around, but some tingling turned to dizziness and then a brief fainting. He immediately stopped the bus and helped ground me and make sure I was completely okay & coherent before letting me know our options for the tour. We made it up to the top with 2 more (included in tour) stops and I felt better with each one having more time to acclimate :) Thank you Jeff!! You handled this so professionally and I appreciate your check-ins for the rest of the trip. It's cold even with parka and gloves. It's so worth packing warm shoes and layers. The bus had ac and heat so that was great! Do it if you can! Awe-inspiring! Such an unreal environment that makes you wonder about so many things. Just take the precautions seriously, move slow and breathe deep.

I had heard how amazing the Mauna Kea Stargazing tour is and it truly lived up to the hype! I was…read morein Hawaii for a milestone birthday celebration and this was definitely the highlight of the trip! Eugene was our guide and he was perfect. Fun, funny and full of facts. He made the trip comfortable and enjoyable. I whole heartedly recommend this tour!

Great place to snorkel! Bring a scuba mask and prepare to be amazed. There's so many fish of…read morevarious sizes and colors, some with unique patterns. There's also an abundance of coral, which is equally as impressive. 10/10 beach!?

Tucked away and definitely a bit of a hidden gem. This black sand beach is very small and intimate,…read morewhich honestly adds to its charm. Parking is extremely limited--first come, first served--so plan accordingly or be ready for a bit of a walk. We actually hiked in from Hilton Kings' Land, which made the experience feel even more special. The beach itself is great for snorkeling, with lots of people already out in the water exploring. Despite a steady flow of visitors, it still feels surprisingly private since it's located within a gated community. There are bathrooms available, which is a nice plus for such a tucked-away spot. Overall, if you're looking for a quieter, less crowded beach with excellent snorkeling, this one is worth the effort--as long as you're prepared for the parking situation! Parking lot full very early in the am. Better to walk. Or even get dropped off.

You can park in the lot where Roy's restaurant is located and take a short walk to the entrance…read more This is a short easy uneven trail so bring good walking shoes. There are a lot of petroglyphs but the only negative thing is which ones are real. There seems to be no respect for this trail as you can tell that some of the carvings are new with people's names.

Park in the KingsShop area and crossover from the gas station to the other side of the road and the…read moresigns would lead you to King's trail. Pretty easy to do trail that one should enjoy with all the trail has to offer. Can be done in about 10-15 minutes if you are in a rush while if you stay back read and enjoy the drawing and carvings in the stone it could take up a bit. Definitely recommend it atleast for those history buffs and people that can associate with what the trail has to offer. PS: Got to be careful of those golf balls that can fly in your direction given there are couple of holes alongside the trail.

Are you wanting a relaxing day with minimal crowds? Go to Molokai then...just kidding. This beach…read morehas a basic bathroom and limited parking. Shade is plentiful at Beach 69 with all the trees. Bring a hammock and enjoy the day. Fishing is okay on the shoreline but there is competition with swimmers. Snorkeling is okay, you see fish small to medium size. Bottom is mostly rock so not great for walking and wading in the ocean. Depth is about 2-6' for about 40' then gets deeper.

This is one of my favorite beaches in Hawaii, but I was sad when we showed up and the parking meter…read morewas broken, so instead of paying a little hourly rate they were making everyone buy the day pass for $30. We paid it none the less, and we enjoyed our day snorkeling, swimming, tanning, picnicking and interacting with the local chickens. It's a very family friendly beach with lots of little kids laughing and families playing in the sand. This beach is unique because of how close the trees come to the water creating little amphitheaters of seating under the shade. While it makes for minimal spots for people, it is so relaxing and paradise-making to get one of the spots.

Wow, how lucky we are! We got a spot! Usually, they only allow 10 parking spots open but in the…read moretemporary lot, there's many more guest beach parking The security guard at the entrance will let you know if you are able to come through and he will give you a parking pass here. They will give you a parking pass if there are spots open. Currently there is construction to build a larger parking lot to allow more than 10 parking spots so you will be sent to another parking area that allows a lot more spots. Everyone is excited for the new parking lot. This beach is really fun for boogie boarding, building sand castles, and (if you like small waves )surfing . The walk from the temporary parking lot to the beach was really nice included a lot of trees, flowers, and a garden. Tucked away behind the garden a gift shop. The gift shop also sells boogie boards, but you can bring your own

In my humble opinion, this is the most lively beach on The Big Island. It's not black sand, it's…read morenot great for boogie boarding, it's also not packed with tourists. It's a gorgeous beach adjacent to Mauna Kea Resort, a pretty exclusive hotel and part of the autograph collection of Marriott. This is a great beach to walk end to end, in the water or on the beach. You can snorkel or swim out your one of the platforms or just lay and work on your tan. It's my solo go to beach while on the island. Afterwards there is a great beach restaurant to meander over to and imbibe and nibble. Not always an easy beach to gain access to but well worth the effort.

This was our favorite beach while visiting the Waikōloa area on the Big Island. The sand is like…read morepowder, the water is warm and shallow (check tide conditions), it's clean, and the kids loved it. Besides the beach area, there is a large grassy area with canopies, picnic tables, and a large lawn area. The lawn area gave us shelter from the sun, and was a great place to take breaks and have snacks. There were a few chickens wandering around the grassy area, so watch your food. The bathrooms are decent, and there are several water spray areas to wash off. The kiddos just loved wading in the water and letting the waves wash over their legs. It's a great place for the whole family.

We came to see if there were waves for surfing. I saw a lot of Boogie Boards in the Beach. I…read morebrought mine from home. But no waves today and incredibly crowded. Not much shade , bring your own. Lots of paid parking And shade area s to picnic. A nice big big area for families.

We spent an awesome morning on the water with Evan. He was friendly, fun, knowledgeable and even…read morewent the extra mile (fathom?) while free diving 40 feet to find an octopus so that we could have an encounter with one. We saw lots of turtles getting their spa day while tropical fish cleaned them. Within an hour or two, we received an email with two dozen high quality photos and videos that Evan took with his GoPro. A pretty big value add to the tour! I was a little apprehensive about exiting the kayak but he made it a safe, easy and fun experience. If you're thinking of joining a huge group tour organized by one of the resorts, book a trip with Evan and his guides instead. You won't regret it!

Excellent experience. Evan and Don where great. They both were very knowledgeable of the ocean and…read moretook us to a great place to snorkel on the kayaks.

Tucked away and not too crowded even at peak season this is a little golden nugget of a beach. Some…read moresnorkeling opportunities just off the beach too, explored a few small coral reefs with schools of tropical fish and even a large sea turtle.

This little beach is a hidden gem. Ask for a parking pass at Mauna Kea resort or walk the 1/4 mile…read morecostal trail in from Spencer Beach Park. You won't find more than a handful of people here. Sandy crescent shaped beach where the waves gently crash against the shore, a few people take paddle boards out, and everyone generally relaxes and enjoys the Kohala Coast without the masses of people you will find at more popular beaches like Hapuna. Well worth checking out!

This is a short hike (30 min round trip) to see some interesting petroglyphs. Not sure how old…read morethese really are but it's a cool cultural thing to do instead of drinking lava flows by the pool. There is also a nice beach there with some big tide pools to explore. I enjoyed my mini-adventure.

Super easy short hike to explore the history of Hawaiian Petroglyphs!…read more It's about 1.1-mile out-and-back trail near Waikoloa Village, Hawaii. It takes about 30 min to complete. It's a bit tricky to find the entrance to the parking but with patience, you will find it. Enjoy!

Mahalo palena 'ole (Gratitude beyond measure)…read more My first time visiting the Big Island. It is nearly twice as big as all of the other Hawaiian islands combined, peaceful, beautiful, and less chaotic than O'ahu. Don't discount visiting the Big Island... I know O'ahu is the party island attracting surfers and outdoor adventurers... then you have romantic Kauai for couples. Maui is for family and fun... and the Big Island... well, it's just... big ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I love the Big Island! Don't look for the stereotypical Hawaiian getaway -- luaus and romantic stuff. We spent time both in Kailua Kona and Hilo and everywhere else in between for a short 3-1/2 days. Both ends are so different from each other. All in all, we couldn't accomplish all I wanted to see in such a short time including going to all the national parks (3 total) and visit as many beaches as we could and eat traditional Hawaiian food and shop, eat and shop... shop and eat... ahhh! so little time but we did see some beautiful sites and places and got to enjoy some local eats. We loved the lush greenery and vegetation, the legends (some creepy) and the lava! We just missed the last glow at Kilauea volcano. The eruption in the Halema'uma'u has paused... also, you don't need to join a hiking tour to see lava, we went to an area near Pahoa and Puna where lava-covered portions of Highway 132 in lower Puna area was inundated by lava during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea volcano... this part is located in Lava Zone 2. If visiting the Big Island don't miss visiting the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and see Pele's home... the Kilauea Volcano. She has been growing the Big Island since 1983. The beaches are colors I've never seen before! Aloha Oe... Hana hou! Safe travels! Review #2306

I like Big Islands and I cannot lie! You other bruddahs…read morecan't deny! -- Sir Mix a Lot after eating loco moco with a cup of Kona coffee I really enjoyed my stay on the Big Island. We stayed on the Hilo side, mainly because I had never seen lava flow and wanted a glimpse. We planned out our visit before Kilauea's temper tantrum so due to the overzealous and insidious amount of lava flow, much was still closed off when we visited. It didn't stop us from having a good time though. We saw as much as we could from MacKenzie State Park, shopped, saw local attractions and ate our way through Hilo one loco moco at a time. Hilo is where loco moco was first invented so might as well indulge in a local favorite, right? The landscape is just beautiful. You will feel like you are living in paradise except for those pesky little mosquitoes. I was basically their blood bank for the whole trip so bring or buy that all important bug repellent. It's so green and vibrant on the island. The black sand beaches are unique and there's even a green sand beach that I want to visit next time I'm here. The water on the beach is crystal clear with so many shades of blue. Snorkeling is a popular activity for good reason! There's a reason why everything is so green. Hilo is #1 in rainfall out of all cities in the U.S., averaging 130 inches of rain a year. It rained pretty much every day we were here but it didn't deter us too much from going to places we had planned to visit. Just remember to have a hoodie or umbrella on hand when it gets really rainy. The locals are some of the friendliest and nicest that you'll meet. I was always greeted with kindness and a smile. I definitely want to make it back to the Big Island. I'd love to check out the Kona side as well as spend more time in Hilo.