The Big Island Hawaii – 3 Days In Paradise

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Have you ever been to paradise? If you’ve ever been to the island of Hawaii you would for sure answer yes. It’s like no other place I’ve ever experienced. The climate, the scenery, the slow pace of island life, and some of the best activities to do. I was there in June and although we spent the bulk of our vacation on Oahu, in Honolulu and Waikiki, we also had 3 days on the Big Island Hawaii.

The Big Island is way less busy than Oahu, and not as touristy. Waikiki is the ultimate tourist trap. It’s gorgeous, sunny, full of amazing restaurants and shops. All the things that cost a lot of money. We had heard before we visited that Hawaii would be expensive. Coming from Vancouver, Canada, it wasn’t as bad as we had expected. After all Vancouver is a pretty expensive city.

But what we weren’t expecting was how more reasonably priced things were on the Big Island. It was as if it hadn’t yet been overrun with tourism that they capitalized on every purchase. That was just what I saw though, I could well be wrong.

Getting to the Big Island Hawaii

There are some direct flights from the West Coast to the Big Island Hawaii, without having to go through Honolulu. However many of those are seasonal, and since the most popular time to visit Hawaii is December through March/April we missed the boat (or plane) on that option.

There are regular flights daily from Honolulu to Hawaii so we managed to get a cheap enough Hawaiian Airlines flight. Round trip for two people Honolulu to Kona International, Hawaii was only $195 USD.

Our flight was less than an hour and a beautiful view coming into Hawaii. We could instantly see the amazingly unique black volcanic rock of the Hawaiian shore, with the bluest waves lapping against it. Arriving into Kona International, the airport was all outside. I’ve never been to an airport as open as that before.

We walked through the main concourse which more resembled an island shopping mall than an airport. Palm trees and island statues decorated the open air island airport, and I could already tell this place would be special.

Getting around the Big Island

The Big Island Hawaii is a place you need a car to explore. You can get by in Waikiki and Honolulu without a car if you need to, but on Hawaii it’s a must. The easiest thing is to rent a car from the airport when you arrive.

Arriving at Kona International, collect your bags and walk out to the street where you’ll find the shuttle to the car rental offices. It is maybe one of the only airports you’ll ever visit where the taxi line is almost non-existent. Almost everyone heads to a rental car place.

When booking a rental car online it’s pretty cool that they offer jeeps in many fancy colors, unlike the generic boring sedans you get at home. In reality, everybody and their mother is renting a jeep so you might not be any more special in Hawaii than everyone else. Still, it was a pretty sweet car to have for a few days.

Where to stay on the Big Island Hawaii

The Big Island has two main towns, Kailua-Kona and Hilo. Each has it’s own airport however many people fly into Kona in the northwest of the island. There are lots of accommodation options, however we did what a lot of people do on the Big Island and booked into a resort. The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii resort which is just the ultimate relaxing island getaway

The service here is incredible from the moment you drove up to the front door, greeted with Hawaiian leis made from kukui shells and led to your extravagantly beautiful room. Paradise doesn’t even begin to cover it.

The hotel is part of a bigger resort complex so there are a few shops and services around the property to get some cheaper eats and supplies for your stay. The Fairmont Orchid is in a good location giving you access to the North of the island and still drive-able to the rest of the island.

Where to eat on the Big Island Hawaii

Isn’t vacation time meant to be all about food? Hawaii can confuse you though. The climate makes you feel like you’re somewhere in Asia, but with cleaner seas and bluer skies. Then every now and again something reminds you you’re in the USA. That thing is usually food, or rather the portion size of the food.

The mix of cultures in Hawaii makes for some interesting fusions of food. In fact there is such good food everywhere that you likely won’t have a chance to eat everywhere you want to. All the more for your next trip, right?

Ocean view restaurants in Kailua-Kona

From Kona International airport the best place to visit is nearby Kailua-Kona. Drive along the main coast road for beautiful views and a ridiculous amount of ocean view bars and restaurants including the very island-life-sounding bar Bongo Ben’s.

A really good spot right on the main street, opposite the water you can watch the large cruise ships in the distance. As well as a steady stream of cruise guests wandered around the town. Their Happy Hour has some really good food and drink options including coconut crusted onion rings which were $6 for this good sized plate.

Enjoy some cheap, local beers or a Mai Tai, because…well why not?! For another cheap eats place head to Laverne’s Sports Bar, a second level bar with even better views. The open air bar is the perfect place to watch some sports while still enjoying a cocktail or a few beers in the Hawaiian sun.

Fairmont Orchid resort restaurants

If you do opt to stay at the Fairmont Orchid there are some amazing food options here. But this beautiful, luxurious, paradisiacal (yes, that’s a word, I looked it up) hotel is not cheap. For meals you have to resign to spending the GDP of a small developing country on your dinner, but the food is really good.

While you might eat out most of the time, there are times where you will just want to stay in the resort and relax. The breakfast at the Fairmont Orchid is marvelous, a massive spread of everything you could possibly want to start the day.

Then there are numerous other restaurants and bars with delicious offerings to splurge on while you’re waited on hand and foot. Try Hale Kai restaurant which was beachfront, and had immense views of the ocean. The sand covered floor and beach huts make it the ideal place to soak up the island sun.

The vegetarian tacos complete with squash, corn, black beans and guacamole are so good and they have a delicious Hawaiian pizza (when in Hawaii, right?). They also sell some yummy cocktails.

Hawaiian Style Cafe – Waimea

If you’re on the Big Island, you will find the ultimate breakfast place in Waimea. This one horse town is pretty easy to drive by unless you see the line at the Hawaiian Style Cafe, a breakfast location on the main highway.

The wait hopefully won’t be too long though as the cafe is bigger than you think. There’s plenty of individual tables and a bar in the middle of the restaurant which make it feel like an old school diner. The staff are friendly and you’ll meet a lot of locals eating there too which is always a good sign.

It’s Hawaii so the prices are not ridiculously cheap, but the portion size makes it value for money. The banana macadamia nut pancakes are a must – and you get two absolutely ma-a-a-assive pancakes that are in danger of spilling over the side of the plate. Topped with whipped cream and what looked like a full banana on top, you can’t go wrong.

For a savory option try the Portuguese sausage with eggs and rice. It also comes with a side of pancakes making it one of the most gargantuan breakfasts you might ever have. Don’t assume the pancake size will be different for sides vs. mains. Go here! But wear stretchy pants!

Juice 101 at the Shops at Mauna Lani

Mauna Lani Resort is the area where the Fairmont and a number of other resort properties are. Within the complex are some shopping areas and a supermarket as well as some restaurants. Perfect for some cheaper on-the-go lunch items and snacks. Juice 101 is a great juice and coffee shop. They do a lot of healthy smoothies and juices, bulletproof coffee for those who are on keto. And if you’re not on Keto they have some delicious breakfast sandwiches.

The egg and avocado grilled wrap with cheddar and tomato is really good. A nice reasonably priced breakfast that definitely sets you up for the day. There are a couple other places in this complex with easy breakfast and lunch items.

What to do on the Big Island Hawaii

Having a car on Hawaii is a must. It’s big, and well spread out. There are a ton of things to do, but a lot of it is just admiring the scenery, the incredible landscape, and just relishing in the fact you’re in freakin’ Hawaii! Even if you don’t have long on the Big Island here are some of the things you can do here.

Kailua-Kona

The town of Kailua-Kona is the second most populated place on the island (after Hilo) and is a favorite for cruise ships. It has some of the best weather in the Hawaiian islands and is just beautiful, with dozens of bars and restaurants steps from the ocean.

They had some lovely little shops, beautiful views and amazing places to eat and drink. Spend some time exploring Kailua, maybe even stay there for a night or two.

Chocolate tour

Chocolate tours are a big deal in Hawaii given that they have a lot of cacao plantations. An incredible one hour “farm to bar” chocolate tour in Hilo is a must do. You’ll start at the plantation, where you will walk through and taste the raw cacao plants.

Then you’ll be shown the process to ferment and dry out the cacao beans. A trip to the Hilo chocolate factory at the end shows you how these dried beans turn into the most delicious chocolate.

The tour is quick but informative, fun and interesting. It’s a great activity for kids, families, and individuals and you get to taste some yummy chocolate at the end. The tour was pretty cheap and Hilo was a cute town too with some shops, museums and great beach access. Make sure to spend an afternoon here.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Who hasn’t been fascinated with volcanoes at one point or another. They’re mountains that spit out fire, what’s cooler than that? And there’s more than one of them in Hawaii, an island made up of volcanic rock. Set off early one day and drive to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park in the southern part of the island.

The park is much larger than you might expect so plan for plenty of time there. Especially since you’ll pay over $20 to get in. Start your day by checking out the Kilauea visitor center and learning more about volcanoes in the region. Then drive around Crater Rim Drive to see some of the main sights including the steam vents. Here you can feel and see sauna hot steam rushing from the rocks.

The overlook to the Halema’uma’u crater is incredible although check in advance of your trip as some areas can be closed if there was recent volcanic activity. Safety is very important when it comes to volcanoes.

From there carry on along Crater Rim Drive to Kilauea Iki Crater. Here you can watch people hiking in the crater below, or try it yourself. There are some great trails in the national park. Wherever you go the scenery is stunning, if not a little apocalyptic.

Crater Rim Drive is not to be rushed. Take plenty of time to stop for photos and to get out and see some of the old lava flows from past volcanic eruptions. With more time in Hawaii I would recommend spending at least the day here driving around and exploring.

Remember to take a reusable water bottle with you on your travels, like this one from FastTech

Beaches, driving around the island

To get to Volcanoes National Park is a long drive through the center of the island. There is a lot of cool volcanic rock all around. Well, cooler than when it was molten lava…thanks, I’m here all night! If you’re driving that way though, take extra time to stop. There are even some observatories if you want to head up one of the volcanoes on the island like Mauna Loa or Mauna Kea.

The day we drove back from Hilo, again through this volcanic area, there was a lot of fog and the sun was setting. It made for some incredibly beautiful, terrifyingly world-ending-like scenes, much like from your favorite disaster movie.

If visiting Waimea for breakfast (see above), take the drive to the Northern most point of the island through to Hawi. The road winds up higher and higher where you will get magnificent ocean views surrounded by lush green countryside.

Hawi has a nice little small town area with a few shops. Stop in at the Kohala welcome center which tells of some local history. The staff are very helpful, telling you all about the town and where else you can visit.

The shops in Hawi sell some incredible locally made products including handmade volcanic rock jewelry like these bracelets.

There are lots of beach areas and hikes on the island, but one of the most interesting might be this walk through the Fairmont property to Puako Petroglyph park. There you can find these ancient carvings on rocks. To get there you will walk right along the beautiful volcanic rock beaches while staring out at the unbelievably clear water.

Relaxing at the hotel

Hey, you paid all that money for a place to stay in Hawaii, might as well enjoy some of it right? That’s exactly what you should do at least one day. When in paradise, you sometimes have to just sit back and relax. Staying at the Fairmont Orchid resort, like many of the beautiful resorts, is amazing. Spend some time swimming in the pool, or relaxing on the loungers and little cabanas.

At the Fairmont Orchid there is a private beach area. Take advantage of the rental equipment included in your resort fee. Get some snorkeling gear and go out into the shallow bay area in search of tropical fish. There are some amazingly beautiful fish, and turtles close by. Don’t forget your underwater camera to capture them if you have one. This is definitely a fun activity to pass an hour.

After snorkeling or whatever other activity you might choose, take to the outdoor hotel bar, grab a cocktail and your book. The rooms also have lovely garden patios and balconies if you would prefer somewhere to yourself. On so many of my vacations I always feel like I have to rush around and see everything, but Hawaii was one of the first times I was truly happy to just relax. Island life and all that, right?! The Fairmont Orchid is perfect for that.

See Hawaiian Green sea turtles

For most people, one of their Hawaiian goals is to see a turtle. The Big Island is very good for seeing turtles and there are lots of great places to see them. If you go snorkeling then you may be lucky enough to see a turtle swimming by, and there are beaches where entire sections of the sand are roped off to allow the turtles space to sunbathe.

When we arrived at the Fairmont Orchid we were taken to our room and on the way the bellman casually mentioned that they have turtles at the property. He said they go onto the beach each day and you can pretty much always guarantee to see them. Although you aren’t allowed to approach so it will be from a distance, he was right. We saw turtles there every day. That made my vacation right there.

To learn more about the other islands in Hawaii, check out this blog post from A Capone Connection

Is the Big Island Hawaii the better island?

It all depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re interested in more shops, bars and restaurants then you’d be hard pressed to beat Honolulu. The beaches all around Hawaii are some of the best in the world, although the Big Island there are a number of beaches that are more black rocks than white sand.

The Big Island is a little quieter than Oahu which might be preferable for many people. Meeting less people when you are out exploring often makes you feel like you really have the place to yourselves. Oahu is the easiest to get to from the mainland so it has become a tourist focused area whereas the Big Island is still less tourism impacted.

You may find the Big Island is a little cheaper too. With some great places to eat, drink and visit you won’t be able to wait to return to the Big Island Hawaii again. Whichever island you end up on though, Hawaii is amazing and the word paradise doesn’t even cut it.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. What’s your favorite Hawaiian Island? What do you love to do on the Big Island?