People travel thousands of miles to reach Hawaiʻi—one of the most isolated landmasses on Earth. Its eight main islands help form a 1,500-mile archipelago, the longest island chain in the world. Aptly nicknamed, the Big Island is the largest of Hawaiʻi’s islands and home to one of the most varied climate ranges anywhere. The island itself […]
*This story was originally published on Dec. 11, 2019, and updated on Sept. 1, 2025. It’s pretty hard to have a proper road trip in Hawaiʻi. Driving from Oʻahu’s central city of Honolulu to the North Shore, for example, takes less than an hour (without traffic). This is not the case on Hawaiʻi Island, which
*This story was originally published on March 6, 2019 and updated on Aug. 20. On a Sunday at sunrise, the South Kona sky painted in pastels, I drive bleary-eyed on Māmalahoa Highway heading south past monstera and banana plants toward the hulking mass of Mauna Loa, rising nearly 1,500 feet into the sky. Two
Hawaiʻi Island is the youngest and largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, rightly earning its nickname, the Big Island. I’m always impressed not only by the sheer size of the island, but also its unique terrain, from lush tropical forests in Hilo to otherworldly lava fields in Kona and the snow-capped summit of Mauna Kea
This story was originally published on Feb. 24, 2014. “You didn’t pre-order?” As she says this, the woman behind the counter at Two Ladies Kitchen stares at me in disbelief. A line of customers winds behind me and out of the small downtown Hilo mochi shop and onto the sidewalk alongside bustling Kīlauea Avenue.
‘Tis the season to shop local and fill gift bags and boxes with handmade gifts for your loved ones. Of course handmade gifts made by the folks in our own communities are the best, and Hawai‘i Island offers up craft fairs all over the island where residents and visitors can find unique, handmade items. Events
Outside my car window, all I see are lava fields—an archetypal characteristic of the landscape in Kailua-Kona on Hawai‘i Island. Ancient Hawaiians classified the distinct types of lava here as ‘ā‘ā, denoting rough and jagged rocks, and pāhoehoe for lava that’s smooth and billowy. The expanses of lava rock are a sign of the Big
I didn’t tell my 5-year-old son where we were going. All he knew was that we were spending a couple of nights at a hotel. He didn’t ask me which hotel or where it was located. The only thing he wanted to know—and, really, the only thing most 5-year-olds want to know—is whether or not
From Polynesian delicacies to daring fire dances, an authentic Hawaiian lū‘au is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in all that makes Hawaiʻi and our neighboring South Pacific islands so special.
From historic bungalows to a family-friendly resort with the longest waterslide, here are our writers’ picks for Kailua-Kona’s best stays.
Back for another episode of the Have Aloha Will Travel podcast, Catherine Toth Fox and Kevin Allen talk story before diving into a few topics on today’s episode. Of course, Kīlauea has been in the news with its most recent eruption, so Cat and Kevin have decided to dish on some tips knowledge about visiting
Maybe you’ve already booked your trip to Hawaiʻi Island—or maybe you’re planning a last-minute vacation to the Big Island. Either way, you’ll definitely want to visit Kīlauea, which began erupting again on June 7, 2023—and putting on quite a show, too. The new eruption began just before sunrise on June 7, filling Halemaʻumaʻu Crater with
