With its sunny weather, world-renowned coffee and rich history, region marked by fields of lava rock formations and, offshore, crystal clear waters. It’s also home to the community of Kailua-Kona, where the annual Ironman World Championship takes place. On Oct. 11, nearly 3,000 of the best triathletes in the world will take on the iconic […]
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
Hawaiʻi Island, nicknamed the Big Island, is known for its grand natural wonders. Travelers can witness a fiery eruption at Kīlauea, hike to a 420-foot waterfall, ride horses in paniolo (cowboy) country, swim with manta rays and trek to a black-sand beach—and more, all on the largest Hawaiian island. Then, after working up an appetite,
Even as one of the most isolated archipelagos in the world, the Hawaiian Islands are a bookmarked destination for many travelers. Its proximity to the equator results in a year-round tropical climate, luring many visitors. It’s this similar reason that makes the Islands an ideal place for growing an abundance of crops—including coffee. With its
What started as a vacation to Kona turned into a second career for Jean and Danielle Orlowski. In 2012 the couple bought a neglected 6-acre coffee farm in Captain Cook, about 20 miles south of Kailua-Kona, and grew it to become one of the biggest certified organic coffee farms in the state. Now, Hala Tree
Stretching across a massive 4,028 square miles, Hawaiʻi Island is the largest and youngest of the Hawaiian archipelago. It boasts a diverse and awe-inspiring landscape, from active volcanoes to cascading waterfalls, from black-sand beaches to lush valleys. But despite its size and diversity, it’s an island often overlooked by travelers to the Islands—and it’s an
Don’t get confused: Hawaiʻi Island is not where Honolulu is. (That’s Oʻahu.) But this is the island that’s home to an active volcano—Kīlauea—and the world’s tallest mountain (from base to peak)—Mauna Kea. It’s often referred to as the Big Island, and for good reason. Spanning 10,931 square miles, Hawaiʻi Island is nearly twice as big
Mark Twain once wrote, “I think the Kona coffee has a richer flavor than any other, be it grown where it may and call it by what name you please.” This was after his visit to Hawaiʻi Island in July of 1866, after sailing to the Big Island on his schooner Boomerang from Honolulu. And
When visitors think of coffee brands in Hawaiʻi, Kona Coffee is among the first to come to mind. Grown on the Island of Hawaiʻi—aka the Big Island—Kona Coffee has become an international sensation, being sought after by coffee aficionados around the globe. But what makes it so special? Well, a lot of things, and we’ve
It’s 6 a.m., Thursday, in Kealakekua. The sun has yet to break through the morning haze lazing over the small town on the slopes of dormant Hualālai volcano, just south of Kailua-Kona. Not a car is in sight on Māmalahoa Highway, winding through town. On the pastures below the Kona Historical Society’s H.N. Greenwell Store
Climbing into the hills of Kau, the Big Island’s southeastern district, there’s a breathtaking, sun-streaked view of coastal plain and shoreline that stretches from the far-off lava fields of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to the cattle-dotted, green pastures now surrounding me. I’m riding in a truck that’s absorbing most of the bumps on a country road
