Home to some of the most active volcanoes on earth, the island of Hawaii is also the largest in the Hawaiian island chain. It is a land of contrasts with bountiful reefs along its shoreline, fertile volcanic slopes host to the Kona Coffee Belt, and desolate summits high above the clouds where clear skies rule.
We spent a week exploring the Big Island in early December. This trip had more downtime than our usual itineraries, but it was just what was needed after a busy year of travel. We think Hawaii is the perfect spot to slowly adventure by day, but leave plenty of time for relaxing on a lanai, basking in fiery orange sunsets over the ocean.
Hawaii Trip Map
Below is a map of our trip including points of interest, activities, and restaurants. Toggle the sidebar for details.
Arrival
The very small, nearly completely outdoor, and charming Kona Airport is the landing destination for this trip. Don’t expect to breeze right out into the Hawaiian sunshine, however. Slow delivery of bags to the carousel is not uncommon. We waited over an hour! To save some time, if possible we recommend one member of your party head to the rental car agency while the rest wait for the baggage. We did this and it made things a teeny bit more efficient.
If you’re staying at a rental property in Kona and plan on cooking, we found the best grocery store on the island to be the Safeway in Kailua-Kona right off the main Hawaii Belt Road. Chances are this store will be on the way to your accommodation, so plan on making a quick stop.
Rental Car
We rented a standard, intermediate-size car from Avis. All the roads we were on in Hawaii were paved and we found no need for anything bigger or more powerful.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at an Airbnb at the Keauhou Resort and had a fantastic experience. While we were a 20-minute drive away from the main part of the town of Kona and the airport, our condo was a peaceful oasis to return to each day. We had plenty of room to spread out and we couldn’t get enough of the views from our lanai overlooking the ocean. One of our favorite parts of the trip was watching the sunset nearly every night, and enjoying coffee early in the morning. We even spotted a few humpback whales!
Day 1 | Snorkeling & Exploring
Kahalu’u Beach Park
Kahalu’u Beach Park was our absolute favorite snorkeling spot on the island. We loved it so much we went three separate times!
It is perfect for beginners thanks to easy access to the water and a wall of rocks designed to break the surf. Did we mention there are lifeguards on duty too? You can park in the paid parking lot right on site and bring your supplies to one of the many picnic benches under the shaded pavilion.
There are volunteers from ReefTeach on hand to provide guidance, information on conditions, answer questions, and they even provide free reef-safe sunscreen and snorkel mask defogger. We spoke to a ReefTeach volunteer on our first visit and received a wealth of information that helped us better enjoy our visit that morning, and on subsequent snorkels.
Once in the water, head out between the two orange buoys and explore! The entire reef is very shallow and we saw an abundance of fish nearly immediately. We had our best snorkels heading out and to the left, when currents permitted. Depending on the tide and surf conditions, the current can be quite strong, so keep that in mind. We never felt unsafe, it was just sometimes hard to stay in one spot!
Check out our video below highlighting what we saw in and on the water in Hawaii! Some of these frames were taken at Kahalu’u Beach Park.
Need to Know
- Hours: Generally open at 7am and until late.
- Fees: The park is free to visit. There is a paid parking lot right next door that costs $13 for 4 hours of parking (this is the only option). Alternatively, we usually found free street parking just around the corner.
- Amenities: Bathrooms, outdoor showers, and water fountains. Lifeguards on duty and ReefTeach volunteers are there to help. When ReefTeach volunteers are there (generally 8am-3pm), there is free reef-safe sunscreen and mask defogger available for use.
Explore Kona
There is no shortage of food choices in Kona, but we highly recommend starting with some fresh poke. Poke is cubed, sushi-grade fish marinated in sauce and spices and is so refreshing. While you may have had poke bowls from shops on the mainland, trust us, authentic Hawaiian poke is on a whole other level. We had poke bowls from Pau Hana Poke with tuna, a scoop of rice topped with furikake, and two sides (seaweed salad, spicy krab salad, and onions). The food was delicious and the free parking and outdoor seating made this a win-win.
Just around the corner from the poke shop is Mrs. Barry’s Kona Cookies which specializes in Hawaiian cookie flavors such as coconut and macadamia nut shortbread. This is a great place to pop into as they sell individual cookies and even boxes to take home.
From here, you may want to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring downtown Kona. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and a walk along the shoreline to keep you busy. Note parking in Kona can be painful and outrageously expensive. But, there is one free lot run by the county near the intersection of Kuakini and Likana Lane. After circling around town once, we had luck snagging a spot here. As we visited in December, the town was decorated for the holidays.
Day 2 | Coffee Tour, National Park & Snorkeling
Kona Coffee Tour
The Kona Coffee Belt is an area on the island approximately 30 miles long and one mile wide. The weather pattern is the same every day: clear and sunny in the morning, clouds rolling in late morning, and rain in the late afternoon. This creates the ideal growing conditions for delicious kona coffee.
We booked a tour at Heavenly Hawaiian to learn more about the climate and the entire process from growing the beans to roasting. Our morning farm tour had just six people and we were led around the grounds by an enthusiastic guide for about an hour. We also tasted five different kona coffee variations. While we had been on a coffee tour before in Costa Rica, this one was totally different and very worthwhile.
Need to Know
- Hours: Tours are offered daily, except Sundays, generally at times between 8:30am and 3:30pm.
- Tickets: We pre-booked tickets online for a specific time slot, but when we visited (in early December) it was not crowded at all and these didn’t seem necessary. You can reserve in advance online on their website. We paid $20 per adult for the Kona Coffee Farm Tour.
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
The Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park preserves a site historically used as a place of refuge by Hawaiians who broke ancient laws (called kapu). Offenders, as well as those defeated in battles, would come ashore to be absolved by a priest which in turn would allow them to leave and escape the punishment of death which was otherwise the consequence.
We visited and did the self-guided walking tour which took us through not only the pu’uhonua (place of refuge) but also the ancient Royal Grounds, used by the chiefdom of Kona. The entire loop was only about half a mile long but had many points of interest including A-frame structures, statues, ponds, and a lava wall. This was all set against the dramatic coastline making for a very enjoyable walk.
Need to Know
- Hours: Open daily from 8:15am to sunset.
- Fees: Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau charges a fee to enter. It is $20 per vehicle, or if you are on foot or bicycle, $10 per person. If you will be visiting several national parks or national historic sites in a year, we highly recommend purchasing the $80 America the Beautiful Pass which is accepted at Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau.
- Pro tip!: If you’d like to snorkel at Two Step Beach at Honaunau Bay, you can park your car at Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau, visit the site, then walk over to Two Step Beach in less than 5 minutes. This is a nice option because you can also make use of the Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau amenities like bathrooms and a water bottle filling station. To get to Two Step simply walk past the entrance gate you drove into, then make your second left and walk directly to the water.
Two Step Beach at Honaunau Bay
Two Step is so named for the entry point into the water which can be a bit tricky. There is no beach here, just flat lava rock, so we recommend brining minimal beach gear with you. We brought our snorkel gear, water, and towels and left them on a picnic bench while we made our way to the water.
After making our way in, we found shallow coral reefs closest to the shore. Farther out it was much deeper and although there were some pretty neat coral and lava formations underwater, it was almost too deep to get good sightings of the fish and other creatures. Note this bay is supposed to be ideal for spotting Hawaiian green sea turtles and spinner dolphins, but neither made an appearance for us. We did two separate snorkels here on the same afternoon. We’re glad we visited this bay, but didn’t like it enough to make the trip back.
Need to Know
- Hours: Open daily from 7am-sunset.
- Fees: Two Step Beach is free to visit, but you will need to find a place to park. There is generally free street parking just before the turnoff for the beach. Otherwise you can pay $5 to park in a private lot next to the beach, or park at Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau but you will need to pay the entry fees noted above.
- Amenities: There are porta potties on site, but no other amenities in the form of restrooms, food, or drinking water.
Gypsea Gelato
If you’re looking for a sweet treat after a day in the sun, we highly recommend stopping at Gypsea Gelato. As soon as we walked into the shop we could smell the fresh-baked waffle cones. It was hard to pick our flavors because they had delights such as toasted coconut, passionfruit, lemon cookie, and tom kha (ginger, lemongrass, coconut, turmeric). You can’t go wrong!
Night Manta Experience
Spoiler alert: Our snorkeling experience with mantas at night was our favorite activity on Hawaii. Over 50 years ago, a hotel along the coast began using floodlights to illuminate the surf at night. Little did they know the lights would attract plankton, which is fed on by manta rays and they began frequenting the area.
Now, excursions like the one we participated in run by Sea Quest offer night snorkeling off the very same shores. While the manta rays don’t appear every night, they appear most nights. We booked with Sea Quest due to their stellar reviews and the fact that they provided wetsuits (it can be chilly in the water once the sun goes down!) AND a Manta Guarantee policy which offers a free return visit if zero manta rays are spotted.
The excursion was one of the most well run activities we’ve ever participated in. Upon check in we were outfitted with a wetsuit and exactly on time our group was led to the boat. It was just a short, 5-minute boat ride to the location where we jumped in the water. We held on to a floating raft of sorts with flood lights attached, letting the guides lead us to where the mantas were performing a majestic ballet under the water. We spent about 40 minutes observing these creatures as they barrel rolled underneath us, coming to the surface and even brushing against us! It was exhilarating, and at times a little scary, but in the best way possible. We had a GoPro with us and captured some amazing footage!
After our time was up we were shuttled back to the dock and plied with hot chocolate and cookies which were much appreciated. We think this is one of the top experiences you can have on the Big Island.
Check out our video below highlighting what we saw in and on the water in Hawaii, including clips from our manta experience.
Need to Know
- Reservations: We booked our excursion with Sea Quest and can’t recommend this company highly enough. You can book the Night Manta Ray Snorkel online. Times differ by season based on sunset and when it becomes dark. We booked the 8pm time slot in early December (the second trip of the night) and saw TONS of manta rays.
- Logistics: There is free parking along the road near Sea Quest’s check in point. We wore bathing suits and brought towels and our own snorkel gear, but wetsuits and snorkel gear are provided as part of the tour. Note no fins are used during the snorkel.
Day 3 | Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Much of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park seems from another world. Road surfaces rippled by earthquake damage, warnings about steam vents, and (if you’re lucky) volcano eruptions make this a very special place. In fact, you can explore at the coastline all the way to over 13,000 feet!
There are two main areas of the park, the “main” one near the town of Volcano and the smaller, less visited Kahuku Unit. During the first part of our trip, we visited the main section of the park.
Kīlauea Iki Trail & Thurston Lava Tube
The Kīlauea Iki & Crater Rim Trail is a 3.2-mile loop that involves 700 feet of elevation gain, mostly near the end of the hike. The path begins near the Kīlauea Iki Overlook which provides a fantastic view of the crater below where you’ll typically be able to see the footpath you’ll be walking through, far down in the crater below.
We arrived around 9am on a Friday morning in December and had no trouble finding a parking spot. The trail initially hugs the crater rim, then descends steeply to the floor of Kīlauea Iki crater itself using a set of naturally carved stairs. This part was pure fun as we walked across the cracked solidified lava flow clear across to the other side of the crater. Once there, we hiked a series of well-graded switchbacks that went through a lush rain forest. We recommend hiking the trail counterclockwise as you descend steeply with the help of steps but the ascent is more gradual and in the shade, a key factor later in the day.
Since it is literally across the street from the Kīlauea Iki Trail, it is very easy to tack on the 0.4-mile loop through the Thurston Lava Tube. This is an easy, short trail in which you descend through a rainforest to and through a small portion of a 500-year old lava tube. This entire 3.8-mile loop hike took us about 1.5 hours to complete.
Need to Know
- Hours: This area of the park is open 24/7. The lava tube is lit between 8am and 8pm, so between those hours no flashlights are necessary.
- Parking: Parking for this trail is either at the Kīlauea Iki Overlook or outside the Thurston Lava Tube and can fill quickly during peak visitation, so try to visit early in the day.
- Fees: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park charges a fee to enter. It is $30 per vehicle, or if you are on foot or bicycle, $15 per person. If you will be visiting several national parks or national historic sites in a year, we highly recommend purchasing the $80 America the Beautiful Pass which is accepted at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
- Volcanic Activity: Always be sure to check the park’s website for the latest on any eruptions, including which areas of the park may be closed. When we visited there was also a fair amount of construction resulting in several trail closures, so it’s best to check close to your travel date.
Drive Chain of Craters Road
Stretching from Crater Rim Drive all the way to the coast, Chain of Craters Road terminates at a parking area near Hōlei Sea Arch. We recommend taking your time driving the 18-mile road and stopping at any area that catches your eye. We made quick stops at the pullouts for Pauahi Crater, to see the Maunaulu lava flows, and the viewing platform at Kealakomo Overlook.
Near the end of the road, there is a trail to the Puʻuloa Petroglyphs. A 1.5-mile roundtrip hike rewards you with closeup views of the largest field of petroglyphs in Hawaii. This was incredibly impressive and worth the 30-minute detour. Note parking for the trailhead is just off the road and can be easy to breeze by, so be sure to have a map like the one below handy.
We ended our time on Chain of Craters by walking out to a viewpoint of the Hōlei Sea Arch. The lava rock formation is almost 90 feet high and has remained standing against the crashing waves for over 500 years.
Back to Kona
After having your fill of the national park, it’s time to make your way back to Kona. You can either retrace you steps along the southwestern coast, or head back by way of Hilo.
We chose to go back through Hilo making two stops. The first was at the Mauna Loa Visitor Center, home of macadamia nut paradise. We were expecting to be able to do a small, free self-guided tour of the process but really this was just a gift shop, so it was a bit disappointing and in our opinion not worth going out of your way to visit. However, we were given a free sample of three different macadamia nuts (honey roasted, pumpkin-covered, and chocolate-covered) and the prices on their merchandise were more affordable than what we saw in retail stores. The visitor center is open Monday-Saturday from 9am-4pm.
Our second stop was to the tasting room of the Big Island Meadery. They make all of their products, including the honey, using completely local ingredients. The environment was welcoming and full of locals, making it a fun spot to hang out for a bit. We had a flight of meads with flavors such as guava, ginger, and habanero pineapple. The tasting room is open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm.
Once back near your accommodation if you’re famished for dinner like we were, we loved eating at Rebel Kitchen. We walked right in on a Friday night and had no trouble getting a table. We positively devoured our wings and burgers. We were so hungry we didn’t even take pictures!
Day 4 | South Kona Snorkel Expedition
Snorkeling on your own on the Big Island is great fun, but getting out on a boat for the day gives you the chance to experience the island from a whole new perspective.
We booked the 5-hour South Kona Snorkel Expedition with Sea Quest, the same outfit we used for our night manta snorkel. Once again, we were thrilled with the service provided and as a bonus, we received a discount having made both bookings at the same time.
This tour provided us the opportunity to snorkel at three different spots and to head over 20 miles south down the coast on our small rigid inflatable boat. With only 10 guests and 2 crew members, it was an intimate and fun experience. And with the swells, at times it was wild! We bumped and smashed over all the waves to our great delight.
On the day we went out we first stopped offshore to Pu’uhonua O Honaunau, close to where we were at Two Step Beach earlier in the week. After spending about 45 minutes in the water, we climbed aboard to fresh fruit and juices.
As we made our way to our next destination, we got up close and personal to sea caves, lava tubes, and arches as our captain regaled us with stories and history of the region.
Due to the swells, our last two stops were quite close to each other in Kealakekua Bay near the Captain Cook Monument. We did a snorkel close to a large wall and then another in a shallow reef next to a steep drop off. This was the best snorkel spot we had encountered thus far. And it tends to be fairly uncrowded as the only way you can access this area is by boat, or a steep hike down the cliffside.
Once back on board we dried off and enjoyed our included lunch of sandwiches, veggies, chips, and cookies after which we made our way back to the dock. This was one of our favorite days of the whole trip and we give two thumbs up to this excursion and the entire Sea Quest team!
Day 5 | Green Sand Beach & Kahuku Unit
Green Sand Beach Trail
Papakōlea beach is just one of four green sand beaches in the world. This beach is green owing to the mineral olivine, produced from the break down of Puʻu Mahana, the cinder cone that surrounds the beach.
The trail here is not difficult, gaining less than 300 feet of elevation. The trail itself is sandwiched between the water and pastures, mostly traversing either lava or hard-packed sand. If you head in the general direction of the beach, you really can’t go wrong, but there are plenty of winding paths to choose from.
Once at the end there are a series of ladders that you can navigate down to make it to the beach itself, provided it is low tide and the conditions are right. We spent time admiring the sand and the views and then headed back. The surf was incredibly rough and there wasn’t a great place to just hang out, so we don’t recommend swimming here or planning to spend too much time.
The 5.5-mile hike took us just over two hours to complete. Note there is no shade and there are no amenities with the exception of porta potties at the parking lot. Take plenty of water, snacks, and wear a hat to protect yourself from the sun.
Need to Know
- Hours and Fees: Open 24/7 and no fee for trail use.
- Parking: The road to the parking lot is paved and near the end you will see hand-painted signs pointing the way to Green Sand Beach parking.
- Amenities: There are porta potties at the parking area only. No potable water is available.
- Note: There are often locals hanging out near the trailhead entrance offering rides down to the beach for a cash fee. This is technically illegal and we don’t recommend taking up the offer. Plan to hike instead!
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | Kahuku Unit
Separate from the main section of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park lies the smaller Kahuku Unit. Once the site of a large cattle ranch, this is now a beautiful space to spend a few hours exploring the rolling hills on the slopes of the volcano Mauna Loa.
As this is located just a short drive away from the Green Sand Beach trailhead, this is a great add-on for the afternoon. We hiked the 1.5-mile Pu‘u o Lokuana loop trail to see lava fields dating back to the 19th Century. We also hiked the 0.5-mile Kamakapa‘a Trail through lush, grassy meadows to the top of a cinder cone.
Need to Know
- Hours: This area of the park is behind gates and only open Thursday-Sunday, 8am-4pm.
- Parking: Parking for these trails is plentiful, right near the trailheads.
- Fees: Visiting the Kahuku Unit of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is free!
- Amenities: There are porta potties but no potable water.
Punaluʻu Bake Shop
Punaluʻu Bake Shop is the southernmost bakery in the U.S. and home to the famous Hawaiian malasada. Picture a light, fluffy, sugar-dusted donut-like roll, filled with delicious Hawaiian flavors. When we visited we just “had” to try three. We shared mango, passionfruit, and custard and really couldn’t decide on our favorite. The homemade mango iced tea was also incredibly refreshing. In addition to malasadas, they have a full deli, ice cream shop, and sell loaves of sweet bread to go. If it was closer to where we were staying, we would have gone back multiple times! The shop is open daily at 8:30am.
Day 6 | Snorkeling & Sunset and Stargazing Tour
Snorkeling
We recommend spending a relaxing morning at your leisure. For us, that meant lingering on our lanai with coffee before heading back to Kahalu’u Beach Park. We spent over an hour in the water and saw a ton of fish and even octopus on this outing. You will never see the same thing twice, even at the same spot!
Lunch
We already mentioned how amazing Hawaiian poke is and so we tried to get it as many times as possible while on the island. Our second poke was from Pa’akai Poke and this was our favorite owing to the rich flavors. We had their “Mini Plus” which included rice, poke, and one side (we had the purple ube and spicy krab). We also shared an order of poke bombs which are fried tofu skin stuffed with sushi rice and spicy ahi, topped with a drizzle of spicy mayo.
By the way, while in Hawaii you must try the Aloha Maid island juices! Varieties include passionfruit guava and coconut pineapple. Yum!
Mauna Kea Summit Excursion
Mauna Kea’s summit stands at 13,803 feet, making it the highest point in Hawaii. This dormant volcano boasts one of the best stargazing experiences thanks to crystal-clear visibility, dark skies, and a lack of artificial light pollution. In fact, over 11 countries have established observatories on top of the summit (though this remains controversial to many native Hawaiians who consider the volcano sacred).
We booked a sunset and stargazing excursion with Mauna Kea Summit Adventures and had a fantastic experience. Getting to the summit requires a 4WD, so we booked the tour for a hassle-free way to experience the volcano and are so glad we did. In addition to the transportation, we were supplied with arctic-style parkas, gloves, a hot meal, super-powered telescopes, and a knowledgeable guide.
This is a long excursion, however, which began with a pickup in Kona around 2pm. We made the long drive up from sea level to the Mauna Kea Visitor Center situated at 9,200 feet. Here we ate our dinner, explored the visitor center exhibits, and hiked a short trail to see ‘Āhinahina, or Mauna Loa Silverswords plants. This 45-minute stop was supposed to help us acclimatize, but we know there is no acclimatization happening that quickly. The stop is mandated for everyone, however.
Although no one in our group experienced any high altitude-related medical problems, we were comforted by the fact that our guide had oxygen on board if it was needed in an emergency. Being this high up can induce dizziness or make it hard to breathe. We have a fair amount of experience at high altitudes and our best advice is to drink a lot of water, breathe deeply, and to move very slowly. You’ll be just fine!
From there, our 4WD van slowly climbed up an unpaved, gravel road gaining over 4,500 feet! We wound our way around a few of the observatories even got out to snap a few photos next to the NASA telescope. At this point we were well above the clouds and it was cold and VERY windy! We were thankful for the jackets provided.
At last, it was time to get in position for the sunset which took place around 5:45pm when we visited. We snagged a spot along a guardrail for a clear, unobstructed view as the sun dipped below the clouds. It was spectacular!
Our group then piled back into the van to head down a few thousand feet to a pullout between the observatories and the visitor center. Here, we waited inside the warm van with hot chocolate and biscotti while our guides set up their high-powered telescopes. This was SO cool because we were the only people left up near the summit aside from the staff of the observatories (rangers kick everyone else off).
Once outside, we watched the Hubble Telescope zoom across the sky and got close up looks at Jupiter, the craters of the moon, and even Saturn and its rings.
By this point everyone was feeling pretty frozen and so we made our way all the way down the volcano and were back in Kona just before 10pm. Although it is a long excursion, we felt it was totally worth the time and expense. We were comfortable the entire time and well taken care of.
Day 7 | Captain Cook Monument Hike & Snorkeling
Breakfast
An amazing breakfast spot near Capital Cook is The Coffee Shack. We discovered this cafe while driving by a few times earlier in the week and noticing the consistently crowded parking area. The food and cafe are worth the trip alone, but the views are outstanding as well. We had the Ono Benedict and Papaya Special (a portion of scrambled eggs, coconut pound cake, and half a papaya filled with fruit and yogurt) with kona coffee and a cappuccino. Chef’s kiss!
Captain Cook Monument Hike
Remember that magical snorkeling spot in Kealakekua Bay we visited earlier in the week on our snorkel boat expedition? We liked it so much we decided to make the hike down to it on our last full day in Hawaii. Be forewarned, it is not an easy hike. Although it is “only” 4 miles roundtrip, the elevation gain is just over 1,000 feet when climbing from the bay to your car. Parking is along the roadside near the trailhead and it took us just under two hours total to hike the roundtrip.
The trail is quite nice, traveling through sugar cane stalks and over lava fields before descending into a patch of trees. The Captain Cook Monument itself is a 27-foot tall white obelisk, marking the spot where he met his demise in 1779. We dropped our gear on the concrete pad near the obelisk and spent an hour marveling at all we saw in the reef. And, we were treated to a real show by a pod of spinner dolphins. They are not infrequent in the area, so this is a great place to watch them frolicking.
Lunch
If you’re anything like us, a hike coupled with snorkeling had us famished in no time. Just around the corner from the Captain Cook Monument Trail is Shaka Tacoz. The highlight here is their ono fish tacos which come on a platter with three. They are served on corn tortillas made crispy with cheese and filled to the brim with fish, slaw, pickled red onions, and cilantro. We recommend keeping on the mango chile sauce that comes standard!
One Last Snorkel
If you love snorkeling as much as we do, go on one last expedition at your favorite spot! For us, that meant going back for our THIRD time to Kahaluʻu Beach Park. For us the convenience and the high quality of underwater sightings made this spot unbeatable.
Day 8 | One Last Adventure & Onward Travel
Whale Watching
Whales and dolphins frequent the Kona coast all year round. If you happen to be visiting during the humpback migration (late December to mid-March) the trip can be even more special.
We were a tad too early for the full humpback migration, but as mentioned earlier we did see a few blowhole spouts from our lanai. What we did see on our 3-hour tour with Hawaiian Adventures was still amazing. We saw spinner dolphins offshore and had spotted dolphins leaping in our wake for a full five minutes. We also got to watch pilot whales on the surface of the water before they dove deep to feed. The boat was extremely comfortable and easy to move around when we stopped for a wildlife sighting. There was also unlimited water, juice, and soda for the duration of our morning cruise. This was a great way to spend a few hours before our flight left in the afternoon.
Lunch
Before heading to the airport, we stopped at Ola Brew’s Kona taproom for lunch. We had some excellent mahi sandwiches and local IPAs.
Onward Travel
Unfortunately it’s time to say Aloha to Hawaii, for now. Thanks to the small size of the airport, there’s no need to arrive incredibly early. Just leave enough time to check any bags and note that in addition to standard a standard TSA check, your bags will go through a secondary screening to ensure you aren’t bringing any coconuts or other produce back to the mainland!
