Day 3, The Hilo Experience

Breakfast - Tin shack Bakery

If staying in the Puna area, a must-try for breakfast is at the Tin Shack Bakery. As the name suggests, the bakery is nothing but a hollowed-out barn with a tin roof and no doors. The entrance is completely exposed to the elements, but luckily the tin roof holds up against the pounding rain. Despite its rugged appearance, the food is absolutely fantastic. I recommend getting either the eggs benedict or their special quiche of the day. Despite the plain-looking appearance, the hollandaise sauce has a lovely rich flavor with the perfect amount of paprika to give it a nice bite.

Hawaiian Crown Chocolate Farm

After breakfast, head north past Hilo and drive to Hawaiian Crown Chocolate Farm and Factory. It’s common knowledge that Hawaii is famous for its coffee, however, one market that has been slowly emerging on the island is chocolate. You can schedule a tour of the grounds at one of the only cacao farms on the Hilo side of the island anytime during the day, and even the day of. The farm is somewhat difficult to find - the geopoint for the farm location on google maps is deceiving, so when you turn left onto Kilauea Ave, just keep driving up the dirt road. Ignore the sign that says - “No Trespassing”, and keep on going – eventually, you will see rows of banana trees on the right-hand side and that’s where the tour will begin. You will be greeted by your guide on the side of the road and can park your car along the banana trees.

Starting from the cacao pods, you’ll get to harvest some for yourself, open them with a machete, and taste the raw cacao beans inside. After taking a walk among the cacao trees, you will head up to the farmhouse where the employees harvest and dry the beans over a 6-month process. There is a surprising amount of fermentation involved in chocolate making, where the beans (with the white flesh still on) are placed in an airtight container (in this instance, it was a large Yeti cooler). After three months, the fermented beans are then relocated to a drying bed exposed to the sun and slowly baked for another 2-3 months. After all the beans are thoroughly dried, they are transported to their store location in downtown Hilo for processing.

This plantation is still relatively small, but everything from the growing of cacao, to the final chocolate product, is 100% developed on the island - nothing is exported, not even the chocolate itself. The only way to buy Hawaiian chocolate is directly from the brick & mortar store in downtown Hilo, which is where your tour will end. Once at the downtown Hilo shop, you get to witness the roasting of the beans, the process of adding sugars and milk to make different kinds of chocolate, and you’ll even get to talk to the owner of the company after the tour.

Lunch - Pineapples

Not far from the chocolate store is the restaurant Pineapples, which is perfect for lunch. Even if you don’t like pineapples, this restaurant has something for everyone and is perfect for people-watching. Grab a table that is up against the railing and enjoy the scenery of the city bustling away as you sip on your drink while a soft warm breeze sweeps by. For food, I recommend ordering the catch of the day Fish & Chips. The fish was perfectly battered and golden brown, and the fries were thick-cut and had a good dusting of salt seasoning. One item I would steer you away from is the Brie Burger. The burger was a beast of its own, with so many toppings it was hard to take a bite of everything all at once. The brie makes the burger slippery towards the end, so the shape of the burger may begin to fall apart in your hands.

Afternoon Activities

After lunch, it’s time to explore Downtown Hilo. If you are a fan of knowledge, history, or just love roaming through museums, you might be interested in the:

‘Imiloa Astronomy Center - website
Lyman Museum - website
Pacific Tsunami Museum - website
Mokupāpapa Discovery Center - website

If museums aren’t your thing, there are several shops to visit, as well as the Hilo Farmers Market that operates every day of the week, (but is at its biggest on Wednesdays with 300+ vendors.) When shopping in Hilo, make sure to visit Sig Zane Designs if you’re in the mood for an authentic Hawaiian t-shirt. The shirts are a modern take on the Hawaiian classic, but use historic influences for the designs. Keep in mind the shirts are pricey since they are works of art. Before leaving town, swing by Two Ladies Kitchen for dessert - Hawaii has a deep Japanese influence in its culture, and this is the tastiest mochi you will ever have outside of Japan.

Dinner - Genki

For dinner options, Hilo has tons to choose from, but there are very little restaurants with waterfront views if you’re looking for a romantic spot. Hilo is mostly a local town with working people, so there aren’t many fancy dining establishments, but that also means that almost all of them have fantastic food instead of a touristy atmosphere. Mr. Mustang and I originally wanted to dine at the elusive Takenoko sushi restaurant however we were greeted to a sign on the door turning us away. Takenoko only takes reservations once a year on January 1st and the only way to snag one is to wait in line while an employee writes down your name with a to-be-determined date of when you can return to eat. We were in Hilo in May so we missed the chance to get a reservation and instead visited a pacific coast sushi chain instead, Genki. Instead of having a conveyor belt with an endless supply of sushi plates, Genki’s attraction is made-to-order sushi delivered via mini trains on a track. For the price and quality, I thought the sushi was pretty decent but nothing utterly fantastic.

Day 4, The Road Back to Kona

There is a lot of driving ahead of you, so make sure your gas tank gets topped off at some point in the morning. Wave goodbye to Hilo as you continue to drive north on Highway 19 until you arrive at your first stop - Ziplines! There are two major companies that offer Ziplines, and both are equally great. Compare prices when choosing and try to book a morning excursion. Regardless of which company you pick, both have lines that cut directly over multiple waterfalls, so make sure to bring a sturdy camera. Another ting to note, the sun rises in the East, and that allows you to get the most stunning shots with gorgeous golden rays piercing through the treetops.

Lunch - Hawaiian Vanilla Plantation

After the zipline experience, head back on the road, but only drive north for 30 minutes or so until you arrive at your lunch spot - the Hawaiian Vanilla Co. Another agriculture perk that Hawaii has going for itself is having the perfect climate to grow vanilla. There are two vanilla farms on the Big Island - one in Kona, and one in Hilo. The Hilo location offers a 5-course lunch menu that incorporates vanilla in every dish, as well as a tour of the farm. $55/person for an extravagant lunch and tour of the grounds, it is a fantastic deal. However, if you are only interested in seeing the farm, they offer guided tours for $25/person that still gets you a vanilla-infused drink and dessert.

Once the tour concludes, you are back on Highway 19 going north. The road slowly bends towards the west, and once you pass Waimea, take a right onto Highway 250 going north. At this point, you have been to the most Southern point of the island, so it is now time to visit the most Northern point at Aeroportul Upolu. The road is more of a beaten down grassy path, but I have seen cars of all shapes and sizes make the journey. There is a small road that banks to the right once you reach the airport, and if you follow that path, you will be greeted with a spectacular view of Maui in the distance. If you are up for the challenge, head back to the airport and take Upolu Point Road going west. Follow it until you spot a large field with stacked stones. Here you will find the birthplace of King Kamehameha the Great, as well as Mo'okini Heiau, a sacred temple from the past. These sites are officially maintained by the Hawaiian government, so if you plan to visit, please be respectful and make sure your impact to the area is minimal.

By this time, it should be reaching the late afternoon to early evening hours, so it is time to drive south - you are heading back to Kona. On the Kona side of the island, the selection of hotels, B&B’s, and home rentals are endless. If you want to stay at a resort, I recommend the Hilton Waikoloa Village, because of its central location along the coast, and it’s relatively affordable budget. Regardless of where you stay, this will be your final hotel/Airbnb for the remainder of the trip.

Dinner - ‘ULU

Kona caters heavily towards the tourist crowd, so choices for restaurants are nearly endless. If you are looking for a low key place for dinner in downtown Kona, On the Rocks or “Huggo’s” (same place) has a classic American style menu and live music every night. If you are staying North of Kona and your budget is much higher - absolutely visit 'ULU at the Four Seasons. I had one of the best meals of my life there, and it actually wasn’t that expensive when compared to dinner prices at fine dining restaurants on the mainland. For two people, expect to pay around $200, but that includes everything: food, drinks, tip, and taxes, so it’s not bad in my opinion.

Day 5, Time for the Beach

A trip to Hawaii is not complete without going to one of those pristine white sand beaches, however, one thing that new visitors to the Big Island don’t usually realize is there aren’t that many beaches there. It takes years, (like hundreds to thousands of years) for a beach to have that perfectly soft white sand appearance, and most are only found on the Kona side of the island. There are only a handful of beaches that have picturesque white sand, and the best hands down (in my opinion) is Makalawena Beach.

Kona coast activities

Makalawena Beach is a not-so-secret ‘secret’ beach, primarily because of its location - you need to cross through 20 minutes of hellish terrain in order to access it. Most people give up and just hitch their sun umbrella at Mahai'ula beach instead, as it’s right next door. If you are that small percentage of people who are determined to avoid crowded beaches and want pristine clear blue water, bring sturdy hiking shoes with you. Once you do successfully arrive, you will get to experience a rare Hawaiian treat where you might get the entire beach to yourself.

If you want to go to a beach that is a little easier to access, the next best bet is Hapuna that shares the same beach with the Westin. This is a lovely beach that has calm clear waters, ample parking, and is perfect for families. Later in the morning, try to make time for the Hulihe‘e Palace. It is the original residence of Kamehameha the Great, and later the summer house for Hawaiian royalty. The house is modest in size, with three rooms on the main floor and three rooms on the second floor, but the backyard area was clearly the selling point - an expansive back deck with a sweeping waterfront view of the ocean. There was a permanent ocean breeze that filtered throughout the house, and with all the windows being wide open, it created a natural air-conditioned environment. Unfortunately, pictures aren’t allowed to be taken while inside the palace, but the rooms were covered with relics and artwork from the past, as well as ornate outfits from the Hawaiian royal family.

After getting your fill of Kona, you can swing by either Umeke's Poke Bowls, or Island Naturals Market to grab lunch to-go and have a picnic at one of the beaches I listed above. You’ve been driving for days straight, you deserve a break to chill while soaking up the sun, BUT make sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen too!

Evening Outing - Mnata ray dives

Depending on how long you spend at the beach, you have a choice of one of two excursions to experience. If you spent a good chunk of time at the beach and relaxed well into the evening, you should experience one of the most popular attractions on the island - swimming with manta rays. There are only two locations where manta feeding happens, one is near the Hilton in the Northern part of Kona, and the second is near the Sheraton in the Southern part of Kona. I heard that the manta rays on the Northern side are less frequent, so the best bet is to hire a tour boat that departs near the Sheraton resort.

Departures are always at sunset, so make sure to get to the docks at least 30 minutes beforehand to sign any waiver forms and get dressed into the wetsuit the tour boats provide. For charter companies to choose from, sometimes going with the most heavily advertised boat is the correct choice, and that’s clearly Fair Wind Cruises in this case. They are the biggest out of all the charter boats, and the crew members are all highly experienced and helpful to anyone who has a question or needs assistance. Once in the water, you are allowed to observe the manta rays while they feed for up to 45 minutes. It doesn’t sound long, but time actually seems to go slower when in the water for some reason. You are in no way required to stay out there for that long - I bailed after only 20 minutes because I wanted to take pictures of the group I was traveling with while they were in the water. Once out of the water, you are welcome to a warm bowl of soup and a chat with the crew while the boat turns back to shore. This is an expensive, (but well worth it) excursion for anyone visiting the island, even if you only plan to stay for one night.

To read more about what a manta ray excursion is like on Fair Wind Cruises, please go HERE.

Day 6, The Up-close Sea Life

For your final full day, first grab breakfast in Kona at Kalikala Cuisine. They serve Hawaiian influenced dishes, like pineapple waffles or dragon fruit mimosas all day, every day. You are more than welcome to hit the beach again, but if you want to do something against the grain, head back to the airport and take Makako Bay Drive to visit the Kanaloa Octopus Farm. Here, guests are able to touch, feed, and play with actual octopi while learning more about these amazing animals. The farm has between 35-40 octopi at any given time, and each tour can have up to 30 people, so everyone gets at least one octopus to interact with. The tour lasts for an hour, and 95% of that time is spent with your hands in the water with the animals. The staff spends barely 5 minutes giving instructions to the group before letting you loose in the facility.

Kona Coast Activities

There is a Seahorse farm nearby as well, however, you are not permitted to do both on the same day (I learned that the hard way.) If you can only choose one - ALWAYS pick the octopus farm. The seahorse farm is much stricter on their rules, and you only get less than a minute to hold a seahorse. I understand that a seahorse is more fragile than an octopus, but for kids and adults alike, the experience at the octopus farm compared to the seahorse facility is night and day.

After the tour, you are free to enjoy the rest of the afternoon by either exploring more coffee farms, visiting the other vanilla plantation on the Kona side of the island, or chilling out at the beach. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you are fully rested, dressed, and prepared for the final excursion of the trip - the summit to Mauna Kea.

Evening Outing

If there was one thing I would repeat every time I’m on the island, it would be to visit the Gemini Telescope again and again. The Big Island is one of the few places in the United States that is devoid of light pollution and has a landmass tall enough that it can observe the night sky with traditional telescopes.

If you want to read more about the experience of going to the summit of Mauna Kea, please visit HERE.

Day 7, The Last Call

Depending on how much time you have before your plane departs, one of the last things you should do is have a final meal of classic Hawaiian eats. Visit both the Hot Malasadas Truck for delicious Hawaiian doughnuts, and then Hale I'a Da Fish House for the freshest tastiest poke of your life. Fish hack: If you plan to check a bag, you can buy an entire Mahi tuna from the fish house and have them package it so it can fly back with you in the cargo hold.

HONORABLE MENTIONS of Neighborhoods & Eats

Waimea

This is a great town that is located on the Northern inland part of the island, and it currently has the largest cattle ranch in America. Seriously, the largest cattle ranch in the United States is on the Big Island, and it’s owned by Parker Ranch. You can take a self-guided tour on their property, or you can visit Anna Ranch for a guided tour.

For meals, I highly recommend visiting…

The Fish and the Hog for BBQ, - website
Big Island Brewhaus for pub trivia, local beer, and cheap eats - website
Merriman's Big Island if you’re in the mood for fancy dining - website
Waimea Butcher Shop if you plan to cook while on the island, this is a no-nonsense butcher shop that only serves meat from local small farms - website

Hawi

Located at the most Northern tip of the island, there are a few cute boutique shops, but really the main appeal is GJs Huli BBQ. If you want the best damn chicken you’ve ever had roasted over hot coals, this is the place to go.

Kona

There are several restaurants I didn’t have room to mention in the guide above but that doesn’t mean they are any less good. I recommend trying:

Teshima’s Fine Foods for old school family style Japanese cuisine rich in history - website
Foster’s Kitchen for spectacular ocean views and chill vibes - website
Kamuela Provision Company for special occasions and romantic dining - website
Nui Italian for a nothing fancy but still gotta eat on the cheap with good food dining option. I personally love it because it is one of the only places I’ve been where you can order a liter of wine for the table. I only recommend going here if you are already staying at the Hilton - website

The Big Island in One Week - pt 2