Hawaii, Island of Travel Forum

I'm planning for our holiday in Dec and wondering what re the sights we can see and how much time we need to spend there. Any help?

Aloha. Do you mean the "Big Island" Hawaii? If so, there is a few things to do that are different from the other islands. Seeing the lava flows at night in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is #1 in my book. Stay overnight at the Volcano House, right on the edge of the Kilauea Crater. Kilauea is the world's most active volcano and at night you can get pretty close to watch the red glow or spot a flow. The Thurston Lava Tube on the east side of the park is also unique. You can walk through a very long tube that was once flowing with hot lava. This area is about a 45 minute drive from Hilo, the main city of the Big Island of Hawaii. Kailua-Kona is 2 1/2 hours further around the island from the volcano. The City of Refuge at Honaunau is a great sight because it is the real thing. This is where a person could stay if they were in trouble and no one could bother them. Great snorkling in this area as well. Kailua-Kona is a fishing town with a lot of hotels, but the beaches are mostly lave rock, not sand. Past this area is Waikoloa and the "Disneyland Hilton" called this because of the Monorail that takes you to your room and the river boat ride inside a shopping mall. But, they have a great pool/lagoon and a "swim with the dolphins" program. Nearby is petroglyphs from the early arrivals to Hawaii. On the Hilo side is also a 442 foot waterfall, Akaka Falls and the Kahuna Falls, a must see. great viewing areas and a trail of many tropical plants. Waipio Valley Lookout further north shows off a huge black beach. Four wheel drive vehicles only in the Valley, itself. My last tip is the Kapoho tide pools near Hilo. Many of the pools are interconnected and other you just jump out of one into another. Great snorkling at this location. That's just some of the sights you can see and the time is up to you, but I would say four days to see most. Aloha oe

Also dont forget to take a ferry for whale watching. You also get to see dolphins who come to swim in front of the boat. Its worth the time and money. On the east side of the island are some beaches with black sand! Its worth a visit too.