Bucketlist Hawaii

Creating a list of things to do, places to see and delicious (donuts) to eat before going on any trip is one of my favorite things to do. I’m always prepared to see and do very few things on the list since we never know how a trip will go, but just the planning for potential activities makes me that much more excited to get going!

 

Here are some of the plans for Hawaii.
 
The Internet very kindly informed me that Hawaii has a few bays where, with a bit of luck and good conditions, people can see/swim/snorkel with wild dolphins. This sounds like the most amazing experience and I really hope we get the chance to live it. I’m still researching the best Bay for it since we will need to swim out rather than taking a boat.
 
Visit the summit of Mauna Kea for either sunrise or sunset, or just in general. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano and the tallest mountain on earth! I was quick to assume that this fact was untrue when I first read it as well, but with a little research I found that it is very true. Mauna Kea does not reach higher into the sky than Everest but it is a taller mountain because its base is below sea level. Mount Everest is approximately 29,000 feet and Mauna Kea is around 33,000 feet.

 

Hawaii boasts having one of the only green sand beaches in the world and I have every intention of spending some time on it. It will be a bit of a hike to get there but one we are excited to do! It is also the southernmost point of the USA which fits well with my new love of geographic extremes.

 

I went to the black sand beach on Maui and though it was beautiful, but honestly, I couldn’t imagine spending too much time there. Being barefoot was unbearable due to the heat and it was one of the busier places we visited. The one in Hawaii looks very nice as well but the main draw is the high chances of seeing turtles and I don’t think I have to tell you how excited I am about turtles!

 

We have been talking about hikes we want to do since day one but haven’t really settled on a definitive list. I know we need to hike to the green sand beach, through Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and most likely to visit some waterfalls, but other than that, we’ll have to see when we get there!

 

Visiting Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and having the possibility to see an active lava flow are actually my top draws to this particular island. I’ve wanted to see this for so long; fingers crossed it happens! Even if we don’t see an active flow, I’m pretty excited to just walk through the lava fields and hopefully through the lava tube.

 

I’ve been getting more and more excited for our snorkelling excursion as we get closer to leaving. We’ll be going out at night to swim with Manta Rays that can be up to 20ft across! I highly recommend you look this up on YouTube because it looks truly incredible!

 

I’m not a foodie but I do have a few food items I’m really looking forward to having on the island. Donuts mostly, but also shave ice and fresh seafood. I may even try a cup of Kona coffee while I’m in Kona, despite being someone who doesn’t ever drink coffee.

 

You can click on the embedded links to view some of my other posts about previous Hawaiian adventures!

Big Island, Hawaii; April 17-23, 2018

Having loved Hawaii before I ever went there and loving it even more once I did, I can’t turn down a good seat sale to take me back to the islands.

Way back at the very end of December I scooped up round-trip tickets for under $400 Canadian and by January 1st my rental car, accommodations and 1 excursion were booked as well. As great as it feels to have a fully booked and paid for trip, it still unfortunately means I’ve had to wait nearly 4 months to go; and now that we’re down to 1 week I’m vibrating with excitement!

Going to all of the major Hawaiian Islands is a Bucketlist item for me and I’m well on my way! This year I will be going to Hawaii, or the “Big Island,” as it is commonly called. This will be island number 3 for me in 4 many years and I expect it will be an equally amazing experience.

It’s just 1 girlfriend and I going and we have so many plans we’re hoping to squeeze in.

• Summit of Mauna Kea

• Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

• Snorkel with Manta Rays

• Snorkelling with wild dolphins

• Black sand beach

• Green sand beach

• Hiking

• Stand-up paddle boarding

As excited as I am about the things we will do, which I will elaborate more on in my next post, I am also quite excited about where we will stay. I booked us a yurt on AirBnB that is located on a Macadamia Nut farm! It is so much more affordable than even a basic hotel at barely over $100/night, but also gives us the chance to be in nature even more.

For anyone interested, this is the one.

If you have any suggestions of places to go, things to do or excellent donuts, please let me know!