5 Things You Should Not Miss on the Big Island {Hawaii, Day 5+6}

I find that the farther I get from a trip the harder it becomes to write about and since I’ve been back for 2 months now I decided I better get this finished!


The last 2 days of our trip were very laid back. We went snorkelling at 2-Step both mornings, swam at two different beaches in the afternoons, did a bit of shopping, spent some time in downtown Kona and I finally got to eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp!

2-Step was amazing, as it had been on our previous visits. I didn’t see any more dolphins or turtles, but I spent some time exploring new areas of coral, stalking my favorite fish and swimming through the bubbles created by the scuba divers below me.

On day 5 we drove to Hapuna Beach State park. It was the only time we drove North past Kona and I wish we had have done it sooner. Despite the crazy wind that seemed to be threatening to push us off the highway it was a really nice area to drive and what I honestly expected more of the island to look like. Unfortunately, being the driver means I have almost no photos from these last days!

The beach is a little over an hour from where we were staying but it gave us the chance to drive past the airport and figure out how long we would need to get there the next day. Once we arrived, paid $5 to park and got to the sand I had to cringe a bit. There is almost no shade at all on this whole massive beach and I am not a sun worshipper, the sand is also incredibly hot despite its pale color. I would venture to say that this is likely the hottest and driest part of the island as well.

We found a place to leave our towels, loaded up on sunscreen and ran as fast as we could to the water in an attempt to keep our feet from burning. As much as I wasn’t excited about this beach in the beginning, I have to admit that it was a really gorgeous place to spend an afternoon and if you stay deep in the water with hat, sunglasses and sunscreen on you’ll hardly notice the crazy heat.

The second beach we visited, and sadly our last dip in the ocean, was at Magic Sands in Kona. The beach is very small and fairly crowded but it has bathrooms, showers, shade and is conveniently located in the city. The waves at this beach were fairly large and a lot of fun to play in, but I wouldn't recommend being too near to the shoreline. I saw several people get knocked over, rolled and spit out (with swimwear barely intact) by the powerful waves. That being said, going out a bit deeper tends to keep that from happening.

After our final swim we went to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co for.. lobster! Lobster mac n' cheese to be specific. I don't know that I would consider this a must visit restaurant, but I would definitely recommend trying it at least once if you get the chance. We also got a nice view over the water and out to the cruise ships from our table on the patio. 

Our long, very cold and thoroughly exhausting flight home gave me a chance to think about all the amazing things I got to experience and these are my top five that should not be missed:

1. Snorkel (or dive) with Manta Rays

This is without a doubt one of the most incredible things I've ever done. I remember watching movies like Free Willy as a child and thinking how amazing it would be to get so close to wild marine animals; I guess this fulfilled that. Getting to see these giant animals up close, see their behavior and have them completely unconcerned about the watching people was amazing.


2. Visit the summit of Mauna Kea
You don't need to do anything, you don't even need to get out of the car if you'd rather not, but just being up there and taking in the view is truly breathtaking. This is one of the only places in the world that you can go from sea level to 14, 000ft in two hours. The drive to the top was a bit intimidating but also quite thrilling and it gives you ample time to take in your surroundings before you come out above the clouds.

3. Snorkel (or dive) at 2-step

Though it is quite crowded, 2-step is well worth the visit. The water is full of a diverse assortment of marine life from coral and fish to turtles and dolphins making this one of the best snorkel spots in the state of Hawaii. We got lucky to see all of these things, have beautiful weather, meet interesting people that frequent this place and be staying within a 5 minute drive. Even if you're not interested in snorkelling or diving, dolphins and turtles can frequently been seen from the rocky shore.


4. Take in the lookout and drive to the bottom of Waipio Valley
Waipio Valley from above is a really beautiful scene and well worth the drive to visit, a lot of people go just to check the lookout point! Personally I found the way to the bottom to be one of the most fun drives I've done, with its bumps, ruts and steep corners. The black sand beach and waterfalls at the bottom are gorgeous and a perfect place to spend an afternoon, just keep in mind that swimming can be dangerous here because of rip currents and high swells. The valley is also home to Hawaii islands tallest waterfall at 1300ft.

5. Visit Volcanoes National Park

I'm not sure now what I was expecting, but it wasn't what I found in the national park. I suppose I imagined one big lava field when in reality it is a wildly diverse landscape that is as much green as it is black. The park is currently closed due to the dangers of an erupting volcano, but I think that makes my visit that much more special. I'm not sure what the park will look like when it opens again, but I would highly recommend you find out (and let me know!)

Now, off to plan my trip to Kauai for next year! Visiting all the main Hawaiian islands was my very first ever bucket list goal at 10 years old, long before I knew what a bucket list was.