Big Island, Hawaii
Out of context: Reply #6
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- l_vel_fe0
Another vote for at least 1 full day at Volcanoes National Park. Plenty of trails and areas to explore.
When you are Hilo-side, definitely get to the Kapoho Tide Pools, in my opinion it's the best work/reward ratio on the island for snorkeling. Tons of pools, never super packed and tons of awesome stuff to check out there.
Definitely drive to Waipi'o if you have the time, if you are feeling adventurous explore into the valley or make the 10 mi hike to Waimanu. Surf here is amazing but be careful, locals love it but it's not for the faint hearted or poor swimmers. A couple links for photographic evidence:
Checkout the farmers market in Hilo for an amazing array of jams/fruits, you've never seen so many mangoes!
Take a night trip up to Mauna Kea, touted as the best place to watch stars on earth. Be patient and you'll definitely spot some shooting stars.
Green sands beach near South Point is a fun place, some good surf and usually not too crowded. The sand is really green, but it's about a 2 mile walk/4wd.
Punalu'u Black Sand beach is a must stop, get there and spend at least 3-4 hours. Snorkeling is good and you can swim up close with turtles and watch them feed at one of their favorite spots on the island.
the KTA in Hilo has some of the best raw fish/seafood you can imagine, don't pass it up if you like tuna. Big reco to the spicy Ahi.
I spent 4 weeks on the island this past summer, feel free to PM if you want more details/info. Rent the 4wd if you can splurge, you can really open your horizons with it.