The island of Hawai’i or sometimes referred to as the Big Island is the largest and youngest island in the Hawaiian Islands chain. Since Hawaii the state and the Island of Hawai’i have the same name, Hawai’i with the ‘ okina is the correct form of spelling for the big island and I’ll write it as Hawai’i throughout this post series. I recently had the opportunity to travel to the Island of Hawai’i to visit family and was fascinated by the geography and geology of this complex island.
The Big Island, is appropriately named this because it is twice the size of all other Hawaiian Islands combined. This island was created through volcanic activity. When visiting the island, visitors would be surprised by the diverse landscapes here, from tropical Jungles and dramatic coastlines to tall-grass prairie and tundra.
In this post, you can find information about the Island of Hawai’i to include it’s geology and geography, the history, information on transportation, some of the wildlife we encountered here, and much more!
The island of Hawai’i is Hawaii’s largest island and considered to be the youngest out of the Hawaiian Island chain. The Big Island is bigger then all other islands combined, twice.
The Big Island of Hawaii was created by volcanic activity. There are two current active volcanos, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Kilauea is considered one of the most active volcanoes on earth. The last eruption on Kilauea was on September 29, 2021. The island is still growing, this can be seen today just driving down the Chain of Craters Rd in Volcanoes National Park. The lava flow continuously creates additional land. According to the National Park, between the years or 1983 and 2002, lava flow added more then 540 acres to the island.
We got to travel to the island of Hawai’i and one of the most astonishing features of the Hawai’i was the different climate zones and landscapes we saw. Hawai’i is home to all but four climate zones. It was truly fascinating driving the island seeing the various climate zones. We saw tropical rainforests near Hilo, tall-grass prairie fields in the northern portions of the islands and tundra while walking on the volcanoes. Both Mauna Loa and Kilauea even receive snowfall during the winter months. Hilo and other areas receive massive amounts of rain annually while other parts of the island receive little to no rain.
If visiting beaches around the Big Island, you might notice that most beaches are covered with black sand. Personally, I’ve never seen black sand and found the beaches to be unique and beautiful. The black sand comes from the active volcanic activity around the island. It is also caused by the weathering and erosion of volcanic rocks on the island.
How Hawai'i Became Populated
Polynesians were the first people to arrive to Hawai’i around 300-600 A.D. The Polynesians are said to have arrived from the Marquesas Islands about 2,000 miles away. These Polynesians crossed the Pacific from island to island via canoes. The Polynesians lived near the coasts, settled in the area, and began farming the land. Apparently, later on, other Polynesians primarily from Tahiti settled into the area, pushing the original settlers further to the center of the island. The tribes on Hawai’i were constantly at war with each other. But one major event changed the history of the Island of Hawai’i, that was the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1778. Long story short, he wasn’t a god like he made himself out to be. He brought attention to the island to the rest of the world and returned a year later only to be killed by local islanders.
King Kamehameha I
I’ve heard of King Kamehameha I, but didn’t know anything about him, I didn’t even realize he was from the Big Island, until our recent travel to the Island of Hawai’i. King Kamehameha I also known as Kamehameha the Great, was a warrior and leader who is famous for his achievement of uniting the islands into a Kingdom. The history of King Kamehameha I and the unification of the Hawaiian Islands is quite complex, feel free to read more on Kamehameha the Great on the Go Hawaii website.
Why We Decided to Travel to the Island of Hawai’i
Being in Japan since 2019, we got rather unlucky with Covid-19 and couldn’t travel outside the country. Unfortunately, this also meant we couldn’t visit friends or family. As restrictions started to lessen in 2022, and we were able to travel to the United States, both Jill and I contacted our parents to meet halfway in Hawaii. In theory, it was perfect. I have yet to visit Hawaii and none of us had to travel 20+ hours to mainland America or Japan.
We decided on the Big Island, simply because Japan still required a Negative Covid test to come back. So we decided the Big Island had the most nature and least amount of people, getting Covid seemed less likely here.
Transportation - How to Get Here and Get Around the Island
Flying to Kona
Hawai’i has two airports, Kona International Airport and Hilo International Airport. Kona is the larger hub and far busier. Kona Airport has direct flights from 13 cities to include Tokyo. Originally, we had a direct flight from Haneda, Tokyo to Kona, Hawaii. This flight was cancelled and we had to rebook and route from Haneda to Honolulu and then to Kona.
All of our bookings were done through Hawaiian Airlines. Between Haneda and Honolulu we took a partner flight with JAL and a Hawaiian Airline flight between Honolulu and Kona.
We had a rather unpleasant experience with Hawaiian Airlines. First, they cancelled our flight months ago. They never offered an alternative, instead we had to reach out to them to resolve the issue. Then once departing Kona, the airline lost our luggage. It’s a long story, but the individual at the check in counter had one job and epically failed! Most employees at Hawaiian Airlines were rude and unhelpful.
It wasn’t until we arrived in Haneda where employees from JAL actually helped us and managed to track and deliver our luggage. I realized now, that when it comes U.S. airline companies, you as a customer has to go our of your way to get stuff done. In Japan, it is the exact opposite, their employees go our of their way to offer assistance and resolve the issue. Because of the lack of customer service and overall experience with Hawaiian Airlines, I cannot recommend them as an airline company and will avoid booking with them at all costs.
Renting a Car
The Island of Hawai’i is huge, there is no real public transportation, so renting a car is necessary and highly recommended.
Like most airports, there are several options for rental car companies located at the airport. There is a free shuttle bus service that picks visitors up from the airport to the car rental area. I’m not sure how it came about but we booked a van through Dollar Car Rental.
Dollar Car Rental had cheap options. You can find all the big name companies (Alamo, Enterprise, Hertz, etc..) here as well. You get what you pay for. Since Dollar Car Rental was cheaper then other companies, it showed. My dad and I waited for our car at the rental place for nearly two hours. Keep in mind, we made a reservation months in advance. There was a huge line of people waiting for their vehicles. Apparently it’s common with Dollar Car Rental. The van we rented was just alright, it lacked power and had horrible gas mileage. Again, based on our experience, I can’t recommend Dollar Car Rental at Kona International. Spend the extra money and go with a reputable company.
Rental companies aside, visitors can rent a wide variety of vehicle types from convertible mustangs to 4×4 Jeep Wranglers. We had 6 people in our party and didn’t plan on off-roading so we decided on renting a van.
The Towns of Hilo and Kona
The two main cities on the Big Island are Hilo and Kona. Hilo is located on the east side of the island while Kona is situated on the opposite side of the Big Island. Both cities are drastically different. Visitors go to Hilo to experience a more local vibe while Kona provides more of a touristy and party atmosphere.
Hilo
Hilo is located on the east side of Hawai’i. Hilo is a great place to stay because it’s a nice base if exploring the eastern side of the island plus it is much closer to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park then Kona is.
Hilo has a nice downtown area full of restaurants and cute shops. One of the most recommended things to do in Hilo is visiting the local farmers market. Visitors coming to Hilo can check out some of the nearby waterfalls, lava tubes, black sand beaches, and even snorkel at areas like Richardson’s Ocean Park.
Kona
Kailua Kona or simply Kona is the main city on Hawai’i, located on the western side of the Big Island.
Kona was home to King Kamehameha I and other rulers due to its environment, location, and ideal weather. Kona is also known for coffee, many coffee farms are found in and around Kona.
Today, Kona reminds me of a party city and your typical island touristy destination with cheesy souvenir shops, resorts, expensive seafood restaurants, and luaus.
The Remarkable Wildlife We Encountered
The wildlife on the Island of Hawai’i was fascinating. I saw a few animals, I’ve never seen before and was able to photograph. One of the animals I was most exited about seeing was the Nene which is a Hawaiian Goose. Below are a few of the animals we encountered while exploring the Big Island.
Goats – We saw goats everywhere, especially along Saddle Road (Route 200) from Kona to Hilo. The goats are feral and were brought to the island by Captain James Cook. With no predators, the goats thrived and can still be seen grazing grass all over the island including the lava fields and even at higher elevations on the mountain slopes. We never stopped along the highway to take photos of the goats, but they are the same types you would see anywhere else.
Mongoose – The mongoose caught me by surprise. I see mongoose in Okinawa. They were released in Okinawa to control the Habu population. That ended up being a disaster, but that is a story in itself for a different time. I am familiar with what mongoose looked like and couldn’t believe my eyes when first seeing them in Hawaii. Sure enough, like in Okinawa, the mongoose were brought to the island in 1883 from India in hopes of controlling rat populations in and around the sugar plantations. The introduction of species is rarely a good idea. The mongoose had no predators and spread rapidly throughout the island. The mongoose would prey on nesting birds, eat their eggs, and put other native wildlife at risk. These little guys are near impossible to photograph, so unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of them.
Feral Pigs
Like the goats, pigs were also brought to Hawai’i by humans originally as a food source. These pigs are feral, found throughout the island, and cause damage to local flora and fauna. Where we stayed in Hilo, every morning in the same spot we saw a sow and her six youngins. Of course, they were tearing through some ones lawn.
Dogs
I had to add dogs to the list primarily because I saw two mastiffs an English Mastiff and Dogue de Bordeaux (French Mastiff) that are worth mentioning.
While on our road trip to Waipi’o Valley we stumbled upon Laupahoehoe Beach Park. This area has a nice campground and stunning views of the ocean. While walking around we spotted a dog, a huge dog! He was an English Mastiff, we were sure he belonged to nearby campers. We talked to someone at the campground, apparently the dog has no owners and lives within the Beach Park. People here feed him, he is well taken care of. At some point a vet took him in to check his weight and health. This dog weighed 220 lbs. (100 kg). He was very friendly and followed us around. I would have loved to take him with me, but can you imagine the size of the crate I would need to get him back to Japan?
The Dogue de Bordeaux, we met at Coconut Island in Hilo. Unlike the English Mastiff, this guy had an owner. My parents have a Dogue de Bordeaux at home, so they are a special breed to me and my family. This guy we saw was a large male. We talked to the owner for a while, meanwhile the Dogue de Bordeaux was having fun swimming and digging in the sand.
Nene
The state bird of Hawaii, the Nene is a Hawaiian Goose. This species of goose is endemic to Hawaii and is believed to have evolved from the Canadian Goose. There were signs all over Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park for Nene Crossing. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any within the park. It kind of made sense, since there were no water sources around the park. Finally, our second to last day while driving to see sea turtles at Richardson Ocean Park, we spotted a few Nene in local ponds.
Saffron Finch
The Saffron Finch was a beautiful bird that I’ve never seen yet found everywhere on the Big Island. These birds were introduced to the island from South America.
Green Sea Turtle
I’ve seen sea turtles before but only while snorkeling. Talking to several locals, we were told that sea turtles can be found at beaches around the Big Island, and many times they rest in tidal pools or get trapped here during the tides. On our second to last day, my parents and I had a goal in mind to stop at several beaches outside Hilo in hopes of finding sea turtles. After all, my mom told me it would be a dream come true to see a turtle, so I couldn’t let her down.
Sure enough, we went to a few beautiful beaches outside Hilo and had no luck until we got to Richardson Ocean Park. We stumbled upon a tidal pool with four turtles. Two were resting outside the water on rocks while the other two were swimming or resting in the water. I’ve never seen a sea turtle outside the water resting, it was a truly magical moment for both my parents and myself. People didn’t bother them to much and we were able to enjoy them peacefully from a distance.
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