H AWA I I B I G I SL A NDI N 5 DAY S BY M ATT HE W TAY LOR T HOM A S

A KA KA FA L L SDAY ONE - H ILO TO KONA

DAY O NE H I LO T O KO NA• Fly from Honolulu to Hilo and

be sure to arrive early to maximise day one (I arrived at 0600).

• Pick up hire car and head north or anti clockwise around the beltway.

• Nearby Hilo Airport, hit up Rainbow Falls, Akaka Falls and the bamboo forest hike.

• Continue North to Waipio Valley Lookout.

• If you have more time, take a hiking or horse riding tour to the valley floor.

WA I P IO VA L L E YV I E W FR O M T HE R OADS I DE LO O KO UT

DAY O NEH I LO T O KO NA• From Waipio Valley, head across

the island, stopping at Waimea for lunch.

• I arrived at Kailua-Kona around 3pm, checked in to hotel then doubled back to head up Mauna Kea for sunset.

• Mauna Kea is a 1 million old volcano that has been dormant for over 100,000 years.

• You can drive to the base station at around 9,000ft altitude with a regular car.

• To go to the summit at 13,976ft, you'll need a 4WD or time to hike.

S UN S ET F R OM M AU N A K EA A V IE W F R OM ABOV E T H E CLO U DS

DAY T W O - KO N A C OA STSN OR K E LL I NG W IT H W IL D SP INN ER DO LP H I NS

DAY T W OKO N A C OA ST

• Take the early morning Dolphin Snorkelling Tour.

• There are many companies taking tours but I chose Coral Reef Adventures.

• They have a maximum of 6 guests and I feel they really respect the wildlife and encourage you to show respect.

• Look, but don't touch!

S P I N N E R DO L P H I N SKA I LUA-KONA COAS T

DAY T W OKO N A C OA ST

• The spinner Dolphins spend the night at sea feeding and return to the coast in the morning to rest.

• The tour positions you on the inbound dolphin highway and you simply jump in the water and witness hundreds of dolphins pass by.

• Words can never fully explain the experience.

• During the Spring months, whales are very common also and while snorkelling, we could hear whale song!

• Oh and the owner's wife bakes fresh brownies for each tour and they are possibly the most delicious I've ever had.

BA BY H U M P BAC K W H A L E KAILUA-KONA COAST

DAY T W O KO N A C OA S T

• Returning to Coral Reef Adventures in the evening, head out for the night snorkel with the gentle giants - manta rays!

• Another breathtaking experience as you float on the surface of the water while shining a bright light to the sea bed below, the plankton are attracted to the light and rise up.

• Then, from the depths, emerges the majestic manta rays and they are so gracefully beautiful.

• While I witnessed three manta rays do a glide by about 6ft below me, I wasn't lucky enough for them to do the full rise and barrel roll so I didn't get that epic experience or photo. That is the beauty of wildlife though and it was still one of the most incredible experiences I've had.

• Opposite is one of the manta rays we saw hanging out on the dolphin tour in the morning.

DAY T H R E E - KO N A T O VO L C AN OVOL CA NO NAT I ON AL PAR K

DAY T H R E EKO N A T O VO L CA N O

• Hit the road early to head south along the beltway.

• Stop for breakfast at The Coffee Shack just past the historic town, Captain Cook (where the explorer landed and also later met his demise). Parking is limited at TCS so patience is required here.

• The famous geckos will join you for breakfast.

• Continue to South Point, the most southerly point of USA.

• Impressive wind farms line the coast line.• Jump of the 30ft cliff at South Point and

climb back up the cliff face ladder (I regret not giving it a go as the wind was howling.

• On the way back out to the highway, stop at the backyard coffee shop for the best coffee we had in our whole trip. Plus the espresso brownie was amazing!

B L AC K S A N D B E AC HPA NA LU 'U BE ACH

DAY T H R E EKO N A T O VO L CA N O

• Making your way East, stop in at the Black Sands Beach (Panalu'u Beach).

• Here, you'll see many green sea turtles getting some sun on the warm sand.

• Arrive into Volcano village in time for an early dinner.

• Head into Volcano National Park and from the Information Centre, take an easy hike through the sulphur banks.

• Time it to be back at Jaggar Museum to see the lava glow at sunset.

K I L A U E A C A L D E RA L AVA G LO WSE E N F R O M JAGGA R MU SE U M

DAY FOUR - VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK

VOLCANO CRATER HIKE

DAY F O U RVO L C A N O N P

• Early in the morning, head back into the park and upon entering, immediately turn left and drive down slope toward the coast .

• The first lookout will be a prime stop for day 2's sunset view of the lava glow away from the tour buses at Jaggar Museum.

• Explore the lava tubes (opposite).• See the Chain of Craters on the way before

stopping on the solidified lava field which looks like a field of chocolate.

• At the bottom of the slope, hike over the lava field to see ancient petroglyphs.

• See the wild ocean pounding the arched rock formation at the end of the road before turning around to head back up hill.

• We left the park and headed down to Pāhoa for lunch which was a 30-40 minute drive from Volcano then returned to the park for sunset.

L AVA F I E LDVOLCANO NATIONAL PARK

MADAME PÉLE STREET ART

PĀHOA

S UL P H U R B A N K SVOL CA NO NAT I ON AL PAR K

K I L A U E A C A L D E RA VOL CA NO NAT I ON AL PAR K

DAY F I VEVOLC ANO TO H I LO• Another early start to get back

to Hilo in time to drop the hire car back, unless you're paying for a fifth day.

• The drive is 30-40 minutes.• Allow time to stop for

Breakfast and to fill up the gas.

• Fly back to Honolulu (or wherever) with a heavy heart!

• Start planning when you can return to Hawaii Island.

G O T M O R E TH A N F I V E DAY S?

• I would have liked to have hiked down to the Waipio Valley floor but I believe you need to allow a day.

• From Waimea, head to the north shore to explore.

• Visit the Waikaloa Village where I believe you can snorkel with turtles.

• Hike to the summit of Mauna Kea.

• Spend more time seeing the coves and snorkelling spots along the west coast from Kona to South Point.

• Spend more time in Pahoa, enjoying the bohemian lifestyle.

• Hike to Green Sand Beach (many locals told us not to leave valuables in the car, particularly here).

• Hike to crater floor in VNP and even to the edge of the caldera (take necessary equipment for night hiking).

• If there is more volcanic activity including sea flow, allow extra time to experience that.

H I N T S & T I PS• Don't pay for GPS. It rarely finds street

addresses on the island and it's hard to get lost anyway.

• So many people told us not to leave valuables in the car. This is difficult if you're seeing things while on the go. But I always took cameras, wallet and passport with me when out hiking or sightseeing and the rest were just clothes. We didn't see any problems ourselves.

• I stayed in an AirBnB house in Volcano and was by far the best accommodation during our whole Hawaii trip. So much nicer than a sterile hotel and generally cheaper. Next time I'll plan all accommodation through AirBnB.

• Choose the earlier sessions for both dolphin and manta ray tours.

• Dinner in Volcano I recommend the Thai Restaurant.

• Lunch in Pāhoa has to be The Tin Shack Bakery.

C O N N E C T W I T H M E

• Any questions? Is there anything I should have done differently on such short time?

• Tweet me: @mttbne• Follow me on Instagram

@matthewtaylorthomas • Or subscribe to

www.matthewtaylorthomas.com for more, including the videos from snorkelling with Dolphins.

• All images are taken by me ©