Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [150]
For hiking tours (including hikes to hot lava), Hawaiian Walkways (775-0372, 800-457-7759; www.hawaiianwalkways.com) and Hawaii Forest & Trail (331-8505, 800-464-1993; www.hawaii-forest.com) are the Big Island’S best outfits; both are winners of Hawaii Ecotourism Board awards, and offer guided hikes to places you wouldn’t see otherwise. The Sierra Club’S Big Island Moku Loa Group (965-5460; www.hi.sierraclub.org/Hawaii/outings.html; suggested nonmember donation $3) offers a range of hiking tours. For all, reserve in advance.
HORSEBACK RIDING
The Big Island is paniolo country, and the pastureland of Waimea (Click here) and North Kohala (Click here) are perfect for horseback riding. Horseback trips in Waipi′o Valley are also fun (Click here).
STARGAZING
Few places on earth get closer to the stars than Mauna Kea’S summit (Click here). However, night skies are clear all over the Big Island, and most of the South Kohala resorts have public stargazing programs.
TENNIS
Many county parks have well-maintained public tennis courts. Call the Department of Parks & Recreation (961-8311) in Hilo for a list. Large hotels and resorts sometimes allow nonguests to rent court time.
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
An increasing number of flights go directly to Kona and Hilo airports, though many flights also route through Honolulu first. Kona is the busier airport, with the bulk of mainland and international flights.
Hilo International Airport (ITO; 934-5840; http://hawaii.gov/dot/airports/ito) Off Hwy 11, just under a mile south of the intersection of Hwys 11 and 19.
Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA; 329-3423; http://hawaii.gov/dot/airports/koa) On Hwy 19, 7 miles north of Kailua-Kona. For directions to/from the airport, Click here.
Click here for airline contact details, and more information on flights to the Big Island.
With the demise of Aloha Airlines in 2008, only two major interisland carriers remain: Hawaiian Airlines (800-367-5320; www.hawaiianair.com) and Go! (888-435-9462; www.iflygo.com). Both have multiple interisland flights daily, though Go! has more direct flights, while many of Hawaiian’S require a stopover in Honolulu. Current fares range from $60 to $90 one way, though advance-purchase fare wars can bring prices down to $40 one way.
Another option is Island Air (800-652-6541; www.islandair.com), which offers a few direct flights daily from Hilo to Honolulu, Maui and Moloka′i, and one from Kona to Kaua′i. Fares are typically $70 to $90 one way.
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BIG ISLAND ITINERARIES
In Two Days
If you arrive in Kona (Click here), spend your days leeward: swim at Hapuna Beach (Click here), kayak and snorkel at Kealakekua Bay (Click here), visit ancient Hawaii at Pu′uhonua o Honaunau (Click here), and tour coffee farms and galleries in Holualoa (Click here).
If you arrive in Hilo (Click here), stay windward. Browse Hilo’S farmers market (Click here); while exploring Hilo’S historic downtown, visit ′Imiloa (Click here), dedicated to Mauna Kea. Then enter the wilds of Puna (Click here) and pay your respects to Pele at Hawai′i Volcanoes National Park (Click here).
In Four Days
Combine the leeward and windward itineraries, and between them make sure to visit either Mauna Kea (Click here) or Waipi′o Valley (Click here).
For Nonstop Adventure
Did you come to play hard? In a week, you might just fit in these unforgettable adventures: kayaking (Click here) Kealakekua Bay, snorkeling with manta rays (Click here), charter fishing for marlin (Click here), riding horses (Click here) in Kohala, hiking (Click here) Waipi′o Valley, seeing hot lava at Hawai′i Volcanoes National Park (Click here), and reaching the nearly 14,000ft summits of Mauna Kea (Click here)