Hawaii: Two Day Trips Worth an Overnight

Visitors to Maui are bombarded with exhortations to head to Hana – and lots do. They stumble out of bed at the crack of dawn, fold themselves into the rental car, and barrel off to the little town at the end of the road, stopping here and there to admire the view, snap photos of the falls, and let oncoming traffic pass. Visitors to the Big Island use this same tactic to go to the volcano, flying through the little towns on the south side, missing the coffee stands and the wonders of South Point to get in and out of the National Park before dark. Hey, it works. If it didn’t work, fewer people would do these excursions as day trips. The West Hawaii to Volcano drive isn’t so bad, though the Hana drive takes forever and doing it in the dark is a trial.

There’s no need for any of that harried rushing about. Both Hana and Volcano are great places to stay the night. We were lucky enough to do so and because we did, we not only have a better sense of what’s there, but we’re psyched to spend more time in the places that are typically revolving door spots for visitors.

Volcano and Hilo

We stopped a few times on the way to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, most notably at Barney Frazier’s Ka’u coffee stand. When we got to the National Park, we didn’t rush about because we knew we were staying the night just a few miles away.

In Volcano,we stayed at the Garuda Guest House, a beautifully built cottage in a rainforest garden. (The pictures don’t do it justice and there’s a really nice shower.) I was amazed by the noise here, it’s all frogs and crickets at night. We had a surprisingly good Italian meal at Kiawe Kitchen in the town of Volcano – I had the best lasagna I’ve had away from home, ever. We spent the next day in downtown Hilo and at the Imiloa Astronomy Center before going back to the resort centric side of the island.

If I were doing it again, I’d stay two nights in Volcano. I’d take one day to drive from West Hawaii, stopping at the City of Refuge and any number of appealing places along the way. I’d spend the following day in the park – that would allow enough time to drive the Chain of Craters Road. Then I’d head out through Hilo. There are lots of nice places to stay in and around Volcano – book them through B&B Volcano. We didn’t stay the night in Hilo, though I’d like to on our next trip.

Hana

There’s nothing quite like wandering around Hana after dark. There’s almost no where to eat in town, but the locals put out tables selling Thai food or bbq chicken and you can pick up a six pack at the Hasegawa General Store. In the morning, wow, it’s so quiet in this little town, and you feel kind of special when people ask you if you’ve stayed the night. It’s not that big of a deal, there are plenty of places to stay, but most folks just don’t bother. The best part is that the natural attractions are empty – Oheo Gulch isn’t an anthill of daytrippers and the Hana side turnouts are all yours for dawdling.

Our overnight was at the Luana Spa Retreat, a yurt with a million dollar view. We loved this place with the little kitchen and the private outdoor shower – though admittedly, this kind of accommodation isn’t for everyone. The luxury is in the isolation – oh, and the primo products that Nancy, the owner makes. She has full spa services – massage, aromatherapy, that sort of thing.

There’s a site with lots of listings for Hana accommodation here – I’d recommend getting a kitchenette because of the limited dining options in Hana. A B&B is a nice choice too, they’ll feed you breakfast before you head out.

The following morning, we made several stops at gorgeous empty beaches. We watched a guy doing some net fishing, we wandered down to the lava caves in Wainapanapa State Park, we stopped at dozens of turn outs where we were the sole drivers – a big deal on this road.

Once again, I’d do two nights, though one is probably enough if you’re strapped for time. I’d drive in one day, leaving later to avoid the clump of early traffic – but not too late, you don’t want to drive in the dark if you don’t have to. I’d spend the second day at the National Park, playing in the water, hiking the bamboo forest – and I’d leave early the next day, allowing plenty of time to explore the stops missed on the way in.

Slow down

We saw lots of signs during our travels suggesting that we slow down. Good advice. Taking more time to explore the smaller places and the day trip stops was very rewarding.

Disclaimer: Our stays were comped.

[tags]Hawaii, travel, Hana, Hilo, Volcanoes National Park[/tags]