Big Island trip report - part 1

On the very short flight to Hilo we had some great views of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa above the clouds. Try and get a seat on the right hand side!

Quite a long wait at Dollar, and then we were on our way to Volcano, via a quick stop at Walmart and Hilo Hatties. The very helpful owner of the Aloha Crater Lodge had kindly said that as we were landing at Hilo at 9.30 we could go straight to the Lodge and leave our luggage before going off to the Park, but in fact when we got there at around 12 our room was ready for us, so we moved straight in. Lodge itself again reviewed separately, but in summary very friendly owners, very spacious room with two doubles, very comfortable.

We drove into the park and went to the Visitor Center to see what roads/trails were open, and luckily there was enough to keep us busy for two days. The ranger also gave us useful advice on when to arrive at the lava viewing site by if we didn’t want to have to queue for hours for parking. He also stressed what we had already read, that you had to have a flashlight and closed shoes to go to the viewing area, but when we got there we saw loads of people with neither!

We got some great views of the smoking crater – one of those things you don’t get to see too often, and went on a few short hikes to see steam vents, sulphur deposits etc. Having exhausted that section of the park we went back to the Lodge and passed a pleasant half hour in their garden hot top, surrounded by rain forest vegetation.

Then it was off on the drive to the lava viewing, which unfortunately meant driving almost all the way back down to Hilo, before then driving back up the coast road. We arrived about an hour before sundown, and the car park was already pretty full. Later arrivals have a much longer walk!

The walk over lava to the viewing site was uneven but not too tricky, and we had soon joined the expectant crowds. Steam was billowing up constantly from the water’s edge, echoing the sight of the main crater earlier in the day. As it got darker the red lava flowing into the sea began to show up, and then we started to see eruptions of glowing red rocks, prompting lots of oohs and aahs from the crowd. By the time it was really dark it was looking like a steel furnace, though perhaps the best time was when it was dark enough for the red explosions to show up, but light enough for the steam clouds to be tinted pink by the reflection of the lava.

After a while of full darkness we decided it wasn’t going to get any more spectacular, but we were going to get more hungry, so we set off back to the car. It was on the way back that I realised how glad I was we had proper shoes and lights – a stubbed toe in the dark in flip flops would have been very nasty.

We realise we’d never make it back to Volcano before the restaurants shut (at the very early hour by UK standards of 9pm) and so we pulled off into Pahoa looking for a recommended Thai restaurant. We couldn’t find anywhere to park and found ourselves at the edge of town, so we went to turn round and try again, when we realised we were turning round in the car park of a bar/restaurant. Since it was called The Black Rock this was obviously a Lost omen, so we went in and had an better than expected meal, including a very good prime rib, and were entertained by a very friendly waiter.

Next day, fortified by some excellent banana bread for breakfast, it was back to the Park to walk the Kilauea Iki trail, which I would thoroughly recommend. It’s four miles long, and though it does involve quite a hefty descent into the crater at one end and an ascent at the other, it’s not a difficult hike by any means, and only took an hour and a half or so. Make sure you pick up the trail leaflet as the numbered explanation points are really informative.

We then went to the Thurston Lava tube, and although the trail was shut for resurfacing we enjoyed the tube itself. You can go in a fair way where it’s lit, but if you want to get a proper feel you need a flashlight.

Finally we drove down Chain of Craters Road to the end, stopping at a few vantage points to marvel at the unworldly sight of previous lava flows.

Having seen pretty much all of the Park that was open, we set off back to Hilo, where we had an appointment to see our friend Hal playing in his band, le Quintette du Hot Club de Hilo. Their name tells you what they play, and we enjoyed a suitably hot session.

Pictures (I hope) at bigislandtripreportpart1.shutterfly.com

Big Island part 2 covers the peak of Mauna Kea and the east coast

Big Island trip report - part 1

Thank you for sharing your trip %26amp; pictures! We are visiting there soon %26amp; your post has made us even more excited! Cheers!

Big Island trip report - part 1

thanks for posting..nice detail

Dog drinking too much