Big Bump on the Big Island

Big Island babymoon! Charles and I hopped over to Hawaii to spend some QT together while I can still comfortably travel via plane. We LOVE Hawaii but never visited the Big Island before so this was a fun first for both of us!

Thanks to some local friends' reccs, we stayed on the Kona side of the island and did day trips to different parts of the island throughout our stay. The Kona side has more sunshine, snorkeling and city/tourist-y type of activities. The Hilo side, known for its waterfalls, rainforest and the volcano, is more of a historic Hawaii experience. We wanted to make the most of our time so we planned a lot of activities on both sides to get a good taste of each.

booty-ful views

If you're into history and Hawaiian culture then Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park (aka "The City of Refuge") is a great place to explore. It's a self-guided tour with ruins dating back hundreds of years and is super kid-friendly. The grounds, buildings and Totems truly allow for a sense of time travel and you can explore the lava rocks and tide pools by the water where sea turtles often come. Next to the park, just a short walk away, is a great snorkeling area too, known as "Two Steps."

Ansel Ma getting shots of the old skool canoes

peek-a-bump!

Mt. Kilauea, one of the largest and most active volcanos in the world, was a must-see for us. Once we got to Hilo, we hiked the Kilauea Iki Trail to get a closer look at the immense lava crater. You begin in a beautiful rainforest and then hike across the Kilauea Iki crater with amazing views everywhere.

We learned that chasing views of live lava flow is unpredictable and really depends on Pele, Hawaii's volcano goddess. We were able to see some smoking craters but no hot lava action this time around. That just means we need to come back! :) We spent the rest of the time just relaxing and enjoying downtime at the beach, on a boat and eating local grinds...it was perfect. :)