Journey to Hawaii...The Big Island.....Day 7: Waterfalls, Gardens and Overlooks

After a few relaxing days, we decided it was time to venture out to some more areas of the Big Island.  Today's trip took us to the east side of the Island...

Rainbow Falls

Our first stop was at Rainbow Falls in Hilo.  Hilo is located on the East side of the Island. We were staying on the Kohala Coast on the West side of the Island.  It was about an hour and 45 minute drive across the Island.  Hilo is a nice sized town, lots of cruise ships dock in that area and it had lots of stores and restaurants to choose from.  Just a short drive from all of this civilization is a beautiful waterfall.  It isn't huge but it is extremely easy to access.  The thing about waterfalls is many times it takes quite a hike to get to them!  This one is just a short walk from the parking lot and the view is unobstructed.  The path is concrete so there isn't any worry of uneven ground trying to get to a place to view the waterfall.

Rainbow Falls (Hilo)

There were several tour buses and shuttles that made a stop in this area but there appeared to be ample parking and it isn't a long stop so the turnover of traffic was pretty quick.  If you are in Hilo this is definitely a worthwhile stop to make.

Onamea Bay

Onomea Bay

Just a little bit north of Hilo, we made a stop at Onomea Bay.  This again was just a quick stop but well worth the time.  This was a beautiful bay.  There is a little parking along side the roadway and you have to walk a little bit to get to the viewpoint but it is not a difficult walk at all.  There is a small walkway where you can walk down to the beach area if you would like to take a swim in the bay.

The beach area at Onomea Bay

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

Our next stop along the way was the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.  It was just a little drive north of Hilo and just past the pull off to Onomea Bay.  It was a great place to stop and take a look around.  It offers waterfalls, tropical foliage and even better views of Onomea Bay.  

This was a really unexpected gem that we ended up absolutely loving.  My husband and I had visited a botanical garden in Maui and were not overly impressed so our expectations were not that high when we stopped here.   That opinion quickly changed as we entered this tropical paradise.

There is a $15.00 charge for adults and a $5.00 charge for children 6-16 for admission.  The walking distance is just over a mile but it feels like you are lost in a tropical paradise.  

Pathways are paved and are are easy to maneuver except for the first hill that you encounter as you enter the park.  This is a very steep grade.  It's not so bad on the way down but it can be difficult on the way up.  There is golf cart assistance for those who can't make the climb back up the hill for a $5.00 charge.  There are also several benches lining the pathway and there isn't any rush so feel free to stop and rest for however long you need to on your way back up.  Don't let this hill stop you from seeing the park...it is definitely worth overcoming this small obstacle.  Just plan ahead!

The tour is self-guided so you can take as much or as little time as you want walking around the grounds.  We spent about an hour and a half here.  I wouldn't recommend spending any less time...the walk itself takes a bit of time and there are so many things to see!  This is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area!

Akaka Falls State Park

As we left the Botanical Garden, we hopped in the car in search of more waterfalls.  Our next stop was Akaka Falls State Park.  There is a parking lot at the State Park and there is a $5.00 fee to park there.  Personally I don't think this is outrageous but if you wish to avoid the charge there is parking just before the park that is a very short walk away from the entrance to the park that is free of charge. Point being....don't let the $5.00 parking fee keep you from stopping to see the falls.

When we first entered the park, there is a path that goes to the left and to the right.  We turned to the right and headed to Kahuna Falls.  The walk was a bit steep and had quite a few steps but it was paved and had railings.  When we got to the end of the walkway we found that the view of the falls was "OK" but not spectacular by any means.  The falls were quite a distance away and at a bit of an angle.  If you have time to visit both falls while you are here, it is definitely worth a look at both.  If you have a limited time frame....turn to the left and visit Akaka Falls.

Kahuna Falls

The more spectacular view at this park is that of Akaka Falls.  The walk is much shorter and is pretty easy to do for people of most physical ability.  There are steps however so it really isn't handicapped accessible.  

Akaka Falls

There are also a few smaller falls that you will see as you take the short walk back to the parking area.

We were here for about 45 minutes and were able to see both falls during that time.  It's definitely worth a stop. Again, there are many waterfalls that are not so easily accessed.  If you love waterfalls it will be a worthwhile stop.

Waipio Valley Overlook

Our last stop for the day was the Waipio Valley Overlook.  We really didn't know what to expect here but our Fodor's travel guide listed it as a "must do" so we headed toward the overlook.  What we found was an absolutely stunning view from the overlook area down into the Waipio Valley.

View of the overlook area from the parking lot

The parking area is a little bit above the actual overlook.  This means that you have to walk down a bit of a hill to get down to the overlook.  It's not a difficult walk and there are railings along the ramp....it is definitely worth getting down a little closer to get the full effect of the view.

View from the Waipio Valley Overlook

The view was absolutely stunning.  You can certainly see why the native Hawaiians view this as a sacred spot.  It was the area that was the boyhood home of King Kamehameha I  It was a bit cloudy the day that we were there and later in the afternoon but the views were still amazing.

You can take a hike down into the valley itself but plan on a difficult hike and most of the day.  There are also locals that will take you down to the valley for a fee.  Personally I think the fee would be worth it but then again we are not big on the hiking thing! 

The black sand beach in the Waipio Valley

The Waipio Valley

Once you take a look at the Valley from the overlook area, it's time to start the climb back up the the parking area.  I shot this photo so you could get an idea of the walkway.  

This was a highlight of our trip so please make sure you take the time out to visit this area if at all possible when you are visiting the Big Island.

The End of the Day

This was a long travel day.  Lots of stops and the drive took us most of a day to complete.  We made it back to the resort just in time for another beautiful Hawaiian Sunset to end the day!

Coming Next:  Journey to Hawaii...The Big Island....Day 8.....Volcanoes

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Journey to Hawaii...The Big Island....Day 4: Breakfast with the Whales...Dinner with the Dancers

Breakfast with the Whales

Our catamaran for our whale cruise along with glass bottom boat.

Those of you who know me or have been reading my blogs for the past few years will know that I had a horrible whale watching experience in Monterey a few years back. I will not bore you with the gory details here but if you would like to read it for yourself and enjoy a few laughs...here is the link to that blog

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I mention this past experience because if you had asked me before I left for Hawaii, I would have bet you any amount of money that I would NOT have gone on another whale watching adventure....ever! That's what makes this trip even more impressive. I not only went on the whale cruise but I LOVED it!!

On our first full day on the Big Island, we took a ride up the Kohala Coast and we were shocked to see Whales breaching in the ocean waters as we were driving along the roadways!  I had done some research ahead of our vacation so I knew that we were going to be in a prime whale watching time period while we were there but I had no idea how easy it would be to see the whales from the shore!  Just seeing them jumping out of the water made us curious as to how great it would be see them from a whale watching cruise.  We decided to check out options.

Since we were staying at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, it was just a short walk down to our pool area to check with the friendly folks at the Ocean Sports Hut.  We booked the day before the cruise that we wanted to take.  I would suggest if you are there during a slightly busier time that you give yourself some flexibility and book a little further out. We were lucky that they still had spots open this close to the date we were looking to cruise.  If you are staying at one of the other resorts in the area or elsewhere you can find Ocean Sports offices in the Queen's Marketplace.  We spoke with Kawehi and she gave us lots of information about the various cruises and also helped us out with  getting the best value.  Once we took a look at our options we decided on the Breakfast with the Whales cruise.  There were a couple things that really made our decision to choose that particular cruise.  1.  They guaranteed you would see a whale and 2. The ocean waters are much smoother in the morning.  At this time we were also told where our pick up location was (in the lower main lobby at the Hilton Waikoloa) and the time of our pick up.  We were also told that this would be a "wet boarding" and we may want to wear flip flops but not to worry because the water is generally no higher than your knees so shorts are fine..no need to wear a bathing suit or anything.  Ok....we weren't quite sure what this meant but hey....we were just going with the flow at this point.

A scuba cruise that was leaving from the same beach.

Sunday February 23rd was a beautiful morning on the Big Island.  Our cruise was scheduled from 8 AM - 10 AM.  We arrived at our pick up location several minutes early.  There were quite a few guests who were taking the cruise with us.  Ocean Sports brought a shuttle bus...very comfortable....and we had a very short drive to their office in Queen's Marketplace.  At this stop, one person from each group got off the bus and went into the office to sign waivers and pick up a pass which served both as admission and as coupons for other activities on the island.  This was maybe a 5 minute stop and then we all boarded the shuttle again and continued on to the beach area.

Once we got to the beach area, we waited for a few minutes for all the passengers to arrive.  This gave everyone time to use the restrooms on the beach and get ready to board.  We had a short walk across the beach to the area where we would board.  We found out what "wet boarding" meant!  This is how the process works.  The catamaran is anchored a little ways from shore.  The glass bottom boat shuttles passengers to and from the catamaran.  The glass bottom boat pulls up close to shore and they bring a set of steps over to the boat.  Passengers walk into the water and up the steps to board the glass bottom boat. It takes a few trips to get all the passengers out to the catamaran depending on how many there are for a particular cruise.  Once you arrive at the catamaran, you walk up a few steps from the glass bottom boat and directly onto the larger boat.  Once you are on board there is a small cabin where a continental breakfast is set up.  There is juice, some small pastries and granola bars just to take the edge off.  You can also store any items in there that you don't want to hang onto during the cruise....the sides are pretty open so if you don't want to lose it in the ocean it's probably a good idea to keep it inside.  It wasn't long before we were ready to set sail with Gary, our captain.

We pulled away from the shore and saw a sea turtle swim by.

A Sea Turtle Cruising by the boat!

 We had a few minutes to appreciate the view of the shore before the whale action began.

It wasn't long after that we started to spot whales in the distance.  It started with spotting the spouting

And then we started to see the whale itself!  

Our Guide was awesome as she explained many aspects of whale behavior and interesting facts about the humpback whales that we were seeing.  She was also really good at pointing out locations of whales and enlisting the help of the passengers to point out locations as they saw whales.

In the few downtimes that we had between sightings, her stories and information really filled in the time.  She really encouraged us all to "harness the third grader inside us all" and get excited when we saw the whales.  Honestly it didn't take too much encouragement the whales were amazing and every time we saw one the whole boat would go nuts!

We learned what "breaching" meant and about spouting and about pec slaps and how the tails of humpbacks are really strong.  Here are some photos of some of the sights that we saw on our whale watching cruise:

We saw so many whales on our two hour cruise.  It was informative and really awesome to get up and close and personal with these humungous mammals!  We even got to hear their whale song when the guides put a hydrophone into the water and let us listen to the whales.  It was just an amazing morning.

Once our time was done, the captain parked the boat in the same area where we had boarded and we reversed the boarding process...the glass bottom boat came back, picked us up and shuttled us back to shore.  The shuttle bus was waiting for us exactly where they dropped us off and we were quickly taken back to our resort.  Ocean Sports was very professional and the entire experience was terrific.  I really can't say enough about the difference between this whale cruise and the one we took in Monterey.....if you have the opportunity...definitely add this to your list of "must dos" if you are visiting the Big Island during whale season!!

Back to the Resort

After we were dropped off at the the lower main lobby of the Hilton Waikoloa, we still had much of the day ahead of us.  We headed to the Kona Pool area to grab some lunch at the Orchid Marketplace.  

They have sandwiches and small pizzas and some snacks that make for a quick and easy lunch.  We enjoyed a no fuss lunch and then headed back across the resort to our room.  There just isn't any way that you can walk around outside the resort without taking some pictures of the gorgeous property!

The lagoon area of the Hilton Waikoloa Village looking at the Ocean Tower

Buddha Point

Ocean View of the Lagoon Tower

There is artwork everywhere you look!

The Wedding Chapel

The Inside of the Wedding Chapel

The lagoon area

Once we headed back to the room and relaxed on our lanai for a little bit....it was time to start getting ready for our evening...we were headed to the Legend of Hawaii Luau at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.

Dinner with the Dancers (Legends of Hawaii Luau - Hilton Waikoloa)

We had reservations for the Legend of Hawaii Luau this evening.  We had been to a Luau on the island of Oahu before so we had an idea of what to expect but had no idea what the quality of the show would be.  We were pleasantly surprised.  All Luau's tend to be a little "touristy" but it's just something you have to do if you are going to Hawaii!  You can't go home and say you never went to a Luau!  While there weren't games and the pulling of the pig from the ground like we saw at the Oahu Luau...this was a very nice way to spend and evening. It was not terribly long and it was nice that you could just walk over from your room rather than taking a shuttle bus across the Island.  

We began lining up to get into the Luau at about 5:30 PM.  There was a bit of a line but it moved rather quickly.  We had purchased the upgraded Ali'i seating.  For the small amount extra you pay you get:

Premier fast-tracked seating

Unlimited drinks

Enhanced menu on dedicated food stations

Family-style pupus and desserts table side

Coffee/tea service table side

Exclusive butler service

Complimentary valet parking and gratuity

It's really worth the extra money....you get to sit in seats that are closer to the stage also.  

Tip:  If you are staying at the Hilton Waikoloa, purchase the dining card. It can be used for your Luau Tickets and will pay for itself!

Live Entertainment

From 5:30 PM till 6:00 PM there are local artisans and some activities to participate in if you would like.  At 

6:00 PM the live entertainment starts and the dinner feast is unveiled.

Unveiling of the dinner

One dinner is served you have time to eat before the main show begins.  If you have purchased the Ali'i Seating you have your own buffet line and desserts and drinks are brought to your table.  If you purchase general seating, you will have a longer line at the buffet and you will have a short walk to get to your drinks and your desserts.  Either way, it is very efficient and you will not leave hungry!

Seating at the Luau

 The main event

At 6:45 PM the children are asked to come up in front of the stage, there are a few small activities that involved the children and then they are allowed to stay in the front during the show (until the fire dancer performs).

At 7:00 PM the show begins.  There are many dancers and they perform the Legend of Hawaii.  It is so fun to see them in traditional dress.

 The music and dancing are awesome and the crowd really enjoys the show.

The part of the show that everyone waits for is the fire dancer.  This is definitely the highlight of any Luau and the Legends of Hawaii Show does not disappoint.  It was a great ending to Luau.

 The show ends at 8:00 PM.  It's a nice evening and you just can't go to Hawaii and NOT go to a Luau!

Plan your budget accordingly because Luau's tend to be one of the more expensive evenings you will have but it is well worth the time and money to take it in while you are there!

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Coming up Next:  Journey to Hawaii....The Big Island....A Glimpse of Heaven