Big Island Bests

Brad’s Big Island Bests

These are some of our recommendations on activities, places to eat and visit, and tips for enjoying the island to the fullest!  Please send me any significant experiences you may have during your stay!

Places to Eat

Kai Eatery (Beer, Pizza, Tacos, Casual) - just opened, so it wasn't that busy in July because no one knew about it. It may be getting more notoriety now, but it is still a great location and has good food for the family (pizza, nachos, burgers, etc).  We recommend the Big Bambucha mai tai!

Papa Kona (Hawaiian, Casual) - right next to Kai in the shopping structure across from the farmers market. Again suitable for kids and has good views but is much busier, especially for dinner.  

Sakura (Japanese, Sushi) - Also in Kona, but good for Japanese food and pretty affordable sushi. They are among the few places serving chicken teriyaki on a sizzling platter!

Dai'ichi Ramen (Japanese ramen)- an EXTREMELY fast food ramen place that gets you your food faster than McDonalds! We love this place if you are past hungry and fresh off a flight from the mainland.  A bit salty, if being honest, but doing a combo with chicken katsu, pork fried rice, and some miso ramen, you can’t go wrong.   

Pine Tree Cafe (Local, Hawaiian, Plates) - see below for activity pairing.  BIG menu, but I love their Somen salad with teriyaki chicken. They also do good fried chicken and chicken katsu.  

Ona Loa Grill  (Local, Hawaiian, Plates) -  They have the best burgers, in my estimation, and if you like Loco Moco, best on the island too. The Ona Loa Loco Moco is to die for but not for the faint of heart!

Lava Lava Beach Club (Touristy, Views, Casual) - Very near you and a Great place with stunning sunsets!  It's a long wait, but they have a VW Bus converted to a bar where you can order mai tais while you wait.  Best to go mid/late afternoon and stay till the sunset, but you can also wrap up and watch the sunset from the beach!

Umekes  (Local, Hawaiian, Plates) - Umeke’s is a popular local establishment known for its seafood and fresh island fare.  Everything on the menu is yummy, and they have outdoor music on some nights.  Bustling but fun atmosphere!  You can also get a set of $100 Gift certs for $70  at Costco. 

Kona Brewery (Beer, Burgers, Casual)- you can't go wrong with this as their beers have gone international with distribution.  It is also a great place to get souvenir shirts, good food, and beer. Right close to Umekes, in case either place is too busy. 

Charleys Thai Cuisine (Thai) - A few bucks overpriced and very crowded due to location, its decent Thai food. Only Thai food out in the Waikoloa area.   We ate there, and their curries were good.

Canoe House (Fine Dining, Hawaiian) - The most expensive on this list and probably the most difficult to get into, but if you can, have dinner at Canoe House.  It is on the ocean, has spectacular food, and is an overall excellent experience.  We go every time we are on island and get the chef's tasting menu, or if you love Waygu, it is wonderful here.  The corn nibs are outstanding, the Branzino fish is full of flavor, oily and moist, and all the desserts are yummy.  The casual spot at the Mauna Lani is Ha’Lani, which is also very good.

Pau Hana Poke (Poke, Sushi, Hawaiian) - Yes, I’m bucking the trend of recommending the Poke Shack as my go-to premium poke spot.  But this place makes it fresh every day they are open and usually have a line as well.  Also, it's very close to the property near Costco.  Recommend asking what the chef thinks is fresh and tasty if you have a wide range of pokes.  Otherwise, they have the traditional mixes and give you sides as well.  It is a good value, too, only pricing a dollar or two more than the bulk poke at Costco!    

Activities 

Hapuna Beach - ranked the #1 best beach in the country on some lists, this beach has the most white sand and is easily the most popular.  It resembles CA beaches and has waves on a good day for boogie boarding.  

Pine Trees Beach - It's our favorite from a local's perspective because although you may not go in the water, you can drive right up and bring dinner on a picnic blanket or bench and watch the sunset.  Go to Pine Tree Cafe and get some local food, where the entrance to pine trees is right across the Queen K highway.  Great for family pictures for the holidays

Farmers market Kona - Wed-Sunday. This local market has trinkets and a few fruit/veggie stands. Good for kids, and you can grab a Dole Whip at Bubba and Finns in nearby Kona Village. Highly recommend the slushie with dole whip.  

Drive to Hilo - a beautiful drive will take you by the tallest volcano in Hawaii.  You will travel through several climates and topographies with all sorts of cool stuff. 

Farmers markets Hilo and Waimea - Saturday. It's 10 x bigger and better than the Kona one and better than the one in Waimea. There are several food places, a couple of trucks, lots of souvenirs, and fruit/veggie stands.  For a fun outing the one in Waimea has good food and usually has a band–it is usually colder and windier in this part of the island.

Rainbow Falls - While in Hilo, you should travel just outside of town back up the hill to rainbow falls. It's really beautiful and close by. A trick I tell folks to do is to get as close as they can to the falls from the lookout and concentrate/stare at the falling water while counting slowly to 20.  Then look immediately at the rocks just to the right of the falls and see what happens. 

Akaka Falls - It is a 30 min drive to get there, but since you are already in Hilo, it is worth it. It will be a short 20 min circular hike and plenty of nature to see. Grab a freshly cut coconut and pineapple at a fruit stand you will surely pass on the way out. 

Kehena Black Sand Beach -  located on the southeast of the island- makes for a very long day on the Hilo side, so I don't recommend it if your family is on fumes from the above activities. But interesting to catch if you can muster the energy!

Floating with the Manta Rays - Some young children may be unable to do this, but it's a nighttime experience many people love.  You take a boat out at night and float on lit surfboards that attract phytoplankton, attracting Manta rays that want to eat them.  This results in them swimming right up to your face!  The downside is that it's not 100% guaranteed they will come out, but a lovely sunset boat ride is included!

A-Bay Beach - Close to resorts, shopping, and restaurants, mainly Lava Lava Beach Club.  As a result, it can be populated with tourists, but it is a lovely beach, especially for families with small kids, as the bay has small waves and shallow beaches.  

Ku’a Bay - It is a smaller beach that can get crowded, but everyone must drive to it.  About halfway back to Kona, it's also a lovely beach to hang for the day: white sand and more giant waves.

Kaumana Caves - On the way to Hilo, these caves are really cool and an easy hike.  Bring a flashlight or headlamp from home or buy a couple at Home Depot, water bottles and wear some close-toed shoes for this hike. Fabulous pictures and experience that is free to do!

Polulu Valley Hike  - A great short hike with amazing views and access to the ocean.  Hawaiians really treasure this valley and so there are no structures or bathrooms available.  The hike down can be a bit tenuous especially if wet so wear appropriate shoes and take your time on the descent.  Parking is not that great either so going early morning on a weekday is best.  You can also stop in the town of Haawi (pronounced Ha-vi) for drinks, food and most important, a bathroom. 

Other tips:

Groceries - groceries and food are inherently expensive in Hawaii, but there are tricks to getting by.  Far and away, the best pricing is Costco, but of course, you need to buy in bulk and are limited in selection.  You also need to get other ingredients if making meals.  

For that, a local Safeway is close by for the most complete selection of items.  Target and Walmart also have grocery sections with a broader selection in smaller portions.  Water and drinks are pricey but much better than resort fees. 

Wine - If you are into wine, the Market at the Queen's Shops in Waikoloa Village is the place to go.  They have a surprisingly large selection and are also reasonably priced.  Stop there on the way home from the beach.  Most restaurants allow you to bring wine, but corkage is often unreasonable.  For example, we brought a bottle of wine to the Canoe House, and it was an $80 corkage fee!!  

Beach Chairs, boogie boards, coolers - Beach items can be reasonably priced at Costco.  You can also bring a soft-sided cooler from home.  The house is fully stocked, too, with chairs, towels, snorkel gear, and boogies.  

Traffic - Everyone drives the speed limit....unless you are a Mainlander visiting. It's a local custom to let people in at intersections even though you have the right of way.

Gas - Gas is expensive, especially if coming from a state not called California.  Hawaii gas prices are high compared to most of the country, but the best place to go on the island is Costco Gas. Hele gas is also relatively affordable and has more locations than Costco. 

Get this Book: Big Island Revealed - great read and entertaining.  Highly recommend getting your bearings on the place unless you are just going to hang out poolside because that is usually what we do for most of our vacations!