Happy Monday! Last week I shared part I of my Hawaii trip, and now its time for part II of my Big Island Travel Guide!
Big Island Travel Guide: Waipi’o Valley Hike
The Waipi’o Valley hike was so beautiful! We started at the top looking down on the black sand beach shown below. The end of the hike brought us to this secluded black beach where we spent most of our day. During the hike, there were wild horses roaming the land during the hike, and coconuts falling from tree’s. It seemed unreal. The hike on the way back up wasn’t as glamorous since we were walking up a steep incline the whole time!
Big Island Travel Guide: Akaka Falls State Park
The waterfalls at Akaka Falls State park were pretty, but a little too crowded for me. There were waved walkways and just didn’t seem very authentic to me compared to some of our other adventures. I am glad we went though because the real magic happened at the fruit stand on our way home!
Big Island Travel Guide: The Fruit Stand
On your way out of Akaka Falls, you will see a cute little fruit stand on the side of the road. You don’t want to miss this. The ice-cream bean fruit amazed me! To open, you twist and peal open the fruit. When it is opened, the fruit is naturally cooled and tasted so good! 
I was in coconut heaven you guys! The worker at the fruit stand opened up coconuts for us to drink. After all of the coconut water was gone, we handed the coconuts back to him where he cut out all of the coconut meat for our drive home. He gave us tons of samples, including a lilikoi sample (passion fruit-photo on the right) which was delicious! I could go on and on about that fruit stand.
Big Island Travel Guide: Two Ladies Kitchen
I read so much about Two Ladies Kitchen’s famous strawberry mochi so we headed there on our way to the beach to see what all the hype was about. It is supposedly the best in the state, but it wasn’t the kind of mochi we’re used to so we were all a little unimpressed. It was warm and had a bean type of filling.
Big Island Travel Guide: Kilaeuea Volcano
About 30 miles southwest of Hilo is the Kilaeuea Volcano. After the sunset we were able to see the volcano glow from the lava, which was a pretty neat sight to see!
Big Island Travel Guide: Spa Day at Mauna Lani Bay
Our visit to Mauna Lani Bay was so fun that I made a full post about it. Read more about our amazing spa day here!
Big Island Travel Guide: Four Seasons
The Four Seasons is an absolutely beautiful resort located on the Big Island. While we didn’t stay there (we stayed at the Hilton), we were able to tour the amazing properties there. We had an amazing brunch at the Four Seasons, which I would definitely do again.
Big Island Travel Guide: Snorkeling Excursion
We did a snorkeling excursion in Kona, which was an absolute blast. Many companies offer snorkeling excursions. I am not one for snorkeling (scaredy cat), and I still had a great time. There were dolphins everywhere, our boat was equipped with a water slide and a high dive, and the views were amazing.
Big Island Travel Guide: Tex Drive In
I love stopping at local hidden gems when I travel. If you search “what to do on The Big Island” Tex Drive In malasadas will ALWAYS show up! Malasadas are deep fried yeast dough coated with sugar. They are amazing, and you will most likely want to go back after you get your hands on these! Don’t worry I didn’t eat all of these myself. We tried a few different fillings including bavarian cream, chocolate, plain, and guava.
Big Island Travel Guide: Kekaha Kai
If you enjoy being in the non-touristy areas, this beach is for you. We searched Kekaha Kai on google maps, and once we arrived to the parking area we began our walk to the beach. I suggest bringing sneakers for this one. We made a day trip out of Kekaha Kai and it was a perfect day! Be sure to pack drinks and snacks as there is not much around if you forget anything.
Big Island Travel Guide: Sunset Dinner at Lava Lava
On one of our last nights we had a sunset dinner at Lava Lava. It was such a fun environment from the amazing food to the live music. We had pineapple rice bowls and they were amazing! Above is a photo taken just a few steps away from our table.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this Big Island travel guide! Have a wonderful week! I have some fun fall outfits coming your way this week, so don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter to make sure you never miss an outfit!
XO
