& Stars Adventure, which leaves Kona in time for a late-afternoon picnic dinner on the mountain, sunset at the summit, and stargazing at the visitor center, for $221. The company uses two customized off-road buses (14 passengers max each) for the 7- to 8-hour tour. Early risers can take advantage of jet lag for the exclusive Maunakea Sunrise Experience ($191–$206) which departs between 2:30 and 3am from both Kona and Hilo sides and includes breakfast, allowing you to see the night sky on the slope of the mountain and sunrise at the top. Like all of Hawaii Forest & Trail’s tours, these are exceptional, with well-informed guides.
Monty “Pat” Wright was the first to run a Mauna Kea stargazing tour when he launched Mauna Kea Summit Adventures (www.maunakea.com; 888/322-2366 or 808/322-2366) in 1983. Guests now ride in a large-windowed, four-wheel-drive (4WD) van instead of a Land Cruiser and don parkas instead of old sweaters; otherwise, it’s much the same, with veggie lasagna for dinner at the visitor center before a spectacular sunset and stargazing. The 7½- to 8-hour tour costs $226.
Observatories at Maunakea
Lake Waiau, inside the cinder cone just below the summit of Mauna Kea
The Hamakua Coast
Don’t forget bug spray when exploring this warm, moist region, beloved by mosquitoes, and be ready for passing showers—you’re in rainbow territory here. Note: Some sights below are in the North Hilo district, just south of the official Hamakua district, which shares its rural character.
Akaka Falls
Akaka Falls State Park NATURAL ATTRACTION See one of the most scenic waterfalls in Hawaii via a relatively easy .4-mile paved loop through a rainforest, past bamboo and flowering ginger, and down to an observation point. You’ll have a perfect view of 442-foot Akaka Falls, plunging down a horseshoe-shaped green cliff, and nearby Kahuna Falls, a mere 100-footer. Keep your eyes peeled for rainbows; your ears are likely to pick up the two-note chirp of coqui frogs (see below). Facilities include restrooms and drinking water.
End of Akaka Falls Rd. (Hwy. 220), Honomu. dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/hawaii. From Hilo, drive north 8 miles on Hwy. 19 to left at Akaka Falls Rd. Follow 3½ miles to parking lot. $5 per car, $1 per person on foot or bicycle. Walk-ins sunrise to sunset, parking lot 8:30am–6pm daily.
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Co-key, Co-key: What Is That Noise?
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That loud, chirping noise you hear after dark on the Hilo side and elsewhere is the cry of the male coqui frog looking for a mate. A native of Puerto Rico, where the frogs are kept in check by snakes, coqui came to Hawaii in some plant material, found no natural enemies, and spread quickly across the Big Island, concentrated on the east side. (A handful have made it to Oahu, Maui, and Kauai, where they’ve been swiftly captured by
state agriculture teams devoted to eradicating the invasive species.) A few frogs will sound like singing birds; a chorus of thousands can be deafening—and on Hawaii Island, they can reach densities of up to 10,000 an acre. Coqui frogs don’t like the cool weather of Waimea and Volcano as much, but anywhere else that’s lush and rural is likely to have large populations. Pack earplugs if you’re a light sleeper.
Botanical World Adventures WATERFALL/GARDEN Just north of Hilo is one of the largest botanical gardens in Hawaii, with some 5,000 species. Although it no longer offers a vista of spectacular, triple-stacked Umauma Falls (see below), it still lays claim to a huge children’s maze (second in size only to Dole Plantation’s on Oahu), a tropical fruit arboretum, ethnobotanical and wellness gardens, and flower-lined walks. Waterfall lovers will be heartened to note that the owners have also created a road and trail leading to viewing areas above and below the previously hidden 100-foot Kamaee Falls ($6 if you want to go there only), as well as a trail leading past a series of shorter, bubbling cascades in Hanapueo Stream. If that’s just too peaceful for you, opt for one of the Segway tours, ranging from 30 minutes to 3 hours ($77–$197) or a zipline tour ($177 adults, $99 ages 4 to 12), which like guided walks should be reserved in advance. All tour rates include garden admission.
31-240 Old Mamalahoa Hwy., Hakalau. www.worldbotanicalgardens.com. 888/947-4753 or 808/963-5427. $15 adults, $7 teens 13–17, $3 children 5–12, free for children 4 and under. Guided 2-hr. garden tours $57 adults, $33 children 5–12; guided rainforest/waterfall tours $139. Guided tours require 24-hr. advance reservations. Daily 8:30am–5:30pm. From Hilo, take Hwy. 19 north past mile marker 16, turn left on Leopolino Rd., then right on Old Mamalahoa Hwy.; entrance is 1⁄10-mile on right.
Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden GARDEN More than 2,000 species of tropical plants thrive in this little-known Eden by the sea. The 40-acre valley garden, nestled between the crashing surf and a thundering waterfall, includes torch gingers (which tower on 12-ft. stalks), a banyan canyon, an orchid garden, a banana grove, a bromeliad hill, and a golden bamboo grove, which rattles like a jungle drum in the trade winds. Some endangered Hawaiian specimens, such as the rare Gardenia remyi, flourish here. The self-guided tour takes about 90 minutes, but you’re welcome to linger. Borrow an umbrella at the visitor center so that passing showers don’t curtail your visit. Note: You enter and exit the garden via a 500-foot-long boardwalk that descends along a verdant ravine. Free golf-cart assistance is provided for wheelchair users to reach the accessible path below; for those without wheelchairs but with limited physical ability, the cost to ride the cart there and back is $5.
27-717 Old Mamalahoa Hwy. (4-Mile Scenic Route), Papaikou. www.htbg.com. 808/964-5233. $20 adults, $5 children 6–16, free for children 5 and under. Daily 9am–5pm (last entry 4pm). From Hilo, take Hwy. 19 north 7 miles to right turn on Scenic Route; visitor center is 2 miles on the left.
Laupahoehoe Point HISTORIC SITE/NATURAL ATTRACTION This idyllic place holds a grim reminder of nature’s fury. On April 1, 1946, a tsunami swept away the schoolhouse that once stood on this peninsula and claimed the lives of 24 students, teachers, and residents. Their names are engraved on a stone memorial in a pretty beach park, and a display holds newspaper stories on the tragedy. The land here ends in black sea stacks that resemble tombstones; when high surf crashes on them, it’s positively spooky (and dangerous if you stand too close). The rough shoreline is not a place to swim, but the views are spectacular. Services include restrooms, picnic tables, and drinking water.
Laupahoehoe. From Hilo, take Hwy. 19 north 25 miles to Laupahoehoe Point exit, makai side; the exit is 31 miles south of Waimea.
Umauma Falls WATERFALL/GARDEN Formerly accessed through Botanical World Adventures (above), the
