Aloha!
Mahalo for joining us on the Big Island of Hawaii for Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons Hawaii 2017
tour. We have lived on the Big Island for 15 years, so wanted to share our knowledge and give you our
guide to the Big Island. The Big Island is the youngest of the islands and is home to Kilauea, the longest
erupting volcano in the world. For those of you who may not be familiar with the Big Island, it is really
big! So, while staying in one place the entire time might save you money on lodging, it will mean a lot of
driving. We recommend staying on the east side (Hilo, Puna, Hamakua Coast) for the first three shows
and the west side (Captain Cook, Kailua-Kona, Waikoloa) for the last three shows. We would also
recommend renting a car. It may be less expensive to fly in and out of Kona than Hilo.
Hilo is a nice little town with excellent restaurants, nice grassy beach parks and gardens, waterfalls, and
a great outdoor farmer’s market on Saturdays. It is centrally located to everything on the east sideVolcano National Park, Hamakua coastal drive towards Waipio Valley, Botanical Gardens (worth it!), and
only 45 minutes to the first show at Uncle Roberts Ava Bar in Kalapana, HI. We recommend spending
that Friday exploring the lower Puna district. There is great snorkeling at the tide pools in Kapoho, a
volcanically heated warm pond, the surf break at Pohoiki, and a clothing optional black sand beach
called Kahena. That morning may be a good time to take a lava boat tour to the lava ocean entry point,
or if you’re up for it, we will be taking some folks out to view the lava via a couple of mile bike ride (as
long as the lava doesn’t change between now and then). The following two show days, we recommend
hanging in Hilo or driving up the Hamakua coast to check out the waterfalls and sea cliffs.
The days between shows are full of possibilities. You could drive south to the southernmost tip of the
United States and visit a green sand beach (4-wheel drive is the best way to get there, otherwise you can
walk it). You could also travel north to the amazing Waipio Valley. If you have 4 wheel drive you can
drive down one if the craziest roads ever, otherwise it is a brutal one mile walk (because it is so steep).
The valley has horseback tours but we recommend just exploring the beach and the river. You can also
hike to the next valley over. You could also visit the towns of Waimea and Hawi on the north shore and
drive through beautiful rolling hills and ranch country. You can also drive up to the 14,000foot summit
of Mauna Kea . Sunsets there are pretty epic!
The west side is where you will find white sandy beaches, coffee farms, killer diving and snorkeling (you
can even dive or snorkel with manta rays), and lots of resorts. If resort living is your thing, then the
Hilton Waikoloa is the place for you. It is about 30 minutes from the 3 Kona shows but is off the hook as
far as resorts go. They have exotic birds, their own lagoon, waterslides, a tram and a boat as well as an
awesome spa and lots of good restaurants. If you are into farms and a more “old Hawaii” feel, then
Captain Cook and Honaunau might be for you. If you want to be centrally located on the west side then
we recommend staying in Kona town itself. The best beaches are in North Kona and South Kohala,
about 30 minutes north of Kona.
We hope that this helps you plan your trip! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out! We
have included some additional links below for lodging ideas.
Parks and Camping
http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/hawaii/ State Parks
https://hawaiicounty.ehawaii.gov/camping/welcome.html;jsessionid=06FE272716F46CE612340194462
DFE85.lana county parks
Lodging
http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/hawaii/grand-naniloa-hotel-hilo-a-doubletree-by-hiltonITOHNDT/index.html Naniloa Hotel- Hilo
http://www.hawaiihostel.net/ Hilo Bay Hostel
http://www.castleresorts.com/big-island/hilo-hawaiianhotel/?&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Hilo%20Hawaiian%20%20Resort%20Brand&utm_keyword=hilo%20hawaiian Hilo Hawaiian Hotel
http://www.konabeachhotel.com/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=PPC2P&DCSext.ppc_kw=king+kamehameha+
hotel&ppc_ac=RLSABrand&ppc_ag=Brand+Exact+Match&ppc_mt=Exact&platform=c&gclid=CPqp5I7l0tECFcGOfgod98wMaA
King Kamehameha Hotel- Kona
http://www.royalkona.com/ Royal Kona Hotel
https://www.princeresortshawaii.com/hapuna-beach-princehotel?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=google_my_business&utm_medium=organic Hapuna Beach
Prince Hotel- Waikoloa
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/koamc-waikoloa-beach-marriott-resort-andspa/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2 Waikoloa Marriott
http://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com/?WT.mc_id=zMKWASB0AA1HH2OLL3GooglePlusBusiness4Suppo
rt5KOAHWHH Hilton Waikoloa
Our Favorite East Side Spots
Dinner: Café Pesto, Hilo Bay Café, Pineapples, Ning’s (Thai-Pahoa), Volcano House (Volcano- crater
view), Kaleo’s (Pahoa)
Lunch: Conscious Culture Café, Sweet Cane Café
Breakfast: Short and Sweet Bakery, Sharks Coffee, Tin Shack Bakery (Pahoa)
Pizza: Big Island Pizza
Our Favorite West Side Spots
Breakfast: Island Lava Java
Pizza and Beer: Kona Brewing Company
Tacos and Beer: Big Island Brewhaus and Tako Taco (Waimea)
Coffee: Daylight Mind Coffee Company
Burger: Village Burger (Waimea)
Our Favorite Hiking Spots:
Our Favorite Snorkel Spots:
Kalopa Park
Kealakekua Bay
Volcano National Park
Waiopea Tide Pools in Kapoho
Pololu Valley
Honaunau- Two Step next to city of refuge
Our Favorite Beaches: East Side
Our Favorite Beaches: West Side
Richardson’s- Hilo
Hapuna Beach- Waikoloa
Carlsmith Beach Park (4-mile)- Hilo
Makalawena Beach- Kona
Kahena Beach- Kalapana
Wailea (69) Beach- Waikoloa
Green Sands Beach- South Point
Hookena Beach- Captain Cook/Honaunau (camping)
Waipio Valley- Honoka’a
Pololu Beach- Hawi