The ultimate Big Island experience is what we call, The Circle Tour. This is a tour that starts in Kailua Kona, wraps around the island to include South Hawaii, Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, the Hamakua Coast, the Kohala Coast and back to Kailua Kona. This drive normally takes about 10 hours!
This includes the prerequisite stop at South Point/Ka Lea to see the cliffs and the southernmost tip of Hawaii Island, Punulu’u Bake Shop in Nahalehu and Punalu’u Black Sand beach to see the sea turtles and this geologic wonder of unique sand. No trip is complete to our island without a stop at the National Park, where in this video, we caught the last flowing lava cone before the eruption stopped only a week after in began on Sept. 10th.
The tour continues to Hilo, where we show off Rainbow Falls and the gorgeous old banyan tree nearby and tropical foliage lovers can view the scenic 4 mile drive to the Onomea Bay look out.
Our video ended at the bay, but we took our guests through the lonely Hamakua Coast, through Waimea and back to where they were staying in Waikoloa and we headed home to Kailua Kona to complete the full circle tour around the island, about 200 miles!
If you go, be sure to bring water, a jacket and perhaps long pants for Volcano, as it can get cold, windy and misty there. We point out key bathroom stops along they way in the video, but know that there is not much between Hilo and Waimea! You can stop at the Parker Ranch Center in Waimea for food and a bathroom stop.
It is a LONG, but very exciting trip for people who want to see Hawaii Island in one day. Of course, you would need to at least add a trip to the Mauna Kea Visitors Center to get the center of the island, as well, and you CAN do that if you plan carefully and can take in star gazing at the end of your trip there.
We were very lucky to get beautiful weather and erupting lava in this video. Hope your travels here are memorable!
0:00 intro
1:18 Manukā Natural Area Reserve
2:38 Ocean View Estates Scenic Outlook
3:29 South Point
5:04 Punalu‘u Bake Shop
5:36 Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach
6:54 Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
9:34 Candies Big Island
9:58 Rainbow Falls, Hilo
11:30 Four Mile Scenic Drive
