It is only a 40 minutes flight from Honolulu to Hilo on Big Island – compared to the more than eight hours from Auckland to Honolulu, where our journey to Hawaii starts from!
As part of our #CreativElenaRTW round the world trip, we are travelling from New Zealand to North America before our older son starts school – but not without a stopover in the endless expanses of the Pacific Ocean: Hawaii, in our case.
Will I ever get to go there again? How cool is anyone who has been to Hawaii? Hawaii, it’s just … one of these dream-like places in the world. So yes, let’s go there!
Even if it sounds like a cliché: We did feel compelled to visit Hawaii for these very thoughts. When taking a trip around the world, Hawaii is the perfect break from the long flight from New Zealand to North America. Hawaii is also wonderfully multi-cultural, relaxed and Polynesian! We were therefore able to significantly reduce the culture shock of travelling from New Zealand, which is also characterised by the Polynesian culture of the Māori, straight on to the USA. Lucky us!
Approaching Big Island from Honolulu in Oahu: Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa are visible from afar, as they are among the highest active volcanic mountains in the world.
Taking a holiday in Ocean View: A perfect home base for families visiting Big Island.
At Hilo airport, we again pick up a pre-booked hire car (as we did on Oahu). From Hilo, it’s a good two hours’ drive to Ocean View in the very south of the Big Island. The name says it all, because the “view of the ocean” is just magical, from literally every point in Ocean View.
We move into our holiday flat, which turns out to be ideal with children in Hawaii. The hosts, an elderly couple who moved to Hawaii from Washington State for the warmth, often seem to accommodate families here. A self-built slide leads from the terrace into the garden, a box of toys for the beach is just next to the house, and inside, there are puzzles, DVDs, books and games waiting for young and old explorers. Our “Piece of Paradise” is so delightful that we are happy to return here one day!
Arrival in Ocean View: Lovely holiday home, perfect with kids.
We love settling in here for a week – a perfect break from being on the road with the kids for more than two months now!
Market day in Ocean View: Having this view every day is what makes up the magic of living here, I guess.
And this, of course: Precious moments of watching little insects and lizards by our terrace.
Day trip to the southernmost point of the USA.
From Ocean View, which itself is located in the south of Big Island, it is not far to Ka Lae, South Point Park and the southernmost point of the USA. Latitude 19° ensures a pleasant, subtropical climate all year round, subject only to the interplay of clouds, wind, sun and – especially on Big Island – volcanic activity!
Here we are, having reached the southernmost point of the USA (and Big Island).
Even from our terrace, we can’t get enough of letting our gaze wander far to the south, into the distance of the Pacific.
Day trip to Black Sands Beach as well as Volcanoes National Park (with the highly active Kīlauea Crater).
The children are enthusiastic about the “beach with the black sand”; our hosts also tell us to look out for turtles there. We can see them fenced off from the onslaught of tourists, squatting on the black rocks and resting after swimming in the sea. What a life: a sea turtle in Hawaii!
We drive on and look forward to a whole day of exploring in Volcanoes National Park, probably the most famous national park in Hawaii. Active, smoking volcanoes and lava fountains are awe-inspiring here – Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire, fascinates us all!
Liam on Black Sands Beach. It’s a place where sea turtles come out and rest.
We discover this playground in Nā’ālehu – and can only recommend the excellent Ka Lae coffee in the immediate vicinity.
A view from the (only) street in Big Island, Hawaii.
Not only smoking volcanoes and fascinating rock formations await us in the national park. But also this beautiful “koru”, the shoot of a huge tree fern leaf.
Lava cave in Volcanoes National Park on Big Island, Hawaii! Here, cooling lava has formed a natural tunnel in the rock.
Finally: the four of us in front of the smoking Kīlauea crater. Less than twelve hours after this photo was taken, lava fountains hundreds of metres high shoot into the air; a dedicated live webcam informs visitors and interested parties about the active volcano via YouTube.
Day trip to Ho’okena Beach Park.
On the other side of Ocean View, the south-west of Big Island welcomes us with different kinds of attractions. Here we drive past numerous coffee and fruit plantations (be sure to try the wonderful, freshly roasted Hawaiian coffee!) to Ho’okena Beach Park, which our hosts also highly recommend. The beach, which has a car park, campsite, a public toilet facility and a few fire pits, is ideal for a visit with children.
Beach and shovel: Not much more is needed to satisfy little (and bigger) adventurers.
My husband and Liam throw themselves into the waves of Ho’okena Beach! The little one stays away respectfully; it’s pretty wild, after all, to face the Pacific Ocean as a three-year-old.
Magical sunset near Ocean View in Big Island, Hawaii.
Kailua-Kona with kids (and a tip for a really cool beach).
The last stop on our tour of Big Island, Hawaii is the largest city on the west coast of the island, Kailua-Kona. Here you can stroll along the sea, enjoy ice cream, do a bit of shopping and indulge in some small-town flair.
However, nature clearly has the upper hand in all of this: as on the entire island, everything on Big Island is subject to the (volcanic) whims of nature; the next major eruption is sure to come. The bizarrely cooled lava fountains on Keiki Beach near the old airport in the town of Kona bear witness to this.
So how to get there? We start up a conversation with the locals over some really good coffee, who are more than happy to explain how to get there!
Kailua-Kona: Shopping and enjoying the town.
We follow the signs to Nākamalei Toddler Playground, clearly more frequented by locals over visitors.
From there, we get detailed instructions on how to get to this pretty beach, which is perfect for small children: Keiki Beach, lined with expensive-looking villas in the north of Kailua-Kona. No or hardly any other tourists. Great!
The ground at my feet is simply impressive! Everywhere in Hawaii, and especially on Big Island, you can find these impressive traces of powerful volcanic activity.
Read more about our experiences and travel tips for Oahu, Hawaii in my next post: Taking the family to Hawaii: Travel tips with kids in Oahu. We explored Honolulu, Pearl Harbour, Waikīkī Beach and the northern part of the island on several day trips in a hire car.
If you would like to know more about each of the destinations of our #CreativElenaRTW family trip around the world, I can recommend the following articles on my travel blog.
They may trigger acute wanderlust, but they are certainly very useful for planning and inspiring a long-distance trip with (small) children 😉
- Perth with kids: Family travel tips in Western Australia
- Near Perth, Western Australia: Exploring Mandurah, Gingin & Pinnacles Desert
- Roadtrip in East Coast Australia: Travel Tips from Brisbane to Byron Bay.
- Campervan Travel in New Zealand: South Island Highlights for families.
- Campervan Travel in New Zealand: North Island Highlights for families.