BIG ISLAND:
Being an island, very large, we chose to divide the four days to sleep more 'or less in each fist Cardinal island.
The first day we visited the north coast, sleeping in the Waipio Valley Waipio Wayside B & B that is as straconsiglio position as beauty
http://www.waipiowayside.com , we slept in their room Moon to $ 99 + tax. Straconsigliato!
the second day we stayed in Hilo, at Holmes sweet home www.hilohawaiibandb.com at a cost of $ 108 including breakfast and taxes. They are delicious and the B & B strongly recommend it, much less Hilo, a city 'wet and rainy (the only place in Hawaii where I found the mosquitoes!) That there is no' like it at all. Looking back, I would do two nights in a B & B in the village of Vulcan, the coast of Hilo has beaches worthy of note in which stop and starting from the Waipio Valley might as well be up to Volcano.
the third day we stayed at the Volcano House, the only inside the national park. I must say that the rooms we have chosen, the most 'economical, they are ugly even though the position and' beautiful, the Volcano House is located right next to the park visitor center.
The fourth day we stayed in a Resort in Kona booked through expedia two days before to about $ 80 per night plus taxes: I do not remember the name, frankly, so are all the same resort for one night one or the other. I discovered that not necessary to book first, because 'where there are many rooms and' more 'easy to find last minute offers. I had booked a hotel booking, which I then canceled Just two days before I found the deals on expedia that is on the same booking.
miss my opinion on the island, almost all from the Waipio Valley, the scenic coast of Hilo, a beautiful coastline rich in vegetation and very scenic drive to do. Do not miss the Volcanoes NP, up to two of the beaches most 'beautiful Hawaii, both on the south west of BigIsland: The Beach Punaluu Black and Green Sand Beach at South Point.
April 18, 2009
The flight today, headed up Big Island, not annoverero 'certainly among my favorites. The Bus of the Alamo, know that we fly with Pacific Wings, which leads us to a small hangar where we boarded a plane monotor ten places not no control of their security 'much less in check. The only control that is being done and 'weigh us and our luggage ....
me I am fine on multi beasts crossing the ocean, I am a bit 'uneasy about these traps and flight, albeit short, will seem to me' forever. At the Alamo
have at least one pleasant surprise: the economy are over again and give us the same price as a Mustang convertible. Rejecting
!
Leaving the airport, let us now explore the coast north of Big Island, half of the day today.
First, we stop for a couple of hours in the beautiful beach of Hapuna beach, before rising up to the scenic coast of Upolu Point. Change the face of Big Island: Kona coast of the dull suitable for luxury resort you are in the midst of green meadows that recall both the Colorado.
It 's a novel aspect of Hawaii, which affects us a lot. For the night we stopped at a B & B in Waipio Valley, a beautiful house in the middle of a plantation, perhaps the B & B more 'beautiful throughout the holiday.
But we are sure to be in Hawaii? In reality they were sleeping on the cool of the woods, thanks to the sounds of night insects out of our window.
We have dinner with a good pizza (very high by American standards), in the small town of Honokaa: you can not miss in a small town and 'the only place that says out of pizza! Started by an Italian, only accepts cash and will prove 'pretty expensive ($ 30 in two) but it will be' worth it.
April 19, 2009 Today we have breakfast with the other three couples who stay in our B & B, which apparently 'to complete. Breakfast and 'good, pleasant company, our host will reveal' delicious.
After greeting everyone, we share in our exploration of the east coast, was supposed to Hilo. The Hamakua Coast, which extends from the Waipio Valley to Hilo, and 'beautiful and full of green, with some fantastic views.
Since we arrived in Hilo around lunch time and the city 'no draws at all, we decide to proceed to Pahoa, a small town ... to define it as the my guide: "full of hippies of yesteryear." Well, a little 'and the amosfera' that, we stopped for lunch in a little place where the locals are watching the basketball game from clothing and all seem to really stop a few decades ago.
To remain in question, after we decide to go to Pahoa Kehena Beach. Mr. Holmes's B & B in Hilo had warned me that it was a bad beach full of nudists .... full of nudists and the 'for sure and we know it already' when we see it from above! E 'packed full of people lying in the sun playing, singing and dancing even though they have some clothes as well.:) Pero' e 'is also a beautiful black sand beach, with nice waves so inviting' .. We will go down .. the same and pass the rest of the afternoon at the edge of a sort of beach party! We have fun, 'cause they were all nice .. pero' I warn you, in case they know what to expect in these parts!
the evening we return to Hilo where we know the couple really nice that we will host 'for the night. Unfortunately, however, 'will prove Hilo' really the place more 'sad of all Hawaii: the night we are besieged by mosquitoes (there had never happened before and do not happen to us' more 'after!) And in the evening over dinner we will' sad for the whole holiday, in a diner that I'm sorry for not having marked as deprecated. Hilo definitely does not love us or we do not love her!
April 20, 2009 Fortunately, the lavish breakfast, chatting with past Charlotte and John Holmes, rewards us a bit 'sad the dinner the night before. I'm really a lovely and pleasant elderly couple who make you feel at home, and give us valuable advice for the continuation of our holiday.
salute them and we head towards the Volcanos NP, which will be 'half of the day to day oggi.La are found to be easy' cause the volcano being active, and these days 'a lot of "mad": half the park and' closed due to fumes emitted from the crater and above Luciano who suffers from mild asthma is a little 'hard to breathe, but the same, and' a wonderful experience to walk on foot of an active volcano. We pass the day wandering through the various trails, until my legs no longer hold. For dinner we go to the village of Volcano, which is virtually the only place where you can dine in the area. And even there the choices are pretty limited: choose a Thai restaurant where we discover to our cost that their "low low spicy" for us is "very hot."
April 21, 2009
Let Volcano House and meet to check out the pair of Californians with whom we shared the breakfast table to the Waipio Valley: if the world is small, the Big Island is still more.
head towards the west coast and the first stop of the day is the beautiful beach of Puhaluu, a beautiful black sand beach full of sea turtles. After we
ripostai a bit 'on the beach we head to South Point, so named because with great originality is the most southerly of all the United States.
We head to South Point with intent to find the beach where my friend Cecilia spoke very well, the green sand beach. It is not difficult to find the starting point for the beach, just waiting for us to walk an hour under the sun. As we prepare to go, I see a pick up much of the post parade in front. With all the chutzpah to give up there all I am capable of in pursuit of the launch and I pick up that thankfully has meanwhile stopped: the driver is pulling the cooler that a cold beer next door to draw on while driving. I ask him where is the beach Green do'v'è I know, but I hope to go there and that gives us a ride. Luckily it just this way and we make the journey on the back of a pick up with two dogs instead of walk, but considering the pain that we sit at the end of the journey I do not know if it was a very good idea! The green beach
we like a lot: not a bright green, but an olive-green (the mineral that makes up the sand is called olivine no coincidence), the ocean gives us some nice waves but not too intense to dangerous Bathroom so splashed around a couple of hours before taking a little 'reluctantly and on foot, the road home. After an hour's walk in the sun we get to our car and leave South Point at a time of Kona.
From Hilo we booked one of the many apartments offered on expedia and find that for $ 80 plus tax we have taken a huge apartment not far from the center of Kona, with a fully equipped kitchen even more of my home (Americans!) And a refrigerator, which could include mine.
We spend the last hours of light walking distance to Kona, a town that turns out to be very touristy and plenty of traffic without the charm of Lahaina on Maui, so that I do not regret having spent more time. We have dinner from www.bubbagump.com, funny American chain inspired by the movie Forrest Gump, which only serves shrimp cooked in every way. Ours are delicious and also quite cheap ($ 25 in two). A Kona then the restaurant is in an excellent position, with a beautiful terrace directly on the ocean. After two steps digestive
go to bed. Tomorrow we expect the island of Oahu.
Waipio Valley B & B Panorama:
the coast to Hilo:
The Volcanoes National Park:
The black beach of Punalu'u:
South Point: