Big Island Hawaii Travel Guide - Tips, tricks and MUSTS | Lost Luxe (2023)

Well hello, hello!

If you’re following me on Instagram or Facebook you know we just got back from the most incredible vacay in HAWAII.

The Big Island.

Let me tell you, I think The Big Island is severely underrated.

You hear a lot about Maui, Oahu, Kauai – which are obviously all fabulous but…

I LOVE the quiet beauty of the Big Island.

Mark and I head there every couple years and the Big Island of Hawaii holds such a special place in my heart.

Our trip was absolutely fantastic (how could it not be? It’s HAWAII!) Here are all my tips so you can have a fantastic time when you visit, too.

Fast Facts

Here are some fast facts that are super important to the decision making/ packing / etc for your trip.

The Big Island of Hawaii is the largest of the Hawaiian islands, but the least populated per area with only 142,000 people living there full-time. It is MUCH more rural than some of the other popular islands like Maui and Oahu.

It is also VERY diverse in terms of weather depending on what part of the island you are on. It actually has 11/13 of the world’s climate zones all on one little island! Rainforest, desert, snow – it’s all there.

For easy reference, there is basically a wet side of the island {Hilo area} which is usually raining and a dry side {where most resorts are} which has what I think most would expect when they think of Hawaiian weather. Then there’s everything in between.

SO keep this in mind when you are packing and if you plan on going to different parts of the island, like the rain forest or volcano. You may need a puffy jacket and boots in addition to your bikini.

Lodging

Hawaii can be pretty pricey no matter which island you’re on. BUT WHO CAN PUT A PRICE ON PEACE OF MIND, REALLY?! You can’t. It’s priceless. And I promise Hawaii will make you feel SO rejuvenated you will be begging for them to take your money so you can have that fuzzy heart, peaceful feeling only the laid-back beauty of Hawaii can give you.

I say splurge a little and stay somewhere GORGEOUS that embodies the spirit of Hawaii where you can truly relax.

I love to stay on the Kohala Coast area to get that tropical beach experience I’m looking for in a Hawaiian vacay. There are many beautiful experiences all around the island so I recommend venturing out to other parts of the Big island as well. I love exploring the volcano, hiking the Pololu Valley, Hitting the farmer’s market in Hawî and more.

We stayed with our friends the first few days in a super cute Airbnb house on the North side of the island in the little town of Hawî, but it came with issues of cleanliness and bugs {not bed bugs, THANK GOD- you KNOW I checked lol}

But when it was time for Mark and I to head out on our own, I was ready for my Hawaiian resort dream vacay.

However, your girl is a deal hunter. So I decided to try out the Priceline Express Deals situation. I don’t think you can do the “name your own price” anymore but this is basically the same thing. You only know the star rating and location of the hotel, not the actual name, plus room type and price.

SO LET ME TELL YOU HOW I GOT THE HAWAII DEAL OF THE CENTURY

BEST HAWAII HOTEL HACK EVER

So through Priceline Express wound up getting a 4.5 star resort for… get ready… $149 a night. {Did I mention I saw a plywood/no plumbing Airbnb shack for $95/night?! BECAUSE I DID}.

It turned out to be theHapuna Beach Prince Hotel(SO INCREDIBLY GORGEOUS)- but here’s the deal… it’s under construction. Under construction as in: no pool, no restaurants, etc. {Evidence below} BUT HEAR ME OUT.

We showed up and I see HOW under construction it is and the stress creeps up a bit. I mean, it’s really UNDER CONSTRUCTION. They didn’t even have a working lobby- we checked in at a side office. BUT the fear quickly subsided while checking in as their customer service is TOP NOTCH. Our front desk clerk was so friendly, helpful and reassuring we were put at ease and began to feel right at home. He also told us thatthe Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel is the sister hotel to the absolutely STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS Mauna Kea Resortright next door- meaning during construction we had FULL access to their facilities- grounds, restaurants, pool, spa, beach etc. Plus a free shuttle from our hotel to that resort or free valet parking. This is the level of customer service I’m talking about! They know the construction was not fun so they MORE than made up for it with the Mauna Kea access. I was blown away.

Then, we got to our room. The room is BIG, CLEAN, and has a clear OCEAN VIEW plus it is sitting on one of the most beautiful beaches on the entire island- Hapuna Beach.

It looks like this:

We would literally wake up in the morning and drive right on over to the Mauna Kea {approx 3-minute drive- SO easy} and lay on lounges in a cabana looking at this:

STOP IT RIGHT NOW.

The Hapuna Prince said they expect construction to run through May 2018. So if you plan on visiting the Big Island between now and then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking advantage of this amazing deal. After experiencing the service at both Hapuna Prince and Mauna Kea I can also confidently say that once prices go back up after the remodel it is absolutely still worth a stay there. They’re World Class.

Food

The Big Island has some KILLER food. They are known for their local honey, beef {hence the cows everywhere} and Kona Coffee- but there is so much more. Here are my MUST VISIT places on the island

Merriman’s Waimea

Not to sound super bougie {except, let’s be honest, I kind of am} but I’ve been to some pretty incredible restaurants. I’m not a newbie to fine dining, but Merriman’s was honestly one of the best meals I’ve ever had both in terms of food and service. They have a location on several of the islands, but the Big Island location is the flagship.

Our server, Daniel, was INCREDIBLE. Took so much time with us and had such rich descriptions of each dish that I wanted one of everything. Made great recommendations and stopped by to check on us so often you would have thought we were the only table he had {but not in an annoying way- his presence was so welcome I would have just had him sit down with us if he could have!}. Our table was also regularly touched by our bus boy, the host and the manager.

Merriman’s prides themselves on using exclusively local ingredients and regional cuisine. Nothing was over-seasoned, they let the ingredients shine in the most exquisite way. Everything was phenomenal including the water! Seriously! We got a gorgeous bottle of Flowers Chardonnay, but we could not shut up about how delicious the ice water was! I put a slice of lemon in my water and it was legit the most flavorful lemon I’ve ever tasted in my entire life.

Top Recs:

• KALUA PIG AND SWEET ONION QUESADILLA House-Made Kim Chee, Mango Chili Sauce
• AHI GINGER POKE Crushed Avocado, Ogo, Maui Onion, Molokai Sweet Potato Chips
• CAVATELLI PASTA, HOUSE-MADE Hirabara Rainbow Chard, Hamakua Mushrooms, Truffle Oil, House-Made Ricotta
• CAESAR, PETER’S ORIGINAL Hirabara Farms Baby Romaine, Fried Green Tomato Croutons
• LETTUCE FROM HIRABARA FARMS Fennel, Cucumber, Radish, Sweet Onion, Waimea Tomato, Fresh Squeezed Lime & Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add Big Island Goat Chevre.
• FILET OF BEEF, HAWAIIAN BUTCHER’S CUT GRASS FED Jalapeño Whipped Potatoes, HL Farms Cauliflower, Herb Butter
• PINEAPPLE BREAD PUDDING WITH MACADAMIA NUTS AND LOCAL COCONUT ICE CREAM

We also got the:

• MAHI MAHI, DAY BOAT CAUGHT Basil and Garlic Seared, Pumpkin and Chévre Ravioli, Honopua Farms Collard Greens, Bell Pepper and Macadamia Nut RomescoAnd this was the only dish I wasn’t thrilled with. The fish was Meh. BUT the Pumpkin and chévre ravioli was fab.

Sandwich Isle Bread Company – Waimea

Don’t let the name fool you- this place is so much more than bread. We made a stop in here after our drive down the 250 {See ACTIVITIES below} and because it was so late they were sold out of almost everything. I snagged one of 2 remaining strawberry rhubarb pastries and snuck a bite of it as I was walking out… I IMMEDIATELY turned around and bought thelast one as well. IT WAS SO GOOD. I bought some kind of a tart I loved too, can pretty much guarantee everything they have is AMAZE and I would have tried it all if they weren’t already sold out of everything! Thank me later.

Sushi Rock – Hawi

I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Sushi. Some of the most incredible sushi I’ve ever had. Unusual rolls incorporating local beef tenderloin. We have been on previous trips, went two times this trip and tried to go a third but went right as they were closing. I literally almost cried.

Top Recs:

• BOMBAY SUNSET WITH TENDERLOIN Ahi poke, curry slaw, fuji apple, seared tenderloin MUST MUST MUST HAVE
• CAPT’N CRUNCH Spicy fish tartare, mac-nuts, daikon, beef tenderloin, crispies
• LILOKOI ICED TEA
• Any of the special rolls they’re offering- we had a Marlin special roll with marlin poke, Japanese cucumber and local daikon and it was incredible
• PURPLE SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE Macadamia nut crust and coconut-maple drizzle

Kohala Burger and Taco

This place is a hole-in-the-wall kind of in the middle of nowhere, but worth it. Incredible burgers and best fish tacos I’ve ever had in my life.

Top Recs:

• HULA BURGER Aloha teriyaki, griddled Dole pineapple, melted American cheese, Hapalua dressing, lettuce, tomato, shaved red onion

• BAJA STYLE FISH TACOS Crispy Battered Alaskan Cod, hot corn tortillas, melted cheddar, chipotle coleslaw, KBAT taco Sauce, salsa cocina, lime squeeze

Kohala Coffee Mill

This was a little gem in the same town as Sushi Rock {Hawi} on the north end of the island. We came here for breakfast a few mornings and, most importantly, COFFEE. Their coffee does not disappoint. I recommend the Kona Iced Coffee.

You can make your own breakfast sandwich {I went for egg, cheddar, avocado and spinach on a croissant} and it is a great little stop if you choose to either hike Pololu Valley or drive the 250 ridge {both described in the activity list below}.

Beaches

Hapuna Beach

This is the beach connected to the Hapuna Prince Hotel we stayed at and the Mauna Kea. It’s all one beach/bay situation but sort of set up in 3 parts. Each hotel has their own little area and down at the end is the public beach. Definitely recommend checking it out. It’s heaven!

69 Beach – Waialea Bay

Pure heaven and very protected. Fun fact: I have a fear of water. I floated in the water here for at least an hour which I honestly haven’t done… probably ever. I don’t even like pools that have shadows on them! But this beach is so shallow, warm and safe feeling that it makes you feel right at home. PLUS there are trees on the beach so you can sit in the shade on the sand! A MUST for me, for obvious reasons.

Obviously, there are many more beaches but these are my 2 favs.

Activities

Hiking Pololu Valley

This is something we do each time we visit Hawaii, and we chose to do it twice this trip! It is a short but beautiful hike down into the Pololu Valley with some exquisite views of the cliffed coastline. It drops you off at the start of the valley on an exquisite black sand beach. You can only cross onto the beach at low tide so check online to see times for that. A must do if you’re able.

Driving the 250 from Hawi to Waimea

This was something Mark and I stumbled upon but apparently it’s also a thing people do in general. It was honestly one of my favorite parts of the trip. I recommend doing it about an hour before sunset so you get that golden hour glow as your driving and a sunset view as you’re heading back to the coast.

Route 250 or Kohala Mountain Road runs from Hawî to Waimea and is one of the most incredible scenic drives you’ll ever see. You are on a ridge running the length of the island with endless ocean views and magical meadows filled with cattle.

Some will tell you to start in Waimea and head to Hawi but we started in Hawi and I can’t imagine doing it any other way. You drive through lush greenery and beautiful plantations, then ride along the ridge overlooking the coast and end up in the magical little town of Waimea where you should check out Parker School {SO cute} and eat at Merriman’s, obviously {see FOOD section above}.

We had a little rainstorm at the top of the ridge which surrounded us in a rainbow. Pure magic.

When you get to the point where you’re dropping down the mountain again the terrain is unbelievable. It truly looks like you’re on another planet. There are absolutely no buildings or structures as far as the eye can see. I’ve never seen anything like it.

HIGHLY recommend.

Volcano Bike Tour

We didn’t do this on our most recent trip, but did on the trip before. I don’t remember the name of the company we went with but I recommend doing a bike tour because the Volcano is huge and has SO many different climates/ecosystems around it- biking lets you experience them all. {Plus I love getting a little cardio in when sightseeing}.

I’m not usually a tour person but the guides are super informative as to the ecosystems/animals/plants you are encountering and know exactly where are the great lookout points are.

Mai Tais, Big Island Ice Teas, Mimosas and Mojitos

Lastly, one of my favorite activities on the island is sitting on the beach, or by the pool, reading a book or mag and drinking a tropical beverage. Definitely don’t miss that one!

Xx,