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Hawaii's Big Island

Hawaii's Big Island is a big ohana, and that means family, whether it's a traditional mom & dad and kids, blended, extended, multi generational family reunion or a group of old friends. The Big Island ohana embraces groups of people traveling together, of different ages, with different interests and tastes. And there's an adventure waiting for anyone with a sense of play and imagination.

In one day, a family can experience the desertlike lava plains along the Kona coast and the rainiest city in America, Hilo. Go from sea level to the world's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea (13,796 when measured from sea level, 33,500 from the ocean floor), cruise through green rainforest or black lava rock. Watch whales, swim with dolphins, whisper to horses or listen to rare birdsong, sleep in the hotel industry's best, or camp out in seldom-seen places.

It's all here, in a big way, on Hawaii's Big Island.

Four Awesome Family Fun Adventures on the Big Island:

Big Island Beaches. Isn't this why you came? The Big Island's white, black, gray or green sand is where everyone's toes want to dig in and kick back. From remote and secluded to activity-packed and popular, you're never more than 26 miles from the coastline, wherever you go on the Island.
Explore Volcanoes National Park. A place full of wonders: steamy craters, misty lava caves, a museum with a movie and make-your-own-earthquake machine, acres of exploration, volcano-inspired arts, the intrigue of Madame Pele's legend, and the amazing creation of new land where living lava pours into the sea. If you can't make the drive, try a helicopter “flightseeing” tour for a bird's eye view of the best action.

Ocean Adventures. Lucky families visiting from December to April have a rare opportunity to see our biggest guests, humpback whales, who migrate here from Alaska every winter. If you're not here in time to take a whalewatch cruise, the rest of the year is perfect to snorkel, snuba, boogie board, sail, kayak, fish, surf, windsurf or kite surf. Parasail 300 feet above the water or take a submarine excursion 100 feet below. The ocean is an endless discovery.

Learning Adventures. Hawaii's Big Island is alive with history. On the west side, experience Pu`uhonua O Honaunau, a restored Hawaiian village three centuries old, complete with thatched huts, handcarved tiki deities, a temple and a sense of awe. You can tour an historic coffee plantation or a major ethnobotanical garden, call on a royal residence, visit the first official Christian church in the Islands or see the home of Hawaiian paniolo (cowboys) in Waimea town. Or, gaze into space on a Mauna Kea summit astonomy trek.

In east-side museums, discover the power of a tsunami or take a virtual undersea voyage, check out a macadamia nut factory, missionary manor house, orchid farm or active volcano.