Travel + Leisure: Complete Guide To The Big Island of Hawaii

Above, lava inside a Kilauea volcano crater. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ten years ago this month, I took a vacation trip to Hawaii. It was a package trip by the Automobile Club of Southern California. It was a great deal that included air travel and hotels.

The trip comprised a few days in Waikiki and a few days on the Big Island of Hawaii. While on the Big Island, we took a helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, waterfalls and the coast near Hilo. 

Travel + Leisure posted a "complete guide" to Hawaii's Big Island.

It begins with:

It’s no secret that the Island of Hawaii is a tropical paradise filled with beautiful beaches, thoughtfully designed resorts, important cultural landmarks, impressive national parks, and some of the most delicious food in the Pacific. That's why Hawaii, commonly known as the Big Island, has long remained one of the top vacation destinations in the world.

Whether it’s a trip to one of the island’s main events—the Kona Brewers Festival in March, the Big Island Chocolate Festival in April, or the Ironman World Championship in October—or you're looking to relax in a location packed with views of swaying palm trees, cerulean seas, and volcanic outcrops, the Big Island is a destination that cannot be missed.

To read more, go here. 

7 Big Island Stays That Fit Every Style and Budget

Above, the Waikoloa Beach Hotel and Spa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Nine years ago (has it already been that long ago?), I visited the Big Island of Hawaii. I stayed at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa in Kona. 

While on the Big Island, I took a tour of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park by helicopter with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. We had to drive about 60 miles from Kona to Hilo to get to the Hilo airport to catch our helicopter flight. 

The Hawaii travel arrangements were provided by the Automobile Club of Southern California. 

AOL has posted an article on "7 Big Island Stays That Fit Every Style and Budget".

They begin it with:

The Big Island of Hawaii, officially named Hawaiʻi Island, is the largest and youngest of the main Hawaiian Islands. Famous for its volcanoes, landscapes, black sand beaches, and its diverse range of accommodations, it’s no surprise many tourists travel here year-round for the experience. Being twice the size of all the other Hawaiian Islands combined, covering 4,028 square miles (10,432 km²), there are quite a few places to stay. Kona or Hilo? Or is Waikoloa a better option? Are you interested in lava fields or waterfalls? This guide breaks down the 7 top places to stay on the Big Island to help you find the best location for your trip., 

To read more, go here.

Hawaii: Tips For A Big Island Visit

Above, a helicopter view of double waterfalls on the Hilo side of the Big Island. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A good time of the year to visit Hawaii is in May and June.

Most people to to Honolulu and Waikiki, but there's plenty to see and do on the Big Island of Hawaii.

One interesting place on the Big Island is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that includes Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes. We took a helicopter tour of the park and were able to see lava in one of Kilauea's craters.

Travel Weekly has posted a Q & A with a travel expert with her tips on visiting the Big Island.

It begins with:

The Big Island of Hawaii is home to five volcanoes and offers a diverse landscape as well as some of the most unique experiences in the Islands. It also offers a challenge, because of its size, to anyone who's planning a vacation there and looking to squeeze in as much enjoyment as possible on a short stay.

To read more, go here. 

Kilauea and Mauna Loa Volcanoes In Hawaii

Above, a helicopter view of lava inside a Kilauea volcano crater. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to TheTravel, Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano is the most-visited place in Hawaii.

I have never visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, but I did fly over the park, particularly Kilauea, in a helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters in 2016. It is a well-worth excursion that I highly recommend.

TheTravel has posted an article on Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes on the Big Island.

The begin it with:

Located on the Big Island, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, one of the most beautiful national parks in the U.S., Kilauea, and Mauna Loa are among the places tourists should visit at least once in a lifetime. They are famous for being two of the world's most active volcanoes, and always guarantee the best experiences to vacationers who make it there.

There are five volcanoes on the Big Island; Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Hualalai, Mauna Kea, and Kohala. Mauna Kea, at 13,796 feet, is the state's tallest mountain and the world's highest sea mountain. Mauna Loa is the world's largest volcano, while Kilauea is the most active. Despite these figures, Kilauea is the most famous Hawaiian volcano and one of the world’s most active volcanoes.

To read more, go here. 

How To See The Volcanic Eruptions On The Big Island

Above, approaching a Kilauea crater by helicopter. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Big Island is getting a lot of attention lately as it has two volcanoes erupting at the same time.

The volcanoes erupting are Kilauea and Mauna Loa at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Mauna Loa started erupting on November 27.

Many people are flocking to the Big Island of Hawaii to view the eruptions. Travel Weekly has posted an article on how to see Mauna Loa and Kilauea. 

Above, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters at Hilo Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I took a helicopter flight over Kilauea in 2016 with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters out of Hilo Airport. It was an interesting flight, one that I heartily recommend. Kilauea was quiet at the time, but we did see lava inside a crater as we flew over it.

Travel Weekly begins with:

It's been almost 40 years since the last time the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes were erupting at the same time. As such a rare event, it's already brought many visitors to the island specifically to see the spectacle, while others are still wondering whether they should get on a plane and go.

The answer to that question came earlier this month from Hawaii County mayor Mitch Roth. "It's actually a great time to come," he said in a press conference. "People are here and seeing some of the most unbelievable sights ever, and you don't have to go up Saddle Road. You can see [the Mauna Loa lava flow] from Hilo. You can see it from Kona. You can see it from Kau."

In order to see both the Kilauea and Mauna Loa eruptions at the same time, you'll have to go to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HVNP), atop Kilauea. The park is closest to Hilo, and it would be recommended to arrive at that airport if the park is part of the agenda. 

To read more, go here. 

United Airlines Ending Flights To Hilo

Above, Hilo Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

United Airlines, once my favorite airline, is ending flights to Hilo Airport on the Main Island of Hawaii.

According to Travel Weekly:

After the winter holiday, United Airlines will halt service to Hilo Airport on the Island of Hawaii's east coast. The final service is scheduled for Jan. 7. 

After the move, there will be no remaining nonstop flights from Hilo to the U.S. mainland. Hawaiian and Southwest will continue to serve Hilo numerous times daily with flights from Honolulu, while Hawaiian and commuter carrier Mokulele will continue connecting Hilo with Maui's Kahului Airport. 

It was from Hilo Airport that we took our Blue Hawaiian Helicopters tour flight over Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, specifically, Kilauea Volcano.  

To read more, go here.

T&C Travel Guide: Hawaii's Big Island

Above, double waterfalls on the Hilo side of the Big Island. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my 2016 trip to Hawaii, I spent a few days on the Big Island.

We stayed on the Kona side of the island, but we took the 77-mile drive across the island to Hilo to catch our Blue Hawaiian Helicopters tour of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and waterfalls. 

Yahoo! Life Town & Country section posted a travel guide to what the Big Island has to offer.

They begin it with:

Forget revenge when it comes to vacations this year, what we all need is sunny spot to rest. May I suggest Hawaii's Big Island? It's a little more locals-only than Maui and its microclimate offers the rainforest on one side of the island and sunny beaches on the other. We recommend staying at least four days to really nail the blend of adventure and relaxation— after two days of cabanas and cocktails, a waterfall hike is just the thing. Below, the very T&C things to eat, do, and see on Hawaii's Big Island.

To read more, go here.

New Instrument To Track Magma Is En Route To Kilauea

Above, aerial view of lava in a Kilauea Volcano crater. Photo by armand Vaquer.

A new "gamechanger" instrument is en route to Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii that will help keep visitors and locals safer.

According to Hawaii News Now:

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A state-of-the-art equipment upgrade is on its way to Kilauea and it’s expected to go a long way in tracking what’s going on underground.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is already the perfect environment for research and needs monitoring to keep the public safe.

Scientists now have a tool that’s expected to be a gamechanger in what’s known as the absolute quantum gravimeter.

The instrument arrived in the islands a few months ago from France and there are only a handful of these instruments in the world.

It’s believed that it’s only the second one that’ll be used on an active volcano as the other is on Mount Etna in Italy.

Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say it can track moving magma underground — by detecting tiny changes in gravity.

 To read more, go here.

How To Safely View Kilauea Eruptions

Above, a helicopter view inside Kilauea's crater in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The recent eruptions of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island is drawing a lot of attention and people want to see it for themselves.

Travel Weekly has posted an article with tips on how to safely view it.

They start it with:

Kilauea, a volcano at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, started erupting on Sept. 29, and, so far, the activity is contained within its crater, making for some spectacular sights.

During the day, spectators can see volcanic gas and steam billow out of Halemaumau, the summit crater. The park is open 24-hours a day, and at night visitors are entranced by the 127-acre lava lake casting a reddish-orange glow against the crater walls and into the dark sky. 

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Erupts

Above, a smoking Kilauea volcano crater during our approach by helicopter in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thanks to Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, COVID-19 has been slightly bumped from the news coming out of Hawaii.

The volcano has decided to erupt again.

From ABC News:

HONOLULU -- One of the most active volcanos on Earth is erupting on Hawaii's Big Island.

Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed Wednesday that an eruption has begun in Kilauea volcano's Halemaumau crater at the volcano's summit.

Webcam footage of the crater showed lava fountains covering the floor of the crater and billowing clouds of volcanic gas were rising into the air. The same area has been home to a large lava lake at various times throughout the volcano's eruptive past.

The eruption is not in an area with homes and is entirely contained within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

To read more, go here. 

How To See Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Above, a 2016 helicopter view of a Kilauea crater. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one is interested in geology or volcanoes in particular, they may want to check out an article on how to see the best of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.

That is the topic posted by The Travel.

Five years ago, I took a helicopter trip over Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters from Hilo. It was an interesting excursion and one I would recommend.

They begin with:

Hawaii owes its whole existence to volcanoes - it is not built on a continental shelf at all unlike the vast majority of land in the world. It is a volcanic wonderland and boasts multiple active volcanoes. Two of these active volcanoes are in the stunning Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

The two volcanoes are Kilauea and Mauna Loa, not only is this park stunning for visitors, but it is also an important area for volcanologists to study. It is a trip into another world and an experience not to be forgotten. 

To read the full article, go here. 

TravelAwaits: 7 Famous Volanoes You Can Visit

Above, red-hot lava inside a Kilauea volcano crater on the Big Island of Hawaii. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over the years, I have visited volcanoes in the United States. Some, like Lassen Peak in Northern California and Crater Lake in Oregon, are national parks.

There are others around the world that people can visit and TravelAwaits lists seven of them, which includes Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I flew over that one in a helicopter in 2016.

They begin with:

Climbing a volcano doesn’t exactly sound like something that would make for a tranquil vacation. If anything, it sounds like a scene from a blockbuster movie, the kind of thing the good guys might do to thwart the villains. But visiting volcanoes is a surprisingly peaceful activity. These unique ecosystems offer visitors the chance to enjoy rare geological phenomena and delicate plant life. They also loom large in more ways than one, shaping the culture and growth of the communities that surround them. They’re even spiritual centers in a way, their mighty power promoting folklore, legends, and theological reflections. If you’ll forgive the pun, visiting volcanoes is a hot travel activity, one that you’re likely never to forget.

Here are seven of the world’s most famous volcanoes that you can visit.

To read more, go here. 

Traveler's Checklist For Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Above, an aerial view of Kilauea Volcano. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since Hawaii is staring to open up with little baby steps, if one is planning a vacation there, they should include a visit to the Big Island and check out Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

National Parks Traveler has posted a guide for visiting the park. To date, this is the most comprehensive guide I've seen online.

A few years ago, I took a helicopter flight over Kilauea Volcano that's located within the park with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters.

They begin it with:

Ahhh, paradise. What better place to relax and unwind than in Hawaii, right? However, if you decide you’d like a little more excitement and want to venture away from your swinging hammock or beach towel on the sand, how about a visit to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, where you can hike through a rain forest and over a solidified lava lake, drive past golden pahoehoe lava flows, and view up-close the home of the goddess Pele. This Traveler’s Checklist will help you plan for your visit to make the most of your time in the park.

To read more, go here. 

Lonely Planet: 23 Best Places To Visit In The USA

Above, a helicopter flight over Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Rarely do I disagree with what Lonely Planet recommends for what they call the "best" places to visit. This is one of those times.

They posted their list of 23 "best places to visit." Among the 23, are two places that have received bad publicity over the past few years. One for its filth on the streets (including hypodermic needles and feces) and the other for riots that local officials refuse to stop. I really don't have to name them, those reading this could probably know who they are already.

But, the rest of the list gives me no reason to pause. Take it for what it's worth.

They begin with:

The great American experience is about so many things: bluegrass and beaches, snow-covered peaks and redwood forests, restaurant-loving cities and open skies.

It's home to major metropolises like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago and New York City, the names of which alone conjure a million different notions of culture, cuisine and entertainment. Look more closely and the American quilt unfurls in all its surprising variety: the easygoing charm of the Deep South, the eco-consciousness of free-spirited Portland, the magnificent waterfront of San Francisco and the captivating French Quarter of jazz hot spot New Orleans. But this is also a country of road trips and big skies, where four million miles of highways lead past red-rock deserts, below towering mountain peaks and through fertile wheat fields that roll off toward the horizon.

Here are the best places to visit on your trip to the USA.

 To see what the list considers "best", go here.

Kilauea Volcano Reviving The Big Island's Tourism?

Above, red-hot lava in a Kilauea Volcano crater. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I took a helicopter flight over Kilauea Volcanon on Hawaii's Big Island five years ago, the volcano was quiet. 

Even though quiet, the volcano treated the helicopter's passengers to a visual treat of red-hot lava in a crater. 

Now, after the volcano has erupted again, hope has risen that people wanting to view it will help revive tourism to the Big Island.

CNN Travel reported:

(CNN) — Five days before Christmas, Cheryl Gansecki, a volcanologist at the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo, was in bed when a small earthquake shook her awake sometime after 9:30 p.m.

She checked the webcams at the summit of the Kīlauea Volcano, and her eyes went wide when she saw it -- the bright, bold glow coming from the crater.

The lava. It had returned.

She promptly made the 45-minute drive to the crater rim, adjacent to the Visitors Center at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. By the time she arrived at 10:45 p.m., word had spread far and wide.

"Tons of people were already there, and there were traffic jams," Gansecki said.

The last time Kīlauea spewed lava was more than two years ago in the summer of 2018, when it mercilessly flowed through neighborhoods and destroyed more than 700 homes.

Still, many felt compelled to go and see. Hundreds of cars showed up within a few hours, according to the park. It was a mix of curious locals, scientists, photographers and business owners.

They gathered at the Kīlauea Overlook, where a brilliant, orange glow illuminated the crater, reflecting against the green of the trees and the brown of the rock.

Everyone was asking variations of the same questions that night: What would this eruption become? Would it stabilize and provide an opportunity for the island's economy, which has been devastated by the pandemic, to rebound? Would it entice people to travel to Hawaiʻi and see one of nature's greatest displays?

Taking a helicopter flight over an active volcano is something everyone should do. The helicopter tour I took was with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters out of Hilo.

To read more, go here. 

New Eruption At Kilauea Volcano

Above, an aerial view of Kilauea Volcano in May 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A Magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck the Big Island of Hawaii tonight along with an eruption of Kilauea volcano.

According to West Hawaii Today:

Hawaii County Civil Defense said the eruption that commenced shortly after 9:30 p.m. Sunday remains confined to the Kilauea Volcano’s summit caldera.

“According to HVO (Hawaiian Volcano Observatory), it looks like it’s all contained within the crater, however, the National Weather Service did say that there was a plume that was released from Halemaumau that had rised for 30,000 feet,” Bill Hanson with Hawaii County Civil Defense said shortly before 11:30 p.m.

According to the observatory, Sunday night’s eruption was preceded by an earthquake swarm accompanied by ground deformation detected by tiltmeters. An orange glow was subsequently observed on IR monitoring cameras and visually beginning approximately 9:36 Hawaii time.

Civil Defense said a magnitude-4.4 earthquake that struck at 10:36 p.m. on Kilauea’s south flank was not large enough to cause a tsunami.

Previous updates: The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has upgraded Kilauea Volcano’s alert level to “WARNING” and aviation color code to “RED” following an eruption that commenced shortly after 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

 To read more, go here.

Kobe Bryant Crash Puts Focus On Helicopter Safety

Above, departing the airport for an aerial tour of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Kobe Bryant helicopter crash brought to mind the two times I've flown in a helicopter.

The first time was a tour over Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in 2016 on the Big Island. In back of my mind during that ride, although pleasant and interesting, was the thought about having some sort of failure that would send the helicopter into a bubbling volcanic caldera.

The second time was when I was flown to a hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho in an air ambulance from Wells, Nevada after I had a heart attack in 2018. During that flight, I was more concerned about reaching the hospital as windy conditions made a normally 20-minute flight into a 40-minute flight than I did about any catastrophic failures of the chopper.

Naturally, a tragedy like the Bryant crash will put a focus on helicopter travel.

Hawaii Public Radio takes a look at helicopter safety.

They begin with:

For the vast majority of Americans, helicopters are hardly a routine form of transportation. But a high-profile helicopter disaster — like the crash in Calabasas, Calif., that killed Kobe Bryant and eight other people on Sunday — can draw widespread attention to helicopter safety. 

Helicopter rides are significantly riskier than commercial airline flights, but not as dangerous as a trip on a personal plane. And some trips — like personal or private helicopter rides — are far more likely than others to end in a fatal accident. 

"I think it is natural to the public, whenever an accident happens, to start to question the overall safety of a certain type of flying," says Anthony Brickhouse, a professor of aerospace and occupational safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. "I would just caution people to be patient and to let the investigation play out so that we can figure out what happened." 

Commercial plane travel is extremely safe, despite recent catastrophes like the Boeing 737 Max crashes; in many years the fatal accident rate in the U.S. is zero. Helicopters are more dangerous, according to data from the federal government, with a fatal accident rate of 0.72 per 100,000 flight hours in 2018. 

But general aviation — like recreational flying — is even more dangerous than that, with a fatal accident rate of more than 1 accident per 100,000 flight hours in 2018.

To read more, go here. 

Volcano Tourism "Needs To Stop" Say Geologists

Above, a helicopter view of a vent of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Two years ago, I took a helicopter tour of Kikauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. A year later, I visited Crater Lake and Lassen Volcanic National Parks. All three were enjoyable and something I would recommend to others.

However, some geologists are saying that tours of active volcanoes "needs to stop".

Above, Lassen Peak from the Lassen Peak trail head parking lot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to an article in Travel + Leisure:

Earlier this year, a “lava bomb” crashed through the roof of a sightseeing boat in Hawaii, injuring 23 people. Last year, an 11-year-old boy died in Italy when he fell through a volcanic crater. His parents died trying to save him. 

People are going to extreme lengths to get up close with an active volcano, resulting in extreme consequences for some. 

"Volcanoes are one of the forces of nature that truly are beyond human power to control,” Amy Donovan, a geographer at the University of Cambridge and author of a paper about volcano tourism, told CNN. “We can't do anything about eruptions, other than get out of the way."

Donovan’s new report, published this week by the Royal Geographical Society, warns about the dangers of “volcano tourism.” Hordes of “volcanophiles” are racing around the world to get as close to the powerful eruptions as possible. Tourists who don’t understand the volatile nature of eruptions also put emergency services at risk if they need to be rescued. Donovan specifically pointed to the rise of tourists to Iceland in accordance with active volcano eruptions.

To read more, go here.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Almost 100% Reopened

Above, a vent of Kilauea volcano. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island was shut down for four months due to eruptions of Kilauea volcano. Now, it is almost entirely open to visitors.

Travel Pulse reported:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was shut down for more than four months this summer after Kilauea’s outburst in May. But now the good news is flowing. Since its “soft opening” on September 22nd, bits and pieces of the Park have continued to open little by little, and here in November, it is very nearly up and running at full speed. Here are the latest updates.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Visitor Spending On The Rise

Above, a view of Diamond Head from Waikiki Beach. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The recent hurricanes and eruptions of Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii doesn't seem to have hurt visitor spending in the Hawaiian Islands as spending grew 6.4% in September over a year ago.

According to eTurboNews:

Visitors to the Hawaiian Islands spent a total of $1.28 billion in September 2018, an increase of 6.4 percent compared to a year ago, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA). 

Visitor spending increased from U.S. West (+2.5% to $460.2 million), U.S. East (+7.9% to $297.3 million) and All Other International Markets (+20.5% to $297.9 million) in September, while spending by visitors from Canada ($43 million) was virtually unchanged from last year. Spending by visitors from Japan declined (-4.1% to $179.9 million) year-over-year.

To read more, go here.