Kona International Airport is a collection of roofs with no walls. Everything is open under the roofs that protect you from the sun and the occasional downpours. Otherwise from security to check-in and gates, all are under the clear skies of Hawaii. And like in many tropical airports from the gate, you walk on the tarmac to the plane.
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With so many gods to listen to the traditional Hawaiian society had strict rules. Known as “Kapu”, the intricate code of laws was meant to protect the religion and assure a safe lifestyle for the inhabitants of the islands. But also “kapu” meant an interdiction imposed by the code of laws and any trespassing of the law could mean death. The strict enforcement was done mainly because it was believed that the person who committed the grave sin was threatening the spiritual power of the society by stealing the “mana”, the vital energy of the group.
With so many laws and interdictions that varied from one season to another many inhabitants were threatened to be executed. So the Hawaiians developed places of refuge for those incriminated and Pu’uhonu O’Honaunau was such a place. The guilty had to escape and somehow reach, mainly by swimming, this refuge place where a local priest would offer him a pardon so he could live in that place untouched by society’s wrath.
The British explorer Captain Cook’s first landing in the Hawaiian archipelago was in Kauai. From there he went down to Hawaii where he landed in Kealakekua Bay. A year later he found his end in the same bay after a skirmish with the locals.
The old Hawaiians did not have a writing system and all that was left of them were fields of petroglyphs cut in the lava rock. These places were of great importance for their tradition and seemed that the Hawaiians came here for important moments in their life or to celebrate their gods. In PuakÅ Petroglyph preserve there are about 1,200 petroglyphs in the public section with many more around, that represent people, deities, and various animals.
Not far from the Pukao Field is Waikoloa Field completely surrounded by gold courses and resort villas, a stark contrast between civilizations.
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Since we arrived in Hawaii we were told by other travelers about the green sand beaches. There are only 4 beaches with green sand in the world, Guam, Galapagos, Norway, and Hawaii. One of the two green sand beaches in Hawai’i is officially known as PapakÅlea. The beach itself is at the base of a 49.000 years old cinder cone belonging to the Mauna Loa volcano. The sand contains the green crystals (olivines) that made the beach well-known.
However, there are other green sand beaches whose sand does not contain the same minerals but other minerals like Glauconite, Malachite, Chlorite, Epidote, or Serpentine. In PapakÅlea the green crystals of olivines are mixed with black lava and coral or shells sand, and as a result, some parts of the beach are greener than others.
The PapakÅlea beach parking lot is about 3 miles away and local entrepreneurs load people in the flatbed of their pickup trucks and for $20 they shuffle them to the beach back and forth with enough time for a much-desired ocean dip. However, the hike to the beach is a remarkable experience, following the coast, and crossing lava hills and incredible green fields.
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Mauna Kea’s peak was intangible. The snow and fog encompassed the mountains and its peak was closed for days in a row. All the trips from Hilo to the peak were canceled and money was returned to the credit cards. We went twice to Mauna Kea’s visitor center and to our surprise we found the second time road towards the top open. Maybe not surprisingly because in the morning the mountain was totally clear but while we were driving there the peak started to get covered by clouds. The rangers opened the road towards the peak for 4-wheel drive vehicles just to close it in the afternoon because of icy conditions.
The tallest peak in the Pacific Mauna Kea’s peak stands at almost 14000 feet and according to the legend, Pele made it her home in Hawai’i when she transformed herself into a goddess. Currently, her abode is guarded by rangers of the National Park who don’t let anybody without a proper 4X4 car and permit drive towards the top.
Just across how you exist the access road to Mauna Kea is the road going all the way to Mauna Loa Solar Observatory which is located at over 11000 feet. The well-maintained one-lane road is winding and passes a long stretch of lava fields reaching its end right in front of the observatory gate. From there you can climb for about 8-10 hours to reach the top of the mountain, whose altitude is also around 14000 feet.
But if you don’t have time or stamina for such challenging hikes there are lots of short hikes around Hilo, the better location to stay while on the Big Island. Like in Maui waterfalls abound. Wai’ale Falls has an upper and a lower fall. We tried to get to no avail to the upper falls after we took a wrong trail that brought us nowhere.
Just off the road is Rainbow Falls in a nice park, making a great place for a picnic. On sunny afternoons the sun’s rays hit the waterfall in such a way that may create a rainbow.
Walking down from the road on Onomea Trail you reach Onomea Bay and right across the beach is the charming Donkey Trail that takes you back to the road. The trail crosses a dense bamboo forest. Both trails back and forth make for about 2 miles together.
One of the tallest waterfalls in North America, Akaka Falls is 4 times taller than Niagara but only a fraction of its debt. It is located in a state park with a paved and pleasant path that passes by another waterfall and lots of tropical plants on the way. And of course, Akaka Falls was featured in “Jurassic Park” as well.
Just off Onomea Trail, left and right are the entrances to Hawai’i’s Botanical Garden, a phenomenal display of tropical plants with more than 2000 species. It was built from the initiative of Dan J. Lutkenhouse, who used his own funds to purchase the property in 1977 and develop it as a botanical garden. It is a remarkable place that must not be missed while on the Big Island.
We drove from Hilo all the way to the other side of the island and after a failed tentative hike to the “green sand” beach – too late in the day – we stopped for the sunset in the most southern point of the United States, Ka Lae. The place is sacred for the Hawaiians who had a temple built there. They had also a lava table shown in the above image that was probably used for the women of the royalty to give birth in a sacred location.
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Invited or not by Pele we went for a hike toward her home in Helamaumau Crater. The trail an almost 3-mile loop passes close by to the crater but its most interesting part is in the tropical forest where the path is shaded by huge ferns.
Further south in the Volcano National Park, the road continues between volcanos and fields of lava for more than 21 miles. The petrified lava leaves behind impressive shapes that are inviting for a hike.
On occasion, you feel how time stopped during the exhilarating explosion, and the incandescent flow was frozen in the landscape.
Towards the end of the road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Puâu Loa – Long Hill – petroglyph field is the largest petroglyph field in entire Polynesia. For generations, Hawaiian families came and are still coming nowadays to Puâu Loa and placed their newbornâs umbilical cord in small holes that they dug in the field’s rock as a wish for a long life for their children. Besides the holes that are scattered around the entire site, there are representations of people and various other signs from a civilization that did not develop a writing system.
Holei Sea Arch is the place where Volcano National Park Road ends. The place is right by the ocean where crowds gather to watch the sunset.
After dark the traffic in the park, surprisingly, increases, and families of locals and tourists come in procession with grandparents and small kids in tow to visit Pele’s home by night. The road to the burning crater is full but all you could see is a parade of the phones’ LEDs helping the stroll in pitch-dark. They all move like in a religious procession that reminded me of the Easter midnight procession in Eastern Europe. And Pele is at home, fiery and passionate, in full swing throwing a tantrum of molten lava into the air and coloring the night sky in its red velvet.
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Kilauea is the abode of Pele, the goddess of fire, lightning, wind, dance, and volcanoes. Known also as “the woman who devours the land”, Pele lives in the Halemaumau crater at the summit of Kilauea, one of the worldâs most active volcanoes. Because of her fiery and passionate temperament, Hawaii’s volcanic eruptions are all attributed to Pele.
Pele is one of six daughters and seven sons born to Haumea, the ancient Earth goddess, and Kane Milohai, the creator of the sky, earth, and upper heavens. The mythology of Pele counts no more than 16 sisters, 13 sisters caring the same name, Hiiaka. Maybe out of lack of imagination?
We tried to find traces of Pele and hiked the Kilauea Iki Trail that skirts the crater on one side and continued the hike on the bottom of the crater. Pele was born in Tahiti and ended up in Hawaii in various ways according to various legends, fighting her sisters in most of them. She landed in Kauai and from there was chased by her sister to Oahu where she dug fire pits, including the crater today called Diamond Head. The same she did in Maui where she dug Haleakala Volcano ending up transformed as a goddess in Hawaii and finding its final residence in Helamaumau Crater in Kilauea.
We continued the hike towards the Lava Tubes, a long tunnel created by the once-molten lava. When the lava flow stops, the still-hot lava inside still pours downhill leaving a cave behind. The high ceiling interior of the lava tubes is lit by electric lights.
The road inside the Volcano National Park has many overlooks and signs of recent eruptions, fields of lava, and numerous craters peppering the side of the road.
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The Kohala Volcano, the oldest of the five volcanos that formed Hawaii island erupted last time 120.000 years ago. The rainwater erosion cut multiple valleys on the ocean side of the volcano. One of them is Pololu Valley, a spectacular valley with a short but very steep trail that lets you access its black sand beach at the bottom.
Waipi’o Valley is another of the valleys created by erosion on the side of the Kohala Volcano. Here it was the capital and permanent residence of many early Hawaiian kings, a place of ancient grass palaces. The first chief who had a residence in this valley was Kahaimoelea. In the local lore, the place is considered the gateway to Lua-o-Milu, the Hawaiian Underworld, whose entrance was hidden somewhere in the sand.
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With so many daily hikes we almost forgot about dipping into the ocean. So for the last day in Maui, we spent a bit of time on several beaches close to Kihei before starting … another hike.
Iao Valley State Monument has in its middle “the needle”, a symbol of Hawaii’s independence. The monument and the entire valley are rich in cultural and spiritual values. The place was the site of the battle of Kepaniwai where the forces of Kamehameha I defeated the Maui army in 1790 and conquered the island. The “needle” seemed to have been a lookout point from where the scouts were able to scout the movement of the enemy.
Down the coast of the park, the town of Lahaina is a collection of resorts, hotels, art galleries, and vacation shops that add a bit of urban charm missed in the other Maui towns. The town square is covered in the middle by an old banyan tree spread over almost one acre. Brought from India and planted in 1873 the tree became the hub of the town, with many art exhibitions and other events having place under its majestic canopy.
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The famous “Road to Hana” is also named the Hana Highway. A thing that may seem funny for a road that for most of its part has only one lane. The entire road is listed at about 64 miles starting from the tiny town of Paia populated by hippies, where at its entrance is a sign that reads: “Do not feed the hippies”.
The road is mainly an exercise in driving endurance. The narrow road twists and turns following the coast and dive into the interior of the island coming out occasionally to amazing bays. It passes many places where you see clumps of parked cars signaling the start of a hiking trail, most of the trails going to one or many waterfalls deep into the tropical forest.
We took one of the hikes to Twin Falls located on a private farm walking on a path surrounded by myriads of tropical plants that we tried to identify using the Seek app on the iPhone. At the short hike’s end, we found “twin falls” plunging into a base pool where people soaked their bodies and souls like in a cleansing ritual.
The drive through the tropical forest is exciting, and mesmerizing but also very long. At each bridge, and they are so many of them, you have to stop and leave the incoming traffic pass. But most probably a waterfall is nearby and the stop offers you a chance to admire it. With so many traffic stops and lookout points driving the Hana Road may take an entire day. So it is either that you come for a longer hike and an ablution in the waterfalls’ pools or you are determined to complete the road by daylight. Both might not work at least in the short days of Hawaiian winter.
The town of Hana is pretty large but not appealing enough for a longer stop. Nearby is the Hana Beach Park with its black sand, a hang-out place for the locals.
When you reach Wailua Falls cascading almost over the road you know that you are close to the end of the Hana Road. The official end of the road is in the section of Haleakala National Park which has the Pipiway trail. From there you can continue on the southern section we drove from Kihei which would complete a full circle around Haleakala National Park before reaching Kihei.
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Haleakala means in Hawaiian “the house of the sun” and the local lore mentioned the demigod Maui trying to make the day longer, lassoed the sun from its journey across the sky as he stood on the volcanoâs summit, slowing its descent. It sounded like a good idea and I am sure a lot of CEOs in New York would love this trick for longer work hours for their employees.
The dormant volcano towers over the island of Maui and it is visible from almost anywhere. Its crater looking like a Mars red landscape is a demonstration of the power of nature in every sense. The famous Sliding Sand Trail hike in the crater is a must-do. There are 22 miles one way, (9 miles down, 4 miles on the crater bottom, and another 9 miles up to the rim) not so steep but considering its altitude of almost 10000 feet puts a toll on any hiker.
We hiked only about 3 miles down the crater and the sun, already ready to set, forced us to return. But inside the crater, we landed in an otherworld landscape of red cones lit by the slanted orange rays of the tired sun. The crater’s altitude keeps the clouds at bay a clear example of inversion. From the rim, you could see how one side of the volcano is in clouds and very wet and the other is clear of clouds and completely dry.
Everywhere you go in Haleakala and nearby there are signs asking you to drive slowly because the Nene (written with long accents on the two “e”) may cross the road. Nene is the Hawaiian goose that is endangered and a lot of attention is paid to the bird that moves way, way slower than a regular goose. There are also signs near some berry bushes not to eat the fruit because this is the preferred food for the Nene. We did not see too many Nenes but when we did they paraded slowly basking in the Hawaiian spirit.
Haleakala summit reaches 10,023 feet above sea level. At this altitude, it is no surprise that the volcano’s peak is full of telescopes watching the sun, and the moon but also a larger complex of the US Defense that watches everything that moves in the skies. The tourists gather on the peak both for the sunrise, (for which you need a reservation that had to be booked two months in advance) and also for sunset for which you need just to find a parking spot and admire the sun setting in its own house.
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Pipiway is rated as the most interesting trail in Maui. And this is on all hiking sites. It is puzzling to see a place being considered the best by everybody with no challenges. But when we started the almost 6-mile hike we agreed right away with this rating. Its diversity and beauty are mind-boggling. First is the tropical forest, a cascading river crossed by charming bridges, and a huge banyan tree.
After you got enchanted by it you enter the real deal a bamboo forest photographed from all angles, an explosion of emerald green that surrounds you all over. Large and small bamboo clumps, dead bamboo, fallen bamboo but most of all majestic trunks of bamboo that you barely clamp with two hands.
The bamboo trail continues on a raised boardwalk that meanders over the tormented soil till you reach the majestic waterfall, thundering down the mountain. And this was expected and maybe not a big deal till you realize that actually on the mountain in front, it is not one but four waterfalls of various dimensions that all flow fantastically in the tumultuous river below.
And if those waterfalls were not enough before losing themselves into the ocean, the river descends in more waterfalls crossed by bridges in the Oheo Gulch, right near a turbulent ocean full of black lava.
Pipiway Trail and Oheo Gulch are part of the Haleakala National Park, a small separate segment of the park that is reachable in about two hours from Kihei on a tormenting one-lane, for the most part, unpaved road that skirts the coast with no protection to the abyss. On one side of the one-lane are the tall rocks, and on the other side the blue of the ocean. Nearby Haleakala, “the house of the sun”, watches from its lofty skies inviting you to the great show of the sunset.
On your way back, if you don’t stop too much to let other cars pass by and plan well in advance you may be able to get on a peak or on a tall ridge and finally admire the sun diving into the unbounded ocean.
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When you fly between islands time is at a premium. You want to fly early and have a full day ahead for hiking or exploring. Or, not and just lay on the beach and sip cocktails. We chose the first and right from the airport we went for a hike on the Waihe’e Ridge Trail, a 4.5-mile hike straight up the mountain with magnificent views over the Lahaina bay and the Kukui volcano.
We were intrigued by the road we took toward the hike and decided to continue it north and surround the Kukui Volcano. It was the first narrow road we drove on in Hawaii, a one-lane road where cars had to wait for each other to pass and honk at the blind turns. But the effort paid off and we explored the rugged coast stopping at magnificent lookouts.
At its most northern tip of the northern coast, we reached Nakalele Blowhole, a famous attraction where the ocean was pushed up by the powerful waves in a geyser-like eruption through a relatively small hole in the rock to the delight of the crowded audience and the buzzing helicopters above.
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More than anything else the island of Oahu and Honolulu is about memory. Memories of men, heroes, kings, and gods.
At the USS Arizona Memorial are remembered the 1102 sailors who died on the infamous day of the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. The memorial was built on top of the wreckage of the navy ship that lies on the bottom of the gulf.
Further down, closer to Honolulu city center, Bishop Museum tells the story of the gods and kings of Hawaii. With more than 40000 deities the Hawaiian Pantheon was richer than many others in the Pacific and its complexity was controlled by strict laws. The museum’s three floors present the culture of the ocean and gods, the culture of the Hawaiian people, and on the top floor, the story of the kings that led the Hawaiian Kingdom till the American takeover
The story of the Hawaii Kingdom and its sad ending is better told in the Iolani Palace, the royal palace used by the last kings. The palace was built in 1879 in the American Florentine style and was equipped with all the modern amenities. It was the first building in Hawaii to use electric lighting, four years before the White House was illuminated in this way.
The United States basically usurped the Hawaiian kingdom at the request of the businesses that had large interests in sugar and cattle in the islands. After several tries, they forced the king to sign a new constitution that was nicknamed “the bayonet constitution”, which took away the native Hawaiian land right and gave the vote to the foreign landowners. Several years later the Americans sent troops to Hawaii and arrested its last ruling queen LiliÊ»uokalani putting an end to an independent kingdom. Nowadays the statue of the last queen stands defiant in front of the Hawaii seat of the government as a reminder that she was the legit memory ruler of the Hawaiian people in a country that is still ambivalent of the American takeover.
Till the 1970s the Hawaiian language was not recognized and the Hawaiian traditions were obliterated by the American culture. Recently a revival started to happen and nowadays all streets, schools, local institutions, parks, and coastal points are named in the local language and the Hawaiian local traditions and sacred spaces are treated with the desired respect.
Memories are also related to the ones that settled here on the islands after Captain James Cook’s discovery. In St Andrew’s cathedral, we were invited impromptu by a group that was rehearsing twice a week a bell concert. Further down the Honolulu coast, the Waikiki stretch of hotels, resorts, and shops is the symbol of the Americanization of the islands.
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No matter what hour you wake up in Kauai you’ll see somebody already parading on the boardwalk, walking, jogging, or doing yoga.
And even if you want to sleep late your chances are slim because of the “moa”, the feral chickens that roam the island and wake you up with a strident crowing right outside your window. Like in Key West, the chickens and roosters abound and are protected. In Kauai, the local lore said that they escaped during the 1982 hurricane and multiplied wildly ever since.
We left Kappa in the morning in the opposite direction towards the north coast, on the same road, and soon reached Kilauea, a larger town with a beautiful lighthouse whose visits were restricted by Covid. Covid controls are very strict in Hawaii starting in the airport and continuing to various activities on the islands.
The north coast is peppered with a string of beautiful beaches and several caves till reaching Kee Beach State Park from where the Kalalau Trail starts. Unfortunately, entry to the park is limited by the number of parking places that were booked way in advance.
We wanted to explore a bit this enigmatic 22-mile trail crossing the Na Pali Coast, an ancient Hawaiian footpath that zigzags through peaks and valleys, a place that accommodated hermits and renegades for centuries. Permits for accessing the valley are issued for a maximum of 5 days enforced by rangers descending from helicopters to evict the ones overstaying. But with neither parking available nor permits, we gave up and spend the rest of the day on the beautiful Tunnel beach diving in the ocean surf but also in the river that flows by towards the ocean.
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Kauai is small and preserves the atmosphere of a secluded island. Its map shows only one road that almost surrounds the island. And this “almost” was quite intriguing and we tried to discover why the road was not touching its ends. So we left Kapaa and the first stop was at Wailua Falls, featured in several TV series, a fall from whose top Hawaiian men used to jump in older times.
Waimea Canyon looks way more impressive than in any picture. Named the Grand Canyon of the Pacific its winding road goes for about 18 miles. The canyon is 1 mile wide and 3600 feet deep and it can be admired from several lookouts across the winding road. We hiked the 4 miles round trip Canyon Trail that brings you to well-deserved cool waterfalls.
The road ends on top of Kalalau Valley overlooking far below the stretch of sand of Kalalau Beach. Kalalau Valley and its beach are located at one end of the famous Na Pali Coast featured in the Jurassic Park movie, a stretch of folded hills plunging straight into the ocean. This coast has no road access – here is the “almost” we searched for – and is reachable only by hiking if you don’t count the queasy boat visits or the buzzing helicopter rides.
After a day of visits and hikes just relax under the palms lit by the moonlight.
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A large full moon welcomed us in Kauai. Even if you have to fly more than 12 hours from New York, arriving in the balmy islands is a blessing that keeps you awake despite the jetlag.
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