2022 Thanksgiving Trip to the Big Island
This content was automatically generated by gpt-4o-mini (No human review). The original post is in Chinese.
During this Thanksgiving holiday, we went to the Big Island of Hawaii (11/21-11/24). What impressed me the most during these 4 days and 4 nights was:
- Manta ray snorkeling
- Tropical rainforest plants
- A mountain peak at an altitude of 4200 meters
- Fields of volcanic lava
Let me quickly recall this trip and complete this blog.
Day 1: Flight and Manta Rays
On the first day, we woke up at 5 AM to catch our flight. To save money, this trip required two layovers, from SNA to SFO, then from SFO to OGG, and finally hopping to Hawaii from OGG to KOA, with a total flight and layover time of 9 hours. That night, we stayed at a hostel near KOA, and surprisingly, there were cats to pet at the hostel. In the evening, we went snorkeling to see the manta rays, booking the Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour which lasted only 50 minutes—5 minutes to get to the site by boat and 30 minutes of snorkeling. We were very lucky to see at least three manta rays. I tend to get seasick, so I chose this tour with a shorter boat ride. Although the snorkeling time was not long, it was truly a very special and magical experience. This was the most memorable and worthwhile activity we did on the Big Island. If you only have one night on the Big Island, I highly recommend you experience the night snorkeling with manta rays; it’s very efficient.
Day 2: Tropical Rainforest, Elevation 4200 Meters
On the morning of the second day, we set off from Kona, first taking the northern route and stopping briefly at Waipio Valley Lookout (which didn’t feel very worthwhile). We then went to see Akaka Falls and the Hawai‘i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden. I thought these two spots were optional, but unexpectedly they became the highlights of the day. The 30-minute short trail to Akaka Falls had beautiful scenery, mainly lush plants that were very pleasing to the eye and relaxing (the scenery is similar to the Pipiwa Trail, but the distance is shorter, the difficulty is lower, and it’s suitable for all ages). Spending an hour exploring the tropical garden was also nice; it’s very close to Akaka Falls, with similar vegetation, huge trees, and many strange plants. It was very green and a great place for relaxation and photography. Both places require an entrance fee, $20 for each location (for two people), which felt worth it.
In the afternoon, we went to the car rental place and picked up a four-wheel drive vehicle (Jeep Wrangler) specifically for going to the top of Mauna Kea, so we rented this car for just one day. We checked into a hotel in Hilo and then drove to the Mauna Kea Visitor Center, where we stopped for 40 minutes to put on warmer clothes and use the restroom. At the entrance of the Visitor Center, there were staff checking if your vehicle was suitable for the ascent, ensuring you were in good condition, and making sure you knew how to use low-speed four-wheel drive and how to drive up the mountain (they would teach you if you didn’t know). It was my first time at an elevation above 4000 meters, so I was very cautious, but fortunately, I didn’t experience severe altitude sickness. Although there were no obvious symptoms, the summit at 4200 meters was quite uncomfortable; the sunlight was particularly strong, it was very cold, and the wind was strong, so it wasn’t very enjoyable. The scenery was somewhat similar to the summit of Haleakala in Maui. There are many observatories at the summit, and after dark, you’re not allowed to stay at the top (they say car headlights can cause light pollution), so we retreated to the visitor center at 2800 meters to see the Milky Way. The Milky Way was very clear, but we didn’t have a camera to capture it, and there were so many stars that it was hard to distinguish them. I had high expectations for Mauna Kea, but in the end, I was quite disappointed; the scenery was average, and the comfort level was low. You can also see the Milky Way at Laguna Mountain in San Diego (though you can’t guarantee clear, cloudless weather). I can only say it was a unique experience.
Day 3: Volcanoes National Park
The main reason for coming to the Big Island was to see the volcanoes. Unfortunately, after booking my flight and accommodation, I found out that there are currently no surface lava flows to see up close, nor is there any lava entering the sea. The only thing to see, the Halemaumau Crater, is currently erupting, but the area is quite small. Nevertheless, since I was already here, I decided to spend the whole day exploring Volcanoes National Park.
Before heading to the national park, we first visited the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens, which is free and took about an hour to explore. It was quite nice. Then we went to several viewpoints in the national park (Uekahuna, Kilauea Overlook, Steam Vents, Sulphur Banks). I must say, after visiting Yellowstone National Park, the Steam Vents and Sulphur Banks here are really underwhelming; don’t waste your time going there, they are quite ordinary and boring. We then walked through the Thurston Lava Tube and the Kilauea Iki Trail and Crater Rim Trail, both of which were quite good. Before sunset, we drove along Chain of Craters Rd, and the scenery along the way was beautiful. Stopping at a few viewpoints was definitely worthwhile, as you can see the vast fields of lava, remnants of past volcanic eruptions. By the time we reached Hōlei Sea Arch, it was almost dark. Personally, I found this Sea Arch quite ordinary; it’s not as impressive as La Jolla, and there’s really no need to go out of your way for it.
Around 8 PM, we drove to the Devastation Trail parking lot (there might not be parking spots available from 5 PM to 8 PM). The observation point for the lava in the crater is still a 1.6 km walk from the parking area. Once we reached the observation point, we could see the red lava in the crater from a distance; it was far away and small, so it wasn’t very spectacular, and the photos taken with my phone didn’t turn out well. I was a bit disappointed, but at least I could see the Milky Way here.
Day 4: The Southernmost Point of the U.S., Sunset and Rainbow
We visited several places we wanted to see, and on the fourth day, we took it easy. Before checking out in the morning, we went to Coconut Island, where we could actually see both Mauna Kea Summit and Mauna Loa (the two highest mountains on the Big Island) at the same time. Then we set off from Hilo and took the southern route, first stopping at Black Sand Beach. We didn’t see any turtles, which was quite boring; it felt like all these red, green, purple, and black beaches were a scam—just an ordinary beach. Next, we went to the southernmost point in the U.S., which is also the southernmost point of the Big Island. The water here was especially blue, but the weather was really hot. In the afternoon, we visited Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, where a very dedicated Park Ranger, dressed in traditional attire, passionately gave a 45-minute talk. At first, I couldn’t tell he was a Ranger at all. Finally, we went to Kahalu’u Beach Park to watch the sunset, and unexpectedly, we saw both a rainbow and the sunset at the same time.
It was Thanksgiving that day, and as a result, we found that several restaurants were closed. Even McDonald’s was only available for drive-through. So, we ended up buying McDonald’s, went to a public restroom at a beach park in the dark, ate dinner in the car, and then returned the rental car at the airport before catching the red-eye flight home that night.
After Returning Home, the Volcano Erupted
I got home around 9 AM on Friday. It was Black Friday, so shopping was inevitable. As a result, by Friday night, I started having a runny nose and a low fever. I wasn’t sure if it was the flu, but I tested negative for COVID. I felt unwell on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I spent all day Saturday lying in bed, and I wasn’t very energetic when I went to work on Monday.
On Sunday night, just 72 hours after we left the Big Island, Mauna Loa erupted again after nearly 40 years!!! We missed the most spectacular volcanic eruption on the Big Island, which is really unfortunate; it feels like we lost out on billions. While we were on the Big Island, I even told Cuihao that we would go back to see the volcano erupt or watch lava entering the sea when it happened. But as soon as we left, the exciting show began. Should we still go back? Considering that I had been sick in bed recently and my life was a mess, I decided to give up on that idea. It really is unfortunate; some things just can’t be timed perfectly. Thinking back to my two trips in 2022, to Yellowstone and the Big Island, it really was a volcanic theme.
Travel Expenses
This trip cost $2300 for 4 days and 4 nights, with 3 days in a hotel and 1 day on a red-eye flight. The detailed expenses were approximately $800 for airfare, $100 for gas, $400 for car rental, $450 for accommodation, $200 for food, and $300 for tickets and tours. Since it was around Thanksgiving, both airfare and accommodation were a bit more expensive, and because we rented a four-wheel drive to go up the mountain, the car rental cost was also higher.
Itinerary Map
