Hello! Travelling to the Big Island of Hawaii at the end of the month for our honeymoon!
We have both been to Oahu and Maui, but the Big Island is a new adventure for us! I do not know alot of people who have been to the Big Island so we would love some suggestions, recommended tour companies, and tips on how best to enjoy this beautiful place!
We are definitely wanting to go whale watching, but are unsure of which company to book with. We would also like to tour the volcano area, do a TON of snorkelling, and anything else we can add to the list!
Do most attractions require a paid tour? Are there any great "off the beaten path" but safe snorkelling spots? Beautiful hikes?
Would also love any great food places to try out!
Thank you!

Big Island is my favourite! We rented a car + toured ourselves around, no problem. Puna is amazing...a drive down The Red Road is a must! Kapoho Tide Pools were the best snorkelling of my life (you can even get away with water shoes/no fins). Volcano is impressive + surreal hiking - make sure you pack WARM clothes (it gets cold up there!) + check out the lava flows below. Worth visiting the crater at nite if it's active (traffic can get busy if it's showing off). Waipi'o Valley has stunning hikes, Hilo makes a great chill day trip too
enjoy!

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Down load the big island revealed app. Lots of great info

beautiful place to go, rent a car and explore, you will love it!

Definitely get "Big Island Revealed".

Hey Jessica! Don't know if you remember me. We met a few times through tj and glenn. I went to kona a few years ago. I definitely suggest the night time manta ray excursion, so cool! And rent a car, you can do the whole island. Black and green sand beaches, only a few in the world. If you want to do that volcano trip book now, people book months in advance. They were sold out when we got there. Good luck! It's beautiful

Yes I totally remember!!
Thanks for your suggestions!Did you book the manta ray dive with a company? Many ppl are suggesting it! One person made it sound like you could just hop in with the manta rays, so i wasnt sure lol

Jessica haha! I wish, but you can't actually touch them. We booked it through our hotel, can't remember the company name. We waited almost an hr floating in the water at night. We almost called it then whoooosh, this giant manta ray came right up to our face.

To go to the very top of mona kia and see the world famous observatory you need a 4x4. If it is going to be clear and close to a new moon I would recommend this. 4x4 rentals are expensive so this is only thing I would recommend taking a tour. Otherwise you can rent a car and get everywhere by yourself without tours.

*Mauna Kea...

This has been on my bucket list for awhile!

When I was there in December, Mauna Kea had snow on it so pack some warm layers if you would like to go to the summit.

Go HERE http://kazumuracave.com/! Unless you're claustrophobic. It was amazing! It is the slow season, so if you're lucky like my wife and I on our honeymoon you'll get a private tour with the guide. We learned so much from him.
KAZUMURACAVE.COM
KAZUMURA CAVE TOURS

Volcanos national park is a must see also there is a great b n b on a macadamia nut farm that rents out old boats as sleeping units you are surrounded by mango trees. It was beautiful

The boats are landlocked on the farm

Following

Do you scuba dive? If you do, do the night dive with the manta rays. If you don't, you can do a night snorkel with the manta rays instead. But it's so much cooler under the sea.

And go have some poke at Da Poke Shack in Kona.

And you can head to the Kona Brewing Company for dinner and a drink. The food isn't anything to write home about, but the beer is pretty decent.

Are you staying in Kona side or Hilo side? There is a ton to do. Buy the Big Island Revealed for sure. Kona has the best snorkelling out of all the Hawaiian Islands. The visibility is the best because it's the newest Island. My favourite place is a place call "Two Step" and it's right next to the boat launch at uʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park (City of Refuge). There is also a good snorkelling spot in Kailua town call Kahaluu. The best beaches are north of Kona airport at the big resorts. Some of the best are Hapuna, Kua Bay and Kona Coast State Park. Depending how much time you have, a trip to the Volcano is worth it. Stop at South Point and Black Sand Beach. If you leave early enough, stop at Punalullu Bakery for Lilikoi Malasadas. Stay overnight somewhere if you can. I've staying in a cabin in the middle of a rain forest a few times and it was magical. The first day go to the Visitors Centre, then drive Chain of Craters Road, then check into where ever you are staying, have dinner (you will likely bring your own food and cook, very limited services there), then head back to the crater at night to see the lava glowing. Then the next day at the park, you can do some hiking. If you are only going to do one hike, I suggest Kiluea Iki. Then when you return back to Kona, I would drive thru Hilo. Stop in historic Hilo for lunch or breakfast. I like Short and Sweet Bakery. Stop at Rainbow falls, take any "scenic drive" you can. They are short and pretty. Other day trips could be to Hawii (drive to the lookout at the end of the road) and Halualoa through Kona Coffee Country. The Big Island is big... so don't try to do to much. Oh yeah, the night dive or snorkel with the manta rays is an amazing experience also. I don't think you need to really book and tours. You can do pretty much everything on your own. You must have a car.

Good info for you Deborah Birza

If you want an extreme adventure I recommend the lava kai lava tours. It's actually a pretty crazy ride though and some people underestimate them!

Also rent a mustang, they are fun to drive around the big island. For hiking Waipo Valley, For snorkeling Captain Cook's (also hikeable but bring lots of water and sunscreen, the hike back can be really hot) , Hilo and mango forest is cool, lots of awesome small yoga retreats and less touristy stuff on the Hilo side

I was just visiting the Big Island in December. I agree about the Big Island Revealed book - you don't need a tour guide with that book. We had challenges finding places that served breakfast past 11am but Daylight Mind Coffee Company does! Really good brunch. I second the recommendation for Da Poke Shack. The Kona one was sold out by 1pm when we went so either go for an early lunch or try the one in Captain Cook instead. The Keauhou Farmers Market on Saturday was amazing. Produce costs less here than in grocery stores and there's a ton of amazing local vendors. Entirely focused on food - no touristy knick-knacks here.
Big Island Brewhaus is another great brewery on the Big Island. It's in Waimea. Worth stopping by on your way back from Hilo.
Puna was one of my favourite areas for unique beaches - the tide pools mentioned by someone else are great. We also liked Ahalanui beach park. It's a thermal pool that has ocean water constantly flowing into it. Creates a bath water warm pool to swim in. While most beaches were fairly busy when we went, this one was less busy.
We splurged on a helicopter ride to see the volcano and it was the highlight of my trip! Weather permitting, they take you to see the caldera and where the lava is flowing into the ocean. It's the best way to see lava! We couldn't see much at the national park. It's cheaper to take a helicopter ride from Hilo since it is closer to the volcano.

Thank you to everyone on this thread for all the wonderful tip and suggestions! Makes the start of planning a whole lot easier!
mahalo!