Our time spent on the Big Island of Hawaii was the most memorable of the three Hawaiian islands. It's home to two huge volcanoes (Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa) which create sporadic weather conditions. However, you don't come here for cloudless sunbathing skies, you come here to see the amazing Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Best of all, see the nighttime Manta Ray Madness feeding frenzy, which is still to this day the most amazing thing we have ever seen.
Furthest away from the tourist centre that is Oahu, the Big Island is least like the stereotypical image of Hawaii that you see on the TV. Being the youngest of the islands, it features wild and rugged scenery, and local people go about their business oblivious of the tourist scene.
Our visit to the Volcanoes National Park was special. I had no expectation of seeing red hot lava pouring out three metres away from my delicate eyebrows, but it happened, and I have to marvel at how incredibly lucky we were to see such a thing up close and personal. One thing's for certain, when a gust of seaward wind came in, you knew about it. I thought my wayward haystack hair was going to burst into flames at one point, the fiery heat was so intense.
All in all, Big Island is definitely worth a visit if you're heading in this direction .... BIG travel and adventure points from us!
By Darrell Grundy - visited on 9 July 2002