Big Island Travel Guide in 10 Minutes

Is the Big Island too big to explore, or are most visitors just planning it wrong?

👉 Save 15% on Shaka Guide Tours with code HAWAIISBEST

The largest island in Hawaii requires a real strategy, and most first-timers don't arrive with one.

👉 Hit play now and walk away with a clear Big Island game plan before you land.

If you've wondered how to make the most of the Big Island, this episode is for you. You'll know where to stay, what to book, and what most visitors get wrong.

In this episode of Hawaii's Best, we cover the Big Island travel guide so you can plan confidently.

👉 In this episode, you will:

• Learn whether Kona or Hilo is the right base for your budget and trip length
• Discover what to expect at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and why timing your visit matters
• Find out where to eat well beyond resort prices, from the Hilo Farmers Market to Jackie Ray's Ono Grill

_
Scroll up ⬆️ and hit play now to get a Big Island travel guide covering where to stay, what to prioritize, and what most visitors get wrong.

🎧 Related episodes:

• Ultimate Kauai Travel Guide
• 1-Day Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Itinerary

_
💻 Related blog posts:

• 29 Unique Things to Do on the Big Island
• 10 Best Beaches on the Big Island
• Best Time to Visit the Big Island of Hawaii
• Top 15 Best Things to Do in Hilo, Hawaii for an Unforgettable Vacation
• Big Island Name Change

_
🤓 Chapters:

• 1:55 Why the Big Island Feels Huge
• 2:59 Not a Beach-First Island
• 3:42 Where to Stay Kona vs Hilo
• 5:38 Shaka Guide Road Trip Tool
• 6:31 Volcanoes and Key Bookings
• 8:44 Food Spots and Wrap-Up

Save 15% on Shaka Guide Tours
Change The Way You See Hawaii with SELF-GUIDED AUDIO TOURS

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

_
👉 Book a Hawaii Travel Consultation

About Your Host: Bryan Murphy is the founder of Hawaii’s Best Travel & a Certified Hawaii Destination Expert through the Hawaii Tourism Authority, since 2020. An HVCB member since 2019, he helps first-time & repeat visitors plan unforgettable Hawaii vacations w/ clear, practical advice & authentic cultural insight.

📲 Connect on Instagram
🌺 Hawaii Planning Facebook Group
✉️ Free Hawaii travel tips & guides at hawaiisbesttravel.com

🤝 To sponsor the show visit hawaiisbesttravel.com/partner

Hawaii travel podcast helps you plan a trip to Hawaii with clarity. Discover practical travel tips, island itineraries, & local insight to help you explore Oahu, Maui, Kauai, the Big Island.

Edge of the Ocean (w/ permission)
Ukulele and Chill (w/ permission)
Talk Story (w/ permission)

Transcript

239_Big Island Travel Guide in 10 Minutes

[00:00:00] Big Island Overview

[00:00:00] Bryan Murphy: One of the facts about the big island that has always impressed me is that it is bigger than all the other Hawaiian islands combined, and yet a lot of visitors fly in, spend a few days and feel like they barely scratch the surface of exploring the island of Hawaii today. I wanna help fix that, and this is your big island travel guide, and by the end of this episode, you'll know exactly where to stay, what to do, and what most people get wrong before the even.

[00:00:26] Bryan Murphy: Land

[00:00:30] Welcome and Sponsor

[00:00:30] Bryan Murphy: Loha and welcome to Hawaii's Best. I'm Brian Murphy, Hawaii, destination expert and your personal guide to planning an unforgettable trip to Hawaii. If this is your first time tuning into the podcast, welcome. So glad that you're able to find it. And if you're a return listener Mahalla for coming back, it really does mean the world.

[00:00:48] Bryan Murphy: Today's sponsor of the show is Shaka Guide. I don't wanna share more about them later on and how you can use them. A lot of us might be traveling right now. We actually just got back from a road trip. We did a Southwest Road trip, shared many times that we live in Southern California and what we love is exploring where we live as well.

[00:01:05] Bryan Murphy: Each summer we usually do like a road trip, and this summer we made our way all the way up to Mesa Verde National Park, which is like southwest corner of Colorado. So a lot of driving is about 1800. Miles. Glad to be back. I hope your summer is going good as well. Maybe you're in Hawaii right now. Maybe you're planning, maybe you're going to Hawaii next week and you found the right podcast to be able to help plan your next trip to Hawaii.

[00:01:27] Bryan Murphy: So today we're talking all about the big island and we've covered, this is part of like a travel guide series. We've already covered Ahoo, Maui, and Kauai, and now it's time for the big island. Officially called Hawaii, and that was a recent name change. It's kind of confusing, but for a while it was island of Hawaii.

[00:01:45] Bryan Murphy: And also you can refer to it as the big island. A lot of locals are still calling it the Big island, so I'll call it the big island, but look it up, do a little research. It's been kind of controversial. The name change.

[00:01:55] Why the Big Island Feels Huge

[00:01:55] Bryan Murphy: So tip one we'll get right into it, is understanding what the big island actually is.

[00:02:00] Bryan Murphy: The big island is called that for a reason. It's big. It's over 4,000 square miles larger than all of the other Hawaiian islands put together, which is pretty wild. And driving around the whole island is about, it's over 220 miles, and that can take better part of a day. So if you're thinking about going from Kona to Hilo side.

[00:02:20] Bryan Murphy: It's quite a drive. So what that means for your trip is you're not going to see everything in like two days, like if you're island hopping. And honestly, you really shouldn't try to see everything in two days if you only have two days on the island. This is also the youngest island, geologically speaking.

[00:02:36] Bryan Murphy: You've probably seen it all over the news. Kilo. The active volcano is still going. Episode 49 is happening right now at the time of this recording. So the land is still being formed, it's still active, it's being made. You can literally stand on ground that didn't exist a few decades ago, and, and I think about that.

[00:02:53] Bryan Murphy: Every time I'm on island. That is, it's just incredible and it changes the whole energy of the island.

[00:02:59] Not a Beach-First Island

[00:02:59] Bryan Murphy: One thing I I want to set expectations on right away is that the big island is not primarily a beach destination. If you're coming for miles of white, sandy beaches, Molly or Ahu might actually be a better fit for you and your trip.

[00:03:16] Bryan Murphy: The big island has some beautiful beaches, don't get me wrong in cleaning note. Black sand beach, green sand beach, and a few great spots for snorkeling, but it's not like wall to wall stretches of white sand beaches. But the magic is really different here. It's raw, it's, it can be dramatic and really in the best possible way, a lot of space to just kind of spread out.

[00:03:38] Bryan Murphy: So if you're looking for some room, the big island is definitely the way to go.

[00:03:42] Where to Stay Kona vs Hilo

[00:03:42] Bryan Murphy: Tip number two is picking your. Base wisely. Meaning like, where are you gonna stay? Kona or Hilo side. So Kona side, it's west side. It's sunny almost every day. Don't get me wrong, some days it's not. But most that's of the sunny side, typically, and this is where you find most of the resorts.

[00:03:58] Bryan Murphy: This is where we've stayed a few times. Restaurants, tour operators are based out of Kona. You've got access to snorkeling, man Ray tours, there's good beaches nearby. The majority of. Flights land at the Kona Airport. So for first time visitors, this is definitely the area that I recommend staying at. Now, the East side Hilo side, it's lush, it's wet, it's green, and it's way more affordable than the other side of the island.

[00:04:26] Bryan Murphy: But Hilo, like I said, it's, it's one of the radius places in the country, and honestly, the rain is part of the charm. In Hilo, you're close to Hawaii. Volcanoes National Park, rainbow Falls. Akka falls in the famous Hilo farmers market, and the pace is slower. The vibe is more local in your food and lodging budget will stretch a lot further on Hilo side.

[00:04:48] Bryan Murphy: So here's what I would personally recommend. If you have five or more nights, maybe do a split stay three or four nights on ide, two nights on HELOC side, you'll. See both faces of the island without wasting a full day driving back and forth. And maybe even a tip on top of that, if you want to do Hawaii volcanoes, maybe you do a few nights on Kona and then you do a night over in Hilo and the next day you do volcanoes National Park because Volcanoes National Park.

[00:05:16] Bryan Murphy: Is a lot closer to Hilo than it is to Kona. But if you only have three to four nights base yourself in Kona and maybe do a day trip to Volcanoes National Park. Uh, it's about 95 miles, roughly two hours each way. Like I said, it's a lot of driving. It's totally doable as a day trip. We've done it as a day trip.

[00:05:35] Bryan Murphy: It's a lot. But it's, you just have to know what to prepare for.

[00:05:38] Shaka Guide Road Trip Tool

[00:05:38] Bryan Murphy: And you know, since we're talking about driving around one of the biggest islands in the Hawaiian chain, I want to mention our sponsor and that is Shaka Guide. If you haven't heard of Shaka Guide, a lot of people have heard of Shaka Guide.

[00:05:48] Bryan Murphy: It's a self-guided audio tour app that narrates your drive in real time. So you drive it, talks it knows where you are, and tells you a bit of the history. You know there's some music happening. It tells you about the stories you've never known otherwise. And on an island this big where you're going to be in a car a lot, it genuinely changes the experience.

[00:06:09] Bryan Murphy: I've used Chaka Guide many different tours. They have big island tours, including routes through the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I've used it personally and it's one of my favorite travel tools. And right now you can get 15% off. All tours and bundles by going to Hawaii's best travel.com/chaka summer.

[00:06:28] Bryan Murphy: And I put a link, first link in the show notes below.

[00:06:31] Volcanoes and Key Bookings

[00:06:31] Bryan Murphy: So tip number three is that Hawaii Volcano's National Park is really the main event on the island. This is one of the most remarkable places on, I think, on earth really. KI is one of the world's most active volcanoes, and it has been really put in on a show nothing like many people have seen in years.

[00:06:49] Bryan Murphy: Currently, episode 49 is. Erupting. It is just going crazy. But that's not to say when you go, you might not see lava. Like last time we were out in the national park, like all we saw was this plumes of smoke. It was still really cool. We got to explore most of the park. It wasn't as busy. That's another thing.

[00:07:08] Bryan Murphy: When there is active lava, it is busier. So you wanna plan for that. And just kind of speaking of planning, the entry fee is $30 per vehicle. That's valid for seven days, totally worth it. Best time to visit is early morning or after sunset for the most dramatic glow from the Caldera. So you really wanna see lava in its active is gonna be at night.

[00:07:30] Bryan Murphy: That just means it's gonna be a long night. So maybe that night you want to stay in Hilo because Hilos about, uh, 45 minutes from the park. What to wear to the national park. It can be cool and it can be windy at the park, which sits around 4,000 feet elevation. So maybe bring a light jacket, even if it's warm in Kona, when we were there, it was pretty windy, but it was also pretty warm at the time.

[00:07:51] Bryan Murphy: But, uh, don't rush it. You wanna plan at least a half a day, ideally a full day. We did about a half a day and that was plenty for us and what we wanted to do. Tip number four is there are a few experiences that you do need to book reservations in advance. So for state parks and camping, una Beach state recreation area, you need that for parking and entry.

[00:08:12] Bryan Murphy: Reservations are required for non-residents and for Mon Kea Summit. Driving to the summit requires a four-wheel drive vehicle. Many visitors, book guided sunset and stargazing tours. Be aware of that. That's about it. If you wanna do. Man, Ray snorkeling, you need to do that. And all your other tours and activities, luaus, maybe there's some dining you want to do, you wanna make sure you get those reservations in.

[00:08:35] Bryan Murphy: But those are like the main ones I really wanted to make mention. A lot of the other islands do a lot more reservations. But not so much on the big island yet.

[00:08:44] Food Spots and Wrap-Up

[00:08:44] Bryan Murphy: Tip number five, eating on the big island is really kind of eclectic. There's a lot of great options and you just gotta know where to look. So if you want like a sit down restaurant, especially resort restaurants that they can run from like $55 to over a hundred dollars per person, you really don't need to do that.

[00:08:59] Bryan Murphy: Maybe at Special night, sunset dinner, maybe do that, plan for that. But the Big Island has some of the best plate lunch spots in food trucks. So you got fresh Poque, Loko, moko, teriyaki chicken, garlic, shrimp, all usually for that, you know, around 15 or so dollars. A few spots I wanna mention would be the Hilo Farmer's Market and it's open Wednesday and Saturday and, but Saturday morning is the one that's the spot.

[00:09:22] Bryan Murphy: That's where you gotta go. You get there early, fresh produce, local snacks, great deals. Also Jackie Ray's Ono Grill in Kona. It's great local food, consistently good, not resort prices. Also want to give a shout out to Hawaiian Style Cafe. They're located in Hilo. Check them out. Another spot in Hilo I'd recommend is pineapples.

[00:09:42] Bryan Murphy: Good food there. Good drinks as well. A little bit more on the south end. You have Puna Luu Bake Shop. They're famous for their sweet bread and malasadas. So stop here, right? If you're doing the southern route, great pit stop. And if you are over on the south side, Puna Luu Black Sand Beach. This is one of the only black sand beaches in Hawaii is easy and safe to access this here you'll be able to see typically Hawaiian green sea turtles.

[00:10:07] Bryan Murphy: The nu um, they rest here. Regularly, please treat them with respect. Stay at least 10 feet or more away. Never touch them. Never block their path to the water. Just, you know, enjoy the beauty of them. Take pictures and you'll be good to go. And if this episode or any episode has been helpful for you and your planning for your trip, I would just ask you to go ahead and hit follow on your podcast app.

[00:10:30] Bryan Murphy: If you're on Apple or Spotify, go ahead and hit the follow button. Alright. And until next time, as always, live with Aloha

[00:10:42] Bryan Murphy: Mahalo for listening to Hawaii's Best. If you found today's episode helpful, make sure to hit follow on your podcast app so you don't miss future episodes.