Big Island Vacation

Big Fire, Big Water... Big Island

No matter what time it is, it is time to start planning your next Big Island vacation. With four different colors of beach, five active volcanoes, seven magnificent waterfalls and 11 wildly diverse climate systems in 4,021 miles of paradise — you have a front row seat to all this restless beauty.

Everywhere you turn there’s something guaranteed to take your breath away

Along the western coast lie a succession of bliss-inducing bays and beaches. Head north and you’ll witness the thundering display of mighty waterfalls. The southeast holds miles of unearthly lava fields and a volcano that’s been continuously erupting for more than 30 years. And interspersed throughout are acres of foliage that seem to come in at least 50 different shades of green. Welcome to Hawai‘i Island — more commonly known as the Big Island to avoid confusion — and the home of WorldMark Kona.

Aloha Kailua-Kona

The timeshare rental on the Big Island, the WorldMark Kona is located on the west side in Kailua-Kona, the resort and hotel hub of the island (Ask about booking your Big Island vacation at the WorldMark Kona)...

...Once serving as the seat of government for King Kamehameha I, the forceful monarch who conquered and unified the islands, Kona was a favorite retreat of the Hawaiian royal family until 1914. When the capital was moved to Lahaina (and later Honolulu), Kona morphed into a quiet fishing village for several decades. The area reinvented itself once more when real estate speculation and advancing construction transformed Kona into the island’s de facto center of commerce and tourism.

WorldMark Kona (Ask about availability) is situated on the city’s main drag of Ali‘i Drive; the resort is just across the street from a private lava-rock beach and a convenient 10 miles from Keahole-Kona International Airport. Enjoy one of the twenty one-bedroom or 44 two-bedroom units for your Big Island vacation. All units have balconies or decks, and face an appealingly landscaped courtyard graced with an outdoor pool, spa and children’s pool. All units are air-conditioned and contain all the amenities you’re accustomed to.

Forged in fire, risen from the sea

As with all the Hawaiian Islands, the birth of the Big Island was raucous and violent. A quintet of volcanoes — Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Hualalai and Kohala — bubbled up from beneath the waves of the Pacific Ocean, ferociously willing the new land into existence. With all five volcanoes still classified as active, these cauldrons of life and death continue to dominate the energy of the island and remain a top draw for visitors.

The big daddy of the spewers is Kilauea in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Kilauea holds sway because it has been continuously erupting since 1983 and shows no sign of stopping. The thrill of being so close to a thrilling natural wonder has made the park the island’s main attraction. The primo viewing spot for volcano activity is Pu‘u O‘o Vent in the western section of the park; if Kilauea is a-cookin’ and no safety warning has been issued, you can observe the oozing safely from there.

A most efficient use of your time in the park is to embark on the Crater Rim Drive, which encircles Kilauea’s caldera and offers a kind of “greatest hits” experience. The 11-mile route brings you stunningly close to the action while also treating you to stretches of luxuriant rainforest, eerie volcanic desert and astonishing lava tubes. The drive is peppered with overlooks, bluffs and other scenic stops crying out for photos; and the park’s Thomas Jaggar Museum offers displays, current seismographic readings and a gift shop. If you’d really like to spend your Big Island vacation feeling like a road warrior, add the 40-mile (round-trip) Chain of Craters Road to your park agenda. Extending southeast off Crater Rim Drive all the way down to the Pacific Ocean, this thoroughfare offers the best perspective of the achingly beautiful starkness of the lava flows and rewards you with the sight of fantastic clouds of steam rising up from the sea.

“On our Big Island vacation in November 2010, we hiked the Kilauea Iki trail in Volcanoes National Park. There is so much to do on the Big Island, but this time we did this hike on our first full day in Hawai?‘i. I would recommend this trail to everyone. It has lush tropical forests and a huge volcanic crater with a lot of history and interesting facts.”
-- Vacationer Rose G.

Cool water

After a day of all things incendiary you’ll want water, and waterfalls large and small are plentiful on the Big Island. The tallest — and one of the highest in the world — is Hi‘ilawe Falls (60 miles from resort), visible only from within the Waipio Valley in the northern district. Topping out anywhere from 1,200 to 1,600 feet, Hi‘ilawe was formed when a lava flow from Mauna Kea created cliffs that forever diverted water flow into a seemingly endless plunge. Much smaller but more easily accessed is Akaka Falls (56 miles from resort), 422 -feet-high and nestled in its own eponymous state park. The well-marked looping trail ensures convenience and a setting of dazzling vegetation lush with ginger, bird of paradise, philodendron, orchid and bamboo adds to the rich magic conjured by the rumbling falls. And for early morning enchantment, make a breakfast date to drive east to Rainbow Falls (86 miles from resort). Comparatively tiny at 80 feet, these falls are sometimes blessed with a perfect alignment of sun and mist, causing rainbows to manifest across the water as it drops into the Wailuku River Gorge.

Fashion sands

With so much to do on your Big Island vacation, it’s easy to forget doing nothing is a perfectly honorable vacation option. So kick back and hit the beach. And because the Big Island is widely varied in climate and topography, you can color-code your beach experience and match the sand to your lounging ensemble. For classic gold sand, safe swimming and prime snorkeling, stay in Kona and enjoy the many amenities of Kahalu‘u Beach Park.

Want white sand on your Big Island vacation? Kona also contains White Sands Beach Park, where the grains are pristine and the surf gradually steals the beach throughout the winter season — and magically returns it by the summer. For black sand, drive down and around South Point to Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach Park in Ka‘u, where the ebony beach, emerald palms and aquamarine water will make you think you’ve fallen into a Disney cartoon (there are even turtles, but they probably don’t talk). And for a glimpse of rare olivine green sand, Papakolea Beach lies just south of Kona. It’s a trek to reach the beach and swimming here is not recommended, but it’s not every day you get to see sand the color of Kermit.

Why I love the Big Island

Resort manager Sharlene Spencer-Delima has worked at WorldMark Kona (Ask about availability at the WorldMark Kona) for 14 years and can’t say enough about her tropical home. “The Big Island is incredibly diverse and absolutely gorgeous. We have 11 out of the 13 possible climate zones here — you can play in the snow at the top of Mauna Kea and then go frolic on a sun-soaked beach, all on the same day. How cool is that?”

Ironman Triathlon: Only 1,800 of the world’s most elite triathletes get to come to Kona to swim 2.4 miles in challenging ocean surf, bike 112 miles and run a full marathon of 26.2 miles on lava- encrusted terrain. Quite possibly the most grueling sports competition of all time, the Ironman is thrilling to witness in person. It’s the biggest event that happens on the island all year and will be a don’t- miss experience if you schedule your Big Island vacation so that you're in Kona early April.

Place of Refuge: In Pu‘uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park you can walk the land where, until the 19th century, lawbreakers could find sanctuary, receive absolution for their misdeeds and leave freely (Does this maybe sound like your ideal Big Island vacation?). For centuries the park grounds housed the remains of Kona chiefs and members of the nobility, adding to its sacred nature. Stroll the footpaths past ancient Hawaiian temples, view the magnificent carved Ki‘i statues and meditate among the palm and puhala trees.

Merrie Monarch Festival and Hula Competition: If you time your Big Island vacation just right, you can enjoy this weeklong celebration of native Hawaiian traditions, language and arts, the Merrie Monarch festivities culminate in a wildly acclaimed hula competition that attracts hip-shimmying experts from around the globe. This year’s festival takes place April 24–30. Tickets go fast and are highly prized, and proceeds go to support educational scholarships as well as ongoing workshops and seminars in Hawaiian art and history.

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