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Scheduled inspection for North Hilo water service laterals to begin mid-April

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My Island Headlines: Big Island

At 95, ‘Aunty Irene’ is a living Hilo treasure — with a simple secret to life

Mandatory water restriction in place for North Kona residents

Hawaii Island man sentenced 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting minor

HPD: Suspect in deadly Hilo motorcycle crash was driving under the influence

Hilo prepares to welcome an international audience for Merrie Monarch 2024

Park officials warn against leaving ‘well-intentioned’ but potentially harmful offerings at Kilauea

Police: 2 women who died in Hilo crash didn’t appear to be wearing seat belts

Police: Speed, reckless driving were factors in Big Island crash that left 1 dead, 2 injured

Social media video showing man beating dog prompts police investigation

Nonprofit leader announces run for Hawaii County mayor against incumbent Mitch Roth

Current radar.

Narcan vending machines installed on Hawaii Island help curb overdose deaths

LIST: Hawaii’s Republican Party presidential caucus voting locations

Police arrest, charge Hilo man in connection with 2 Kona robberies

Crews make daring rescue after Jeep goes off cliff, ejects driver into ocean

Woman found dead after slipping off cliff into waters off Hawaii island

Power restored on Hawaii Island following Hawaiian Electric rolling outages

Hawaii Island residents, businesses asked to conserve power with generators offline

Late Rockne Freitas honored with street sign on Hawaii Island

Police investigating after woman died after trying to stop dog from biting goat.

Elderly Utah visitor dies after getting into trouble in waters off Hawaii Island

Motorcyclist critically injured after overtaking cars, ramming into SUV on Hawaii Island

Manhunt underway for ‘armed and dangerous’ suspect wanted on Hawaii Island

Baby born on Hilo street dragged before umbilical cord was cut: police

Investigation underway after Hawaii Island man dies following altercation

Elderly man accused of attacking neighbor in carjacking attempt released from custody

Foul play now suspected after body discovered at banana farm

Suspect sought in fatal Big Island shooting on Christmas Eve

Hawaii Island police investigating attempted murder after a man was found shot in driveway

Drug trafficker who shipped money in chocolate boxes found guilty on multiple charges.

Utah visitor dies in apparent drowning during guided diving tour off Hawaii Island

Port of Hilo reopens after fire suppression issues are addressed

Some major roads reopen in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park thanks to rainfall

Search underway for Big Island suspect accused of cutting elderly man’s neck

Woman convicted of murder in shooting death she tried to stage as suicide

Hawaii Island man, 47, arrested after 8-hour police standoff

Hawaii County police renew call for public’s help in 2021 murder of elderly man

Officers cite 5 men over sheep poaching on Hawaii Island

Hawaii County mayor extends emergency rules for Waipio Valley Access Road

Hawaii Island police close portion of Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona after truck slams into pole

‘Pray for rain’: As drought conditions worsen, water restrictions loom on Hawaii Island

Hawaii Island police investigating possible drowning in waters off Kona

Local Headlines

44-year-old Hawaii Island man charged with shooting victim in the face

15-year-old Hawaii Island girl arrested in connection with stabbing

Permit issues pause Hilo’s Hoʻolauleʻa, but there’s hope it could still happen

Retired Hawaii Island police commander charged in domestic dispute in Kona

HVO: Kilauea’s continued unrest indicates possible eruption on the horizon

Man was lying down in middle of road when run over by car, police say

No eruption just yet, but two trails at Kilauea closed amid increase rumbling

Public help sought in locating woman accused of brazen arson in Kalihi

Police: Man airlifted to Oahu after being shot in the face on Hawaii Island

Hawaii - The Big Island   Travel Guide

Courtesy of Sean Davey | Aurora Photos

Best Times To Visit Hawaii - The Big Island

The best time to visit Hawaii's Big Island is between September and November. That's when the island's generally reasonable room rates take the most significant plunge. Temperatures remain constant throughout the year – generally in the high 70s or low 80s – so you might want to avoid the priciest season, from December to March, unless you like to surf. Regardless of when you plan to go, take some time to review a few travel insurance policies, which range from travel medical insurance (ideal if you plan to trek through Volcanoes National Park) to COVID-19 travel insurance – useful in the event you and/or a travel companion gets sick.

Weather in Hawaii - The Big Island

Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center

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Popular Times to Visit Hawaii - The Big Island

Tourism volume is estimated based on in-market destination search query interest from Google and on travel.usnews.com in 2015-2016. Hotel prices are sourced from a sample of U.S. News Best Hotels rates through 2015-2016.

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T&C Travel Guide: Hawaii's Big Island

An itinerary to bliss out on Hawaii's main island, from snorkeling with manta rays to lazy beach days (and the food to go with it).

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Where to Go

Akaka Falls

One of the Big Island's most famous waterfalls, Akaka Falls and its smaller neighbor Kahuna Falls are on the Hilo side of the island, which means it is located in a lush rainforest. A quick half-mile loop takes you through both falls, making it an easy stop and general crowd pleaser (especially if you have impatient kids in tow).

Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden

A 10-minute drive from Akaka Falls, the bioreserve is an incredibly special piece of land along Onomea Bay that serves as a sanctuary and living seed bank. The mile or so walk includes a mind-boggling array of flowers, trees, and plants, along with waterfalls and views of the ocean.

Night Ray Manta Snorkel

Everyone knows that the snorkeling in Hawaii is unmatched, but do not skip out on night snorkeling with 1,000-pound manta rays (no, they are not dangerous to humans). Bonus, GoPro cameras are also available to rent for the experience for serious social media bragging rights.

Hilo Farmers Market

Hawaiian fruit is legendary and rather than be limited to a restaurant plate, explore it for yourself at one of the island's farmers markets . In addition to produce, you can score local coffee, honey, and Hawaiian treats like mochi and malasadas. Each town likely has a market, but the one in Hilo is open Wednesday through Saturday and has over 200 vendors, so it is easy to work into a travel itinerary.

Hapuna Beach

Between hiking around and zip lining over waterfalls , it can be easy to forget to take a day or two to simply soak in Hawaii itself. This white sand beach is a great place to swim and sun on repeat.

Where to Eat

Ocean views, tiki torches, and prime sunset viewing make for an experience that would be memorable no matter what, but the Japanese-inspired Hawaiian menu is also spectacularly addictive. Run by husband-wife team executive chef Matt Raso and general manager Yuka Raso, CanoeHouse is inventive and elevated without being stuffy. Order the corn ribs, radish salad, grilled Kona Kampachi, and off-menu fried rice, trust.

Over 90 percent of the menu at this small Hawaiian chain are locally sourced and we especially like it for a casual lunch although the prix fixe dinner is no slouch either.

Rooster Farms

Go all in on a kona coffee experience at this small, organic farm . Make an appointment in advance, be prepared to go off the beaten path, and enjoy an authentic experience. Leave buzzed, with a few bags of coffee to take home.

Where to Stay

It is no small feat for a resort to balance the surrounding culture authentically while offering the luxurious amenities that evoke a postcard tropical paradise. At Mauna Lani , the two blend together seamlessly. A series of tiered pools, which appear to trail off into the ocean and are the perfect place to spend an afternoon, cocktail in hand, are also adjacent to former royal Hawaiian fishing ponds that have been restored to showcase ancient Hawaiian engineering. Guests can spend time with Uncle Danny Akaka, a resident historian who plays ukulele and shares Hawaiian folk tales, observe ancient petroglyphs carved into stone on the property... or play a few rounds of pickleball or tennis on nearby courts. Daily activities also include morning sunrise canoe paddles—part exercise, part meditation—snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, and swimming with the resident dog, Mika. Guests can dine at the upscale CanoeHouse (above) or grab a sandwich or spam musubi at the market. The concierge can also arrange for rental cars or a group trip to other parts of the island, but perhaps the only drawback to Mauna Lani is that you may never want to leave.

Olivia Hosken is the deputy managing editor of House Beautiful , where she oversees operations across the brand's print and digital platforms. She also writes about design and architecture and was previously the style & interiors writer at Town & Country and the managing editor of Dwell. 

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Hawaii’s Big Island warned to be ready as huge volcano rumbles

HONOLULU — Hawaii officials are warning residents of the Big Island that the world’s largest active volcano, Mauna Loa, is sending signals that it may erupt.

Scientists say an eruption isn’t imminent, but they are on alert because of a recent spike in earthquakes at the volcano’s summit. Experts say it would take just a few hours for lava to reach homes closest to vents on the volcano, which last erupted in 1984.

Hawaii’s civil defense agency is holding meetings across the island to educate residents about how to prepare for a possible emergency. They recommend having a ″go″ bag with food, identifying a place to stay once they leave home and making a plan for reuniting with family members.

“Not to panic everybody, but they have to be aware of that you live on the slopes of Mauna Loa. There’s a potential for some kind of lava disaster,” said Talmadge Magno, the administrator for Hawaii County Civil Defense.

The volcano makes up 51% of the Hawaii Island landmass, so a large portion of the island has the potential to be affected by an eruption, Magno said.

There’s been a surge of development on the Big Island in recent decades — its population has more than doubled to 200,000 today from 92,000 in 1980 — and many newer residents weren’t around when Mauna Loa last erupted 38 years ago. All the more reason why Magno said officials are spreading the word about the science of the volcano and urging people to be prepared.

Mauna Loa, rising 13,679 feet (4,169 meters) above sea level, is the much larger neighbor to Kilauea volcano, which erupted in a residential neighborhood and destroyed 700 homes in 2018. Some of its slopes are much steeper than Kilauea’s so when it erupts, its lava can flow much faster.

During a 1950 eruption, the mountain’s lava traveled 15 miles (24 kilometers) to the ocean in less than three hours.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, which is part of the U.S. Geological Survey, said Mauna Loa has been in  a state of “heightened unrest”  since the middle of last month when the number of summit earthquakes jumped from 10 to 20 per day to 40 to 50 per day.

Scientists believe more earthquakes are occurring because more magma is flowing into Mauna Loa’s summit reservoir system from the hot spot under the earth’s surface that feeds molten rock to  Hawaii’s volcanoes .

The temblors have declined in frequency in recent days but could rise again.

More than 220 people attended a community meeting last weekend that county civil defense officials held in Ocean View, a neighborhood that lava could reach in hours if molten rock erupts through vents on Mauna Loa’s southwest flank.

Bob Werner, an Ocean View resident who didn’t attend the meeting, said it’s wise to be aware of a possible eruption but not to fear it. He’s not concerned that the neighborhood would be completely cut off, if lava flows across the only road connecting it to the bigger towns of Kailua-Kona and Hilo, where many people do their shopping.

The “greater concern is it will be extremely annoying to drive an extra hour or two hours to get the same stuff,” he said.

Ryan Williams, the owner of the Margarita Village bar in Hilo, said the volcanic unrest wasn’t worrying customers who are used to warnings.

There could still be a heightened sense of urgency since officials have been holding town hall meetings, urging people to prepare.

“But everything I’ve read or heard, they trying to kind of assure people that conditions have not changed,” Williams said. “There’s no imminent eruption, but just to be alert.”

Magno said his agency is talking to residents now because communities closest to vents likely wouldn’t have enough time to learn how to respond and prepare once the observatory raises its alert level to “watch,” which means an eruption is imminent.

The current alert level is “advisory” meaning the volcano is showing signs of unrest yet there’s no indication an eruption is likely or certain.

Residents in other parts of the island would have more time to react.

Lava from Mauna Loa’s northeast flank could take days or weeks to reach residential communities. That’s because the mountain’s slopes on that side are relatively gentle and because towns are farther from volcanic vents.

Frank Trusdell, research geologist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said all of Mauna Loa’s eruptions in recorded history have started in its summit crater. About half of them stayed there, while the other half later spewed lava from vents lower down the mountain.

Lava erupting from the summit generally doesn’t travel far enough to reach residential areas.

Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since 1843. It last erupted in 1984 when lava flowed down its eastern flank only to stop 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) short of Hilo, the Big Island’s most populous town.

Molten rock flows from Mauna Loa, located on the south-central part of the island of Hawaii, on April 4, 1984. (AP Photo/File)

Mauna Loa also has a history of disgorging huge volumes of lava.

In the 1950 eruption, which lasted for 23 days, Mauna Loa released 1,000 cubic meters (1,307 cubic yards) of lava per second. In contrast, Kilauea released 300 cubic meters (392 cubic yards) per second in 2018.

The earthquakes could continue for a while before any eruption: increased seismic activity lasted for a year before a 1975 eruption and a year-and-a-half before the 1984 one. Alternatively, the temblors could subside and Mauna Loa may not erupt this time.

Trusdell said residents should look at his agency’s maps and learn how quickly lava may show up in their neighborhood. He also urged people living in one of the short-notice areas to pay attention if the summit turns red.

“All you got to do is look up there and see the glow. You grab your stuff, throw it in the car and drive. Go!” he said.

They can always go home after if the lava ultimately doesn’t flow into their neighborhood, he said.

The Big Island is world-famous for its pristine multi-colored beaches, explore more with our comprehensive beach guide.

With their incredible marine life, amazing coral, and crystal clear water, you’ll love these snorkeling spots around the Big Island.

Explore Hawaii with the Big Island Guide

Big Island Guide is your complete Hawaii travel guide before and during your Hawaiian vacation. We’ll walk you through where to stay, where to eat, and most importantly, what there is to do on the Big Island of Hawaii. Whether you’re visiting as part of a longer stay on other Hawaiian Islands or hoping to maximize your time on the Big Island, Big Island Guide is here to help.

The Big Island of Hawaii is paradise for travelers inclined toward adventure and exploration. From the flowing lava of Kilauea Volcano to the cascading waters of Hi’ilawe Falls to the snowcapped peaks of Mauna Kea, the sheer geographic and climate diversity present here is worth the journey.

At over 4,000 square miles, the Big Island lives up to its name. A trip around the island is over 220 miles, taking the better part of the day. Due to the variety and density of natural and local attractions, most visitors to Hawaii Island return several times in an attempt to explore every inch. To make the most of your Big Island adventure, smart planning and a little insider’s insight will go a long way. That’s where Big Island Guide comes in, we have the travel tips to make your Hawaii vacation amazing.

The connection to the natural world on the Big Island is truly awe inspiring. The refreshing Pacific Ocean with its abundant sea life, clear water and pristine beaches makes a dramatic backdrop for water-sports, diving and snorkeling. The night skies are so clear that multinational observatories have been established atop the staggering volcanoes at the heart of the island. Massive shield volcano Kilauea is one of the world’s most active and a breathtaking reminder of the constructive, and destructive, powers of nature.

In stark contrast to the natural beauty present here, the Big Island also offers world-class Hawaiian resorts, travel centric activities, and remarkable preservations of Hawaiian history. Hawaiian cultural sites tell the rich history of this land and provide a glimpse into the lives and customs of ancient Hawaiians.

The various observatories, dedicated to the study of the stars, help mankind gain ever-more understanding of the universe. The many galleries, museums, hula, and music events across the Big Island share a common artistic expression that only life on the Big Island could inspire. The world class resorts on the Kona and Kohala Coasts offer travelers a place to reconnect with friends and family, relax and recharge beneath the swaying palms and tropical sun of Hawaii.

Consider splitting your trip between the western “Kona side” and the eastern “Hilo side” for a more complete Big Island experience. For endless sunshine, beautiful beaches, water activities, and world class resorts, Kona is your travel paradise. If exploring the volcano, botanical gardens, lush rainforests, and breathtaking waterfalls demand your attention, then the Hilo side will fulfill your sightseeing dreams.

Big Island Guide is meant to be your constant companion, guiding you to the best attractions in Hawaii, and making sure you see all the Big Island has to offer. With such a huge variety of activities to do, sights to see and regions to explore, we recommend travelers spend a week or more on island. Even if you only have a few days to stay, we know your time on the Big Island of Hawaii will be memorable. We welcome you to the island and wish you a wonderful adventure.

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7 Days on the Big Island Itinerary

Last updated on October 13th, 2023

This 7 days on the Big Island itinerary + guide is full of tips on where to stay, what to eat, the top beaches, and the best things to do on the Big Island !

After visiting the state of Hawaii 5 times, including two trips to Maui , two trips to Oahu , and one trip to Kauai , we finally made it to the Island of Hawaii (nicknamed “The Big Island”) and it was absolutely magical!

Although we named our dog Kona after our love of Hawaii and coffee, we for some reason kept putting off visiting the Big Island. Maybe it was because its size seemed daunting or maybe we just didn’t know much about it, but regardless of why it took us so long, we are so glad we finally made it there.

We spent 7 days on the Big Island with Kathryn’s parents and had so much fun visiting different colored beaches, exploring waterfalls, eating our favorite Hawaiian treats, learning about volcanoes, taking a shelter pup out on a field trip, wandering around towns, touring a coffee farm, and so much more. To see all of our adventures, watch our Big Island vlog series !

The island is incredibly diverse and has something for everyone. While we still cannot pick a favorite island (they are all amazing!), we did love how less busy this island felt and how much nature it had to offer. One day we were driving through lava fields and the next we were in a rainforest. It made everyday feel new and exciting!

We’re excited to share a 7 days on the Big Island itinerary + guide, filled with our favorite things we did while we were there. Normally our guides are 5 days or less, as we want to help those who have limited time off experience different places, but for the Big Island, we are doing 7 days as we believe you really need that much time to see the main sights.

If you don’t have 7 days on the Big Island, then don’t worry! You couldn’t go wrong with just doing a portion of this guide. 

A few disclaimers before we jump in: We are not lay out at the beach all day type people. We like to spend our days doing a mix of beaches, hiking, eating, and exploring towns, so our guide definitely caters more to our travel style, but it still will give you tons of ideas even if you prefer to travel differently!

This 7 days on the Big Island guide involves a decent amount of driving as the island, as the name implies, is big! The drives are all beautiful though! We tried to organize the days so you stick to one area to reduce the total driving, as well as not put too many long driving days together so you get a little break 🙂

If you have any questions about the island or our guide, then please shoot us an email or send us a message on Instagram ! 

Need more ideas for your Big Island trip? One Day at Hawaii Volcanoes National Par k 8 Best beaches on the Big Island  11 Things you Must Eat on the Big Island Heading to Oahu, Maui, or Kauai? Check out our other Hawaii guides :

• 5 Days on Oahu
• 5 Days on Maui
• 7 Days on Kauai
• All Hawaii blogs + guides

Before embarking on your adventure, please review the  Leave No Trace principles  to ensure you leave every place better than you found it, so that others can enjoy these beautiful places for many years to come! These seven principles include planning ahead and preparing, hiking and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly (pack out what you pack in!), understanding campfire rules and always fully extinguishing your fires, respecting wildlife, and being considerate of other visitors. 

About the Big Island

The island of Hawaii, more commonly known as The Big Island, is the youngest and largest of the Hawaiian islands. In fact, all of the other islands could fit in it almost twice! The island is constantly growing due to two of the five volcanoes on the island being active, Kilauea and Mauna Loa.

There are 6 regions on the Big Island, which we will refer to often in this 7 days on the Big Island guide so you have a better understanding of where you’ll be. These regions are: Kona, Kohala, Hamakua Coast, Hilo, Puna, and Kau.

The island has 12 climate zones, from rainforest to frozen tundra to the desert and the rainfall across the island varies dramatically based on where you are. Kona on the West side, for example, receives 25 inches of rain a year, while Hilo on the East side gets about 125 inches. 

While the island is known for its volcanoes, it is also known for Kona coffee. Only coffee grown in the Kona region of the island can be called Kona coffee. The coffee grows well in this region because of the volcanic soil, sunny weather, and occasional rain.

Kona coffee is pricey to buy, but that’s due to the manual nature of picking and roasting the coffee, as well as US labor laws and the rarity of the coffee since it can only be grown in one region.

There is so much more to the Big Island than volcanoes and coffee though, the people were friendly, the food was delicious, the beaches were beautiful, and there was so much nature to explore. While a bit more laid back than Oahu, it still had many activities to choose from. We loved the island so much and we hope you do too!

Need more ideas for the Big Island? Best Beaches on the Big Island Things to do at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 11 Things you Must Eat on the Big Island

General Big Island tips

Between weather, the language, and what to bring, here are a few things that are good to know before you visit!

• We found that the best weather website for the Big Island (and Hawaii in general) is Hawaii Weather Today . Typical weather websites said we would have rain every day of our trip (this happened to us last time on Maui too!) and on both trips, we only got rained on maybe once. So don’t panic if it says it’ll rain! This website is great because you can view the weather by region, which is crucial since the islands have many different ecosystems and weather patterns!  
• Speaking of rain, bring a rain jacket for your 7 days on the Big Island! Ideally you won’t need it, but it’ll be a lifesaver if you have one!  
• Learn some Hawaiian words before you go! Not only does this help you understand some of the words you’ll see often, but it helps you get immersed into the culture more. And it’s nice to know how to pronounce them too!

When to visit the Big Island

The Big Island is known for having two main seasons: the wet season and the dry season . The wet season is between November-April, while the dry season is between May-October.

However, we mentioned above, some areas of the Big Island get much more rain than other areas of the island, which means that when you visit, even if it’s raining in one area of the island, that doesn’t mean you can’t find sunshine elsewhere!

We spent 7 days on the Big Island during November (the week before Thanksgiving) and had pretty awesome weather the entire trip! So don’t be afraid to visit during the wet season, although we’d suggest being mentally prepared for rain so you’re not disappointed.

Besides weather, another thing to consider when choosing when to visit the Big Island are holidays. Summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are popular times for families to vacation on the Big Island, which means prices will be higher and the crowds will be larger.

We had originally planned to visit during Thanksgiving, but by visiting the week before we saved a total of $2,100 on four flights and didn’t notice anything being too busy! So we’d suggest looking at when flights will be the cheapest and planning your trip around that time.

Want to learn other tricks to save money on flights? Check out this post !

Getting to the Big Island

There are two main ways to get to the Big Island: by airplane or by cruise ship . 

Airplane The Big Island has two airports, one in Hilo and one in Kona . We flew into the Kona airport, as that’s where we found the best flights. This is the more popular of the two airports, but definitely check both when booking your flights, as Southwest and Alaska (two of our favorites!) fly to Hilo.

Cruise While this is the less common way to visit the Big Island, it’s a good option if you want to see all of the islands. Norwegian Cruises offers a variety of Hawaiian cruises, all of which stop in Hilo and in Kona! This option doesn’t give you as much time on the island and wouldn’t allow you to fully use this guide, but it should still help you plan your days on the island!

Getting around the Big Island

Renting a car is a must for 7 days on the Big Island! There are so many things to do all over the Big Island and while they do have public transportation, the freedom of having your own car is so worth it!

We rented a Jeep in order to have 4×4, which helped us on the road to Makalawena Beach and would’ve been necessary for Mauna Kea had we gone. If you want to access some trickier spots, then we highly suggest renting one. 

Where to Stay on the Big Island

Choosing where to stay on the Big Island is tough because it’s so big! The two main areas to stay in are Kona and Hilo, with Kona being the more popular option. Here is a quick rundown of the two areas based on our experience and opinions:

Kona: 

• Pros: White sand beaches, lots of shops and resorts, close to snorkeling and coffee farms, more of a beachy vibe, close to the main airport
• Cons: Touristy in some areas, not very walkable

Hilo:  

• Pros: More walkable, more character and local boutiques, close to the National Park and waterfalls, less touristy feeling, super lush and green
• Cons: Some areas are more industrial, no white sand beaches, few resorts

The distance between Kona and Hilo is about 1.5 hours, so traveling back and forth to those areas everyday can get a bit lengthy.  We split our trip between Kona and Hilo and while having to change rentals midway through wasn’t 100% ideal, it was totally worth it to maximize our adventure time and not have to drive hours everyday! 

If you want to see the entire island, we suggest splitting your time, but it’s also doable to stay in Kona and drive more everyday. Below are some options of where to stay in the two main regions of the island, as well as some smaller areas that have cool places to stay. We will put under each day where we suggest staying that night to maximize your time on your 7 days on the Big Island.

Places to stay in Kona

Vacation Rentals

• Option #1 : A 1 bedroom, 2 bathroom top floor condo with views of the ocean
• Option #2 : A 1 bathroom studio with a nice lanai
• Option #3 : A 1 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo with ocean views
• Option #4 : A 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo directly on the ocean
• Option #5 : A 2 bedroom and 2 bathroom condo, perfect for families
• Aston Kona by the Sea
• Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel
• Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa

Places to stay in Hilo

• Option #1 : A 1 bathroom studio condo in the heart of Hilo
• Option #2 : An elegant 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo on the Hilo Lagoon
• Option #3: A 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo perfect for families
• Grand Naniloa Hotel
• Hilo Hawaiian Hotel

Other areas to stay on the Big Island

Kohala 

• VRBO Option #1 : A 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo with ocean views
• VRBO Option #2 : A beautiful 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo
• VRBO Option #3 : A 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom bungalow that sleeps 6
• Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
• Hilton Waikoloa Village
• Kings’ Land by Hilton Grand Vacations Club 
• VRBO Option #1 : A 1 bathroom tropical studio apartment
• VRBO Option #2 : A 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom oceanfront condo

Unique places to stay on the Big Island

• Tiny home on a lava field (Puna)
• Two bedroom Tiny Home (Puna)
• 3 bedroom A Frame – more affordable option (Puna)
• Treehouse – midrange option (Puna)
• Treehouse – higher end option (Puna)
• 1 bathroom Yurt in the rainforest

7 days on the Big Island Itinerary

This 7 days on the Big Island itinerary covers all of the main regions of the island and includes delicious food, gorgeous beaches (including three different colors!), and the best things to do!

Day 1: Kona

For your first day on the Big Island, enjoy some Hawaiian treats and relax at two of the most beautiful beaches!

• Kick off your 7 days on the Big Island with coffee at Kona Coffee & Tea ! This spot is super nice on the inside and has some great drinks. We recommend a coconut or macadamia nut latte or just a plain cup of delicious Kona coffee.  
• Grab acai bowls for breakfast at Basik Cafe or Barefoot Zone (Closed Monday & Tuesday).  
• Spend the morning and afternoon at Kua Bay or Makalawena Beach , or both! We loved both of these beaches and highly recommend checking both out. Kua Bay is super easy to access, but not huge and can get busy, while Makalawena Beach is harder to access, but you’ll have a lot more space to yourself. We suggest packing a lunch to enjoy on the beaches! And don’t forget a boogie board 🙂   For more details on getting to Makalawena Beach or to learn more about Kua bay, check out our Best Beaches on the Big Island blog post!  
• Enjoy shave ice at Scandinavian Shave Ice in Kailua-Kona. This spot is sooo delicious!  
• Walk around Kailua-Kona , which is full of souvenir type shops and ocean views!  
• Grab dinner at Broke Da Mouth Grindz . This spot has great Hawaiian food, from laulau to kalua pork to shrimp, but one of the top items to get here is their furikake chicken! The restaurant has recently changed locations and is now located at 75-5864 Walua Rd, which is different than what this Yelp page says.  

Where to stay: We recommend staying in Kona this night. See our recommendations above!

Day 2: Kohala 

Explore more beautiful beaches, eat more delicious Hawaiian food, and if you’re lucky, see tons of stars from the tallest mountain on the island (and depending on how you measure it, the world)!

• Grab breakfast at 808 Grindz in Kona (Closed on Mondays). This is a traditional Hawaiian breakfast joint with delicacies like loco moco, portuguese sausage, spam, and pancakes with coconut syrup!  
• Spend the rest of the morning at Hapuna Beach State Park . It costs $5 to park here, but the beach is very large and has great sand and water.  
• Head up the road to Mauna Kea Beach , which we regrettably didn’t visit due to a lack of time, but we have heard it’s incredible and many people’s favorite on the island. While you’re there, enjoy a picnic lunch !  
• After a day of relaxing, spend the rest of the day driving up Mauna Kea and visiting the summit! Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world if you’re measuring from the bottom of the ocean floor. While it is only 13,796 feet above sea level, the majority of the mountain is underwater and from the ocean floor to the top it is over 33,000 feet (Everest is 29,035 feet!)   A few things to know about visiting: It is about a 2 hour drive from Mauna Kea Beach, but once you reach the Visitor Information Station (VIS) at 9,200 feet, you need to stay there and acclimate to the elevation for at least 30 minutes to avoid altitude sickness. According to the VIS, pregnant women, persons in poor health, and children under 13 should NOT venture above the VIS.   To continue to the summit at 13,796 feet, you will need a 4WD vehicle, as the road is not paved past the VIS. You should leave the summit 15-20 minutes after sunset so you can make it to the VIS before it gets completely dark out.   Once you return to the VIS, we recommend going stargazing! The stars are supposed to be beautiful up here. There are tours you can do that will take you to Mauna Kea for stargazing or you can go on your own. This website has tons of info about visiting Mauna Kea.  
• After spending time on Mauna Kea, drive back to Kona, which is about a 2 hour drive.  
• For dinner , head to either Umekes Fish Market Bar , Kona Brewing Company , or Jackie Rey’s Ohana Grill !

Day 3: Kau + Kona

On day 3 of 7 days on the Big Island v isit one of the 4 green sand beaches in the whole world, learn about the process of making Kona coffee, and have some amazing tacos!

• Visit the Green Sand Beach , also known as Papakolea or Mahana Bay. The beach is 1.5 hours from Kona and we highly recommend getting there early to avoid the heat and crowds! It’s about a 2-3 mile walk to the beach and the walk is mostly on dirt/sand. It’s pretty easy, just a bit tedious, but you have ocean views the whole time. Some say the effort isn’t worth it, but we disagree, we thought the beach was very cool! We arrived around 7:30 AM and got back to the car around 10:00 AM. We only stopped at the beach for a little bit due to crazy wind, but you could definitely spend more time there.   Read more details about this beach, including where to park, why it’s green, how to get down to the beach, and more on our Best Beaches on the Big Island blog post!  
• Grab lunch at Kaaloa’s Super Js Authentic Hawaiian . This family run spot is known for having the best laulau, which is pork wrapped in taro leaves and then either steamed or cooked in an imu (underground oven).   
• Go on a Kona coffee tour at Heavenly Hawaiian Coffee Farm . A coffee tour is definitely one of the top things to do on the Big Island and with so many options to choose from, we went with Heavenly Hawaiian based on reviews and it was such a great choice! Use our code APLUSK10 for 10% off if you book on Tripadvisor!   The team working there is incredible, knowledgeable, and make you feel like family! The tours are around 1 hour long and run every hour on the hour until 4 PM. We ended up spending 3 hours here going on the tour, drinking coffee, and talking with the employees–it was one of the biggest highlights of our trip! While most probably don’t stay that long, we loved every second of it.  
• If you have time after your coffee tour, then check out Pu’uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park , which is home to some of the most significant traditional Hawaiian sites in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is a pretty quick stop, but a great place to learn about Hawaiian history!  
• For dinner , enjoy some killer tacos at Shaka Tacoz . We loved this spot! We tried all of the meats and they were all delicious and the guacamole is FREE (when does that ever happen?!) The view from the patio in the building behind the truck is so beautiful and is full of cute geckos that like to join you for your meal 🙂   
• End the day with ice cream at Gypsea Gelato !

Want to save some money on this tour or experience? Book it on Tripadvisor and use our code APLUSK10 for 10% off!

Day 4: Kona

More food and beaches (because that’s one of the best things about Hawaii!), but today’s big activity is one of the coolest things we have ever done.

• Head a little south for breakfast at The Coffee Shack ! This spot is known for having breakfast with a killer view and just like Shaka Tacoz, watch out for the hungry geckos!  
• Spend the rest of your morning at Magic Sands Beach ! This smaller, but beautiful beach is one of the few white sand beaches close to town. It is named Magic Sands because in the winter the surf will take away some of the sand, revealing the lava rocks below. When we went there was plenty of sand to enjoy though!  
• Have lunch at Da Poke Shack ! This poke spot is one of the best on the island, but they can sell out, so try to arrive early! (It’s pretty close to Magic Sands if you want to hop over there for lunch and then go back to the beach). They also have some options for non fish lovers, like Kalua pork!   
• After spending your morning and afternoon at the beach, cool off with some shave ice from One Aloha Shave Ice in Kona! (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) We are pretty crushed we didn’t make it here during our trip (we were too full for more food), but we hear it’s one of the best spots on the island for shave ice!  
• Want to experience one of the coolest things ever?! Go night snorkeling with Manta Rays! This was one of the highlights of our trip and definitely one of the best things to do on the Big Island.   There are 240 manta rays that call the Kona coast home and they have all been identified and named due to black and white markings on their bellies that allow you to tell them apart, similar to human fingerprints. They can grow up to 16ft long and 1,600 pounds, but are considered one of the safest large animal encounters since they have nothing that can bite or sting you.   We went night snorkeling with Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii and they were the best! The crew was awesome and we saw at least 6 manta rays (this varies every night). The waves were very rough and choppy when we went and a good chunk of the boat felt sick, but we still had a blast! Book it on Tripadvisor and use our code APLUSK10 for 10% off!  

Day 5: Kohala + Hamakua Coast

Today you’ll be hiking, eating more delicious food, and seeing the stunning northern coastline of the island!

• Head to Waimea, about an hour from Kona, for coffee at Waimea Coffee Co !  
• After enjoying some coffee, head across the street to Hawaiian Style Cafe for some breakfast ! This spot is super delicious and we highly recommend getting their massive macadamia nut banana pancakes! Their loco moco is also super popular and we loved their homemade Portuguese sausage.  
• Go for a hike at Pololu Valley ! You can view the valley from the parking area, but the view is amazing if you hike down to the beach, which is only around 1.2 miles and goes down 420 feet in 0.6 miles. We loved this beach because it wasn’t too crowded due to the hike and it had black sand! Make sure to bring water because we got super hot hiking back up. We share more information about the hike in our Best Beaches on the Big Island blog post!  
• After a nice hike and some beach time, have lunch at The Fish and the Hog . Their BBQ sampler and tacos were really good!  
• Enjoy some delicious shave ice at Original Big Island Shave Ice . This shave ice was different than any we have had before. It felt more decadent and the flavor combinations were so unique. The Kimrah Special with ube and the Trini Chantilly were incredible! The location changes based on the day, so check their website to see where they’ll be!  
• Venture to the Hamakua Coast to see Waipio Valley . This overlook is a quick walk from the parking area and offers gorgeous views! While you used to be able to go down to the beach here, the road is now closed indefinitely to visitors .  
• After exploring Waipio Valley, we suggest driving to Hilo and making it your home base for the rest of your Hawaiian adventures.  
• Grab dinner in Hilo. A few good spots to check out: Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine (Closed Mondays), Puka Puka Kitchen (Only open for dinner Tuesday-Friday), or Moon & Turtle .

Where to stay: We recommend staying in Hilo this night. See our recommendations above!

Want to get 30% off an AllTrails+ membership ? Use our code aplusk30 (you must redeem this code on the website, not the app)! We use AllTrails+ on every single hike and it is the most helpful hiking tool out there! Some of the features we love are offline maps (so we can navigate even without cell service), wrong-turn alerts, and its 3D maps feature, so we can get a feel for trails before we hike.

Day 6: Hilo

Hilo is the oldest city in Hawaii and the largest city on the Big Island. On day 6 of 7 days on the Big Island you’ll be seeing waterfalls, exploring lava tubes, and eating tons of delicious food!

• Start the day with coffee at Waipuna Coffee (Closed on Sundays)  
• Check out Rainbow Falls , which is quite a bit smaller than ‘Akaka Falls at 80 ft tall, but if you arrive early on a sunny morning, you’ll be treated to a rainbow over the falls! This is a super quick spot with two overlooks of the waterfall (and it’s free!).  
• Explore the Kaumana Caves . These free to access lava tubes are from an 1881 lava flow from Mauna Loa! You can explore quickly, or go deeper into the caves (some spots get narrow). No matter how much you want to explore, make sure to bring a flashlight or headlamp…it’s super dark!  
• Get a beautiful acai bowl at Makani’s Magic Pineapple Shack . We got ours in a pineapple and it was massive and oh so good!  
• The Locavore Store . We grabbed some amazing toffee from here and they had other local treats and souvenirs!  
• The Hilo Farmer’s Market , which has more vendors on Wednesday and Saturday. Try a unique fruit like a Rambutan!   
• Poke at Suisan Fish Market !  
• Mochi at Two Ladies Kitchen . The butter mochi is especially delicious!  
• Shave ice at Wilson’s by the Bay or Kula Shave Ice  
• Vegan gelato at Nicoco . You wouldn’t know it was vegan if someone didn’t tell you! They also have delicious homemade vegan and gluten free cones that they make fresh!  
• Visit ‘Akaka Falls ! This 442 ft tall waterfall is gorgeous and is a super quick, but lush and beautiful walk from the parking lot, which costs $5 to park at.  
• Drive the scenic route back to Hilo. We made a quick stop at Onomea Bay and it was beautiful!  
• Grab dinner in Hilo. A few good spots to check out: Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine (Closed Mondays), Puka Puka Kitchen (Only open for dinner Tuesday-Friday), or Moon & Turtle .  

Day 7: Puna + Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Learn all about volcanoes on the last of your 7 days on the Big Island! From the history of the volcanoes on the island, to walking on a crater, prepare to be mind blown by how crazy nature is!

• Get an early start and head to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park , about 45 minutes from Hilo. This is one of two national parks in the state of Hawaii and the only one on the Big Island. It is home to two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa.   There was an eruption and lava flow last year that impacted the island as well as changed the park. At the time of our visit in November 2019, there was no lava flow or glow to see and many sights were closed.   View our Hawaii Volcanoes National Park guide for more details on the park and ideas of things to do!  
• We recommend starting your day at the park with the Kilauea Iki Trail . This hike is about 3 miles round trip and a 688 ft elevation change. You start the hike at the top of the crater and then go to the crater floor, which is a crazy experience. You then hike back up the other side. The parking area has a good amount of spots, but the hike does get busier as the morning goes on, so start the hike early to beat the crowds and the heat (the crater part of the hike has zero shade!).  
• Swing by the Visitor’s Center to learn more about volcanoes! We walked up as the ranger was talking about the history of the island’s volcanoes and it was sooo interesting! The ranger was very entertaining and engaging and we ended up listening to him for 20 minutes or so. It was a great way to learn about the park!  
• Across from the Visitor’s Center is Volcano House , which is a hotel with a beautiful balcony overlooking Kilauea. It’s definitely worth a stop for the view!  
• Walk along the short Sulphur Banks trail (1.2 miles roundtrip), which takes you by steam vents and colorful mineral deposits, which are signs of volcanic activity. Warning: it may smell a bit 😉  
• Park by the Desolation Trail and then walk along Crater Rim Drive to Keanakakoi Crater . This road is now closed to vehicles due to the earthquakes that happened in 2018, but you can either bike or walk along the road to a certain point. Along the way there are viewpoints to see Kilauea Crater, as well as chances to see the cracked road due to earthquakes.  
• Drive Chain of Craters Road down to Hōlei Sea Arch . Along the way you’ll have ocean and lava views, some of which have signs saying which year the lava flow was from. There are also other quick stops you can make if you have time, but we focused on getting down to the arch, as the weather was a bit crazy.  
• Have lunch at Cafe Ono (Closed Mondays) or Aloha Mix Food Truck (Closed Mondays and Saturdays).  
• Visit Punalu’u Beach , which is a beautiful black sand beach full of palm trees and if you’re lucky, turtles! We saw 5 turtles total on the sand, as well as a couple turtles swimming in the ocean. There is free parking and the beach is a hop and a skip from the parking area, making it much easier to access than Pololu or Waipio Valley’s black sand beaches.  

If you have extra time…

If you have more than 7 days on the Big Island, or are just looking for more things to do, here is a list of food and activity suggestions, with the region of the island they are in!

• Kona Grill House (Kona)
• Kanaka Kava (Kona)
• Umekes (Kona)
• Frenchman’s Cafe (Kona)
• Loko Wraps (Kona)
• Herbivores (Kona)
• On the Rocks (Kona)
• Splasher’s Grill (Kona)
• Kohala Burger and Taco (Kohala)
• Conscious Culture Cafe (Hilo)
• Paul’s Place (Hilo)
• VIBE Cafe & Health Bar (Hilo)
• Kope Lani Coffee & Ice Cream (Kona)
• Mrs. Barry’s Kona Cookies (Kona)
• Manuela Malasada Company (Kohala)
• Anuenue Ice Cream & Shave Ice (Kohala)
• Tex Drive In (Hamakua Coast)
• HiCo (Kona)
• Kona Mountain Coffee (Kona)
• Daylight Mind Coffee Company (Kona)
• Green Flash Coffee (Kona)
• Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation (Kona)
• Kona Wave Cafe (Kona)
• Tin Shack Bakery (Puna)
• Take a shelter pup out on a field trip ! (Kona, Waimea, and Hilo)
• Tour the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory (Kona)
• Go on a bee tour at Big Island Bees (Kona)
• Hike to Captain Cook Monument + snorkel at Kealakekua Bay (Kona)
• Visit Lapakahi State Park (Kohala)
• Hike to Kiholo Bay (Kohala), which is 2.8 miles. This post has great info on how to get to it!
• Walk down Banyan Drive to see Banyan trees planted by various famous people (Hilo)
• Go snorkeling at Carlsmith Beach Park (Hilo). This is supposed to be one of the best snorkeling spots on this side of the island. We didn’t snorkel there, but we went by there quickly and saw multiple turtles!
• Visit the newest beach at Isaac Hale Beach Park (Puna)

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24 thoughts on “ 7 days on the big island itinerary ”.

Great guide full of wonderful suggestions!

Thank you!!! 😀

Your wonderful blog and youtube channel gave me so much inspiration and made it so much easier to plan my birthday trip! Thank you so much for your hard work. Looking forward to learn about your future adventures 🙂

Hi Mira! This makes us sooo happy to hear! We hope you have a great trip (or had if you already went) to the Big Island! Thanks for watching and reading 🙂

Hi A + K! First of all, thank you so so much for all the blogging you do about your travels. I know how much effort goes into it and it’s incredibly inspiring! I also love your objective: help people to do less planning and enjoy their trip more! And that is EXACTLY what happened with me! Your Big Island blog was my base itinerary and I just had to make very few modifications and I completely enjoyed my trip with very limited planning! So a big fat thank you from the bottom of my heart! And this blog has motivated me to document my own travel in case I have friends who ask me my itinerary!

You guys are amazing and I truly appreciate what you do! Keep rocking! Thank you!!

Hi Akshaya! We are SO happy to hear that the guide helped you with your trip and that you had a great time! The Big Island is amazing 😀 Thank you so much for the kind comment and for using our guide!

I’m highly interested in Option 1 Airbnb that you stayed in. 3 bedroom and 2 bath. The link does not seem to link directly to the Airbnb only the Airrbnb website. May you please help re-direct that link again please?! 🙂

Hi Noel! Sorry about that, sometimes the links get a bit weird. Since we had an option 1 for both Kona and Hilo, both of which we stayed at, here are the links to both of them. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/17590596 (Kona) and https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/27115591 (Hilo)

Hi A+K! Just recently found your blog when researching for our upcoming trip to Hawaii in March. I love it! My question for you is how cold was the water, specifically for the night manta ray snorkel. We’d love to do a night dive with mantas, but may have to pass with March water temps.

Hi Lee! We did the manta rays in November and we don’t remember it being super cold! We had wetsuits on which helped a bit I am sure. The experience is absolutely amazing and we couldn’t recommend it more! By far one of the coolest things we have ever done. The only negative thing is that the waves were super choppy that night, so a bunch of people felt (and got) sick, but that may have just been bad luck.

Excellent reviews of the many diverse parts of Hawai’i Island! I will recommend your site to all my visiting friends. MAHALO!

Mahalo Charlene!

Thank you so much for your blog and personalities. My husband and I pre-kids totally travel like you, so your blog resonates. I appreciate your passion and sharing your experience and knowledge to guide me in my travels/vacation.

Hi Helene! Thank you so much for reading and we are so glad it helps!

Me and my 12 year old daughter have SO enjoyed your YouTube videos on Hawaii….we have studied, replayed, taken notes and now, came across your article! We are thrilled to review your laid out plans to make the most of our trip! Enjoy your down to earth, fun loving spirit and the interaction between you both is lively, respectful, funny and sweet. Thank you for easy to follow videos and articles!

Hi Wendy! So glad you found our site! We always say our website is our chance to provide a lot more details than we ever could in a video, we really want to make our guides helpful! Thanks so much for following along!

We are leaving the big island today…we used so many of your restaurant recommendations and they were all fantastic!

I would say if you have kids, magic sands is a great beach to play on but has a dangerous shore break so not great to play in the water.

We are so happy you enjoyed the food spots!

Thank you so very much for putting together this awesome itinerary! I loved following along and hit many of your recommended destinations. I was on my first solo trip and this itinerary filled my days with awesome things to do! I especially loved the hikes you recommended in volcanoes National park along with the delicious vegan gelato shop in Hilo. Mahalo!

Hi Kat! We’re so glad you found it helpful and were able to visit some of these spots!

Any tips for how to get a relatively cheap rental car?

Hi Kaitlyn! One method we have used in the past that has always been cheaper than most places is Costco, but you have to have a membership. Another option is Turo, which is like Airbnb for cars. We do know that rental car costs are mega high in many places lately, so I’m not sure if either of those will be a good deal or not unfortunately.

For your 7-day tour of the Big Island, can you give us an idea of your budget for it? Of course, it would be a general budget depending on what individuals do, but to follow your examples, what was your budget?

Hi Jill! This trip was a gift to my parents, so our budget was quite a bit different than had it just been the two of us. Since it has been about 4 years, the numbers likely wouldn’t be very accurate anymore unfortunately.

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Travel Consultants and Travel Tips

Big Island 2022 Trip Report – Introduction

September 9, 2022 by Island Miler

Our first trip of the year saw Mrs. Island Miler and me returning to the Big Island. However, unlike most trips, we didn’t have any solid plans – the whole thing was a bit chaotic. So, let’s kick off the reviews with an introductory Big Island 2022 trip report post.

Initially, I planned this trip for Labor Day weekend this year. However, a change in circumstances forced me to move this trip to what is Admissions Day weekend here in Hawaii. That gave us two nights on the island, which is workable but isn’t much for someplace as vast as the aptly named Big Island. This is especially true since we’d be flying in and out of Hilo but were staying in Waikoloa. There are good reasons for this arrangement, though. 

Let’s talk hotel first. The main driver for this trip was to allow Mrs. Island Miler the ability to experience the Hilton Waikoloa Village. I booked our stay using the Hilton Honors Aspire annual weekend night certificate along with 70,000 points – not the best value, but not bad, either. Given how crazy hotel rates have been this year, I was willing to burn the points rather than pay cash. 

The second thing that got booked was our flights. Thanks to a combination of travel funds from canceled flights last year, as well as Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority statement credits, I booked us onto Southwest flights to Hilo. I ended up booking two separate itineraries to maximize the value of both our leftover travel funds, points, and statement credits. I also used my statement credits to purchase Early Bird Check-In for us, and it’s a good thing I did! Both of our flights were absolutely filled with every seat taken!

Initially, I booked a var via National Car Rental. However, over the months leading up to the trip, I kept checking National’s prices along with those available on Costco Travel. Ultimately, I ended up booking a standard-size car with Alamo via Costco for $233 for the entire three days. The vehicle was proactively upgraded to a full-size sedan before our arrival. 

Note: National does not have an Emerald Aisle at Hilo International Airport. 

Oh, you know I at least planned some great eats out in advance! On this trip, we finally got to experience a standalone Na’au Hilo popup dinner. While I LOVE PAI Honolulu , I wanted to see what kind of magic Chef Brian Hirata can do on his own. And it was amazing! 

In addition to Na’au, I wanted to try FoodxJitsu sushi. I can’t remember when I started following this sushi mastermind on Instagram, but the stuff is just as good as it looks. Perhaps more incredible is that he offers it to-go-only omakase sets out of his house! 

Of course, no trip to the Big Island is complete without a stop at Two Ladies Kitchen. Aside from that, we also hit up the landmark Hilo seafood shop, Suisan, for some poke bowls, paid a visit to Mr. Ed’s Bakery, and stopped by Puna Chocolate’s Hilo storefront. 

And, because the Waikoloa/Kohala/Kona dining scene is a bit underwhelming, we hit up some takeout spots for dinner on our first night. 

We really didn’t have any time for sightseeing this time around. That’s too bad, as I wanted to do a bit of hiking and check out the drastically altered Halemaumau Crater. Those, however, will have to wait for our next visit. However, I did finally pop into Sig Zane Design in Hilo. 

Big Island 2022 Trip Report – Introduction, Final Thoughts

I hope you’ll all join me for this brief yet eventful Big Island 2022 Trip Report. While I kind of knew this for a while now, I think the Big Island might be my favorite neighbor island to visit – it’s always a toss-up between here and Maui. This is especially true of food. What this Big Island 2022 Trip Report has taught me is that Hilo is probably the foodiest place in Hawaii, aside from Honolulu. And that’s crazy when you think about it. Hilo is very much a small city – everything closes by 8 pm, is closed on Sundays, and there’s no Costco there! Further, I think the Big Island is quickly becoming my favorite one to visit. 

Big Island 2022 Trip Report

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New official name for Big Island?

HONOLULU (KHON2) – Could the Big Island be getting a new official name?

Get news on the go with KHON 2GO , KHON’s morning podcast, every morning at 8

The State of Hawaii’s Board on Geographic Names listed on its agenda for Tuesday, April 2 that it will be “revisiting the name of the Island of Hawaii.”

The name of where they live is pretty self-evident to residents of the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago.

“Big Island has been around for years, and that term is hard for people to sometimes get away from,” Discovery Harbor resident Christine Kaehuaea said.

There can be confusion when speaking to folks from the mainland, however.

“I was talking to somebody on the mainland, and I guess they didn’t look at a map because they literally asked me how long it would take me to drive to Waikiki,” she said.

It can even get tricky for State representatives.

“For someone like me who was born and raised in Hilo, it’s always going to be the Big Island. And I think I’m trying my best to kind of navigate that when I’m in an official capacity, because depending on the event you’re attending, it might be the Big Island, it might be Island of Hawaiʻi, it might be Moku o Keawe,” said Rep. Chris Todd, who represents Keaukaha and central Puna.

The Hawaii Board on Geographic Names — which falls under the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development — will meet on Tuesday, April 2 at 2 p.m. to discuss. The agenda says it is possible a decision could be made that would change the current official name of “Island of Hawaiʻi.”

The Hawaiian Home Lands Department said the two options on the table are:

• Hawaiʻi Island

“So there may be an opportunity to kind of bring things in so that it’s a little bit more consistent without a significant name change,” Rep. Todd said.

“Hawaiʻi Island works because then you have Oahu and all the other islands,” Kaehuaea said. “I vote for Hawaiʻi Island.”

Hawaiʻi County Council vice chair said in a statement:

“I don’t believe a name change is something that should be taken up at this time. A change in the name of our island could have numerous unintended negative consequences. Per HRS 4E-3, (a), the responsibility of the board is to ‘designate the official names and spellings of geographic features in Hawaii and provide for circulation thereof to the appropriate state and other agencies.  In its deliberations, the board shall solicit and consider the advice and recommendations of the appropriate county government officials, and, should the board desire, other knowledgeable persons.’ The purpose of Act 50 (1974) was to establish the board ‘to assure uniformity in the use of geographic features within the State.’ Although the term ‘geographic feature’ is not defined within Act 50 (1974), I do not believe it meant an entire island. So I question whether the Hawaiʻi Board on Geographic Names has the authority to change the name at all.” Dr. Holeka Inaba, Hawaii County Council vice chair

Stolen jewels, boa constrictors killing owners, check out Weird News here

Click here to tune into the Hawaii Board on Geographic Names meeting on the topic.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.

Strong Taiwan Quake Kills 9, Injures Hundreds

The earthquake was the most powerful to hit the island in 25 years. Dozens of people remained trapped, and many buildings were damaged, with the worst centered in the city of Hualien.

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• Hualien, Taiwan A landslide after the quake. Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Books flew off shelves as a home shook. @Abalamindo via Storyful
• Taipei, Taiwan Passengers waiting at a train station as some services were suspended. Chiang Ying-Ying/Associated Press
• Hualien, Taiwan People are rescued from a building that had partially collapsed. TVBS via Associated Press
• Hualien, Taiwan Firefighters rescuing trapped residents from a building. CTI News via Reuters
• Taipei, Taiwan Students evacuated to a school courtyard after the earthquake. Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
• Guishan Island, Taiwan Rocks tumbling down one side of an island popular for hiking. Lavine Lin via Reuters
• Hualien, Taiwan A building leaned to one side after the quake. Randy Yang via Associated Press
• Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan Watching news on a rooftop of a hotel after a tsunami warning. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
• Hualien, Taiwan Motorbikes damaged in the quake. TVBS via Associated Press
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Damage in an apartment Fabian Hamacher/Reuters
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Water cascading down a building during the quake. Wang via Reuters

Meaghan Tobin and Victoria Kim

Here’s what you need to know about the earthquake.

Taiwan was rocked Wednesday morning by the island’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century, a magnitude 7.4 tremor that killed at least nine people, injured more than 800 others and trapped dozens of people.

The heaviest damage was in Hualien County on the island’s east coast, a sleepy, scenic area prone to earthquakes. Footage from the aftermath showed a 10-story building there partially collapsed and leaning heavily to one side, from which residents emerged through windows and climbed down ladders, assisted by rescuers. Three hikers were killed after being hit by falling rocks on a hiking trail in Taroko National Park, according to the county government.

By late afternoon, officials said rescue efforts were underway to try to rescue 127 people who were trapped, many of them on hiking trails in Hualien.

One building in Changhua County, on the island’s west coast, collapsed entirely. The quake was felt throughout Taiwan and set off at least nine landslides, sending rocks tumbling onto Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to local media reports. Rail services were halted at one point across the island.

The earthquake, with an epicenter off Taiwan’s east coast, struck during the morning commute, shortly before 8 a.m. Taiwanese authorities said by 3 p.m., more than 100 aftershocks, many of them stronger than magnitude 5, had rumbled through the area.

In the capital, Taipei, buildings shook for over a minute from the initial quake. Taiwan is at the intersection of the Philippine Sea tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate, making it vulnerable to seismic activity. Hualien sits on multiple active faults, and 17 people died in a quake there in 2018.

Here is the latest:

The earthquake hit Taiwan as many people there were preparing to travel for Tomb Sweeping Day, a holiday across the Chinese-speaking world when people mourn the dead and make offerings at their graves. Officials warned the public to stay away from visiting tombs in mountain areas as a precaution, especially because rain was forecast in the coming days.

TSMC, the world’s biggest maker of advanced semiconductors, briefly evacuated workers from its factories but said a few hours later that they were returning to work. Chip production is highly precise, and even short shutdowns can cost millions of dollars.

Christopher Buckley

Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s vice president, who is also its president-elect, visited the city of Hualien this afternoon to assess the destruction and the rescue efforts, a government announcement said. Mr. Lai, who will become president in May, said the most urgent tasks were rescuing trapped residents and providing medical care. Next, Mr. Lai said, public services must be restored, including transportation, water and power. He said Taiwan Railway’s eastern line could be reopened by Thursday night.

Meaghan Tobin

Taiwan’s fire department has updated its figures, reporting that nine people have died and 934 others have been injured in the quake. Fifty-six people in Hualien County remain trapped.

Shake intensity

Taiwan’s fire department reports that nine people have died and 882 others have been injured in Taiwan. In Hualien County, 131 people remain trapped.

Agnes Chang

Footage shows rocks tumbling down one side of Guishan Island, a popular spot for hiking known as Turtle Island, off the northeast coast of Taiwan. Officials said no fishermen or tourists were injured after the landslide.

The death toll has risen to nine, according to Taiwan government statistics.

Meaghan Tobin, Siyi Zhao

Officials in Taiwan warned residents to not visit their relatives' tombs, especially in the mountains, this weekend during the holiday, known as Ching Ming, meant to honor them. There had already been 100 aftershocks and the forecast called for rain, which could make travel conditions on damaged roads more treacherous.

Crews are working to reach people trapped on blocked roads. As of 1 p.m. local time, roads were impassable due to damage and fallen rock in 19 places, according to the Ministry of Transportation. At least 77 people remain trapped. A bridge before Daqingshui Tunnel appeared to have completely collapsed.

Taiwan’s worst rail disaster in decades — a train derailment in 2021 that killed 49 people — took place on the first day of the Tomb Sweeping holiday period that year, in the same region as the earthquake.

The earthquake hit Taiwan as many people here were preparing to travel for Tomb Sweeping Day, or Ching Ming, a day across the Chinese-speaking world when people mourn their dead, especially by making offerings at their graves. Now those plans will be disrupted for many Taiwanese.

The holiday weekend would typically see a spike in travel as people visit family across Taiwan. Currently, both rail transport and highways are blocked in parts of Hualien, said Transport Minister Wang Guo-cai. Work is underway to restore rail transportation in Hualien, and two-way traffic is expected to be restored at noon on Thursday, he said.

Taiwan’s preparedness has evolved in response to past quakes.

Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness has evolved over the past few decades in response to some of the island’s largest and most destructive quakes .

In the years after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan killed nearly 2,500 people in 1999, the authorities established an urban search-and-rescue team and opened several emergency medical operation centers, among other measures .

And in 2018, after a quake in the eastern coastal city of Hualien killed 17 people and caused several buildings to partially collapse, the government ordered a wave of building inspections .

Taiwan has also been improving its early warning system for earthquakes since the 1980s. And two years ago, it rolled out new building codes that, among other things, require owners of vulnerable buildings to install ad-hoc structural reinforcements.

So how well prepared was Taiwan when a 7.4 magnitude quake struck near Hualien on Wednesday morning, killing at least seven people and injuring hundreds more?

Across the island, one building collapsed entirely, 15 others were in a state of partial collapse and another 67 were damaged, the island’s fire department said on Wednesday afternoon . Structural engineers could not immediately be reached for comment to assess that damage, or the extent to which building codes and other regulations might have either contributed to it or prevented worse destruction.

As for search-and-rescue preparedness, Taiwan is generally in very good shape, said Steve Glassey, an expert in disaster response who lives in New Zealand.

“ The skill sets, the capabilities, the equipment, the training is second to none,” said Dr. Glassey, who worked with Taipei’s urban search-and-rescue team during the response to a devastating 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. “They’re a very sharp operation.”

But even the best urban search-and-rescue team will be stretched thin if an earthquake causes multiple buildings to collapse, Dr. Glassey said.

Taiwan has options for requesting international help with search-and-rescue efforts. It could directly ask another country, or countries, to send personnel. And if multiple teams were to get involved, it could ask the United Nations to help coordinate them, as it did after the 1999 earthquake.

Pierre Peron, a spokesman for the United Nations, said on Wednesday afternoon that no such request had yet been made as a result of the latest earthquake.

Meaghan Tobin contributed reporting.

At least seven people have died and 736 have been injured as a result of the earthquake, according to Taiwan’s fire department. Another 77 people remained trapped in Hualien County, many of them on hiking trails. Search and rescue operations are underway, said the fire department.

Aftershocks of magnitudes between 6.5 and 7 were likely to occur over the next three or four days, said Wu Chien-fu, director of the Taiwanese Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Center, at a news conference.

As of 2 p.m., 711 people had been injured across Taiwan, the fire department said, and 77 people in Hualien County remained trapped. The four who were known to have died were in Hualien.

Victoria Kim

Hualien County is a quiet and scenic tourist destination.

Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast is a scenic, sleepy tourist area tucked away from the island’s urban centers, with a famous gorge and aquamarine waters. It also happens to sit on several active faults , making it prone to earthquakes.

The county has a population of about 300,000, according to the 2020 census, about a third of whom live in the coastal city of Hualien, the county seat. It is one of the most sparsely populated parts of Taiwan. About three hours by train from the capital, Taipei, the city describes itself as the first place on the island that’s touched by the sun.

Hualien County is home to Taroko National Park, one of Taiwan’s most popular scenic areas. Visitors come to explore the Taroko Gorge, a striated marble canyon carved by the Liwu River, which cuts through mountains that rise steeply from the coast. The city of Hualien is a popular destination as a gateway to the national park.

According to the state-owned Central News Agency, three hikers were trapped on a trail near the entrance to the gorge on Wednesday, after the quake sent rocks falling. Two of them were found dead, the news agency said. Administrators said many roads within the park had been cut off by the earthquake, potentially trapping hikers, according to the report.

Earthquakes have rattled Hualien with some regularity. In 2018, 17 people were killed and hundreds of others injured when a magnitude 6.5 quake struck just before midnight, its epicenter a short distance northeast of the city of Hualien.

Many of the victims in that quake were in a 12-story building that was severely tilted, the first four floors of which were largely crushed, according to news reports from the time. The next year, the area was shaken by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that injured 17 people.

The area has some of the highest concentrations of Taiwan’s aboriginal population, with several of the island’s Indigenous tribes calling the county home .

The county government in Hualien released a list of people that had been hospitalized with injuries, which stood at 118 people as of midday Wednesday.

Across Taiwan, one building fell down entirely, in Changhua County on the west coast, and 15 buildings partially collapsed, Taiwan’s fire department said. Another 67 buildings were damaged. One of the partially collapsed structures was a warehouse in New Taipei City where four people were rescued, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. Another 12 were rescued at a separate New Taipei City building where the foundation sank into the ground.

Peggy Jiang, who manages The Good Kid, a children’s bookstore down the street from the partially collapsed Uranus Building in Hualien, said it was a good thing they had yet to open when the quake struck. The area is now blocked off by police and rescue vehicles. “Most people in Hualien are used to earthquakes,” she said. “But this one was particularly scary, many people ran in the street immediately afterward.”

Lin Jung, 36, who manages a shop selling sneakers in Hualien, said he had been at home getting ready to take his 16-month-old baby to a medical appointment when the earthquake struck. He said it felt at first like a series of small shocks, then “suddenly it turned to an intense earthquake shaking up and down.” The glass cover of a ceiling lamp fell and shattered. “All I could do was protect my baby.”

Chris Buckley ,  Paul Mozur ,  Meaghan Tobin and John Yoon

The earthquake damaged buildings and a highway in Hualien.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Taiwan on Wednesday damaged many buildings and a major highway in Hualien, a city on the eastern coast, and it knocked out power as it rocked the island.

Across Taiwan, the quake and its aftershocks caused one building to completely collapse and 15 others to partially collapse, according to Taiwan’s fire department. Sixty-seven other buildings sustained damage.

Two tall buildings in Hualien that sustained particularly extensive damage were at the center of the rescue efforts there. Most damage across the city was not life-threatening, said Huang Hsuan-wan, a reporter for a local news site.

Where buildings were reported damaged in Hualien City

“A lot of roads were blocked off. There are a lot of walls toppled over onto cars,” Derik du Plessis, 44, a South African resident of Hualien, said shortly after the earthquake. He described people rushing around the city to check on their houses and pick up their children. One of his friends lost her house, he said.

One of the damaged buildings in Hualien, a 10-story structure called the Uranus Building that housed a mix of homes and shops, was tilted over and appeared to be on the verge of collapse. Many of its residents managed to flee, but some were missing, said Sunny Wang, a journalist based in the city. Rescuers were trying to reach the basement, concerned that people might be trapped there.

Photographs of the initial damage in Hualien showed another building, a five-story structure, leaning to one side, with crushed motorcycles visible at the ground-floor level. Bricks had fallen off another high-rise, leaving cracks and holes in the walls.

The quake also set off at least nine landslides on Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, which said part of the road had collapsed.

Taiwan’s fire department said four people had been killed in the earthquake.

Across Taiwan, 40 flights have been canceled or delayed because of the earthquake, according to Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operation Center.

President Tsai Ing-wen visited Taiwan’s national emergency response center this morning, where she was briefed about the response efforts underway by members of the ministries of defense, transportation, economic affairs and agriculture, as well as the fire department.

A look at Taiwan’s strongest earthquakes.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning was the strongest in 25 years, the island’s Central Weather Administration said.

At least four people died after the quake struck off Taiwan’s east coast, officials said.

Here’s a look back at some of the major earthquakes in modern Taiwanese history:

Taichung, 1935

Taiwan’s deadliest quake registered a magnitude of 7.1 and struck near the island’s west coast in April 1935, killing more than 3,200 people, according to the Central Weather Administration. More than 12,000 others were injured and more than 50,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

Tainan, 1941

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake in December 1941, which struck southwestern Taiwan, caused several hundred deaths, the United States Geological Survey said.

Chi-Chi, 1999

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan killed nearly 2,500 people in September 1999. The quake, which struck about 90 miles south-southwest of Taipei, was the second-deadliest in the island’s history, according to the U.S.G.S. and the Central Weather Administration. More than 10,000 people were injured and more than 100,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

Yujing, 2016

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake in February 2016 caused a 17-story apartment complex in southwestern Taiwan to collapse, killing at least 114 people . The U.S.G.S. later said that 90 earthquakes of that scale or greater had occurred within 250 kilometers, or 155 miles, of that quake’s location over the previous 100 years.

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Fierce earthquake rattles Taiwan, killing 9 and injuring more than 1,000

Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in nearly 25 years rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, leaving seven people dead. Damage was reported around the island but tsunami threats in Taiwan and Japan were later lifted. Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency gave the magnitude as 7.2 while the U.S. put it at 7.4.

Taiwan’s Vice-President viewed the damage caused by the earthquake in Hualien City on Wednesday. The quake, which killed at least nine people and injured hundreds, was centered off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed.

Emergency services on Wednesday continued rescue operations at the scene of a partially collapsed building at the epicentre of Taiwan’s earthquake zone in Hualien City. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in nearly 25 years has so far caused the deaths of at least nine people. The quake, which also injured hundreds, was centred off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed.

Emergency services were on Wednesday carrying out rescue operations at the scene of a partially collapsed building at the epicentre of Taiwan’s earthquake zone in Hualien City. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in nearly 25 years has so far caused the deaths of at least nine people. The quake, which also injured hundreds, was centred off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed. (AP video by Johnson Lai)

Owner and her dogs woken up by tremors as Taiwan hit by strongest quake in nearly 25 years

Rescue workers stand near the site of a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, Taiwan, on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

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In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a southern city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (TVBS via AP)

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on Japanese islands. (TVBS via AP)

Rescue workers stand near the site of a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

Passengers wait to board a south bound train as some train services were suspended in the aftermath of an earthquake in Taipei, Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

In this photo released by the Taiwan Air Force Command, members of a search and rescue team prepare to deploy on a Taiwan Air Force C-130 from southern Taiwan’s Pingtung military air base en route for Hualien on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways. (Taiwan Air Force Command via AP)

In this photo released by the Hualien City Government, a leaning building is cordoned off in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (Hualien City Government via AP)

In this photo released by the National Fire Agency, members of a search and rescue team prepare outside a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (National Fire Agency via AP)

In this photo released by the National Fire Agency, members of a search and rescue team look for victims inside a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (National Fire Agency via AP)

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, residents rescue a child from a partially collapsed building in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a southern city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (TVBS via AP)

In this photo released by the National Fire Agency, members of a search and rescue team prepare to enter a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (National Fire Agency via AP)

People walk along a sidewalk by a TV showing a breaking news on tsunami for Okinawa region and Earthquake damage in Taiwan Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in Tokyo. Japan issued tsunami alerts Wednesday after a strong quakes near Taiwan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Rescue workers stand near the site of a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

A rescue worker stands near the cordoned off site of a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

HUALIEN, Taiwan (AP) — The strongest earthquake in a quarter-century rocked Taiwan Wednesday morning, killing nine people, stranding dozens at quarries and a national park, and sending some residents scrambling out the windows of damaged buildings.

The quake, which injured more than 1,000, struck just before 8 a.m. and was centered off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County , where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed. Just over 150 kilometers (93 miles) away in the capital of Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings, and schools evacuated students to sports fields as aftershocks followed.

Rescuers fanned out in Hualien, looking for people who may be trapped and using excavators to stabilize damaged buildings. The numbers of people missing, trapped or stranded fluctuated as authorities learned of more in trouble and worked to locate or free them.

Some 70 workers who were stranded at two rock quarries were safe, according to Taiwan’s national fire agency, but the roads to reach them were damaged by falling rocks. Six workers were going to be airlifted on Thursday.

In the hours after the quake, TV showed neighbors and rescue workers lifting residents, including a toddler, through windows and onto the street. Some doors had fused shut in the shaking.

Strongest earthquake in 25 years rocks Taiwan, killing 9 people and trapping 70 workers in quarries

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports on a strong earthquake in Taiwan.

Taiwan is regularly jolted by quakes and its population is among the best prepared for them. But authorities expected a relatively mild earthquake and did not send out alerts. The eventual quake was strong enough to scare even people who are used to such shaking.

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a man checks a partially collapsed building in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, April 3, 2024.(TVBS via AP)

“I’ve grown accustomed to (earthquakes). But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake,” said Hsien-hsuen Keng, who lives in a fifth-floor apartment in Taipei. ”I was awakened by the earthquake. I had never felt such intense shaking before.”

At least nine people died in the quake, according to Taiwan’s fire agency. Most of the fatalities were caused by falling rocks, including four people who were struck inside Taroko National Park, according to the state Central News Agency. One died in a residential building that was damaged, the news agency said.

A small tsunami washed ashore on southern Japanese islands but caused no damage.

At least 1,011 people were reported injured. Authorities initially lost contact with 50 hotel employees in minibuses in the park after the quake downed phone networks; three employees walked to the hotel, while the others remained stranded. About two dozen tourists were also stranded in the park, the state news agency said.

The quake and aftershocks caused many landslides and damaged roads, bridges and tunnels. The national legislature, a converted school built before World War II, and sections of the main airport in Taoyuan, just south of Taipei, also saw minor damage.

Hualien Mayor Hsu Chen-wei said 48 residential buildings were damaged in the city, which shares a name with the county. Hsu said water and electricity supplies were in the process of being restored.

Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said the quake was 7.2 magnitude while the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 7.4. It struck about 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Hualien and was about 35 kilometers (21 miles) deep. Multiple aftershocks followed.

Traffic along the east coast was at a virtual standstill after the earthquake, with landslides and falling debris hitting tunnels and highways. Train service was suspended across the island of 23 million people, with some tracks twisted by the stress of the quake, as was subway service in Taipei, where sections of a newly constructed elevated line split apart but did not collapse.

The initial panic quickly faded on the island, which prepares for such events with drills at schools and notices issued via public media and mobile phone. Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, said Taiwan’s readiness is among the most advanced in the world and includes strict building codes and a world-class seismological network.

By noon, the metro station in the busy northern Taipei suburb of Beitou was again buzzing with people commuting to jobs and people arriving to visit the hot springs or travel the mountain paths at the base of an extinct volcano.

The earthquake was felt in Shanghai and provinces along China’s southeastern coast, according to Chinese media. China and Taiwan are about 160 kilometers (100 miles) apart.

People evacuate to higher ground after a tsunami warning following a powerful earthquake in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, Japan, April 3, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)

The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami of 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake struck. Smaller waves were measured in Ishigaki and Miyako islands. All alerts in the region had been lifted by Wednesday afternoon.

Taiwan lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.

Hualien was last struck by a deadly quake in 2018 that killed 17 people and brought down a historic hotel. Taiwan’s worst quake in recent years struck on Sept. 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, causing 2,400 deaths, injuring around 100,000 and destroying thousands of buildings.

The economic fallout from the quake has yet to be calculated. Taiwan is the leading manufacturer of the world’s most sophisticated computer chips and other high-technology items that are highly sensitive to seismic events. Parts of the electricity grid were shut down, possibly leading to disruptions in the supply chain and financial losses.

Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC , which supplies semiconductors to companies such as Apple, said it evacuated employees from some of its factories in Hsinchu, southwest of Taipei. Hsinchu authorities said water and electricity supplies for all the factories in the city’s science park were functioning as normal.

Bodeen and Mistreanu reported from Taipei, Taiwan. Associated Press journalists Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, Lorian Belanger in Bangkok, Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, and Fu Ting and Didi Tang in Washington contributed to this report.

This story has been updated to correct that the 70 people stranded are in rock quarries, not coal mines.

4.8 magnitude earthquake rattles NYC, New Jersey: Live updates

NEW YORK – A 4.8 magnitude earthquake recorded in New Jersey that shook residents in surrounding states and New York City on Friday morning was one of the strongest in state history.

The temblor was reported about 5 miles north of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, at about 10:23 a.m. Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The epicenter was about 45 miles from New York City, where residents reported shaking furniture and floors.

“Earthquakes in this region are uncommon but not unexpected. It’s likely people near the epicenter are going to feel aftershocks for this earthquake in the magnitude 2-3 range, and there’s a small chance there can be an earthquake as large or larger, following an earthquake like this,” Paul Earle, a seismologist at the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program told reporters. “In terms of our operations, this is a routine earthquake … Immediately we knew this would be of high interest and important to people who don’t feel earthquakes a lot.”

People reported feeling the shaking as far north as Maine and as far south as Norfolk, Virginia, following the quake, according to USGS. Scientists said those in the affected area should listen to local emergency officials and be prepared to seek cover if aftershocks occur.

“If you feel shaking, drop, cover and hold,” Earle said.

No major disruptions or damage have been reported in New Jersey or New York.

"We have activated our State Emergency Operations Center. Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency," said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

President Joe Biden spoke with Murphy about the earthquake and the White House is monitoring the situation.

“He thinks everything's under control,” Biden told reporters before leaving the White House for a trip to Baltimore. “He’s not too concerned about it, the governor of New Jersey, so things are all right.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the quake was felt throughout New York, and officials are assessing impacts and any potential damage.

In Yonkers, New York, Mayor Mike Spano said City Hall shook but no injuries were reported.

"A few moments ago our entire house shook for about 25 seconds or so here in Mendham, New Jersey," former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said.

USGS is still investigating the exact fault line at the center of Friday’s quake and said it occurred in a region with dozens of fault lines that were more active millions of years ago.

4.0 magnitude aftershock strikes hours after earthquake

Officials in New York and New Jersey alerted residents to an aftershock Monday evening, nearly eight hours after the earthquake.

A 4.0 magnitude aftershock slammed New Jersey at around 6 p.m., with an epicenter about four miles southwest of Gladstone, according to the USGS. New York City’s emergency notification system alerted residents to the aftershock minutes later, urging people to remain indoors and call 911 if injured.

Hochul said there were no reports of serious damage after the aftershock, and officials were continuing to assess critical infrastructure.

The aftershock Monday evening was at least the third that USGS recorded after the quake struck.

As of Friday afternoon, the USGS aftershock forecast predicted a 36% chance of aftershocks at a 3.0 magnitude or higher, an 8% chance of aftershocks at a 4.0 magnitude or higher, and a 1% chance for aftershocks at a magnitude of 5.0 or higher over the next week.

USGS scientists said informal observations can be a big help in understanding earthquakes, especially in a region where they’re less common.

“We encourage people to fill out the ‘Did You Feel It?’ reports on our website,” said Sara McBride, a scientist with the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. “This citizen science project is critical in terms of building our knowledge around earthquakes.”

By midafternoon on Friday, the agency said it had received more than 161,000 reports, and extrapolated that the quake had been felt by millions of people. McBride acknowledged that earthquakes can be nerve-wracking for people who don’t live in seismologically active regions, and said knowledge is power in combatting that discomfort.

“The best thing you can do to relieve any unsettling feelings you might have is to learn how to protect yourself during shaking and how to prepare for earthquakes in the future,” she said.

Man getting vasectomy during earthquake recounts experience

One Horsham, Pennsylvania, man shared his unusual earthquake experience, saying the tremors hit when he was in the middle of receiving a vasectomy.

"The surgeon sort of froze and all of us kind of seemed a bit confused," Justin Allen told USA TODAY . "Even when the surgeon said 'that’s gotta be an earthquake,' I thought he was joking."

Luckily, Allen's doctor was able to resume the procedure after a brief pause, and the rest went off without a hitch. Now recovering at home, Allen said it's an experience no one involved will forget, especially because his social media post about the incident has since gone viral.

"My wife says that 'this is a clear and obvious sign that we should not have any more kids,'" Allen said.

New Jersey resident thought sound from earthquake was an explosion

Madeline Nafus had just finished feeding her 7-week-old baby when, simultaneously, she was thrown off balance and the loudest sound she’d ever heard rang out.

“I thought it was either an explosion or a bombing because of how loud it was,” said Nafus, who lives in Long Valley, New Jersey, a few miles from the earthquake's epicenter. “It was just terrifying.”

Nafus, 29, watched as her light fixtures swung and wine glasses, framed photos and a 6-foot elk head crashed onto the floor. Feeling as if her “house was going to crumble,” she picked up her baby boy, grabbed some blankets and headed outside. Meanwhile, her friend came running downstairs and picked up Nafus’ quivering dog, Olivia, a small golden doodle.

After about 15 seconds, the rumbling went away and only occasional, minor tremors could be felt. Nafus called her husband, who was teaching a golf lesson at the time, and then their 2-year-old’s day care.

“They said the children were all confused and asking a lot of questions but that they were OK,” she said.'

How common are East Coast quakes?

Earthquakes are less frequent in the eastern part of the country than in the west, but they have occurred in every state east of the Mississippi River, according to the USGS.

"Since colonial times people in the New York – Philadelphia – Wilmington urban corridor have felt small earthquakes and suffered damage from infrequent larger ones," according to the USGS. "Moderately damaging earthquakes strike somewhere in the urban corridor roughly twice a century, and smaller earthquakes are felt roughly every two to three years."

USGS officials also said that even smaller-magnitude quakes are more likely to be felt more widely on the East Coast than similar size quakes on the West Coast due to the rock properties of eastern soil, which can cause concern to East Coasters not used to the tremors.

Rocks in the eastern part of the country are much older than in the west, by up to millions of years. Those older rocks have been exposed to more extreme temperatures and pressure, and faults have had more time to heal. Seismic waves travel across the resulting harder and denser faults much more efficiently, so the effects of a quake are felt across a larger area. In the West, faults are newer and absorb more of the seismic wave energy without spreading as far.

Quake felt in Massachusetts

In Auburn, Massachusetts, more than 200 miles from the earthquake's epicenter, Jerry Steinhelper was on a video call for work when his house began to tremble. His dog Maize started barking, and books and trinkets fell from their shelves. He looked out the window and saw trees shaking.

“I thought at first it may be ice falling off the roof. But it kept going and the entire house was shaking,” he told USA TODAY. “Then I just knew it was an earthquake.”

Steinhelper, 55, lived in San Diego in the 1980s and experienced temblors there, but he’s never felt one in Massachusetts, where he’s been for over 25 years.

“It was an interesting 10 to 15 seconds,” he said.

'It felt like a plane crashed outside' near epicenter

Nicole Kravitz, 33, was baking muffins at the cafe she co-owns with her husband in New Jersey when the floor began to shake. She and the cooks looked at each other for a few moments, and then at some stacked plates and glasses that had started vibrating.

Their eatery, Branchburg's Best, is located in New Jersey's Somerset County, near the epicenter of Friday’s earthquake.

“It felt like a plane crashed outside,” she said. “No one knew what was happening.”

Some workers ran out the door to see if something had smashed into the building while she checked the basement for damage. Meanwhile, Patrick Tucker, her husband, who was picking up beef from a nearby farm, watched agitated chickens and cows run around in their pens, visibly shaken by the quake.

Kravitz said the intensity of the earthquake made her feel like she was back in Southern California, where she had lived for several years before she returned to her home state in 2016.

Quake was one of the strongest to ever impact New Jersey

Friday's earthquake was the most significant in New Jersey since 1884 , when an Aug. 10 earthquake somewhere near Jamaica Bay, New York, toppled chimneys and moved houses off their foundations as far as Rahway, New Jersey, 30 miles away.

Other than that quake, there were only  three earthquakes in modern history  that caused damage in the state: 1737 (New York City), 1783 (west of New York City) and 1927 (New Jersey coast near Asbury), according to New Jersey Office of Emergency Management records.

The Dec. 19, 1737 earthquake is believed by modern experts to have been a 5.2 magnitude quake. Charted as taking place in the greater New York City area, some accounts say its epicenter was near Weehawken. State records show it threw down chimneys. Chimneys were also hurled down during the Nov. 29, 1783 quake. Estimated at a 5.3 magnitude that originated in modern-day Rockaway Township, according to state records, it was felt from Pennsylvania to New England.

The Aug. 10, 1884 quake, estimated at a 5.2 magnitude was the last the state has seen of its significance and was felt from Virginia to Maine, according to state records.

  Read more about New Jersey's earthquake history.

– David M. Zimmer, NorthJersey.com

New Jersey business owner describes worst quake ever felt but went right back to work

It was a busy day for La Bella Salon & Spa in Lebanon, New Jersey, when an earthquake struck near the rural township.

About a dozen stylists and customers, some whom were getting their hair dyed while others got manicures and eyelash extensions, all froze as the building rattled for about 30 seconds.

“People started to feel the shaking, and it got worse and worse. We were like ‘Oh, my god, what is going on?’" said shop owner Rosanne Drechsel. “I thought a truck hit the building or something.”

After the tremor subsided, nearly everyone in the building started receiving texts and phone calls from friends and family, Drechsel, 61, said.

Nothing was damaged and no one was injured, but Drechsel, who was born and raised in New Jersey, said it was “by far the worst earthquake” she had ever felt.

“We all went back to work and finished the appointments,” she said. “Customers are calling now to see if we're still open and if they can still make their appointments later on today.”

'It was scary': Quake rattles shelves in Brooklyn bodega

In Brooklyn, residents said they felt their buildings shake and many went outdoors after the rumbling stopped to check in with neighbors.

Julio Melo, a deli worker, said he thought the sounds of the earthquake resembled those of a large truck going down the street. But when Melo, 32, looked around and saw beer bottles rattling on store shelves, and a potted plant shimmy down the counter, he thought it might be something bigger, he told USA TODAY.

“I looked at my employee and he had the same tragic face on as me, it was scary,” he said at Jenesis’ Grocery Corp. in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.

– Claire Thornton

Where was the earthquake felt?

Residents and officials said the earthquake was felt throughout New York, as well as in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. It was also felt as far away as Cambridge, Massachusetts, about 250 miles away from the reported epicenter.

Charita Walcott, a 38-year-old resident in the Bronx borough of New York, said the quake felt "like a violent rumble that lasted about 30 seconds or so."

"It was kind of like being in a drum circle, that vibration," she said.

Earthquakes common in the region, but the size is unusual: Expert

Chuck Ver Straeten, a geologist and curator of sedimentary rocks at the New York State Museum, told USA TODAY it’s not surprising this earthquake happened where it did.

“New York, around New York City going into New Jersey, there’s a lot of earthquakes historically down there. Happens every year,” he said. But it’s less common for them to be of such a high magnitude. It’s not surprising that many people felt it, he said. Usually, earthquakes in the region are at a lower magnitude and less likely to be felt.

Ver Straeten said the real question now is if this is just a precursor to a larger quake.

“You never know what is the earthquake, what is a pre-earthquake, what is an earthquake happening after the main earthquake, you just have to see,” he said. “One slip along the rock fault, when one happens, it makes other areas around there more tense also and they start to slip and you slip again and slip again.”

But, he added, it would be unlikely for a larger quake to follow this one. In the Northeast, it’s more common for one large quake to be followed by smaller aftershocks, rather than a mounting series of tremors. 

What does magnitude mean in an earthquake?

Magnitude is a measurement of the strength of an earthquake . Officially it's called the Moment Magnitude Scale . It's a logarithmic scale , meaning each number is ten times as strong as the one before it. So a 5.2 earthquake is moderate while a 6.2 is strong.

The magnitude and effect of an earthquake, according to Michigan Technological University :

◾ Below 2.5: Generally not felt

◾ 2.5 to 5.4: Minor or no damage

◾ 5.5 to 6.0: Slight damage to buildings

◾ 6.1 to 6.9: Serious damage

◾ 8.0 or greater: Massive damage, can totally destroy communities

Intensity scales, measured in Roman numerals, are used to describe how strong the earthquake felt to people in the area.

According to the California Earthquake Authority , an intensity of I is typically felt only under especially favorable conditions. A IV, which leads to light shaking, is felt indoors by many, but not typically outdoors. It might awaken some people at night and lead to a sensation like a truck striking a building. A parked car would rock. Intensities VI and above would be strong, frightening and felt by all, with the damage increasing up to a X where the shaking would be violent. Some well-built wooden structures would be destroyed and most masonry and frame structures along with their foundations would be ruined.

While you might have heard the term " the Richter Scale " used to describe earthquakes, it is no longer commonly used because it was only valid for certain earthquake frequencies and distance ranges.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Contributing: Reuters

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Big Island of Hawaii Itineraries

Big Island of Hawaii Itinerary Suggestions

Orchid island itineraries.

The Big Island garnered its name from being the largest island in Hawaii. It has vast and transparent blue waters, spectacular beaches, hidden natural reserves, and an abundance of regions to travel to. If you are seeking trails to explore or sights to see in a day, three days, or however long you anticipate, the Big Island has ample amounts of activities.  

Access the beautiful cascade at Rainbow Falls via Wailuku River State Park, which elicits a spectacular rainbow on bright, sunny mornings. Or journey around on the island via the Red Road Scenic Byway. You can sunbathe at Kaimu Black Sand Beach and make your way to the charming town of Pahoa Village. With various things to do and sights to see, you will find it pleasurable to escape on the Big Island.

How to use our Big Island itineraries for your trip

Big island 'pack-and-go' wayfinder guides for daily excursions.

Ultimately, we've designed our Big Island of Hawaii itineraries around a set number of on-island Big Island days: offering one , two , three , four , five , six , seven , and in some cases, ten days for exploring the island, soaking in the best sights, and ensuring your precious time on the Big Island is utilized wisely. We've tried to balance our itineraries between those who seek adventure and those who are looking to find a good beach and relax. Overall, we want your experience to be exactly what you've dreamed of when planning your Big Island of Hawaii trip.

For each island, including the Big Island, we've attempted to split up the itinerary days by sorting attractions according to their geographic proximity; i.e; on Volcanoes National Park day, you'd explore the best of the Big Island's HVNP attractions, and activities. Our itineraries are not meant to necessarily be followed consecutively, which would probably be exhausting, but instead as a grab-and-go resource for 'mapping' your trip - think of us as a Wayfinder's guide to the Big Island of Hawaii . If you have 6 days on the Big Island, then selecting either our 5 or 7-day itineraries will likely work well for you, where you'd have an extra day in one case, and need to trim off a day's activities in another respectively. We always like to travel by making day-by-day plans, putting the most important attractions and activities (the must-see and do) upfront, and if the weather doesn't cooperate one of those days we just switch that day with another. That way we always get to the important stuff first, and if we have to skip anything, it's ideally the minor attractions only. 

We've provided all Big Island directions via Google Maps when possible, as Google Maps works on all platforms and across all devices. You should be able to pop the directions into your phone or tablet and go. To help you visualize each day's itinerary, we've also provided overview maps that help you get your bearings.

On-page resources for the Big Island...

• Why use our Big Island itineraries to plan your trip?
• Overview of Hawaii Island - the 'Big Island'
• Big Island Accommodations - Summary of where to stay
• Big Island Transportation - Summary of getting around the island
• What to pack on your Big Island of Hawaii trip
• Additional Big Island Resources & Links

— article continued below —

2024 Big Island Visitor Guides

Visiting the Big Island of Hawaii soon? Be sure to grab your copy of one of our updated Big Island Visitor Guides .

~ Trusted by Millions of Hawaii Visitors Annually ~

Why use our Hawaii Itineraries for your visit to the Big Island?

For nearly 20 years now, we've been visiting the Big Island and making detailed notes about what the Big Island of Hawaii's highlights are and what visitors like yourself simply must-see based on the limited time you've allocated for each Hawaiian Island.

It isn't easy and can even be overwhelming to start planning a trip to Hawaii. One quick look on our website, and you'll soon discover there are hundreds of possibilities; a variety of sights to see, a plethora of beautiful beaches to choose from, and a diverse set of incredible trails that criss-cross each of the islands. Honestly, you could spend months on the Big Island and not see and do it all.

Having a reliable guide, that's key. We'd genuinely love to be your guide to the Big Island of Hawaii during your stay, and we hope you find our itineraries resourceful while planning your trip.

Overview of Hawaii Island - the “Big Island”

Often called the "Big Island" to help distinguish it from the 1,500-mile-long archipelago with which it shares its name, Hawaii, the Big Island has certainly earned its nickname. Sitting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the landmass of the Big Island is approximately the same size as the state of Connecticut, about 4,050 sq. miles and still growing daily thanks to Kilauea Volcano on the eastern coast of the island. Composed of five major volcanoes, the island is the youngest in the Hawaiian chain with origins dating back some 800,000 years to the present day.

The Big Island of Hawaii, of course, is the largest landmass in the Hawaiian island chain- which consists of eight major islands and 124 islets. The archipelago is made up of numerous volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean stretching in a 1,500-mile crescent from Kure Island in the northwest to the Big Island of Hawaii in the east, encompassing an area of 6,459 square miles. The eight major islands at the eastern end of the chain are, from west to east, Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii.

The vast majority of the Big Island's visitors stay in the western-sided Kailua-Kona area with its fantastic weather, abundant shopping, and vast array of dining options. This region also features a wide variety of accommodations, from high-end resorts and condominiums to quaint B&Bs and inns. The ocean off the Kona coast is clear and great for both snorkeling and diving. To the north of Kona is the Gold Coast of Kohala. While drier and more barren than Kona, the region offers amazing beaches, great weather conditions, and several luxury accommodations to choose from. 

On the other (eastern) side of the island, you'll discover Hilo and the Puna region. These are good locations to base from if you're interested in exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This part of the island receives an abundance of rainfall that creates lush and green surroundings.

The Big Island of Hawaii seems determined to break the norm; the stereotype of the average tropical island, that is. Here you'll find the ongoing battle between green forests, black lava fields, the ocean, and the rain almost incomprehensible; the diversity is simply stunning. You may find yourself wondering, "Is this an ancient landscape or a future one?"

Hikers, horseback riders, and land lovers, in general, will find a wide variety of stunning peaks, valleys, forests, and lava fields to explore. Water lovers will find a plethora of water activities awaiting them, especially on the leeward side where the two giant volcanoes create near-pristine water and wave conditions year-round. Snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, SCUBA diving, and much more are superb here. In our daily itineraries, we’ll attempt to guide you to the very best the Big Island of Hawaii has to offer.

Those who prefer to stay on dry land will also enjoy a myriad of land activities. Golfers, beach lovers, and bird watchers can also take pleasure in knowing there are unmatched locations for each of their passions.

Recommended Number of Days to Spend on Big Island

Accommodations on the big island of hawaii & where to stay summary.

On the Big Island, you’re probably considering splitting your stay between the Kona side and Hilo side of the island, that’s smart - it will make visiting each respective side of the island’s attractions easier, because after all, the big island is, well, BIG. The last thing you want to do most days is to spend hours in the car driving to a destination on the other side of the island. If you haven’t yet decided where to stay on the Big Island of Hawaii, we can help with that too, be sure to check out our Where to Stay on the Big Island of Hawaii article for the best tips and suggestions on where to book your stay. Don’t worry if you’ve already booked your trip on just the Kona or Hilo side, or if your lodging isn’t even in Kone or Hilo, as there are a number of accommodations, b&bs, inns, etc scattered across the island. Regardless of where you’re staying, we’ll still help you plan accordingly.

Be sure to also read our Best time to Visit the Big Island article for an in-depth look at which time of year is best to visit the Big Island for your travel party.

Getting Around the Big Island of Hawaii

On Hawaii island, a rental car is definitely the best option for getting around the island and viewing all the sights we detail in our itineraries. This is especially true because of how spread out some of the various attractions are located geographically speaking. The rental rates in Hawaii are often some of the cheapest anywhere in the world because the competition is usually fierce.

There is no reliable bus service on the island and taxi services are both expensive and illogical for sight-seeing purposes.

Summary of what to pack on your Big Island of Hawaii trip

Regardless of how much you’ve traveled in the past and where you’ve been, there is one good rule to follow when coming to Hawaii, leave as much as you can at home. Seriously, bring only what you’ll need during your stay and nothing more. For starters, schlepping around three suitcases is NOT what you want to be doing after getting off a long plane ride. Next, consider that long pants, dress clothes, and anything else formal really have no use in Hawai‘i (unless you are staying in a very exclusive resort). Chances are a pair of shorts and an old Aloha shirt are all you’ll need for even some fine dining.

As far as clothing goes, that’s usually a few pairs of shorts, several T-shirts, sandals or flip-flops (slippahs as Hawaii residents call them), and a good visor or hat, anything made of a cotton blend is usually good. A light jacket might also be nice for those visits to higher elevations.

With the motto, “less is more” in mind, here are a few other items to bring. Sunblock (the UV on Hawai‘i is typically 10+ in the spring, summer, and fall), a backpack (for any hikes) and a water bottle, slippers (flip flops, shower shoes, zoris), mask, snorkel, and fins (or rent locally instead), two bathing suits (one to wear while the other dries) and a cover-up, your phone or a camera, lightweight raincoat or poncho (for mountain/rain forest hiking), bug spray with DEET (for any forest hikes), flashlight (if the sun goes down before your hike ends or for night walks on the beach), hiking boots and hiking rods, and most importantly a list of all your troubles to leave behind.  For more information on what to pack, seeing our What to Pack When Visiting Hawaii article.

Big Island of Hawaii Highlights:

• Historic Kailua-Kona Town  - Historic seaside hot spot.
• Waipio Valley  - Hawaii's largest isolated inhabited valley.
• Downtown Hilo  - Discover local treasures in the island's capital city.
• Ka Lae (South Point)  - The southernmost point in the United States.
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park  - Home of one of the world's most active volcanoes and otherworldly scenery.

Useful Big Island of Hawaii Links:

• When to Visit the Big Island of Hawaii
• Big Island of Hawaii Weather
• Where to Stay on the Big Island of Hawaii
• Big Island of Hawaii Must See & Do
• All About the Big Island of Hawaii
• Big Island of Hawaii Accommodations
• Handpicked Big Island of Hawaii Tours

Book Your Hawaii Accommodations

It's easy to plan and book your perfect Big Island trip. Enter your trip dates to search Big Island hotels, resorts, and other Big Island accommodations.

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Solar eclipse maps show 2024 totality path, peak times and how much of the eclipse you can see across the U.S.

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: April 7, 2024 / 7:29 PM EDT / CBS News

A total solar eclipse crosses North America on April 8, 2024, with parts of 15 U.S. states within the path of totality. Maps show where and when astronomy fans can see the big event . 

The total eclipse will first appear along Mexico's Pacific Coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT, then travel across a swath of the U.S., from Texas to Maine, and into Canada.

About 31.6 million people live in the path of totality , the area where the moon will fully block out the sun , according to NASA. The path will range between 108 and 122 miles wide. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path of totality.

Solar eclipse path of totality map for 2024

The total solar eclipse will start over the Pacific Ocean, and the first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexico's Pacific Coast, around 11:07 a.m. PDT on April 8, according to NASA. From there, the path will continue into Texas, crossing more than a dozen states before the eclipse enters Canada in southern Ontario. The eclipse will exit continental North America around 5:16 p.m. NDT from Newfoundland, Canada.

The path of totality includes the following states:

• Pennsylvania
• New Hampshire

Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse.

Several major cities across the U.S. are included in the eclipse's path of totality, while many others will see a partial eclipse. Here are some of the best major cities for eclipse viewing — if the weather cooperates :

• San Antonio, Texas (partially under the path)
• Austin, Texas
• Waco, Texas
• Dallas, Texas
• Little Rock, Arkansas
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Dayton, Ohio
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Buffalo, New York
• Rochester, New York
• Syracuse, New York
• Burlington, Vermont

Map of when the solar eclipse will reach totality across the path

The eclipse will begin in the U.S. on the afternoon of April 8. It will first be visible as a partial eclipse beginning at 12:06 p.m. CDT near Eagle Pass, Texas, before progressing to totality by about 1:27 p.m. CDT and progressing along its path to the northeast over the next few hours.

NASA shared times for several cities in the path of totality across the U.S. You can also  check your ZIP code on NASA's map  to see when the eclipse will reach you if you're on, or near, the path of totality. 

How much of the eclipse will you see if you live outside of the totality path?

While the April 8 eclipse will cover a wide swath of the U.S., outside the path of totality observers may spot a partial eclipse, where the moon covers some, but not all, of the sun, according to NASA. The closer you are to the path of totality, the larger the portion of the sun that will be hidden.

NASA allows viewers to input a ZIP code and see how much of the sun will be covered in their location.

Could there be cloud cover be during the solar eclipse?

Some areas along the path of totality have a higher likelihood of cloud cover that could interfere with viewing the eclipse. Here is a map showing the historical trends in cloud cover this time of year. 

You can check the latest forecast for your location with our partners at The Weather Channel .

Where will the solar eclipse reach totality for the longest?

Eclipse viewers near Torreón, Mexico, will get to experience totality for the longest. Totality there will last 4 minutes, 28 seconds, according to NASA. 

Most places along the centerline of the path of totality will see a totality duration between 3.5 and 4 minutes long, according to NASA. Some places in the U.S. come close to the maximum; Kerrville, Texas, will have a totality duration of 4 minutes, 24 seconds.

What is the path of totality for the 2044 solar eclipse?

After the April 8 eclipse, the next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous U.S. will be on Aug. 23, 2044.

Astronomy fans in the U.S. will have far fewer opportunities to see the 2044 eclipse than the upcoming one on April 8. NASA has not yet made maps available for the 2044 eclipse, but, according to The Planetary Society , the path of totality will only touch three states.

The 2024 eclipse will start in Greenland, pass over Canada and end as the sun sets in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to the Planetary Society.

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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Total solar eclipse April 8, 2024 facts: Path, time and the best places to view

In the U.S., 31 million people already live inside the path of totality.

Scroll down to see the list of U.S. cities where the April 8 total solar eclipse will be visible, the duration of the eclipse in those locations and what time totality will begin, according to GreatAmericanEclipse.com .

"Eclipse Across America," will air live Monday, April 8, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on ABC, ABC News Live, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Disney+ and Hulu as well as network social media platforms.

On April 8, 2024, a historic total solar eclipse will cast a shadow over parts of the United States, prompting a mass travel event to the path of totality -- from Texas to Maine and several states and cities in between.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and, for a short time, completely blocks the face of the sun, according to NASA .

The track of the moon's shadow across Earth's surface is called the path of totality, and to witness the April 8 total solar eclipse, viewers must be within the 115-mile-wide path. To discover when to see the solar eclipse in totality or the partial eclipse in locations across the U.S. outside of the path, check out NASA's Eclipse Explorer tool .

Eclipse travel

In the U.S., 31 million people already live inside the path of totality, bringing the celestial phenomenon to their doorsteps, Michael Zeiler, expert solar eclipse cartographer at GreatAmericanEclipse.com told ABC News.

MORE: Eclipse glasses: What to know to keep your eyes safe

But for individuals outside of the path, investing time and money are needed to experience the event in totality.

Eclipse chasers, or umbraphiles, are individuals who will do almost anything, and travel almost anywhere, to see totality, according to the American Astronomical Society .

"There's a very active community of solar eclipse chasers and we will go to any reasonable lengths to see solar eclipses anywhere in the world," Zeiler said. "All of us are united in pursuing the unimaginable beauty of a total solar eclipse."

MORE: The surprising reason why a Texas county issued a disaster declaration ahead of April total solar eclipse

Bringing together both eclipse experts and novice sky watchers, the total solar eclipse on April 8 is projected to be the U.S.'s largest mass travel event in 2024, according to Zeiler, who likened it to "50 simultaneous Super Bowls across the nation."

"When you look at the number of people expected to come to the path of totality for the solar eclipse, we estimate those numbers are roughly the equivalent of 50 simultaneous Super Bowls across the nation, from Texas to Maine," he said.

Eclipse map, path of totality

In the U.S., the path of totality begins in Texas and will travel through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse, according to NASA.

Best times, places to view eclipse

Below is a list of some American cities where the April 8 total solar eclipse will be most visible -- pending weather forecasts -- the duration of the eclipse in those locations and what time totality will begin, according to GreatAmericanEclipse.com.

• Eagle Pass, Texas, 1:27 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 23 seconds
• Uvalde, Texas, 1:29 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 16 seconds
• Kerrville, Texas, 1:32 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 23 seconds
• Austin, Texas, 1:36 p.m. CDT: 1 minute, 53 seconds
• Killeen, Texas, 1:36 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 17 seconds
• Fort Worth, Texas, 1:40 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 34 seconds
• Dallas, Texas, 1:40 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 47 seconds
• Little Rock, Arkansas, 1:51 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 33 seconds
• Jonesboro, Arkansas, 1:55 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 24 seconds
• Poplar Bluff, Arkansas, 1:56 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 8 seconds
• Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 1:58 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 6 seconds
• Carbondale, Illinois, 1:59 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 8 seconds
• Mount Vernon, Illinois, 2:00 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 40 seconds
• Evansville, Indiana, 2:02 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 2 seconds
• Terre Haute, Indiana, 3:04 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 57 seconds
• Indianapolis, Indiana, 3:06 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 46 seconds
• Dayton, Ohio, 3:09 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 46 seconds
• Wapakoneta, Ohio, 3:09 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 55 seconds
• Toledo, Ohio, 3:12 p.m. EDT: 1 minute, 54 seconds
• Cleveland, Ohio, 3:13 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 50 seconds

Pennsylvania

• Erie, Pennsylvania, 3:16 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 43 seconds
• Buffalo, New York, 3:18 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 45 seconds
• Rochester, New York, 3:20 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 40 seconds
• Syracuse, New York, 3:23 p.m. EDT: 1 minute, 26 seconds
• Burlington, Vermont, 3:26 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 14 seconds
• Island Falls, Maine, 3:31 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 20 seconds
• Presque Island, Maine, 3:32 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 47 seconds

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