- All your can eat breakfast buffet at Shore Bird Beach Restaurant by the Outrigger Reef Hotel is our favorite, specially if you can find a table by the open window.
- If you want to lay by a famous bay, go to Hanauma Bay. Unless you're willing to swim out there, don't bother with the snorkel gears, and we had to wait in the line forever to rent them. It has a beautiful view from the top of the hill. The walk is easy if you don't need wheel chair or no health problems. Dr Beach named this one of the best beach.
- Best place to shop for souvenir is at Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, but they don't have it daily so check for the hours.
- Hilo Hattie is another fun place to buy souvenirs. Look for coupons in the tourist newsletter.
- Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort has beautiful grounds with exotic birds, African Red-Winged Flamingo, Black Swans, waterfowl, turtles, fishes, and even penguins! Don't miss their Music, Songs & Dance of Polynesia Show. They put on a good show.
- Try the almost authenic Japanese Ramen, go to Ramen Nakamura. The sitting place is crowded and tight just like in Japan.
- We enjoyed Buddhist Vegetarian Restaurant by China town- 100 N. Beretania St., Suite 109, Honolulu, HI 96817. 808-532-8218.
- It's easy to go from one island to another. It's like catching a bus. Compare the price between two airlines: Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airline. Both are comparable, but watch the weight of your suitecase. It's lower than the international flights and they will charge you for the extra weight.
- If you are on route from another island, and need to stay one night by the airport, Honolulu Airport Hotel is our choice, but ONLY stay in the executive room for just a little more. They're nicer and not as far to walk if you have a lot of luggages. Their free 24-hours airport shuttle is good, use courtesy phones in the baggage claim areas.
- When you're on the big island, you getta check out Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center. You can tour their factory, free taste test, and they have the best price in town. Bring those freshely made chocolate covered macadamia nuts home for souvenir/gifts.
- If you're by the area, check out Akaka Falls in the Akaka Falls State Park. It's an easy walk to see a 422 feet fall up close.
- There's nothing like it in the world to go see red hot lava! It's adventurous like walking on another planet. Volcano National Park - Prepare to hike through lava rocks. Come prepared! Bring flash light and water. Binocular, video camera. Wear hiking boots and jeans. As you can see in the picture below, you'll have to hike through un-even terrain, for at least 1-2 hours. So you want to start hiking during day light, mid afternoon (depends on when is the sunset). By the time you arrive, it's the best time to view lava, during dusk when you can see glowing red lava without the water vapor smokes. If there's no cloud or moon light, you might even see millions of stars and milky way! It's simply amazing!
Volcano National Park - See lava flow into the Ocean. The view is better during dusk.
H A W A I I Tropical Reef Fish
When you're on the Kailua Kona side of the big island, we always enjoy our stay at Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. Room with pool view closer to the ocean is the best. Their breakfast buffet is by far our favorite, both American cuisine and Japanese cuisine with guava and miso soup. They have a beautiful grounds, and a terrace where you can look at all kinds of fishes below in the clear water. They have exotic birds and flowers. The sun might go under the clouds and present the most spectacular sunset you have ever seen!
Kahaluu Bay Beach Park is next door, we love to snorkel there (bring your gears or there might be vendors in the parking lot). They had a group of local girls learning hula dance. It's so convenient to be next to the snorkel spot and change in the hotel. Pool towls are by the tour info desk, but they run out fast. We saw turtles and swam next to them. Also bring your underwater camera, we found the digital kind is the best since few shots came out okay. The sunset there is absolutely amazing. It's just a paradise! we wished we stayed there at least two nights...
Orangespine Unicornfish Umaumalei
Octopus with Convict Tang Manini
If you're coffee lover, when you're in Kona, go check out the coffee farm and see the coffee trees. The coffee in Kona is the best.
If you would like to know a little about the Hawaii culture, go to Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, A Place of Refuge.
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