Big Island, Hawai’i, is made up of six (seven if you count the extinct volcano Kohala) volcanoes. Pick the right time to visit Volcanoes National Park for hiking and observing Hawai’i is an eternal dream destination for many. With its beautiful beaches, endless green, exciting activities, and local culture, a visit to Hawai’i is a chance to make great memories. However, the islands of Hawai’i are more than beaches, surfing, and hula dancing. While those are all marvelous, they barely scratch the surface. Here are four things you didn’t know you could do in Hawai’i.
Enjoy the Volcanoes
It’s hard to miss the volcanoes in Hawai’i. Quite often, you’re standing on one! The these amazing natural wonders. Go up on Mauna Kea at night to see an amazing star show. Mauna Kea Observatories allow you to see the wonders of the cosmos with little-to-no light pollution. Make a pit stop to enjoy the rest of the universe when you visit Hawai’i!
Shipwreck Beach
The Big Island gets all the attention, but the smaller islands also have amazing charms and curious sights. Lanai is known as “Pineapple Island” since it was once an island-wide pineapple plantation. Less well known is Shipwreck Beach on its northeast coast, which is home to a massive ship that became stranded on a reef in the late 1940s. The YOG-42 was beached there and remains an astonishing, evocative, and odd sight. The landscape is great for beach combing, photography, and hiking.
Spouting Horn
Over on the “Garden Isle” of Kauai, among many lovely natural wonders, is the Spouting Horn on the south shore. The Spouting Horn is a lava tube, or blowhorn, that takes in water from the sea and blasts it into the air, sometimes 50 feet or more! Gorgeous by day or night, the Spouting Horn is just one of many sites that appeal to sightseers, photographers, and others.
Kalaupapa Historical Park
Moloka’i is probably best known for a sad and regrettable piece of history. It was once a colony for quarantined people suffering from Hansen’s Disease, also known as leprosy. Currently a memorial to these poor souls and the people who looked after them, Moloka’i’s bleak past doesn’t overcome its stark and awesome beauty. The perfect spot for a hike or small plane or mule ride—indeed, these are the only ways to access Kalaupapa Historical Park and other parts of the island—Moloka’i remains as beautiful as the rest of Hawai’i. Have your breath taken away by staggering sea cliffs and natural wonders untouched by development or too much tourism.
Those are just four things you didn’t know you could do in Hawai’i. While plenty of popular and can’t-miss attractions are on the islands, don’t overlook these little-known wonders!
