Hawaii One Day Tours & Travel Guides

Holoholo: Day Trips

In the Hawaiian language, “holoholo“ means to go strolling or driving to see what you can see. That’s a great way to explore the Big Island, and you’re guaranteed to discover interesting places and people. To get you started, here are two itineraries for East and West Hawaii Island.

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Eat, Drink, And Meet Pele

Nightime can afford spectacular lava views. Photo by Thomas Widman, Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Hawaii Island is all about volcanoes, and the world’s most active volcano, Kilauea, is home to Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. To some, Pele is a symbol or metaphor for the power of the volcano, to others she’s a mythic being with a rich tradition, and to still others she is living goddess as real as the rock. In whatever form you conceive of her, she is clearly present at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The park has become Hawaii ‘s most popular attraction, its whopping 330,000 acres stretching from sea level to the summit of Mauna Loa, earth’s most massive volcano at 13,677 feet.

Puuhonua o Honaunau, or the Place of Refuge. Courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Driving through the South Kona district is an adventure, hugging the lush, steep slopes of Mauna Loa on one side, and the impossibly massive Pacific Ocean on the other. Quaint roadside fruit and craft stands, coffee farms, art galleries, B&Bs and the occasional old-style Mom and Pop store are great excuses to stop and linger. Take turns driving, so everyone gets a chance to gawk.