Unusual Things To Do On The Big Island, Hawaii 2023

The smell of sulfur and the faint glow of lava in the distance are enough to make you wonder about Klauea’s power. This volcano is a big draw on Hawaii’s Big Island and is considered sacred by the Hawaiian people. Here are some strange things that can only be done on the Island of Hawaii.

Enjoy the sun on a beach with black sand.

Natural Feature

Punalu’u Beach is known not only for its very dark sand, but also for being a good place to see honu (green sea turtles). In the shallow bay, you can often find these rare marine reptiles lying in the sun or eating algae.

Look at the lava flow from up high

Natural Feature

From above, you can get a different view of the island. Sign up for a guided helicopter tour with the experts at Paradise Helicopters to see the active caldera, lava flow, and point of entry into the ocean from above. Photographers should choose a tour with the “doors off” option, as this will improve their experience and the quality of their photos.

See the sunrise or sunset from 14,000 feet (4,267 meters) above sea level.

Natural Feature

On Mauna Kea, you can see the sunrise or sunset from all directions. When measured from the bottom of the ocean, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world at 33,000ft (10,058m). This makes the experience even more special. In the east, the moon rises, making room for galaxies and constellations. In the west, the sun slowly goes down, turning orange, yellow, and cotton candy pink as it goes.

Sip a drink as manta rays swim by

Fusion, Bar, American, Asian, $$$

There is only one place where you can watch wild manta rays while drinking a cocktail and eating pupus. Rays on the Bay gets its name from a group of manta rays that feed at night just off the coast of Keauhou Bay. The huge manta rays move through the water like ghosts as they eat tiny fish and plankton. Rays on the Bay has open-air seating and is built on a lava outcropping, making it a unique place to look down on the animals.

Or go on a manta ray night dive and get close to them.

Natural Feature

Keauhou Bay in Kona is the best place to see manta rays in their natural habitat. Many companies offer tours right in town for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Scuba divers often sit on the sea floor to watch the action from below, while snorkelers float on the surface and have an equally enchanting view.

Explore an active volcano

Natural Feature, Park

At the spectacular volcano park on the Big Island, you can walk along the floor of Halema’uma’u Crater, look into the Thurston Lava Tube, and look at steam vents, sulfur slopes, and lava that shoots into the air. At the Klauea Visitor Center, you can learn all about volcanoes and the Hawaiian stories about these dangerous giants.

Find a native Hawaiian bird that is going extinct

Hiking Trail, Natural Feature

People who are interested in birds love the chance to see one of Hawaii’s endangered feathered friends. Many native birds have died out, but most of the ones that are still around can only be found on the island of Hawaii. The Pu’u O’o Trail in the Upper Waiakea Forest Reserve is one of the best places to watch birds. The elepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis), mao (Myadestes obscurus), amakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens), apapane (Himatione sanguinea), and iiwi (Himatione sanguinea) can be heard singing (Vestiaria coccinea).

Topic: Unusual Experiences on the Island of Hawaii

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By: Travel Pixy