The blog

Itineraries, honest activity guides and the logistics nobody tells you about.

Food

Where to eat poke on the Big Island

Da Poke Shack in Kona, Suisan in Hilo, and the supermarket counters locals actually use. What to order, and where to stay nearby.

October 6, 2026 · 3 min read

A takeaway poke bowl of ahi, rice and seaweed on a wooden counter

Food

Where to get shave ice on the Big Island

Shave ice worth a stop on the Big Island: Kula in Hilo, a Hawi shop after Pololū, and what to do while Scandinavian is closed.

October 5, 2026 · 3 min read

A shave ice with lilikoi, coconut and guava syrup

Food

Malasadas on the Big Island worth the stop

Two malasada stops that earn the detour: Tex Drive-In in Honokaʻa and Punaluʻu Bake Shop, plus where to stay so they are not a separate mission.

October 4, 2026 · 3 min read

Sugar-dusted malasadas, one torn open with lilikoi filling

Food

Mai tais on the Big Island worth sitting down for

Where a Big Island mai tai is worth the price: Huggo’s on the rocks in Kona, Lava Lava in Waikoloa, and the resort version when you are already there.

October 3, 2026 · 3 min read

A mai tai on the sand at sunset, lime and mint

Guides

Manta ray night snorkel in Kona when you can’t really swim

The Kona manta ray night snorkel if you can barely swim: you hold a light board, and what to ask before you book.

September 28, 2026 · 3 min read

A reef manta ray gliding past a diver in the waters off the Kona coast

Itineraries

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in one day: the order I’d do it in

One day in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, in the order I use: rim first, Kīlauea Iki late morning, Chain of Craters after lunch, glow after dark.

September 21, 2026 · 4 min read

Lava fountain rising from Halemaʻumaʻu crater at Kīlauea’s summit during the 2025 eruption

Itineraries

The Big Island in 7 days: a first-timer itinerary that doesn’t live in the car

A 7-day Big Island itinerary with two bases, Kona then Hilo and Volcano, so the long drives happen once.

September 14, 2026 · 5 min read

Green cliffs of Pololū Valley seen from the lookout at the end of the Kohala road

Guides

Kona to Hilo: which road to take, and where to stop

Saddle Road, the Hāmākua Coast, or south via the volcano: which Kona–Hilo road to drive, and where I actually stop.

September 7, 2026 · 4 min read

ʻAkaka Falls dropping into a gorge lined with tropical rainforest north of Hilo

Guides

Kona or Hilo: where to stay on your first Big Island trip

Kona or Hilo for a first Big Island trip: what each side is actually like, and why five nights or more should be split.

August 31, 2026 · 3 min read

Calm water of Hilo Bay seen from Liliʻuokalani Park, with the town and green hills behind

Itineraries

How many days do you need on the Big Island?

Three, five, seven or ten days on the Big Island: what each length actually covers, and why I book a week for a first trip.

August 24, 2026 · 2 min read

Green sea turtles resting on the black sand of Punaluʻu beach