This trip was my first time using the GyPSy Guide app and it was honestly the best! My parents discovered it when they went to Yellowstone. It’s basically like having a professional travel guide in your pocket. The guide will tell you the best things in the area and how to get there. They’ll even provide local history and stories. The app is free, but you pay for the specific tour you need. For Hawaii, you can do a bundle of 4 islands or just pay for the island your visiting. It is definitely worth it.

Weekend in Kauai

Kauai can be split in half. You can explore the East/North one day and the West/South another day. Here’s a summary of what we did and my recommendations.

Day 1: We landed in Lihue and immediately roadtripped North since our hotel check-in was not till 4pm. We stopped at for Opaekaa waterfall and Wailua river overlook. You can look into doing the Grotto or renting a kayak to explore the river more. There is a 4.5 mile bike path that you can use to explore along the beaches in Kapaa. In general, Kapaa was my favorite town to hang out in. There are really good markets and food in town. We had fish tacos where they filmed a Jurassic Park scene. We continued North towards the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and lighthouse. This is the most northern point of the Hawaiian islands. I’m not even a bird watcher, but I had a blast at the Refuge. We saw red-footed boobies and baby shearwaters. From there, we turned around and went back to the hotel. However, I recommend continuing to Hanalei Bay. All the locals said this was one of their favorite spots, but we never made it out. Maybe book dinner at a restaurant for sunset. Since we turned back to the hotel, we had dinner at the resort which ended up being disappointing, but we were exhausted and hungry.

Day 2: We roadtripped West to Waimea Canyon. At the end of the road, there is a lookout of Napali Coast that has the best views in the morning and is known as the wettest spot on Earth. So we rushed to get there before 10am and then hit all the other scenic views on the way back down. I will say the sun lit up the canyon better in the afternoon so it’s okay to not see it immediately in the morning. Instead of spending all day in the car again, we decided to take the Canyon hike to Waipoo Falls. If you don’t have 4WD, you have to park on the side of the road by Kokee State Park sign and walk a few extra miles to the trail head. If you do have 4WD, you can drive the rough road to the trailhead and have a lovely hike. We didn’t want to damage our rental car so we walked down and hitchhiked back up to the car. Don’t forget to stop by Red Dirt Falls on the side of the road. By the time we were done with the canyon, we were exhausted and hungry again. Unfortunately, we also ended back at the resort for a disappointing dinner. (Make reservations ahead of time if you want a good restaurant). When you’re researching food, add Kountry Kitchen to your Brunch options. I was very upset we didn’t get to go.

Day 3: This was our excursion day! We booked a morning helicopter tour and afternoon ATV tour. The most popular way to see the famous West coast is a boat tour, but I really wanted the Jurassic Park helicopter experience and it was amazing. We took off from the Lihue airport and flew through the canyon used in the Jurassic Park opening and the “Jurassic Falls” where they landed. From there, we continued West to Waimea Canyon and was able to see the hiking trail we did the day before. We continued to the Napali Coast and Hanalei Bay to complete the tour of the whole island. This was my second helicopter ride and while I usually get very motion sick, I found the helicopter more steady than the small airplanes I’m used to. After the helicopter, we drove South to Poipu to check in for our ATV tour. This was also so much fun. I got to drive a fairly dangerous, muddy path to a waterfall that we could swim in. Along the way, we would pull over and the guides would provide some local stories and facts. We even saw a WW2 bunker and more film locations. Be prepared to get very dirty. We ended up staying in Poipu and saw sunset on the beach. I tried to get reservations for a nice dinner, but everything was already booked. Let’s just say I was very disappointed with the food options available to us.

Day 4: We went back North to Wailua and Kapaa for a waterfall hike before going to the airport. Hoopii Falls was another Jurassic Park scene and we really enjoyed the few mile hike. It was super muddy and slippery, so be prepared. You can technically swim at the Falls but I read there is some sewage leakage and we didn’t want to risk it. After the dirty hike, we did a quick change and went to the airport and flew to the Big Island.

Week in Hilo

The whole purpose of the trip was to spend time with family, but we were able to squeeze some popular tourist stuff as well.

Day 5: We arrived at my family’s place in Hilo, Hawaii. After the morning routine, we took the coconuts (little cousins) to downtown Hilo. We explored Liliuokalani Gardens and Coconut Island. We also got fruit pops from Locavore. Kept it simple with pizza for dinner.

Day 6: We had a chill day and spent some time relaxing

Day 7: Mom and I went to Café Pesto in downtown Hilo for lunch and I was happy to finally get a decent meal at a restaurant. I’ve heard Takenoko Sushi is also really good, but we couldn’t get reservations. From there, we did Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots. Both were quick stops off of the main road close to downtown. Boiling Pots had a short path down that you can take to see the waterfall in the back. Just ignore the “No Trespassing” and “Danger” signs. We continued North and did the quick loop for Akaka falls. You can technically see it from the parking lot, but I highly recommend walking the loop for the best views. Up by Akaka falls, there is a scenic drive with an overlook of a bay and local gardens

Day 8: Saturday we ended up getting an authentic Hilo day complete with chilly rain. We mostly ran errands and got some Starbucks to warm up. Ended the day with tacos and Luca move night.

Day 9: We finally got our beach day! Hilo was still a bit rainy so we drove towards the Kona side of the island. We spent most of the day boogie boarding and swimming in the waves at Hapuna Beach. We found a cool cave formed by the tides and I did some barefoot lava rock climbing. I took a quick snooze and woke up sunburn. Do I know better? Yes. Do I learn from my mistakes? Nope.

Day 10: Still raining, but kids had school and I had work so it fit the mood.

Day 11: A few days had past since we saw a waterfall so we drove up the rode to Umauma Falls (many Your Mama jokes were made) to walk around. This location also offers gardens, zip lines, and ATV tours. Not far away was the regular Tuesday farmer’s market. We planned to just window shop, but ended up with rambutan, avocado chocolate mousse, and mint brownies. All vegan of course and delicious.

Day 12: Our trip South started with a quick stop at Big Island Candies in near downtown Hilo. The mint brownies and lemon shortbread are family favorites. Then began the long drive to Green Sand Beach at the southern point. Green Sand beach is 1 of 4 in the world and super cool if you have the time. 1) It is a hike to the beach so be prepared with water and sun protection. 2) There are locals that will give you a ride for $20 a person. However, this is illegal and the trucks damage the landscape. We did hike to the beach, but paid for a ride back since we short on time and tired.

Just down the road from Green Sand Beach is South Point. This is literally the most southern point in the United States. The cliffs provide a good location for fishing and cliff jumping. Several people have gotten injured jumping so be careful. On our drive back North, we stopped at Punaluu for their famous malasadas. We got one of each flavor and really enjoyed them. We took our fancy donuts to Black Sand Beach to sit and watch the sea turtles.

Finally, we made it to Volcano National Park. The volcano was erupting last time I was on the island (4 years ago), but now it was erupting at a different spot. Check the current status for your visit! We’d done the park before so we were really only there to see the lava at night. During the day, I recommend the Crater Rim Drive Tour for the Overlooks and Thurston Lava Tube for a quick walk. If you have extra time, you can do a day hike or Chain of Craters Road. I’m thinking I did Kilauea Iki Trail last time to walk on the solid lava lake floor of the crater. This time we were interrupted by a thunderstorm so we left the park and went to the town of Volcano for dinner at the Kilauea Lodge. We also stopped by the local winery which was fun and fruity. We made our way back to Devastation Trail once the thunderstorm passed and we also avoided the estimated 2 hour wait. The walk to the overlook was quick and easy. We didn’t even need our flashlights with the full moon.

Day 13: This was the day of the lunar eclipse so we had a bonfire, ate smores, and stargazed before running off for our redeye flight home.

Some things we didn’t do this trip, but recommend on the Big Island.

Mauna Kea is the highest point in the state of Hawaii and second-highest peak of an island on Earth. During my solo trip I drove up to the Visitor Center, but didn’t make it to the summit without 4-wheel drive.

Waipio Valley is a traditional Hawaiian landscape with black sand beach, taro farms, and waterfalls. Last time we went, we did a horseback ride down the steep trail.

Snorkeling at Captain Cook Monument is very popular as the bay is home to one of the most abundant coral reefs on the island. The center of the bay is deep and frequently visited by dolphins and turtles.

Kona Coffee Tours are also a popular tourist destination, but I’m not a coffee drinker

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory is another must do, but I don’t like macadamia nuts.