Please click on one of the links above for even more information.

The east, or windward side of the Big Island is an amazing collection of environments and beauty.   Generally wetter than the west, or Kona side, the Hilo side contains the islands best waterfalls, deep rain and cloud forests, chiseled canyons, sloping grasslands, and of course, our active volcano!

Add to that the charm of old town Hilo, small happy villages up and down the coast, and the traditions of many cultures, you can find an amazing vacation adventure.   Just 25 Miles south from the Hilo airport, Volcano Village rises to 4000 feet above sea level on the side of Mauna Loa, one of the two large, ancient volcanoes that make up the island.   And just 1 mile from The Village is the entrance to Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park, home of the active Kilauea Crater, still puffing clouds into the sky and glowing at night.

The park is easy to access, with a large visitor's center and informative staff.   There's miles of trails you can explore on your own, or with a park guide, easy viewing access from car parking lots, or from along the many trails.   You can call or visit the parks web site (see the link above) for information on the volcanic activity, events, or other treats.

The Village sits on the side of Kilauea Crater, which itself sits on the side of the great Mauna Loa Volcano.   At roughly 4000 feet above sea level the climate is more cool and wet than the lowlands of Hawaii, resulting in a lush rainforest environment full of towering ferns, ohia and koa trees, and some of the largest collections of native birdlife on the islands.

Our weather here is very changeable.   On any day, summer or winter, you can have sun, rain, fog, vog, clouds, clear skies, and any amount of wind.   Some days you get it all.   It can get cold in the winter, and according to some of the old-timers, there have been dustings of snow.   Nights can get chilly, in the upper 40's (8+ degrees C), and most cabins have wood or gas stoves.   Winter days can be anywhere from 55 to 70 degrees (13 to 21 degrees C).   Summer is a wonderful collection of cool nights and warm days, generally about 10 degrees F warmer than winter.   Be aware, you can get rain -any time-, so it's suggested you dress in layers.   If hiking, always have rain gear.   And remember, lava can be sharp, so sturdy shoes are recommended on trails.

There are two food stores with gas pumps, a post office, an art gallery, art supply store, laundromat, hardware store, art center, and some very nice restaurants.   But its most distinguishing characteristic is its closeness to Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park, with its entrance just another mile down the tree lined highway.

Besides the park (see link above for more information), there are other activities in the area: hiking, birdwatching, golfing, running, biking, art classes, local events, and simply kicking back and enjoying the rainforest.

A few miles past the park entrance you'll find the turn for the local golf course and its clubhouse restaurant, and further on up that road, the Volcano Winery.   Just a bit further up the highway, you'll come to Mauna Loa road which winds its way past the Tree Mold picnic ground, then the Bird Park nature walk, and on up the "strip road" all the way up to the Mauna-Loa trailhead, passing through ohia and fern forests, koa forests, and desolate lava flows.

The tree molds are where lava flowed around a tree, solidifying as the tree burned away, leaving a hole in a pile of lava rock.   In some, you can see the shape of the bark.

The Bird Park, Kipuka Puaulu, is an easy 1-mile loop hike through an Ohia and Koa forest.   A kipuka is an ecosystem of older vegetation, an island of land left untouched by the surrounding younger lava flow.   You can look for native and introduced birdlife here.   Some of the more easily spotted are introduced Kalij pheasants which will almost walk up to you.   See our Birding and Hiking links for more information.

Further down the highway towards Hilo you can find coffee plantations and small, colorful towns.   Going the other way, you can get to green and black sand beaches, more colorful towns, and even drive out to South Point, the furthest south point in Hawaii.

Here are some links to fun sites in the area:

• Cooper Center      Check here for local events and community news.
• Volcano Art Center      has a calendar of local art events and nature walks.
• Volcano Garden Arts Gallery      has a cafe, gardens, and Ernest the goat. The wonderful Ira Ono is your host.
• Volcano Winery      Locally made wines and tasting room.
• KMC      currently the only restaurant inside the park, "usually" open to the public.
• Volcano Farmer's Market      Sundays, 6:30a.m. to 10:30. Gget there early for breakfast.
• Pana`ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens      is a wonderful FREE zoo near Hilo.
• Ken and Mary's Photo Tours      for those who want custom tours of this scenic area.

(see our adventures link for favorite hikes)

 UPDATE January 11th,2011:   Lava flows from Puu Oo have recently stopped flowing into the ocean.    New flows can happen any time, but they might also not happen for months.    Halemaumau (Kilauea Caldera vent) has risen to 250 feet below it's rim, up from 800 feed down earlier in the month.    Lots of vog (volcanic smog) flowing south, and around to Kona and the neighbor islands, though it's been fine here.    Check the park's eruption website (see link below) for current information.   

All roads are currently open in the park, except those that have been closed for over a year now due to the volume of gasses from Halemaumau (in the Kilauea Caldera) that has been fairly continuous.    There is also some road re-surfacing going on, mostly between the visitor center and Jagger Musuem at present.    Those are only a few roads, past the museum and around the back side of the crater, and a few closed trails in those same areas.   

There is a nice glow at night from the museum, and the crater is huffing and puffing again to the delight of tourists.    As of today, the flow into the ocean has not restarted, but as one ranger told us yesterday, you just can't tell when an event will occure, and the levels have been rising with no flow to the ocean, so it's a good guess that things will change soon.   

Eruption Update Line: (808) 961-8093

Park Status Line: (808) 961-8093

Most of our visitors are here to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and our cottage's closeness to the park's entrance makes your stay even better.   It's just a short drive to the main park entrance a mile up the road from the village, and from there, not very far at all to the visitor's center, where you can find maps, hiking and tour information, interactive exhibits, and helpful volunteers and rangers.   The visitor center also has a gift shop, snacks, and large bathroom facilities.   Many visitors park here for their day's outings.   Just across an area of picnic tables and tall trees, there's also the Volcano Art Gallery, filled with fine offerings from local artists. On the other side of the road you'll find the old Volcano House (currently closed), and nice views of the main caldera.   The park is open all hours, but the visitor's center, museums, and rangers are only available during the daylight hours.

The park has many miles of hiking and walking trails, and a good guide book (or at least the free park map) is valuable in finding your way around this huge park.   And because the star attraction is an active volcano, you should check in at the visitor's center to see what's happening in the park before heading out.   Wind direction, eruption activity, and weather can cause some trails and areas to be off limits due to vog or other dangerous conditions.

Some words of advice?

• Where's the LAVA ?   Ask at the visitor's center where the activity is.   If the crater is active you can see smoke and a glow at night, and maybe more.   Lava erupts from new fissures, and often makes it across highways and into the ocean.   But these can be fleeting moments, so check first and save yourself a long drive.
  
  
• Have a camera handy.   There are many marvels in the park, and some are fleeting.
  
  
• Bring hiking boots or lace up shoes.   Lava comes in many forms, ranging from sharp to blunt, slippery smooth to gritty, delicate and crunchy to cement like, and you never know what's under the surface.   If you fall on lava, expect some cuts.
  
  
• Stay on marked trails.   The park is home to lava flows, old and new.   When lava flows for a long time then stops, it forms voids - bubbles or tubes.   You never know what you might be walking over, especially in the jungle.   If you step off the trail, be cautious - ferns and loose vegetation can cover deep holes.
  
  
• Sunscreen.   Even if it's overcast, the UV can get you.
  
  
• Water.   It can get very hot out on the lava flows, plus hiking can take a lot out of you.
  
  
• Flashlights.   Thurston Lava Tube has lights, but also has a long dark area at the back where you can explore on your own.   Take at least 1 light per person.   And there are other tubes in the area, so why miss out?
  
  
• Bird Guide.   The park is home to a number of birds found no where else but Hawaii, plus quite a few introduced species. See our "Adventures" link for more bird information.
  
  

Links:

• National Park Service      link to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's home page.
• National Park Service's Events page      VNP's special events page.
• Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (at Jagger Museum in the park)      links to the observatory and scientific data.
• Kilauea Erruption Status Page      for the most recent updates on how the volcano is acting.
• Volcano WEB-CAMS !      take a look inside the calderas and at the top of the peaks.
• Lava Flow Maps      showing lava flows and volcanic activity information.
• Park Maps      showing roads and trails. You can zoom in to see more detail.

Just 30 minutes away, Hilo is diverse in architecture and culture.   At the turn of the 20th century the Hawaiian economy surged with the success of sugar plantations.   The many business opportunities in harbor towns like Hilo brought Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Filipino, Polynesian and European entrepreneurs. But in 1946 and again in 1960, tsunamis destroyed much of the city.   Visit the Pacific Tsunami Museum downtown where you can see displays and a video of the effects.   Hilo rebuilt, adding a road and large park between the ocean and commercial district to help prevent future devastation.   You can still see fine examples of early 20th century buildings mixed with post-tsunami architecture.   Diverse styles, a "rainbow" of people from many backgrounds, an eclectic mix of shopping and dining opportunities, and mostly the city's friendliness make Hilo such an inviting destination.

There are swimming beaches in the Hilo area, mostly to the right (south) side of the bay and on down the coast.   Check with your guide books, or ask locals for good swimming spots.

• Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens. --- Heading west out of Hilo past the 4 mile marker you will see a right turn signpost.   The small zoo is beautifully landscaped, has a nice collection of exotic and local animals and birds, and is free.
  
  
• Rainbow Falls. --- At the north end of Bayfront in downtown Hilo (Kamehameha Ave.), turn left on Waianuenue Ave.   After the 1 mile marker take the right fork and signs to Rainbow Falls guide you.   The falls are very changeable with the amount of water flow.   A mile further is Boiling Pots, bowl shaped depressions in the river that seem to be boiling when the water is rushing.   To the left is Pe'epe'e Falls, another beautiful waterfall and deep pool.   Less than a mile further up the road you can see the higher-volume Wai'ale Falls from a bridge crossing over the Wailuku River.   Just past the bridge is a trailhead to the top of the falls where there are some small pools.
  
  
• Hawai'i Tropical Botanical Garden. --- Heading north from Hilo just past the 7 mile marker is a beautiful 4-mile Hamakua Coast scenic drive.   Stop at the botanical gardens in the 40-acre valley on Onomea Bay for a self-guided tour.   This is a stunning rainforest nature preserve with trails meandering through.
  
  
• 'Akaka Falls. --- Driving north, between mile markers 13 and 14 you will see a left turn sign for 'Akaka Falls.   Take a short walk through lush vegetation and see the falls plunge 420 feet, breathtaking.   Retrace to the beginning of this walk, there is another easy 15-minute walk through bamboo stands to a second waterfall.
  
  

• Hilo Burger Joint --- 776 Kilauea Ave. phone 808-935-8880 (21 burgers, 21 beers) ** BEST BURGERS IN HILO **
  
  
• Cafe Pesto --- 308 Kamehameha Ave., Suite 100 phone 808-969-6640 (fresh local seafood, pizza, calzones, organic salads, sandwiches)
  
  
• Reuben's Mexican --- 336 Kamehameha Ave. phone 808-961-2552 (Mexican)
  
  
• Island Naturals Market & Deli --- 1221 Kilauea Ave., Suite 170 phone 808-935-5533 (fresh and varied health food bar)
  
  
• Ken's House of Pancakes --- 1730 Kamehameha Ave., corner of Hwy. 11 phone 808-935-8711 (huge variety open 24 hrs.)
  
  
• Leung's Chop Suey House --- 530 East Lanikaula St., corner Hwy. 11 phone 808-935-4066 (fast eat-in or take-out Chinese)
  
  
• Maui Tacos --- Prince Kuhio Plaza next to movie theaters, 111 East Puainako phone 808-959-0359 (fast eat-in or take-out Mexican with salsa bar)
  
  
• Nihon --- 123 Lihiwai off Banyan Dr. phone 808-969-1133 (Japanese, sushi bar)
  
  
• Pescatore --- 235 Keawe St. phone 808-969-9090 (Italian)
  
  

This island, the Village, and the Park are chock full of interesting galleries, restaurants, people, and places of interest.    Some of our favorites are listed here, in no particular order.    Sometimes it's a Village event, others it might be a delightful meal, or an art gallery with local works.    Take a look, maybe you'll get more of a taste of island and village life.    One thing's for sure - you'll need more than a few days to take it all in!   

UNDER CONSTRUCTION - try back later...

• VNP Art Gallery :
  
  
• Favorite Burgers :
  
  
• Kiawe Kitchen :
  
  
• Birding Pal : http://www.birdingpal.org/
  
  
• Javascript : http://www.chillwebdesigns.co.uk
  
  

Links and Businesses we support :

• Volcano Garden Arts     A fabulous art gallery and restaurant in the village, hosted by our friend Ira Ono.
• Pana`ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens      is a wonderful FREE zoo near Hilo.
• Ken and Mary's Photo Tours      for those who want custom camera tours of this scenic area.
• Gay Lesbian Directory      other local listings for friendly people.
• Volcano Art Center      has a calendar of local art events and nature walks.

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