Big Island, HI

Recently, my wife and I met her mother and sister in Kona for a vacation. We devoted one day to visiting the mighty Kilauea Volcano in Volcanoes National Park. The entrance to the park was about a two hour drive from our hotel in Kona. We rented a private car, but there are also numerous bus tours available if you prefer to be guided. We just took our trusty Big Island guidebook, and some brochure maps, and off we went! We were on the road at about 9:00A.M.

A couple of hours later, after driving some scenic roads that went up, up, up—including some impressive ocean views—we parked the car for the first time and stepped out into a primeval rain forest. The first thing we noticed was the temperature—brrrr, it’s cold up here! We could see our breath in the air through the rain that periodically fell. The second thing is the explosion of plant life—a thick canopy of trees covered a dense understory of ferns. Signs informed us that we had entered the Volcanoes National Park, and from there we stopped at the only lodge in the park for lunch before getting back in the car and taking the road into the park proper.

Our first stop after that was to see the lava tube. To get to it, we had to trek down the trail, which was overgrown with foliage. Birds twittered unseen around us. By the time we reached the lava tube, we were enveloped in a light mist. The entrance to the tube was like the opening to a large cavern, complete with hanging ferns and vines. The inside of the lava tube, however, was artificially lit. Once inside, we had to jump over many large puddles as we made our way through the natural lava formation. It was about a five-minute walk through the tube, and then we emerged out the other side, back into the rain forest.

Next it was time to drive through the park to the next major attraction—Kilauea Iki—an active volcano. (Note: there are two main volcanoes in the park: Kilauea, and Kilauea Iki, the latter of which arose from the main Kilauea). At Kilauea Iki, we parked along the side of the road, and experienced our first smell of sulfur and steam issuing from vents in the ground. The sheer size of this volcanic crater was amazing.

After viewing Kilauea Iki, which was impressive enough, we made the short drive over to the main Kilauea volcano. Kilauea is many times larger than Kilauea Iki! While we were there, we marveled at the amount of gases wafting from the ground. There was no actual lava flowing while we were there, but so much gas! As it turns out, only a couple of weeks after we visited, we saw on the news that Kilauea experienced a major lava eruption.

After viewing Kilauea, we made the drive back into Kona town. On our way back, we even found time to stop at the black sand beach before returning to our hotel.

Tips & Info:

-Caution to scuba divers: due to the sudden increase in elevation required to visit the park, it is not recommended to visit Volcanoes within 24 hours after diving (just like flying)
-Bring a camera/camcorder for spectacular moonscapes and scenery!
-Dress warm, in layers with good walking/hiking shoes (it’s tropical and warm at the start of this trip, and cold, wet, and windy at the volcanoes, then warm again at the return, plus while you’re in the car or bus)
-Official link: http://www.nps.gov/havo/