Big Island Belt Road: Trip Tips
5 Beautiful Drives
On the map, the island-crossing Saddle Road (Highway 200) looks like a shortcut linking Kona and Hilo — but it's not. The narrow, rocky road "saddling" the Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa mountains is plagued with loose dirt and bad weather; most rental-car agencies prohibit drivers from taking their cars on it. If you're set on roughing the road, one company that might allow access is Harper Car & Truck Rental (www.harpershawaii.com). Also check out their website for an excellent drive guide to Hawaii's Big Island.
Everyone wants to see hot, flowing lava, but you just can't schedule volcanic activity. Before heading out, concerned lava-enthusiasts should refer to the national park's online eruption information website, updated daily.
Side Rides
Ninety miles north of Volcanoes National Park, Hilo is half modern seaside city, half 1960s time warp. Papaya trees and ginger blooms line the city's main drag, Banyan Drive; turn-of-the-century buildings house booming businesses, an astronomy center and a branch of the University of Hawaii. Drop by Hilo Hattie (www.hilohattie.com) for the island's best selection of Aloha shirts and hula-inspired knick-knacks, then stop for homemade Plantation-era candy and shaved-ice cones at Wilson's by the Bay (224 Kamehameha Ave.).
Just north of town, the four-mile Onomea Bay scenic drive winds past sugarcane fields, waterfalls and the Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Gardens (www.htbg.com), lush with hanging heliconias, philodendron vines, wild orchids, bamboo groves, bromeliads and hundreds of other exotic plants. Also nearby, the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory conducts free tours through its orchards.
On the other side of the island is Hapuna Beach State Park. A few miles north of the Kona Coast's mega-resort strip — about 30 miles from Kailua-Kona town, off Highway 19 — Hapuna Beach State Park forms a half-mile crescent of glistening white sand. Although the water is generally too calm for surfers, the beach's southern end is a snorkeler's paradise, filled with colorful fish, eels, sea urchins and even manta rays. If you forgot your snorkel gear, rentals are available next to the Three Frogs Cafe snack bar on the beach.
Heading back south, indulge in a meal at one of the Big Island's most celebrated restaurants for Hawaiian regional cuisine, Merriman's (www.merrimanshawaii.com), on the corner of Highway 19 and Opelo Road in Kamuela. Lunch specials are a (relative) steal.
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