My husband and I went to the Big Island of Hawaii for our honeymoon and never expected to feel such a desire to return to the same place, year after year. The island has a presence of its own, and you can feel her calling out for your return. To me, the Big Island is the mystical, magical and spiritual land of my dreams. I hold no other place sacred in my heart. My spirit is awakened with every retreat to this ethereal land of legends and mystery. You must experience it for yourself, but the island is alive with an allure that will ignite the “Aloha Spirit” within. She will call your name incessantly until you return, again and again. And to unwind after such a fun day, we play 바카라 사이트 to somehow get our money back from all the expenses of the trip. 

The Big Island truly is a land of endless enchantment. One of the most rural of the seven popular Hawaiian islands, it has a lot to offer nature lovers and history buffs. It is not a spot for tourists who want constant man made action, and entertainment. If that is what you are looking for, go to Vegas. The Big Island is for travelers who truly want to connect with nature and engage in activities that will allow them to explore this magnificent world in which we live.
The downtown Kailua-Kona area has some attractions that would appeal to the traditional touristy types. A short drive down Ali’i Drive will take you beyond this area, bringing you to some of the best snorkeling beaches in the world. The first is a popular spot called Kahaluu Beach Park, despite the crowds, it is still worth exploring. The fish congregate alongside sea turtles in mass schools right at your feet. It is a shallow reef, and thus is a great spot for families.
If you go a bit further down Route Eleven, you will come to a historical site called Honaunau Place of Refuge. This historical spot was used in ancient times to allow law breakers facing death the chance to atone for their wrong doings. If they could swim across this dangerous patch of ocean to the sacred temple they would receive absolution for their crimes. It is said this place is very haunted, because it is said many departed souls are forever swimming in the sea that claimed their lives. After you check out the historical site, walk outside to the right, and you will find one of the best snorkeling spots in the world.

Bring your water shoes though, as you have to jump off the jagged lava rocks into the sea in order to have this experience. Don’t let this frighten you though. It almost frightened me, and I would have missed out on an experience of a lifetime, swimming with an entire pod of Hawaiian spinner dolphins. If you are fortune enough to have this experience, keep in mind you must not get too close to the dolphins, as marine mammals are protected by law. It is also for your own safety, despite what you may remember from television; these are still wild animals. However, if you patiently wait while snorkeling the dolphins will grace you with their presence. They just swam right up to us. It was amazing. Dolphins are not guaranteed to be there, but we got incredibly lucky. We came back a few days later to see them again, but they weren’t there. Don’t despair though; there are plenty of beautiful tropical fish and sea turtles to swim with in several places on the island.

After your snorkeling experience, if you continue further down the road, you can see the most southernmost bar in the United States. Stop in for a drink, or continue down the long dirt road to the official “South Point.” We didn’t stop for a drink, but followed the dirt road, and at the end came to a large cliff overlooking the ocean. My husband loved the photo opportunities at this site. This site is also rumored to be haunted. I personally, got a creepy vibe at this site and wanted to leave despite its beauty. My husband didn’t understand, but reluctantly got in the car to continue down the creepy dirt road back to Route Eleven towards Punaluu beach.

Punalulu beach is a magnificent black sand beach where sea turtles bask in the tropical sun. The sand feels so different beneath your toes than any other kind of sand in the world. We never got to swim or snorkel here, as the surf was always too rough when we were there. It didn’t matter as I was spellbound at the sheer beauty of this beach. Just remember never to be tempted to take any Black Sand back with you, as it is considered bad luck. Before you leave, make sure not to miss the delightful lily pad pond in back of the beach. Here you can watch several species of exotic birds congregate.

Punaluu beach is the gateway to Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park is where water meets fire. For us this had wonderful romantic symbolism. You can go on several amazing hikes like no where else in the world. Travel thru a tropical rain forest and shortly you will see before you desolate land overtaken with lava. The lava fields look as if you are in another world. It’s almost like if you closed your eyes, and opened them you would think you were on the moon. You can also drive down to where the volcano is. It is a long drive, and when you reach the bottom you can hike out to see Kilauea, the volcano that has been spewing fire since 1983. I am told it is best to see at night, but we have always left before dark. I recommend booking at least one night at the volcano lodge or one night camping at the park to see the volcano in all its glory. We plan to do this next time we are there.

This is a quarter of things to do on the Big Island of Hawaii! It is truly a haven for nature lovers. I hold the Big Island of Hawaii dear to my heart. My hope is that its future is not headed for the commercialism that has overtaken a good portion of some of the other islands. If you visit, travel like a local, and truly appreciate the culture of the Hawaiian people and their land. A visit to the Big Island of Hawaii is like a trip to a foreign country. You must learn to “hang loose” and enjoy Mother Nature at her finest. To me, it is a land of legends and ethereal wonder.