Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau

02/12/2025

Nui Italian restaurant at Hilton Waikoloa Village has new and very tasty Italian menu items on offer. Guests can enjoy classic Italian appetizers such as fritto misto and new items like spuma di mortadella with pistachio pesto. Three new Italy-inspired salads include the tricolore with arugula, endive and radicchio trevisano. The restaurant’s newest entrée is Brasato di Manzo, featuring melt-in-your-mouth braised beef short ribs with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and cremini mushrooms. For more information and to make reservations, visit https://www.HiltonWaikoloaVillage.com/Nui.

📸: Hilton Waikoloa Village

02/08/2025

Did you know you can download a Hawai‘i virtual reality app for your iPhone or iPad? We want you to come visit in person, but until you can get here, "let Hawai‘i happen" with a local resident acting as your guide. You'll start by paragliding onto your island of choice (Hawai‘i Island, of course). After you've landed, a local resident will give you a personal tour of their island - virtually speaking. Check it out here: https://apple.co/4hqisNW

02/06/2025

Is giving back on your 2025 list? Here's your chance! Spend a morning volunteering and help remove invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, rain gear, day pack, snacks, and water. Gloves and tools provided. Anyone under 18 will need to be with a parent or guardian and have written consent. Meet the project leaders on February 8, 15, and 22 at 8:45 a.m. at the Kīlauea Visitor Center. More at the Park's website: https://bit.ly/3Q7JddK

This project is open to the public and school groups. The hike is around a 1 mile, moderate round trip leaving from Kīlauea Visitor Center. The hike involves walking over rough uneven terrain on a dirt and rock path, with up to a 400' elevation change.

01/31/2025

FORC Restaurant in Waimea, owned by award-winning Chef Allen Hess, stands for “Farmer Ocean Rancher Cook” and offers local land and sea foods. The restaurant sources its products from local farmers and purveyors, spotlighting regional Hawaiʻi flavors with options like Big Island grass-fed beef, whole roasted fish, and Ali’i Mushroom Poke. Special menus include Happy Hour, Chef’s Table, and holiday offerings. They have a curated selection of wines and seasonal cocktails crafted by a sommelier. For more information and reservations, see forchawaii.com.
📸: Anna Pacheco

01/30/2025

Spend a weekend morning at Ohia Ridge Farm, at 3,300 feet on the slopes of Mauna Kea, for a volunteer opportunity. You may pot seedlings, plant trees or shrubs, w**d, or water in the existing montane forest while also learning about native trees and shrubs, listening for the call of the ‘ōma‘o bird, and helping preserve habitat for Hawai‘i’s rare plans and native birds. The next volunteer opportunities are on Saturdays and Saturdays in February. For more information and to register, see https://bit.ly/3Pkex8O.
📸: Ben Ono

01/23/2025

It’s wonderful to see the beautiful Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival, set this year for February 1st, which marks the blooming of the town’s gorgeous and historic cherry trees at Church Row Park. It also celebrates the Japanese tradition of hanami, which translates as “cherry blossom viewing.” There are events at Parker Ranch Center and among the flower-filled cherry blossom trees of Church Row Park in Waimea, including cultural demonstrations, food from local chefs, craft vendors, a traditional tea ceremony, live entertainment, and more.
📸: Kirk Lee Aeder

01/23/2025

Experience a personalized hibiscus farm tour and tasting at Hawaiian B Natural Farms near Honoka‘a. The small family farm, which started in 2008, will teach you about hydroponic farming and hibiscus cultivation and tours the outside demonstration garden and hydroponic greenhouse. The 1.5 hour tour conclude with a guided tasting of hibiscus flowers, preserves, and teas. Their farm-crafted products, only available for purchase at the farm during a tour, include hibiscus flowers in syrup, hibiscus preserves, hibiscus soaps, and a hibiscus tea blend. For tour reservations, visit www.hawaiianb.com.
📸: Kirk Lee Aeder

01/19/2025

January is one of the best times to watch for humpback whales (koholā) in Hawai‘i. Scientists say about two-thirds of the entire North Pacific humpback whale population are here to breed, calve, and nurse their young between December and May. The humpbacks migrate from their feeding grounds in cold, nutrient-rich waters in Alaska, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Bering Sea to breeding grounds in warm, shallow tropical waters around Hawai‘i (as well as Baja California, and parts of Central America). You can sometimes see adults, which can be from 40 to 52 feet long, propel up to 40% of their bodies out of the water and land on their side with a huge splash. There’s often good viewing along the Kohala Coast, in Hilo Bay, and at the Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (in fact, Pu‘ukoholā means “hill of the whale”).
📸: By Ed Lyman/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

01/17/2025

Enjoy free admission to the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (and all other national parks) on Monday, January 20 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park protects some of the most unique geological, biological, and cherished cultural landscapes in the world. Extending from sea level to 13,680 feet, the park encompasses the summits of two of the world's most active volcanoes - Kīlauea and Maunaloa - and is a designated International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Plan your visit: https://bit.ly/3KFHedn

📸: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Heather Goodman

01/16/2025

"What Happens When a Comedian Walks into a Volcano?" Stand-up comedian Ben Miller, former artist-in-residence at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, returns to Hawaiʻi with an hour-long performance of volcano jokes. Ben shines a humorous light on volcanology, entomology, Hawaiian history, cats, cookies, and more. He performs at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Kahuku Visitor Contact Station on Saturday, January 18th, Kona's Elks Lodge that same evening, and Hilo's Palace Theare on Sunday, January 19. More details and ticket info at https://linktr.ee/thisisbenmiller.
📸: Michael Gebhardt

01/06/2025

Planning a gathering on Hawai‘i Island? King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort, in Kailua-Kona, has beautiful oceanfront views, versatile venues, and Hawai‘i-inspired amenities. With over 28,000 square feet, including the grand Kamakahonu Ballroom and Lū‘au Grounds, the resort offers indoor and outdoor settings for any sized gathering. There are customized catering options, onsite audiovisual support, and immersive Hawaiian cultural activities for weddings, corporate events, and celebrations. For more information, see www.konabeachresort.com.
📸: King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort

01/04/2025

Check out Kamuela Provision Company (KPC) at Hilton Waikoloa Village and its new winter menu of shareable dishes. Mango shrimp agua chile featuring Kona shrimp, anyone? There’s also steamed Keāhole lobster with butter-fried garlic, and a tomahawk steak served with ali‘i mushrooms. Specials include the Sundown Savor and Sip (a shareable plate and tropical drink for a single price) after 7 p.m., a Thursday Pacific Plates prix fixe menu; and Bourbon Saturdays, where there’s 50% off select bourbons with your meal. For more information and reservations, visit https://www.HiltonWaikoloaVillage.com/KPC.
📸: Hilton Waikoloa Village

01/02/2025

Join the Volcano, Chocolate and Waterfalls Adventure, Hawaii Forest & Trail’s newest tour, and see and taste your way across Hawai‘i Island’s east side. Interpretive guides first take you through Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s breathtaking and ever-changing landscape. Next, an interactive tree-to-chocolate experience where participants learn how cacao, grown on a 1,000-acre tropical farm, is transformed into chocolate. The day concludes with a stop at Hilo’s picturesque Waiānuenue Falls (a.k.a. Rainbow Falls). For more information, call Hawaii Forest & Trail at 808-331-8505.
📸: Heather Goodman

12/26/2024

Want to get outside, learn about Hawai‘i’s plants, and meet some great people? Attend a garden work morning at Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook near Kailua. They’re on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and all ages are welcome. The 15 acre garden showcases more than 200 species of plants significant to Hawaiian culture and history. The garden is organized into four ecological zones: coastal, dry forest, agricultural, and upland forest. There’s also a five-acre archaeological site with features of ancient Hawaiian agricultural lands that offer insights into traditional farming practices. Learn more: https://www.amygreenwell.garden/
📸: Ben Ono

12/24/2024

Learn what it was like to live at Hawai‘i Island’s Kahuku Ranch in the 1870s from this original, one woman living history play, Nani O Kahuku. The play is based on the diaries of Hannah Piʻilani Jones (daughter of George Jones, the second owner of the ranch), was staged by Jackie Pualani Johnson (professor emerita of the theatre arts program at UH Hilo), and is brought to life by the talented actress Alya-Joy Kanehailua. It’s at Kahuku Visitor Contact Station on Saturday, December 28th at 11 a.m.
📸: Mel Boehl/Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association

12/23/2024

A new eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano is drawing thousands of visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park eager to see new erupting lava by day and the lava glow after dark. This new eruption is viewable from almost all open areas around the caldera.
While the park remains open 24 hours a day, some areas may close to protect breeding and nesting nēnē. While an eruption is an exciting experience, keep in mind you are observing a sacred event. The summit of Kīlauea volcano is a wahi kapu (sacred landscape) surrounded with storied places and a delicate ecosystem.
The public is reminded to stay safe and help protect park resources by following these precautions:

🌋 Volcanic eruptions can be hazardous and change at any time. Stay on marked trails and overlooks and avoid earth cracks and cliff edges.

🚫 Do not enter closed areas.

💨 Hazardous volcanic gases are billowing out the crater and present a danger to everyone, especially people with heart or respiratory problems, infants, young children and pregnant women. Check the park air alert web page before and during your visit.

🚩 Slow down and drive safely. Expect long waits for parking spaces at popular vantage points like Uēkahuna (formerly the Jaggar Museum) and Devastation Trail parking area.

🐣 Do your part to help protect nēnē by keeping your distance, at least four car lengths away, and never feed nēnē or wildlife. Handouts make nēnē seek out people and cars, putting them in great danger.

🥶 At 4,000 feet, the summit of Kīlauea can be chilly at any time. Bring a rain jacket, wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Bring a flashlight if visiting at night.

So what can visitors expect to see? It depends on when they arrive, and the weather. In the Dark. A magnificent reddish orange glow fills the dark sky. Lava flows have covered much of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor.

The best eruption viewpoints day or night are along Crater Rim Trail, and include Uēkahuna, Kīlauea Overlook, Wahinekapu (Steaming Bluff), Kūpinaʻi Pali (Waldron Ledge), behind Volcano House, Keanakākoʻi and other overlooks.

https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/eruption-viewing-caldera.htm

Image of bright orange lava fountains inside a dark crater at night. NPS photo/Janice Wei

12/19/2024

Huliheʻe Palace, located on Aliʻi Drive in Kailua-Kona, was built from native lava rock by High Chief John Adams Kuakini, the governor of the island of Hawaiʻi, in 1838. The Palace was a summer residence for Hawaiian royalty, including King Kalākaua and Queen Kapiʻolani, and has been home to more members of Hawaiian royalty than any other Hawai‘i residence. Hulihe‘e Palace consists of six large and graciously appointed rooms, two large, inviting, oceanfront lanai, and lovely grounds. Today Hulihe‘e Palace, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is a museum that showcases artifacts from Kalākaua and Kapi‘olani's era. It features beautiful koa wood furniture, portraits, kapa, feather work, Hawaiian quilts, and other artifacts from Hawai‘i’s royal past. Tours from Wednesday through Saturday; more info at https://bit.ly/3Zmzjud.
📸: Tor Johnson