I'll be in Hawaii solo for a business trip next weekend and have one full, free day to play on the Big Island. My inbound flight lands around 8AM and I have to be back at Hilo airport by 6PM. Help me maximize my time!
My sole priority would be seeing lava and the two options I'm entertaining are: 10 AM helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian then rent a car and drive through VNP OR hike to active flow across Kalapana (6hrs or so?) with a guide from Volcano Discovery. Any thoughts on what would be a more meaningful and cool experience? They both have pros/cons - please help me pick the better experience if you could only do one.
Big Island 1 day only - Helicopter or Hiking?
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I think the only way you are really going to see it is from the air ( read Viewing Summary down towards the bottom) http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php
We did the tour with Blue Hawaiian several years ago. It was an amazing experience. If your goal is to see the lava, I think AT this moment, air is the way to go. That can always change, so check that site often. We were lucky to also see the lava going into the ocean on that trip at the end of Chain of Craters Rd. we were not that lucky on our tr earlier this year. Nothing visible ,even at night due to rain and fog.
Would definitely do the Heli tour - and then drive up to VNP (30 minutes from the Hilo airport) - and if you want a fun/quick hike - go down into the little Kiluela Iki crater (used to be called Keiki Hale) which all told - you should be able to do in a oouple of hours. You start going through a rain forest and then down into the crater - a mile or so across - and up and out the other side.
BTW - sounds like are you landing in Hilo also?
Yes, flying in/out Hilo. Thanks for the mini-hike suggestion, Tomsd and the perspective, DebitNM. I hate that it's such a compressed trip and nervous the weather might get in my way. Anything I shouldn't miss in Hilo on a Sunday afternoon since it's looking pretty likely I WON'T be on a long hike?
Just north of Hilo is the Botanical Gardens. Visited in 2010 and was surprised by how much I enjoyed my visit there.
http://www.htbg.com/
If you want to stay in Hilo proper, you can always have a walk around the farmers market.
Second the Botanical Gardens--it is just gorgeous. However, I believe the farmers market in Hilo is only on Wednesday and Saturday.
In addition to the Botanical Gardens - off the "old road" - a little further on the main road is Akaka falls - which is beautiful and you walk through a botanical garden to get to it. http://tinyurl.com/aw9yhnh
Wailuku River State Park is really pretty as is Lava Tree State Monument and nearby Kapoho Tide Pools.
Good point regarding the farmers market -- the biggest turnout (over 200 vendors) is on Weds and Saturday, but it's still open Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Sun with ~30 vendors. So Sunday is definitely not the best day to go to the market, but there will still be some activity going on.
http://hilofarmersmarket.com/