Big Island

You could fit all of the other Hawaiian Islands onto the Big Island and still have a little room left over—hence the clever name. Locals refer to the island by side: Kona side to the west and Hilo side to the east. Most of the resorts, condos, and restaurants are crammed into 30 mi of the sunny Kona side, while the rainy, tropical Hilo side is much more local and residential.

Beautiful views make for pleasant drives, and the island's climate and vegetation change rapidly from one region to the next. Turn a corner from west to east on the north side of the island and you move quickly from hot, dry beaches to cool, lush valleys; the 40-mi drive to Waimea from Kailua-Kona affords awesome views of the coast below and the rolling pasture lands of the upcountry; and the drive east along the Hamakua Coast from Waimea to Hilo (45 mi) is the stuff Hawaiian dreams are made of, with rainbows jumping over majestic cliffs and waterfalls, and green valleys hiding pristine swimming holes. Directions on the island are often given as mauka (toward the mountains) and makai (toward the ocean).

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