We loved exploring the Hilo side of the island of Hawaii! Hawaii Island, or Big Island, is split into two main sides. The Kona side is a drier climate with calmer seas. The Hilo side is a wet rainforest climate with rougher ocean waters. For this blog post, we'll be focusing on the Hilo side of the island.
Hilo Hawaii is famous for it's waterfalls, jungles, caves and ocean views. We loved all of the hikes available to do, and how it wasn't very crowded on this side. We expected rain since it rains a lot on this side, but it only rained a bit while we were there, thankfully.
I'll keep adding to this list as we explore more of Hilo, but if you know of a cool place there, leave it in the comments!
Akaka Falls State Park - We loved Akaka Falls! It's relatively inexpensive to visit. We walked down a jungle path passing bamboo trees, little waterfalls, tropical plants, and Akaka Falls. Goby fish climb up the falls, and we got to learn a little about them too! The falls is so beautiful in person.
Rainbow Falls - Rainbow Falls lives up to it's name! Depending on the time of day, you will most likely see a rainbow when visiting the falls. When we were there, we could see the rainbow from the top lookout of the falls. It's not really a hike, so pretty easy for kids and people who can't hike far. There are three different viewpoints and they are all so gorgeous.
Millie's Deli and Snack Shop - For a quick lunch outdoors, this is the place to go. I loved their Hamburger Steak Bowl, and Daylen liked their burger. We took our food to a nearby park by the water and it was so fun to have a small picnic!
Kaumana Cave - I wish we would have had more time for these caves! There are two caves, and the big one leads to an opening. Unfortunately, our flashlight stopped working and we couldn't safely explore the big cave. But it was still cool to hang out by the opening!
Hilo Farmers' Market - From dawn till it's gone, the Hilo Farmers Market is the place to go for souvenirs and fresh fruit. I could not believe how much tropical fruit was at the market! My favorite, authentic Hawaii souvenirs are also from here. I got things like a wood carved manta ray, and a hairpin that I saw the artist make from local grasses and shells. Very cool.
Get professional vacation photos done - There is no better Hawaii souvenir than professional photos! I love going to a gorgeous location and being able to have fun, get dressed up, and have someone take photos so I don't have to worry about it. Daylen and I travel all of the time for photos and we love it! Click here for more info.
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