Big Island Vacation Guide 2009 - (Page 18) Family Adventures The Big Island is big on families. There are lots of things to do and even more to see for families and kids. The variety is as endless as the terrain. But a big island means more distance to travel to experience everything. To minimize time in the car, one solution is to split your visit and stay on both sides of the island. Stay on the Hilo side for exploring the waterfalls of the Hamakua Coast and ¯¯ the Kı ¯lauea Volcano. Move over to the Kona side for sun and fun on the beach and in the water. Besides the weather and large number of activities, perhaps the best reason to choose a family vacation on the island of Hawai‘i is that family and children are highly valued in the island culture. The word ‘ohana means family and the word keiki means children and you may hear these nearly as often as the word aloha during your stay. Your keiki are warmly welcomed here. Children enjoy exploring new things. Numerous hiking trails will take you to ancient heiau (temples) or past lo‘i (flooded fields) where taro, the Hawaiian staple, is still grown as it was hundreds of years ago. An authentic hula performance that may be staged primarily for the 18 www.bigisland.org entertainment of visitors is nonetheless based upon a chant that tells of the history or legends of the Hawaiian people. A road trip to stroll the sleepy plantation towns of North Kohala will just happen to take you past the birthplace of Kamehameha the Great, the first King of the united Hawaiian Islands. There are hundreds of species of marine life cavorting in the waters off Hawai‘i Island. You and the kids can see lots of them while snorkeling. You can even try catching a few of them off the stern rail of a deep sea fishing boat. Younger kids especially enjoy exploring the island’s tide pools, which are brimming with crabs, snails, barnacles, mussels and small fish. Some of the island’s resorts offer oceanography-related programs, including interactive exhibits. And, of course, if you’re around during the winter months, the most famous of our marine life—the playful humpback whale—can be spotted breaching just off shore. Maunakea, considered the world’s best observing site, is home to 13 astronomical observatories. From the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy on Maunakea to the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i in Hilo, and the Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center at Kona International Airport, the island of Hawai‘i offers many unique opportunities to explore space. Tours of the Puna Geothermal Venture plant or the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority will teach you about energy and oceanography resources. These opportunities to explore the new and different are topped by a secret weapon found nowhere but on the Big Island, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. A real, active volcano is a different experience than a theme park volcano. For one thing, it’s a lot more thrilling. For another, it’s really hot. With so much to do, a Hawai‘i Island family vacation is a real bonding experience. But there is the occasional adults-only activity like a morning round of golf or a romantic candle lit dinner. For those times, many resorts offer programs for children that are much richer than just baby-sitting services. Beach excursions, crafts, hiking, tennis, tide pool explorations, games and hula lessons are just some of the activities usually offered. Check with your travel agent or your hotel’s website to find out what’s offered. Enjoy the sun and the surf with your keiki (children). David Woodberry “Family and children are highly valued in the island culture.” http://www.bigisland.org
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.