Hawaii Spotlight: Volcanoes National Park

Hawaii aka the Big Island is the youngest Hawaiian island and the only one with an active volcano. I took the Kilauea Volcano Adventure Tour through Hawaii Forest & Trail. This was a convenient option for all of my family members because we had an experienced guide to drive us to the Volcanoes National Park and give us a tour. We learned a lot about lava and I was surprised at its diversity. Our guide showed us lava that looked like short strands of blonde hair and pieces that looked like shiny black tear drops.

Since our tours were during daytime, we didn't get to see the best views of the volcano. You can get the best views of any flowing lava during the night or in a helicopter ride. Night visits to the volcano can be quite dangerous because it's easier to fall on the sharp lava or end up in a more dangerous location due to the limited visibility. For that reason, a helicopter tour is probably the best way to see the volcano. During our visit, we did see steam flowing up from the ground and there were signs of heat in the kilauea crater. The road that was partially covered with lava was a reminder about the very real danger of an active lava flow.

Overall, I enjoyed seeing the Volcanoes National Park. It was my first visit to a national park and I learned a lot. Our tour guide seemed very knowledgeable and did a good job with the tour.

The only problem with our tour was that our group of eight ended up being split up. When I booked the tour, I made a reservation for four of us under one credit card and the other four under a different one. Despite that, the tour company thought that the second reservation was a duplicate and automatically deleted it! They showed up to pick up only four people and there wasn't enough room for all eight. However, they did discount the tour for everyone and the second group went on the tour the next day.

Kilauea Volcano Adventure - CLICK HERE!

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Planning for Hawaii

Whenever I travel, I usually prefer to plan in advance. I don't plan for something to do during every minute of the trip or even every day. However, I do like to book activities in advance and plan for something to do at least every other day. If I don't plan, then I waste too much precious vacation time trying to decide what to do.

Hawaii is so far from where I live that I wouldn't want to visit for less than 12 days. The time zone difference and flight time make a short trip to Hawaii undesirable to me. The last time I went to Hawaii, I was there for 15 nights. I usually like to visit two islands. Next year, I want to visit Kauai and Maui. Last time, I went to the Big Island and Maui. Before that, I went to Oahu and Maui.

For me, planning includes reading hotel, condo, restaurant, and activity reviews. My favorite web site for planning is Tripadvisor.com. In addition reviews, many people post trip reports on the discussion boards detailing everything they did during their Hawaii vacation. The trip reports are especially great for deciding how to spend your time.

My first decision is usually where I will stay during the trip. Then, I book activities. Booking activities in advance is good because some of the most popular activities and shows with the best vendors are sold out in advance or for your preferred date. By booking in advance, I am guaranteed that I will be able to do what I want when I want.

Which Hawaiian Island is Best for You?

I've been to several Hawaiian islands and I was amazed at how different they were. There's definitely something for everyone and the islands you should visit depend on your interests. My favorite island was Maui. To me, it had the best mix of nature, shopping, and activities. I really loved its beauty and hated leaving when it was time to go home. Maui seemed to have something for everyone: great beaches, art galleries, shows, golf courses, and a lot of scenic locations for hiking. Maui is very near the island Lanai.

Lanai has great snorkeling and can easily be accessed from Maui by taking a ferry or snorkel cruise. We enjoyed seeing spinner dolphins near the island. Lanai has a more rural environment and Lanai city is very small and has an old fashioned feel. Lanai is great for someone who wants a more secluded island experience. There are a couple of luxury resorts, but there's not as much to do on the island other than hiking, playing golf and relaxing on the beach.

I've also visited the island Oahu. Honolulu is located on Oahu and the island seemed very urban in many areas. It was like Hawaii's version of New York city. As we approached the island from the air, I was stunned that the island appeared to be cluttered with buildings and concrete. It seemed to lack Maui's overall beauty, but I'm sure shopaholics love the huge malls and sunbathers love the great beaches. As a major metropolitan area, Oahu has many cultural activities, restaurants, and entertainment venues. I especially enjoyed the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Hawaii's largest island is called Hawaii and is also known as the Big Island. I didn't really enjoy this island as much as the others. The Big Island is the only one with an active volcano and it doesn't real beaches. Although it does have a some pretty scenery, a large portion of the island has black lava and limited greenery. The volcano was interesting, but the air quality due to vog was questionable and I noticed a lot of dead flies floating on the water when I went snorkeling. The island is definitely large and there are wide open spaces. You will definitely need to do a lot of driving if you want to go anywhere. Some people love the Big Island for its diverse climates, great hiking, kona coffee and active volcano.

I still haven't been to Kauai, but I definitely plan to go there next. The island is probably the most scenic of the islands as it gets the most rain. For that reason, I'm convinced that Kauai will become my second favorite island. Many people consider it to be the best island for helecopter rides and ziplining. There's not as much shopping or other activities as there is on Maui or Oahu, but it still seems like a really nice island.

Molokai is another island I haven't visited. It's referred to as the most Hawaiian island due to it's rural environment, slow pace, lack of streetlights, and extra large white sand beach.