The Greener Side of the Big Island
Waterfalls and Tropical Rainforests - Hawaii Big Island Trip VI - Letters from a Wanderer No 7
Hello and Welcome to the sixth post about my trip to Hawaii!
*If you are tired of the same subject, or curious about other places I write about, feel free to check out my several-years-old (don’t remember its exact age) travel blog, Wanderer Writes. However, if you enjoy my posts about Hawaii, keep reading. I will eventually run out of things to write about on the island. Or, move on to another subject because I’m leaving on a new trip. My plan now is to wrap up Hawaii in my next post, so if I can stick to the idea, this is the second-to-last post about the Big Island - at least for now.
The Hawaii Big Island is not all lava and beaches.
In fact, several areas are vibrant green tropical rainforests, with gorgeous waterfalls and rivers. I enjoyed that part the most (besides the beaches because of my turtle encounters).
The East Side of the Big Island
The east side of the Big Island is covered in green, lush, tropical rainforest. This is the wet side of the island, with lots of rain, around 140 inches per year.
The only major city on this side is Hilo, built around a crescent-shaped bay. This is also the side of the island where most locals live, not only in Hilo proper, but in surrounding tiny towns and settlements.
Hilo
We spent some time on this side of the island, while staying at an old, historic hotel surrounded by a dense, green, tropical garden called Wild Ginger Hotel. Yes, it’s old, built in 1911, and looks it. The rooms are small, and dark - not only because of small windows but also because of the thick vegetation shading them -, with no modern amenities, not even a TV, and the Wi-Fi only works in the lobby. But they are clean and the beds are comfy.
Staying there felt like being in a time-warp, and I loved it. The lobby is filled with artwork; You can have breakfast surrounded by lush trees and birdsong, or walk in the garden and enjoy the tropical forest setting and make friends with the resident black kitten.
Besides the cozy, historic setting, we loved the convenience of its central location. Walking distance from downtown Hilo offered an easy way for us to find a cozy and healthy spot to eat. But nothing beats its proximity to several waterfalls and lush green forests.
A Scenic Drive In A Forested Area
While driving around the town, we noticed a road marked scenic, so we turned onto it. We drove through a dark, lush rainforest, crossed a river and a small waterfall, and eventually drove through a small town where we turned around, since I wanted to be in the forest longer.
So, on our way back, we stopped near the bridge across the river - the only place we found a parking lot, and spent some time on the bridge. Watching two local high schoolers taking senior photos on the bridge made me smile (just a year ago we were doing the same with my daughter in the desert).
Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls are in Hilo, and to see them, you don’t even need to walk more than a few feet from your car. Which also means they are usually busy; it was the only place on the island where we actually stood in line for a better view of the falls.
In fact, we would’ve skipped it, since it seemed we wouldn’t find a parking spot, but someone just pulled out as we were coming in, so we couldn’t argue with this luck, and parked in their spot.
Once there, we spent some time watching the falls from several spots, including taking the short hike up to the top of the falls. Here, besides a different view of the falls, I also admired the largest banyan tree I’ve ever seen.
Rainbow Falls cascade 80 ft over a lava cave that, according to legends, is home Hina, to the ancient Hawaiian goddess of the moon.
Akaka Falls
The most spectacular falls on the island - and anywhere I’ve seen so far, I think - were the Akaka Falls.
We drove to Akaka Falls State Park, where a short hike leads to the dramatic Akaka Falls. Along the way, you can also see another waterfall, the 100-foot Kahuna Falls.
Akaka Falls, the island’s most famous waterfall, plummets 442 feet into a gorge, surrounded by a lush rainforest.
The hike to the falls is almost as spectacular as the view itself. The paved, half-mile trail took us through a lush rainforest filled with bamboo groves, draping ferns, gorgeous orchids and other flowers, and several ancient banyan trees.
Other Green Areas of the Island
Some of the greenest areas of the Island are only accessible by foot, on long trails, or by invitation only from locals.
The latter is the case with Waipio Valley, where only locals can go. You might not be able to go down into the Valley, but you can stop at a viewpoint above the coast, with a gorgeous view of it.
More about my Hawaii trip:
I covered other aspects of this trip in my earlier newsletters, about:
Next, I will wrap it all up with an overview of the trip. Or, if you’d rather not wait, you can read about it on Wanderer Writes.
Thank you for reading and Happy Travels!
Best,
Emese
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