Big Island of Hawaii Factoids

There is much talk, if not controversy, about how to split up the Big Island by region so that it can easily be described on a website such as this. Why the controversy you ask? Well, the Big Island of Hawai'i is a single county politically divided into nine districts, clockwise: South Kohala, North Kohala, Hamakua, North Hilo, South Hilo, Puna, Kau, South Kona, and North Kona. Here you can see an image of the District Map.

It seems simple enough until you start to describe what's in each area and/or how to get to certain locations. For example, parts of central Hawai'i are in the Haumakua, North Hilo, and Kau districts, but there is absolutely no way to access central Hawai'i from any of these districts. To the modern day traveler these districts serve no purpose.

The remedy then is to find a way to divide the island into segments that are easy to recognize, describe, and access via the major roads of the island. This is where much of the debate comes from. Every "expert" has their own way of dissecting the island into pieces.

Our way is pretty simple and it's a method we've followed religiously in all of our physical guidebooks. We like to take the North, East, South, and West approach and we've stayed as true as possible to that format here online (see the map above). In general, we've adjusted some region names as needed and kept others to preserve common reference. For example, we refer to west Hawaii's coast as 'Kona' instead of 'West Hawaii' because it is almost always referred to as such on the island and elsewhere.

Ultimately we've divided the island in a manner that helps us group spots together so that they are easily accessible along the major routes of the island. This allows us to use our mile by mile directions to easily and accurately describe each spot here on our website.

Q: Can I scoop up a handful of steaming hot lava?
A: First of all, we wouldn’t recommend that unless you want to burst into flames. Second, Madame Pele, the Goddess of the Volcano, aka Kilauea is basically unpredictable. You could just as easily witness lava flows chewing on Chain of Craters Road as you could view a steam plume from afar. It is a living, breathing volcano with a mind of its own. Check THIS for updates on lava flows. Plus, even if you don’t see any flowing lava, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the Big Island are well worth the time. Another great option is to take a helicopter tour over Pu’u O’o for a look into the bowels of the earth. But, that could change tomorrow. Lava has a mind of its own.

Q: Should we stay on Hilo or Kona side?
A: This is a big debate among locals and visitors alike. We say, never knock something until you try it, but here are a few observations. Kona side and its northern brother Kohala are made for tourists. All the high dollar resorts and hotels are on this side of the island because of its long stretches of sunny days. Kona is the place to be for upscale shopping and dining as well as what limited nightlife exists. Hilo on the other hand is a greater representation of the “real Hawaii.” Many of the residents of Hilo make the pre-dawn drive to work at the resorts in Kona. Some say that Hilo isn’t very friendly but we just don’t believe it. Follow the golden rule and you’ll discover that you get more smiles than frowns. On the downside, Hilo is the wettest city in the U.S. It also doesn’t have the same pricey hotels as Kona but some nice bed and breakfasts can be found. So, you do the math. Sight-wise both sides of the island have something to offer, so you may consider splitting your time based on what you want to see. Hilo is an ideal location to visit the volcano, the Hamakua Coast and Mauna Kea. You do not want to make the late night drive back to Kona after a long day at the volcano - trust us. Kona is a prime location for all the Kohala beaches, Waimea and Place of Refuge.

Q: Do I need a 4x4 vehicle?
A: You should be fine with a normal rental car unless you plan to do some off-roading in which case that would probably be prohibited by your rental agreement anyway. Nearly all of the must-see sights on the Big Island can be reached in a normal car. The exceptions are the summit of Mauna Kea and Green Sand Beach. Harper’s Rental in Kona and Hilo has four wheel drive vehicles at reasonable prices for excursions. We can’t emphasize it enough: do not take your normal vehicle off-roading no matter how good of a driver you think you are. Visitors who thought they could drive to the summit of Mauna Kea in a Neon are no longer around to tell the tale. If you don’t want to mess with a 4x4 rental, there are many tours that will guide you off the beaten path.

Often called the 'Big Island' to help distinguish it from the 1,500 mile long archipelago with which it shares its name, Hawai'i, the Big Island has certainly earned its nickname. Sitting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean the landmass of the Big Island is approximately the same size as the state of Connecticut, about 4,050 sq. miles and still growing daily thanks to Kilauea Volcano on the eastern coast of the island. Composed of five major volcanoes, the island is the youngest in the Hawaiian chain with origins dating back some 800,000 years to present day.

It is not purely these massive geographic bodies that create the mystique of Hawai'i. There is a world in Hawai'i that resides upon the slopes of these mountains that rivals any other place on earth. Mother nature pulled out all the stops when she created this place.