Adventure Travel Photography Blog
A year ago, I was on my way to the South Pacific via Hawaii. I spent a week on the Big Island, including three days in Hilo. Now that visitors with a COVID check may travel to Hawaii, and Hilo is a popular winter destination, I thought I’d write about things to do in Hilo. Find the list below:
EXPLORE!
Having been on the Big Island for four days now, I finally set foot in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, one of the biggest reasons for me visiting the Big Island. Though I researched the park before coming to make sure it was accessible due to the eruption of Kīlauea Volcano that damaged countless homes, I still wasn’t sure what to expect.
I learned 90% of the park is open, though a few popular places such as the Jagger Museum and the Thurston Lava tube are still closed due to instability. I was also surprised to learn that the lava flow was mostly northeast of the park in Leilani Estates.
In addition, the eruption drained the lava from the collapsed Pu’u ‘O’o Crater, so hiking at night to see the lava glow wasn’t an option. Though slightly disappointed by this, it made the logistics of when and where to go a lot easier!
LET’S GO
While on safari in Kenya, we took a side trip to Rwanda for two days to see the mountain gorillas. RwandAir offered a 5am departure from the Nairobi to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
The domestic portion of Nairobi’s airport isn’t anything to write home about. There was a bathroom without toilet paper, one café, and a small waiting area in the terminal. The gate area required extra security, and once inside water and toilets were unavailable.
GO GORILLA TREKKING …