A Volcano Vacation on Hawaii’s Big Island
October 29th, 2008
Some friends of mine from New York were beginning to feel the air chill as autumn set in and the leaves changed color. Pulling out their cold weather clothing and realizing the impending winter that lay ahead, they found themselves fantasizing about a tropical Hawaii villa amidst green foliage and warm waters. With my encouragement, they followed their dream and booked a week long vacation on the Big Island.
Big island vacation rentals are available on all shores of this massive (and ever-growing) island, but my friends chose the East side in the Puna district near the town of Pahoa.
Desiring to be close to the volcanic landscape but also wanting easy access to the ocean, this spot seemed an ideal location. They managed to find a great vacation rental here that really gave a feeling of being ‘home’ while they settled in to nest in the jungles of paradise.
Because they’d been chilled back in New York, they were especially thrilled to have access to warm water - some of the naturally warmest water in the state. They spent a few days at Ahalanui Park (also known as Pualaa County Park) located south of Pahoa. The pool here is volcanically heated to an average 90 degrees. An underwater barrier separates the pool from the ocean, which trickles fresh sea water into the pool. They spent several serene days here, dipping in and out of the water and lounging in the surrounding park area, picnicking on the grass and napping in the shade of the coconut trees.
It was important for them to spend the majority of their time relaxing, so all activities they experienced were fairly close to where they were staying. They did venture out on an excursion to nearby Lava Tree State Park where they toured the 17 acres of native forest and ancient lava tree molds. These molds were once Ohia trees that were buried under 11 feet of molten lava when the area was flooded by the stuff in 1790. The trees, which burned to ash on the inside, were encased in a natural kind of mold, that hardened and maintained the outer shape of the trees. Many still remain intact. What my friends really enjoyed about this spot was the ability to see the lava formations standing amongst the thriving native plants and animal life. They also enjoyed the easy Lava Tree park trail, which was less than a mile and paved for the entire walk.
Staying at a villa in Hawaii is luxurious enough in itself, so my New York friends did spend a good deal of time just lounging around their island cottage. They soaked up the sun, took in the quiet and got some good rest in the hammock. The week passed quickly but they had stocked their reserves for the winter months that loomed ahead back in their home state. They enjoyed their time on the Big Island so much, they vowed to return next year and hunker down on another shore of the island. A wise choice to really get a sense of such a huge and diverse land mass, Hawaii’s Big Island.
