{"id":44170,"date":"2013-08-22T15:06:30","date_gmt":"2013-08-22T19:06:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/?p=44170"},"modified":"2016-04-21T17:31:02","modified_gmt":"2016-04-21T21:31:02","slug":"during-my-cruise-to-hawaii-what-are-the-best-things-to-do-on-hawaii-the-main-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/2013\/08\/22\/during-my-cruise-to-hawaii-what-are-the-best-things-to-do-on-hawaii-the-main-island\/","title":{"rendered":"What are my shore excursion options on the Big Island of Hawaii?"},"content":{"rendered":"

HAWAII (The \u00a0Big Island) has two cruise ship ports–Kona and Hilo<\/b><\/p>\n

The natural beauty and volcanic features of the big island are a draw for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. When your cruise ship stops in Kona, consider these popular places to visit or activities to do:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

1. \u00a0Kealakelua Park & Captain Cook Monument.<\/b>\u00a0<\/b>Enjoy a scenic a ride to see this major landmark on the Kona Coast.<\/p>\n

2<\/strong>. \u00a0Place of Refuge.<\/b>\u00a0Learn the history of Kona Ahu\u2019ena Temple, the Place of Refuge, and the Painted Church.<\/p>\n

3<\/strong>. \u00a0Pu\u2019uhonua o Honaunau National Park<\/a>. <\/b>Discover early Hawaiian history at this national historic park.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Holoholo Hualalai Craters.\u00a0<\/b><\/b>Take a 6-wheel drive up a rocky ramble to a hidden world of native beauty.<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

5<\/strong>.\u00a0Kohala Waterfalls.<\/b>\u00a0Take a 4-wheel drive and then hike in to the waterfall.\u00a0You can actually sit under a cool rainwater cascade.
\n\"Cup<\/picture><\/a><\/p>\n

6.\u00a0A-Bay Beach.<\/b>\u00a0Take a transfer out to this expansive stretch of white sand. Perfect spot for swimming, windsurfing, snorkeling and diving.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0Coffee Sampling or Culinary Tour.<\/b>\u00a0 Try Hawaii’s famous Kona coffee. Or book a culinary tour of a distinctive Hawaiian private home to experience their lifestyle and enjoy a meal they’ve prepared just for you.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm<\/a>.<\/b>\u00a0Visit the only U.S. seahorse farm.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0Whale Watching.<\/b>\u00a0Many kinds of whales can be seen off the west coast.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0Sport Fishing.<\/b>\u00a0Charter a fishing boat to try your hand at catching marlin, ono, mahi, ahi and spearfish.<\/p>\n

11.\u00a0Rent a Catamaran <\/b>and sail\u00a0<\/b>out to the reefs and snorkel and swim with the dolphins.<\/p>\n

12.\u00a0Atlantis Submarine<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/a>Dive<\/a>.\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0Explore life under the sea.<\/p>\n

13.\u00a0Glass-bottom Boat Ride<\/b>. Enjoy a spectacular view of the Kona reefs\u2014without getting wet.<\/p>\n

14.\u00a0Golf.<\/b>\u00a0Play the links at\u00a0Makalei Golf Club<\/a>\u00a0– voted one of the \u201cBest Places to Golf” by Golf Digest.<\/p>\n

If your cruise ship docks at Hilo\u2019s port, visit some of these<\/b>\u00a0popular places or try some of these activities: <\/b><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Volcanoes National Park<\/a>.<\/b>\u00a0L<\/b>earn the secrets of the most active Puna Volcano. Stop at the\u00a0Macadamia Nut Farm<\/a>\u00a0along the way.<\/p>\n

2<\/strong>.\u00a0Tropical Botanical Gardens<\/a>.<\/b>\u00a0Take a scenic drive along the coast to visit the gardens.<\/p>\n

3<\/strong>.\u00a0Waterfalls.<\/b>\u00a0Visit the beautiful\u00a0Akaka Falls<\/a>, Kahuna Falls, or Rainbow Falls.<\/p>\n

\"Hiker<\/picture><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

4<\/strong>.\u00a0Waipi\u2019o Valley<\/a>.<\/b>\u00a0You’ll need a 4-wheel drive to see the amazing view from the lookout.<\/p>\n

5<\/strong>.\u00a0Mauna Kea<\/a>.\u00a0<\/b>If you hike to the summit, you’ll be at\u00a0<\/b>the highest peak in the Pacific.<\/p>\n

6<\/strong>.\u00a0Lava Tree State Park<\/a>.<\/b>\u00a0Explore the \u201cLand of the Frozen Fire\u201d\u00a0and learn about Hilo\u2019s volcanic heritage.<\/p>\n

7<\/strong>.\u00a0Kilauea Volcano.<\/b>\u00a0Explore \u00a0Pele\u2019s \u201cGoddess of Fire\u201d on a walking tour, following a lava path down to the black sand beach.<\/p>\n

8<\/strong>.\u00a0Lyman Museum & Mission House<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0. Built by missionaries in 1839, the mission house is on the State and National Registers of Historic Places and\u00a0may be visited by guided tour.<\/p>\n

9<\/strong>.\u00a0Culinary Hawaii Home Progressive Brunch Tour.<\/b>\u00a0Visit traditional Hawaiian homes and enjoy brunch with the owners.<\/p>\n

10<\/strong>.\u00a0Farm Tour.<\/b>\u00a0Try Hawaiian-grown coffee, wine or handmade chocolates, or stop in at a lavender farm.<\/p>\n

11.\u00a0Imiloa Astromony Center<\/b><\/a>.<\/b>\u00a0Visit the 3D planetarium.<\/p>\n

12.\u00a0Hamakua Coast.<\/b>\u00a0Visit the\u00a0Hawaiian Vanilla Company. <\/a><\/p>\n

13<\/strong>.\u00a0Zipline.<\/b>\u00a0View the rainforest and discover waterfalls as you zip by on this high-adrenaline activity.<\/p>\n

14<\/strong>.\u00a0Kayak <\/b>in\u00a0Hilo Bay or along the Wailuku River, through the Kaumana Caves.<\/p>\n

15<\/strong>.\u00a0Helicopter Ride.<\/b>\u00a0What a memorable way to view scenic waterfalls and \u201cCircle of Fire\u201d volcanoes!\"dolphin<\/picture><\/a><\/p>\n

16.\u00a0Dolphin Swim.<\/b>\u00a0Dolpin encounters are available in open-ocean or controlled environments. Who doesn’t want to swim with these adorable creatures?<\/p>\n

17.\u00a0Golf.<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0Volcano Golf & Country Club<\/a>,\u00a0situated on the rim of the active Kilauea volcanic crater makes for an adventurous golf game.<\/p>\n

Whatever you decide for your shore excursions, \u00a0our agents at CruiseExperts.com can help you make all the arrangements.<\/p>\n

What are the best things to do on Maui?<\/a><\/p>\n

What are the best things to do on Oahu?<\/a><\/p>\n

What are the best things to do on Kauai?<\/a><\/p>\n

Join our Inner Circle or “Like” us on Facebook<\/b><\/p>\n

Sign up for our\u00a0Inner Circle\u00a0<\/a>or “like” us on\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>to get the best deals on your Hawaiian vacation. From Alaskan cruise tours to the hot European river cruises, we are here to help you. \u00a0Call 1-888-804-CRUIse(2784) or visit www.CruiseExperts.com for more information.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HAWAII (The \u00a0Big Island) has two cruise ship ports–Kona and Hilo The natural beauty and volcanic features of the big island are a draw for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. When your cruise ship stops in Kona, consider these popular places to visit or activities to do:\u00a0 1. \u00a0Kealakelua Park & Captain Cook Monument.\u00a0Enjoy a … What are my shore excursion options on the Big Island of Hawaii?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":44155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,10,37,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destinations","category-did-you-know","category-hawaii","category-informative"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44170\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}