The Big Island, Hawaii
This was our first trip to the Big Island. I have been to Maui and Oahu a few times before, but not this island and didn’t know a whole lot about it. My hubby works in mortgage sales, and every year his company takes some of its performers on a trip, and it’s usually somewhere in Hawaii. I am never letting him leave his company, haha. When I told people we were going to the Big Island, I started hearing a lot about how much lava rock there is, but I didn’t really grasp it until we got there. It’s really an amazing sight to see, but probably not what you picture when you think of Hawaii. Until you get to the hotels or the other side of the island from the airport, the land is very rocky and dry.
We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa, and this was the view from our room. 🙂 You can see from the photo that there is no actual beach, it’s all rocks. Not gonna lie, this kinda works for me such I am more of a pool girl. ha!
The Hilton is a great place to stay if you are going on a family vacation with kids. They are renowned for their dolphin center where you can swim with the dolphins. I didn’t realize how touchy some people are about the dolphins being held in captivity until I posted which hotel I was staying at on Instagram. Maybe I am drinking the Kool-Aid, but I am ok with it. All of the dolphins except maybe one of the originals were born there, they are a shallow water dolphin breed and swim normally in shallower waters than they have in the bay. They live twice as long due to their better diet and removal from predators which are mostly people on boats. Chad and I did swim with the dolphins. Max is still a little young to not be creeped out. I think he thought they were sharks.
The hotel has an ocean-fed lagoon with sand, and that was Max’s jam. He was equally enthralled with that and the hotel tram which felt like a train to him (and he has a thing for trains).
He looks so precious here… and so tired. We had a hard time adjusting his nap and bed time during the trip.
Because the beaches around our hotel were rocky, we were on a mission to find some sandy beaches. Our favorites on the Big Island are Kua Bay and Mauna Lani/ Makaiwa Bay.
Suit (and here) | Cover-up | Beach Bag | Hat
After we hit Kua Bay, we had lunch at the Four Seasons overlooking the water. My mom was my photographer, and although she claims she can’t even see, she has some mad photography skills. She is a food blogger.
The other beach we liked is about a ten minute drive from our hotel. I shot some photos at the Mauna Lani hotel (see them here), and we ended the shoot at Makaiwa Bay. What I would suggest is having breakfast at the Fairmont Orchid, and then hitting Makaiwa Bay afterward.
There is a restaurant right above Makaiwa Bay called Napua, and we had dinner there and I highly recommend. The food is very island seasonal, and the ambiance is amazing. I also recommend Merriman’s in Waimea. It’s a bit of a drive, but well worth it. For a more relaxed meal, try Lava Lava Beach Club. The atmosphere and drinks make up for what the food lacks, and it is within walking distance of our hotel.
We did that thing you have to do while you are in Hawaii which is hop in your car and drive for hours, hoping you will have an adventure haha. We stumbled upon this beauty.
These photos were shot at Mauna Lani Beach.
Top: (similar here & here) | Skirt: SheInside c/o | Bag: Misa Marrakesh Hola Bag | Sandals: Rebecca Minkoff | Earrings: Miranda Frye c/o | Necklace: Miranda Frye c/o
Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to leave any questions or comments about the Big Island below!!!
xoxoxox,
Missy
