Slimy things that live in the sea

After a couple of days of complete tranquility, we reluctantly left Hobbit House and headed round to the other side of the Island to the Kona Coast.

Our next hotel was the Royal Kona Resort and the entrance alone was stunning. There was a series of little rivers with koi carp swimming in glassy pools, trickling water falls and miniature bridges.

We were given an upgrade on the room because it was our honeymoon and ended up in a gorgeous corner suite (with the biggest bed I've ever seen - I could sleep across it!) overlooking the pool and beyond that the sea - so close the waves were crashing into the pool itself.

That night, Paul booked to go on a night dive and dropped me off at a salon for a mani/pedi (which was amazing!). Paul was lucky enough to see five manta rays (that's a huge manta you can see above his head in the picture below) and a moray eel outside its cave. He also saw a group of dolphins in the harbour with a baby - I wish I had been there!

The hotel also had a naturally formed salt water pool which was fed by the ocean and populated by thousands of tropical fish - just free to swim between your toes.

I don't normally swim in the sea, but Paul convinced me that no sharks could get through the small gap in the rocks where the water was coming in so I donned a snorkel and some fins and went in. He held my hand the whole way round and I nearly drowned him when a horrible slimy snowflake eel tried to climb up my leg and I tried to climb on top of him to get out of the water! The fish were beautiful though, there were some HUGE angel fish and some big spiky black sea urchins. We saw a load of really big crabs sunbathing on the rocks as well.

We went to our first Luau in the evening, Paul bought me a flower lei (I had been really disappointed when we got off the plane and there was no hula girls putting them round our necks as we stepped off the plane - stereotypical? Maybe.)

We did get to see Hula dancing at the Luau though as well as a traditional fire dance at the end, the male dancer almost had a very nasty accident when he was throwing fire poi between his legs... I'll let you use your imagination on that one!

The singing and dancing was fantastic but there was a stupid man comentating all the way through which kind of took away from the authenticity of it. The Mai Thai' were definitely authentic though.

We visited Pu'uhonua o Honaunau which had once been a place of refuge for people who had violated the "Kapu" (Hawaiian laws). Anybody who broke these laws was sentenced to death unless they could make it to the place of refuge. It was gurded in-land so they had to brave the seas and swim to it from the Big Island and other islands. The Pu'uhonua was protected by the spirits of important island chiefs so people who managed to get there were blessed and then able to return home unharmed and pardoned of their crimes.

There is not a lot left to see now, all of the temples have been weathered away over time but the carved wooden statues which were there to protect them still remain.

The Pu'uhonua is now a place of refuge for nesting turtles who come up on the sand to lay their eggs or have a snooze in the sun.

Note to Rachel:


Royal Kona Resort - The Lu'au we went to was at the hotel but others are available - ours was called "Journeys of the South Pacific" and cost about $30.


The beauticians I went to was recommended by the hotel but I can't remember the name - sorry. It was run by a couple of Vietnamese men though and was on a kind of retail park.


For scuba diving try Big Island Divers. You can also take a non diver along for the ride. 


There are also whale watching excursions but we went at the wrong time of year for that. You could try surfing, kayaking or even yoga! There is lots to do here whether you fancy being a bit adventurous or just relaxing. Let me know if you want any websites etc.


Pu'uhonua o Honaunau

A big tale about The Big Island

Week two of my Hawaiian adventure was spent on The Big Island... so called coz it's big (I guess?)

And oh my god, adventure it was! We flew from Oahu (it only takes thirty minutes and costs less than it does for me to get to London!) but the drive from the airport to our next amazing home for the next few days was loooong!

Driving from the airport in our 50 First Dates style Jeep Wrangler, I made sure I took in every bit of the scenery. It was strange, to say the least. Some times, it looked just like Yorkshire; with rolling hills, cut through by little streams - other parts were like something out of Lord of the Rings... and I mean Mordor, not hobbit land! Black, and ashen from all of the molten lava gushing over land killing everything on it's way and leaving pewter coloured rivers and whirlpools all over the landscape.

We always like to stay somewhere a bit "different" for at least a couple of our nights away and this place was really something special. On the South of the Island and in keeping with Lord of the Rings, it was called Hobbit House.

Designed and built by Bill and Darlene when they were first married thirty odd years ago. It's all curves, not a straight line anywhere - lovely stained glass windows made by Darlene in a Charles Renee Mackintosh style, the roof of the patio is supported by whole branches which appear to grow straight through the floor. Not only is it beautiful, but it is completely eco friendly too - it's solar powered, wind powered, they have a little allotment, and get this - a macadamia nut factory!

It's 1800 metres above sea level (and anything else actually) with a panoramic view over the sea and the surrounding nothingness. Be warned though, there is nothing to do here in the evenings - not even a telly, so you will have to find other things to do... if you catch my drift! Don't worry, the frogs here are far noisier than you could ever be!

The house far exceeded our expectations of perfection and so did the rest of the Island.

A few months before our honeymoon, a volcano erupted on the Big Island and rumour had it, it was still going in August when we arrived. Of course, we had to go on a thrill seeking mission to find lava! First we drove along crater rim drive, stopping at numerous craters, venting steam from the earths core into the atmosphere as though hiding an angry dragon deep in its belly.

We drove right down to the sea where you could see a giant plume of smoke in the distance where the red hot lava was hitting the sea.

The smell of sulphur was so strong in some places it could almost knock you out. There were warnings in certain areas telling drivers not to get out of their vehicles.

We walked through a lava tube. My Grandad had told me about this tube before we came. He had taken my Uncle years earlier when he was a little boy and he was terrified! He turned round half way and ran back to the light on the other end! I had expected it to be terrifying and claustrophobic, but it wasn't, it was just like walking through a cave.

After lunch we drove up to the visitors centre at Volcano National Park and asked where the best place to see the lava was. The ranger told us about a viewing point a couple of hours drive away which had only just opened because of the eruption earlier in the year (2008). We didn't know how likely we were to see it but we thought we'd give it a try anyway - we would never get the chance again... we were not disappointed!

We had quite a long walk across dried lava to get to the edge of the cliff over looking the sea and that big mushroom cloud of smoke I told you about. In daylight, you couldn't see much, but as it grew dark you began to see the red glow of lava being spat miles into the air.

Once it was completely dark, there was a constant spewing and splashing followed by "ooooh" and "aaaaah" in unison from its audience. We stayed for four hours just watching her bubble and boil. A truly amazing night which neither of us will ever forget.

The next day was a bit of an anti-climax really. We went to the black sand beach where sea turtles sometimes go to lay their eggs. The sand is black because it's made from volcano ash and ground lava. I didn't like it, it looked dirty and made the water look like slate instead of the brilliant azure around the rest of the Island.

The water was quite choppy but Paul is a strong swimmer and decided to go snorkelling anyway. He was lucky enough to see two huge turtles (one about four foot and the other was about three!) and a moray eel.

Because the Big Island is so errr... big, we decided to split our visit into two and stayed the remainder of our week on the North of the Island. And because this is becoming an epic post, I will tell you all about the Kona Coast next week!

Note to Rachel: 


If you go to the Big Island, please, please, please don't go home without trying to see the volcano. I promise, you will never see anything else like it for the rest of your life. 


Volcano National Park


Hobbit House - perfect for a honeymoon - Bill and Darlene will serve breakfast of fresh fruit on their patio overlooking the gardens and the ocean below. Get them talking about how Hobbit House came about.


If you don't fancy being so far away from everything but like the idea of doing something a bit different, there is also a tree house in the village near Hobbit House


The coqui frog is the size of your thumb nail but don't half have a set of lungs on them. Listen to one here.

The Spirit of Aloha

Rachel over at And So It Goes is lucky enough, not only to be marrying the man of her dreams and the love of her life soon, but she's also going to Hawaii for her honeymoon! The lucky devil!

As I went to Hawaii for my honeymoon two years ago, I have promised her a blog post with some photos and great places to go. So this one's for you Rachel.

First stop, Honolulu - Oahu.

The first thing that hit me when I stepped off the plane in Oahu (other than the jet lag), and the thing I loved most about the island was the smells and the scenery. You don't have to drive more than ten minutes and you will find totally different scents; the sweet honey scent of the tiare flowers crushed under foot as they fall from the trees, the smell of freshly cooked fish from the roadside shrimp shacks, the grass, the sea, the rain - it's all new and lovely. The scenes; miles of beaches, jagged cliffs, mountains, dessert, lush green fields, little brightly coloured surf shops and the houses - every one is different and full of its own unique character.

On our first day in Oahu, we had a walk along the beach from our hotel to Waikiki beach. We walked through the marina and watched hundreds of tropical fish swarming around the rocks - a rainbow of colours flickering and glimmering beneath the water like hidden treasure. We walked all the way into Waikiki. I had not expected to like the area much - I envisaged the kind of scene you see somewhere like Tenerife - row after row of sun loungers, lobster red tourists just hanging on that minute longer until sunstroke really is inevitable... but it wasn't like that at all. In Honolulu, time stops still. Minutes merge into hours and hours into days.

Waikiki beach was beautiful; powdery white sand, crystal clear water, turquoise sky and swaying palms. The vivid colours of sun umbrellas and lifeguard huts; a contrast against all the blue and white.

We stopped for a drink in "The Oceanarium" a bar which encircles a huge aquarium full of every kind of fish you could imagine - spotted eagle rays, manta rays and even a shark! I had the best Mojito I've ever tasted in there whilst completely mesmerised by all the fish just floating around me. I felt like Ariel and half expected a crab on the steel drums to start singing "Under Da Sea" at any minute.

On the way back found a nice International market, very similar to the Hutong in China; selling pearls, shells, carved wood and lots of other things.

On day two, we tried to go to Hanauma Bay (a giant crater which is famous for wonderful snorkelling) but there is very limited parking and because it is so famous, after driving up and down for an hour we gave up and went to Manoa Falls instead. We had to hike up a really steep, really muddy slope to get to the falls but we saw some amazing plants (like nothing else on this earth) on the way. 

Ferns, twice the size of me. Trees with roots growing down from the branches and wrapping themselves around the trunk or forming arched walk ways. We visited Lyons Arboretum which is thousands of acres of ten thousand year old trees with really bizarre names... like the bread fruit tree (?!)

On day three we visited Byodo-In temple (we saw an identical temple of the same name in Japan this year). It was a long drive but well worth it. It was set high up on the mountain side over looking the sea and a beautifully kept grave yard (you could reserve your spot for when the time comes with sea view, mountain view or temple view!) 

The temple was only small but it had a moat around it full of gigantic koi karp, turtles and black swans. You walk across a beautiful Japanese bridge to get into the gardens surrounded by trickling streams and big shady trees.

It was the most peaceful, tranquil place I've ever been to. The only sound around was the gentle bird song and the giant gong - I could have stayed forever.

We decided to drive the long way round the other side of the island (you can drive the circumference of the island in one day and it's definitely worth it - just follow the ocean road all the way round), stopping at various beaches along the way to enjoy the view. 

A perfect way to end our stay in Oahu. Tomorrow: The Big Island.

Note to Rachel: A couple of tips - Wherever you go in Hawaii, hire a car. There is so much to see and you just wouldn't be able to do it all if you were using public transport. Also, make sure you take a SatNav with you - in the centre of Honolulu, it's all one way systems and a complete bugger to find your way around!!! 

We stayed at Ala Moana Hotel in Honolu - very reasonable prices and gorgeous hotel and pool. Very close to the Marina and plenty of restaurants around for your evening meal. Including a huge shopping centre with great food court just opposite.

The Oceanarium

Byodo-In Temple

Manoa Falls

Lyon Arboretum