5 Amazing Days on the Big Island of Hawaii

This nomad summer gave us the chance to run off to the Big Island of Hawaii for 5 blissful days. The Big Island of Hawaii was the last of the main islands we had yet to explore and its peaceful vibe and amazing snorkeling lured us right on in. I mean, just look at that…

We stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Orchid on the northern Kohala Coast and it was every bit as amazing as we hoped it would be. Lush gardens, hidden corners to sit and enjoy the ocean breeze, amazing food, and live music everyday (my personal happy place). Our first getaway in what feels like a lifetime, and we chose to spend much of it hanging out, snorkeling, some exploring and lots of eating. We made some quick day trips to Akaka Falls and into a few smaller towns along the northern coast. It’s a beautiful drive made better by interesting destinations along the way.

Macadamia Nut hummus and Pineapple cider were two are my favorites, along with the fish tacos and basically everything else. We didn’t have one bad meal, though we certainly paid for it.

We discovered our favorite place a few days in, this gorgeous tucked away beach with the clearest water I have ever seen, hidden away from the wind and not listed in our guidebooks. It is an off-shoot of Hapuna State Beach, called Waialea Beach.

Not only is the view from the beach gorgeous, but it was our favorite place to snorkel as well. We ended up seeing sea turtles, large parrot fish and much more followed up with relaxing in the sun. Pure heaven. And then there is the underwater view…I’m so thankful I invested in this Olympus Tough TG-4 camera, it allowed me to get all these awesome underwater shots while we were snorkeling.

What makes Hawaii stand out from so many other places outside the amazing beaches and beautiful views is something harder to describe. Not to sound overly cliche but it really is the Aloha spirit. The sunsets, restaurants on the beach, live music with hula dancing and tiki torches….this is a good life. Though I love all the islands for different reasons, the Big Island’s open space and big sky really drew me in. Easy access made everything a cinch to navigate.