Hawaii / Hawaiʻi 

A Hawaii institution, Merriman’s serves some of the best food on the island, featuring farm-to-table regional cuisine and delicious local fish. Their Big Island location, in the town of Waimea, is their original restaurant and worth the trek.

This restaurant right on the coast offers steaks, pastas, and seafood, alongside tropical cocktails, beer, and wine.

Located right on Mauna Lani beach, Napua is a great option for a delicious dinner with an ocean view. The restaurant serves tasty food and creative cocktails in this tranquil spot.

Perched on a deck above the ocean, Magics offers a welcoming atmosphere, neat views, and tasty sandwiches, salads, and seafood. It also has a full bar with good signature cocktails and beers on draft.

Operated by a rum distillery, this bar/restaurant offers excellent cocktails and a menu of tasty Hawaiian food.

The outdoor lounge for Huggos, the Kona institution, On the Rocks serves up tasty food, cocktails, and draft beers right on the coast. Some of the seating is even right on the sand. A great spot for happy hour or a casual dinner.

One of ancient Hawaii’s best-preserved prehistoric sites, Pu’uhonua O Honaunau (also called the City of Refuge) is an incredible opportunity to learn about Hawaiian history.

This unique national park protects the area around Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, two of the most active volcanoes in the world, and extends from sea level to 13,681 feet of elevation.

It may be hard to get to, but gorgeous Makalawena Beach is one of the prettiest on the Big Island. To get here, you have drive a rough road to Mahai’ula Bay and then hike about a mile and a quarter.

One of the prettiest beaches on the Big Island, Hapuna is a long expanse of beautiful white sand. It’s a great place to relax on the sand or swim, and sometimes the surf comes up enough for some body boarding.

See a beautiful coffee farm in the mountains above Kona, learn about the coffee-making process, and sample some delicious coffee.

This beautiful salt-and-pepper beach offers some of the best snorkeling on the island (we recommend exploring the rocks to your left as you look at the ocean).

Hawaii is perhaps the best place in the world to see manta rays. You’ll cruise to the ideal spot to see the rays and hang onto a lighted float while the rays swim and swirl around you. A truly magical experience.

This beautiful hike offers spectacular views of Hawaii’s northern coast. Start at Pololū Valley Lookout (see map below), and hike a quarter mile and about 300 feet down to the beach.

Paniolo Adventures offers excellent horseback riding trips on the slopes of the beautiful Kohala Mountain on the northern tip of the island of Hawaii.

A fantastic place to snorkel on the Big Island is Kealakekua Bay, where the Captain Cook Monument stands. A snorkel cruise is one of the best ways to see it.

Kīholo Bay might be one of the most beautiful spots on the Big Island. An idyllic turquoise gem surrounded by white sand beaches frequented by green sea turtles with good snorkeling, it’s worth the trek.