Day 1: Captain Cook to Volcano
We went snorkeling at Kahaluu before we even had breakfast. It was good to get our faces in the water. We were there from 7:15-7:45 and it was filling up when we left. We had a quick rinse then breakfast at the Manago Hotel. Eggs, rice, Portuguese sausage, coffee, juice. $7!
We packed up and took pictures of the koi pond at the hotel, then we headed south. Way south. At the southern point of the island we detoured to Papakolea green sand beach.
Our next stop was Punaluu Bake Shop for malasadas. Lunch! Thanks to our large breakfast we didn’t need a full meal. We sampled mango and guava malasadas. We were expecting filled donuts but they’re not. We stopped at Punaluu black sand beach to eat and check out the beach. We saw a crab at the beach. The sand was finer than other black sand beaches we’ve been to.
At Volcano, we checked into our cottage and got a wealth of info on the room, Volcanoes National Park, and sightseeing in general. Our hosts were from Michigan! Lush grounds with amazing moss.
Since we arrived early, we went to the park and checked out the steam vents …
… the lava tube, which you can walk inside …
… and the museum overlook.
We had pizza at the Ohelo Cafe. The food was excellent; the service was a little rough. Then we went back to the museum overlook to see the caldera at night.
Day 2: Kilauea Iki Hike and Lava Viewing
A leisurely start this morning with a lovely breakfast of banana mac nut bread, papaya, pineapple, banana, juice, coffee. We got a wealth of information about the lava viewing and decided to try it tonight.
We bought a sandwich from the deli for lunch. It was enough for two. Then we hiked Kilauea Iki.
We bought another sandwich and some Gatorade for our lava viewing hike. Our hosts loaned us flashlights, batteries, a cooler, and an ice pack to go with it. We were tired and sore at the end and it was worth it.
On our last morning in the area, we drove the scenic Chain of Craters Road.
Essentials
Lodging
Our room at Canyon Lodge and Cabins was basic but fine. Kind of like motel camping. We were just happy we found a place inside the park. Stay in the park if you can. It’s pricey but saves a lot of time. I looked for months and never saw anything available. Then a visitor gets killed by a bear and suddenly there’s an opening. Thanks, bear? Not good for the guy from Michigan’s UP that was killed.
Dining
We had dinner at the Canyon dining room, which was okay but overpriced. We found the Canyon cafeteria overall a better deal than the dining room. We made a reservation at the Lake Hotel for a bit of a splurge. Dinner was unexciting. Food was quite good, service not so much. Steve had house salad and swordfish special. I had pear salad and sautéed duck. Pear salad was wonderful. Duck was interesting; I would eat it again. Quite meaty, more like a steak. Bulghur side dish was also good. We had to ask for bread; service was slow. I think it was our particular waiter.
Transportation
Unless the park introduces shuttles you really need a car here, though you don’t need 4 wheel drive or anything. Allow plenty of time for wildlife traffic jams! I cannot recommend Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler’s Companion to the National Park highly enough. We used it in planning the trip and in navigating once we got there. It’s organized by mile markers, making it easy to find sights along the way.
Essentials
Lodging
Sadly Volcano Country Cottages has closed.
Dining
We ate well in Volcano. There aren’t a lot of options but there are good ones.
Transportation
We rented a car so we could explore the island on our own. We saw warnings about not driving in the area after dark so we planned our arrival to get there well before that. We got gas at the Volcano Store, at a funky little back up to the pump.