Last fall, I had a few days off for a mini vacation to Hawaii. It was my first time visiting the Hawaiian islands since I was a kid — and my first time exploring the Big Island.

We flew into Kona, picked up our rental car, and settled into an Airbnb overlooking the lush coastline of the island’s west side.

We’d brought along our snorkel gear, so right off the bat we set out to explore some of the best beaches and snorkel spots along the Kona Coast: Kahalu’u Beach Park, Magic Sands, Honokohau Beach and Waialea Bay (Beach 69). The water wasn’t as warm as I’d expected, but I still had a great time and was just happy to be spending time at the beach again!

We wrapped up our first day watching the beautiful sunset at Hapuna Beach, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful sandy beaches on the island. As someone who loves classic sandy beaches, I’d say Hapuna and Magic Sands were my favourite. Unlike other Hawaiian islands such as Maui, the Big Island isn’t known for endless stretches of tropical white-sand beaches. Born from volcanic activity, much of the coastline is rugged lava rock, and you’ll also find striking black sand beaches scattered around the island.

The next morning we headed north along the Kohala Coast to Waipi’o Valley Lookout for breathtaking views of the ocean and cliffs. From there we continued driving along the island’s lush northern coastline before eventually reaching Hilo on the eastern side of the island.

As the most volcanically active island in the Hawaiian chain, no visit would be complete without a stop at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. From Hilo, it’s a mere 45-minute drive to the park entrance.

We spent the afternoon driving through the park, stopping often to take in the stark, otherworldly landscape shaped by centuries of lava flows. One highlight was the scenic Chain of Craters Road, which winds its way down to the coast through fields of hardened lava and dramatic volcanic terrain.

Continuing our journey along the island’s southern coast, we stopped at Ka’u Coffee Mill for some coffee tasting and Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach (which I loved!) before visiting Ka Lae (South Point), the southernmost point of the United States.

From there we turned north along the west coast, squeezed in one more snorkelling session at Honaunau Bay (Two-Step Beach), briefly stopped at Kealakekua Bay, before eventually arriving back at Kona — the perfect end to an unforgettable road trip around the Big Island.

Of course, as always, a big part of any vacation for me is seeking out the local food. While there’s plenty of familiar American fare on the island, I made it a point to try some of Hawaii’s iconic local dishes. Loco Moco is a hearty comfort classic of rice topped with a hamburger patty, fried egg and rich brown gravy. It didn’t sound very appetizing, but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed a shredded pork version of it at 808 Grindz Cafe!

I couldn’t wait to try Kalua Pork (aka Kalua Pig), which is traditionally slow-roasted in an underground oven. Although the meat was undeniably tender, the flavour itself missed the mark. It tasted surprisingly bland, and served with plain steamed rice and no sauce to liven it up, every bite felt a bit flat.

If you’ve never had Poke before, it’s a must-try! There are many places to get good poke, including at supermarkets like Foodland. I had one of my best meals at Poke N Sides in Hilo (next to Kula Shave Ice, which sells various shave ice options).

Umekes Fish Market Bar & Grill is actually known for its poke bowls, but I opted instead for Lau Lau, pork wrapped in taro leaves and steamed for 5 hours. It was indeed incredibly soft and flavourful.

And of course, I couldn’t leave Hawaii without indulging in malasadas and butter mochi! I’m not fond of American-style donuts, but I do like European varieties like bomboloni and Berliners, so I had high hopes for malasadas (Portuguese yeast donuts). However, after trying malasadas at several highly-rated spots including Paradise Bakery, Tex Drive-In, and the famous Punalu’u Bake Shop, I must admit I was hugely disappointed because I found them mostly too sweet for my liking. I should’ve known that Hawaiian malasadas wouldn’t be the same as the traditional Portuguese ones which are unfilled and therefore, less sweet. The butter mochi, on the other hand, was amazing! I enjoyed it along with a selection of other mochi from Two Ladies Kitchen in Hilo. If you’re a mochi lover like me, this is one place you can’t miss!