Hamakua Coast and Malasadas

Not quite as tall as the Hi’ilawe Falls, and not as ummm… petite… as Rainbow Falls, Akaka Falls stands out. It falls straight down 442 feet (129 meters), and you can semi-easily get to it’s Overlook. (“Easy”, in that there are pathways right to it, and “semi” in that there’s a lot of stairs, so if you need your inhaler, take it with you.)

Hiking to Akaka Falls is a nice walk through bamboo forests, passed Kahuna Falls (100 feet), oversized trees and huge flowers.

There is now a $5 parking and access fee (for non-residents) , which was a big surprise to me, but still worth going. (The parking area is about 11 miles North of Hilo, and through a cute little town, Honomu, where we stop each time to buy water (which we always forget), ice cream, and browse through antique bottles displayed at one of the shops.)

Akaka Falls is on the Kolekole Stream, and just past the turn-off is Kolekole Beach Park. You can see the beautiful scene from the bridge that goes overhead, but it’s gorgeous inside the park, with bridges and trees covered in moss, a waterfall off to the side… it’s a bit isolated, though, in my opinion – even though you can see it from the road… and people live in the trees in tents… I mean…maybe they were just camping, but they weren’t excited that we were there… Although, one of my friends who lives on the Island says it’s safe, so it probably is… Beautiful, anyway – if you just want to take a peek….

Before you get to the turn-off to Akaka Falls, though, pay attention to the small sign on the right side of the road (coming from Hilo ) that identifies the 4 mile scenic loop. It might say “Onomea Bay Scenic Route”…I can’t remember. (Coming from Hilo is the best angle because you are on the outside lane, overlooking the cliffs and Ocean.)

Don’t assume that you can just zoom down the road in a few minutes – be prepared to pull over on the side of the road for random hikes and photo opportunities. There are roads that take you down the side of the cliff, right to the shoreline. (One such road also takes you to the back gate of the Botanical Garden. They have a gate with a gate keeper – you can’t (and shouldn’t try) to sneak in. However, you can get a nice glance at the Gardens – enough to consider paying the price to go in.)

It’s normally open 9am to 5pm, everyday, and is only $15 for adults! It’s approximately 40 acres and contains over 2000 species of tropical plants.

About 1/2 way between Hilo and Honoka’a (which is our final destination on this particular blog) is Laupahoehoe, and I have to tell you – the view is MAJESTIC!! (Especially if you are coming from the Kona-side, through Waimea.)

On our very first trip to Hawaii, we landed on the Kona-side, which is beautiful, but more…dry…and doesn’t smell like greenhouse… and wasn’t exactly as I had imagined Hawaii to be. BUT, as we drove around to the other side (through rolling hills and fields of pear cactus) and then came around this corner and there in front of us was a view of Laupahoehoe, I actually gasped out loud because of it’s beauty!

(This same gasp triggered a …uh… reprimand… from Peter, who was driving, and thought something had jumped in the road – or some other disastrous event which might initiate a “GASP”!)

Amazing view! Amazing! On my Top 3 on the Island! (The top 3 really are all tied for #1. I can’t really say which is the most spectacular… but, there’s Laupahoehoe, Waipio Valley, and the view of Whittington Park, near South Point, especially coming from Kona.)

Speaking of Waipio Valley, Honoka’a is the Gateway to Waipio Valley.

It’s a cute little weather beaten town, which I love. BUT it’s BIGGEST claim to fame is TEX DRIVE IN!!

What is so great about Tex Drive-in you wonder? OK! I am not exaggerating when I tell you that they have the world’s GREATEST Malasada! (I confess – I’ve never had them anywhere else, but I am convinced that there is no way that they could be any better than they are here!) They are so good and so appreciated in Hawaii, apparently, there is Malasada Day! (I just learned this, just now.)

Have you tried Malasada? Wikipedia defines: “a Portuguese confection, made of egg-sized balls of yeast dough that are deep-fried in oil and coated with granulated sugar.” … Basically, they are like… a light airy doughnut, without the hole in the middle, and often filled with something yummy, like strawberry, or chocolate, or lilikoi. Mmmmmmmmm…

They make them in the morning, and you really should be there FIRST THING! They open at 6:30am. The earliest I’ve made it there was 9am, and they had already sold out of their most popular flavors.

(I found a recipe for “Tex style malasada” on epicurious.com. I’m 100% positive they won’t be as good if you try to make them, but don’t let that discourage you!! I might try, too, because I’m CRAVING THEM now!!)

Not sure what we’ll be talking about next week – I think the North Shore of Hawaii… for now, all I can think about is Malasada!

(Or, I might interrupt my Hawaii theme with a short blog about Global Fest, here in Calgary. I totally forgot I have tickets to go, so it depends – might write something for Wednesday…)

Hilo…continued…

Hi’ilawe Falls (and it’s twin, Hakalaoa) are the tallest waterfalls on The Island (not the tallest in the State (Olo’upena Falls, which is 2,953 feet (900 meters), but it is the 138th tallest in the world.

Nowhere near the tallest (it’s “only” 80 feet tall (24 meters) but estimated to be one of the most photographed waterfalls in the world, is Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue, which means “Rainbow Water), in Hilo.

The Falls is really beautiful, but probably the main reason that it’s photographed so often is because the parking lot goes right up to it, so it’s very easy access.

There’s a nice little walk upriver from the parking lot, and if the water level is lower, you can climb along the rocks shaped and carved by the swirling water.

Nearby, are The Boiling Pots and Pe’e Pe’e Falls.

First of all, it’s pronounced something like: ”Pay-ay Pay ay”, just so you know.

Fed by the Wailuku River, Pe’e Pe’e Falls is runs along, finding its way through and around old lava tubes, creating rapids and careening through pools that make the water look like it’s boiling.

Which brings me to the “second of all”: the Boiling Pots aren’t hot – they are more “roiling” than “boiling”. (Just thought I’d clarify, since there’s so much volcanic activity – thought it could be a surprise to find out that the water is cold.)

There are warning signs and swimming is not allowed… that being said, the first day I went, I witnessed this:


TERRIBLE Idea – but people do it. There’s a bunch of things to keep in mind (in an effort to talk you out of it): Depth of the water (or lack of depth), speed of water, the fact that this pool dumps over a steep cliff immediately, into another deep, fast-moving, pool, and the fact that there’s more than one ledge you have to clear, even before you hit the water…

We always kick off our Hilo-visit with a trip for lunch at Cronies Bar and Grill - I get popcorn shrimp and a Hilo Hula drink every time. I’m always really hopeful that someone else will order their Bucket of Onion Rings, and then be willing to share, because they are SO GOOD!!

Cronies is right on the main strip alongside the wharf, near the farmers market, the Kava bar, and Cafe Pesto.

Cafe Pesto is YUMMY! And entirely different atmosphere than Cronies – they serve such foods as Smoked Salmon Pizzette, Wild green salad, and chicken and wild mushroom risotto. (I think that’s what I had – can’t find my pictures…)

If you go to Hilo at the right time of the year (April), you should go to the Merrie Monarch Festival.

The Festival is a week long, celebrating Hawaiian arts and culture. It includes art exhibits, performances, a parade! and a 3 day hula competition! Tickets to the Competition are hard to come by (and by “hard to come by”, I mean “almost impossible”), but there is also one day that is a hula exhibition that is free to the public.

However, it’s so popular, you have to line up hours in advance (we, fortunately, had a friend who was willing to sacrifice his day to stand in line – thank you Don), and then hope that you can get in! (There’s limited space, so chances are – you could stand in line and still not get in…)

The seats are REALLY uncomfortable (concrete bleachers), and the show is really, really long, so maybe bring a pillow or something to sit on. (I was sad we couldn’t stay till the end…. no pillows… next time!)

If you meander down Kalanianaole Avenue (starting at Ponds Hilo Restaurant), there are many snorkelling and kayaking and beach opportunities – we’ve only driven by, but will eventually give some of the places a try. We were told to go to Richardson Beach Park, but there’s also Leleiwi Park, Wai O’lena Beach Park, Carlsmith Beach Park, Kealoha Beach Park, Onekahakaha Beach Park, Reeds Bay Beach Co Park, and Keaukaha Beach Park… Seems like a good selection!

Ponds Hilo ”Restaurant on the Edge” is on the corner of Kalanianaole Avenue and Banyan Drive, which I discussed in my last Hilo blog. For years, I’ve been wanting to go there for dinner, and finally made it this year! Not only was the food DELICIOUS!! but they also had live entertainment – jazz, the night we were there.

Check out Hilo – I think you’ll love it!

Next week, Hamakua Coast.