#1 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Keaau HI
~12.18 miles from Kona city center
Hotels Close to Hawaiian Paradise Park
Hawaiian Paradise Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Puna District of Hawai?i County, Hawai?i, United States. The population was 7,051 at the 2000 census.
Hawaiian Paradise Park is located at 19°35'25?N 154°58'33?W (19.590388, -154.975734).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 15.2 square miles (39.4 km²), of which, 15.1 square miles (39.0 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (1.05%) is water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,051 people, 2,426 households, and 1,766 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 468.6 people per square mile (180.9/km²). There were 2,671 housing units at an average density of 177.5/sq mi (68.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 32.75% White, 0.43% African American, 0.61% Native American, 21.83% Asian, 10.25% Pacific Islander, 0.99% from other races, and 33.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.13% of the population.
There were 2,426 households out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 31.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 103.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,300, and the median income for a family was $38,312. Males had a median income of $35,450 versus $23,642 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $15,417. About 17.0% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
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#2 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Downtown Volcano (Neighborhood)
Volcano HI
~18.06 miles from Kona city center
Hotels Close to Downtown Volcano
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#3 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
University of Hawaii at Hilo Botanical Gardens
Big Island HI
~21.17 miles from Kona city center
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The University of Hawaii at Hilo Botanical Gardens are botanical gardens on the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus, located at 200 West Kawili Street, Hilo, Hawaii on the island of Hawai?i. They are open daily without charge.
The gardens contain one of Hawaii's best cycad collections, with nearly a hundred species from Africa, China, North and Central America, and Australia. It also contains palm trees from around the world, with an almost complete collection of Hawaiian Pritchardia spp. including the endangered loulu.
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#4 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
University of Hawaii at Hilo
Big Island HI
~21.22 miles from Kona city center
Hotels Close to University of Hawaii at Hilo
The University of Hawaii at Hilo or UHH is one of ten branches of the University of Hawaii system anchored by the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, Hawaii. The University of Hawaii at Hilo is a public, co-educational university located in Hilo CDP, Hawaii County. It was founded as Hawaii Vocational College (Hawaii College) in 1941. In 1970 it was reorganized into its present unit by an act of the Hawai?i State Legislature.
The University of Hawaii at Hilo primarily serves residents of Hawaii but also enjoys a considerable international student body. It offers 33 undergraduate and three graduate degree programs for an average of 3,045 students served each year. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
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#5 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Imiloa Astronomy Center
Big Island HI
~21.51 miles from Kona city center
Hotels Close to Imiloa Astronomy Center
‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i is an astronomy and culture education center located in Hilo, Hawaii. It features exhibits and shows dealing with Hawaiian culture and history, astronomy (particularly at the Mauna Kea Observatories), and the overlap between the two.
‘Imiloa includes a 120-seat planetarium, which features a fulldome video projection system. Planetarium presentations include ‘Imiloa's exclusive signature show, "Maunakea: Between Earth and Sky." The bilingual exhibits (in Hawaiian and English) offer two views of Origins and Voyages, presenting the tools, visions and discoveries of the astronomers and the Polynesian voyagers (see Polynesian navigation), the first group of which are thought to have come from the Marquesas Islands. Visitors to ‘Imiloa will leave with a new understanding of the early Polynesians who used the stars to find these isolated islands in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean. Hawaiians refer to these long-distance canoe explorers as "our first astronomers." Another planetarium show, "Dawn of the Space Age 3D," presents the early space activities between USSR and USA. This is the only 3D planetarium show in the world.
Additional small theaters show a Kumulipo (Hawaiian origins) story, and an astronomy "birth of the universe" 3D presentation, underwritten by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Subaru Telescope).
‘Imiloa opened to the public in February, 2006. It is part of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and is located near the base facilities for several observatories in University Park for Science and Technology on the UH-H campus, overlooking Hilo Bay. Its unique architectural design includes three large titanium-clad cones, representing the volcanoes Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Hualalai. The extensive gardens feature native, endemic and "canoe plants" brought by the Polynesians. Exhibit halls, planetarium, gift shop, and Sky Garden café are open to the public Tuesday through Sunday. An evening "Maunakea Skies" star talk is held in the planetarium on the last Saturday of each month.
In the Hawaiian language, ‘Imiloa means "exploring new knowledge."
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#6 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Panaewa Rainforest Zoo
Big Island HI
~22.45 miles from Kona city center
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Pana?ewa Rainforest Zoo is located in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai?i. This small (12-acre/4.9-hectare) zoo is the only one in the United States located in a rainforest. It is operated by Hawaii County and receives 100% of its funding from the county and from private donations.
White Bengal Tiger at the zoo
The Zoo has more than 60 species of animals on display, and the grounds feature more than 40 different species of plants, flowers, and trees.
The most popular attraction of the Zoo is a rare male white Bengal Tiger named Namaste' (named after the traditional namaste greeting). These tigers come from India and have been hunted to the brink of extinction. Fewer than 2000 live in the wild. Namaste' was born in Las Vegas on September 30, 1998, and arrived in Hilo on April 16, 1999. The Zoo had planned to purchase Namaste' from Dirk Arthur, a magician at the Tropicana Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, but when Arthur saw the Zoo's 1-acre (4,000 m2) tiger enclosure, he donated Namaste' to the Zoo.
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#7 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Richardson's Ocean Park
Big Island HI
~22.48 miles from Kona city center
Hotels Close to Richardson's Ocean Park
Richardson Beach Park (also known as Richardson Ocean Center) is very picturesque, and boasts some of the best snorkeling on the Hilo side of the island. Richardson's superb snorkeling is due largely in part to its vast diversity of marine wildlife, including honu (green sea turtles). Richardson Beach Park is the closest black sand beach to the town of Hilo. Richardson's offers picnic areas, bathrooms, showers, and a lifeguard stand. The beach and swimming area are protected by a natural lava rock breakwater.
The waters are calm in this protected cove, making it a great spot for snorkeling, and it is not uncommon to see green sea turtles feeding near the shore. There are also an abundance of lava rock tidal pools to explore. The beach and waters are safe for small children to swim and explore.
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#8 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Liliuokalani Park and Gardens
Big Island HI
~22.70 miles from Kona city center
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Lili?uokalani Park and Gardens is a 30-acre (120,000 m2) park with Japanese gardens, located on Banyan Drive in Hilo on the island of Hawai?i.
The park's site was given by Queen Lili?uokalani, and lies southeast of downtown Hilo, on the Waiakea Peninsula in Hilo Bay. Much of the park now consists of Edo-style Japanese gardens, built in the early 1900s, and said to be the largest such gardens outside Japan. The gardens contain Waihonu Pond as well as bridges, koi ponds, pagodas, statues, torii, and a Japanese teahouse.
Close to this park is the small island called Moku ola, (also known as Coconut Island), connected to the park by a footbridge. It is a good place for a picnic, and some limited swimming. The name Moku ola literally means "island of life" in the Hawaiian language, since it was site of an ancient temple dedicated to healing. There is a stone tower on the east side of the island which is the remnant of the old footbridge which was destroyed by a tsunami. From Coconut Island one has a great view of Hilo Bayfront, Downtown Hilo, and the rest of Hilo Bay. To the east, you can see the massive breakwater protecting Hilo Bay. It is located at coordinates 19°43'36?N
155°4'6?WCoordinates: 19°43'36?N 155°4'6?W. It is maintained by the County of Hawaii.
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#9 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Lyman Museum
Big Island HI
~22.89 miles from Kona city center
Hotels Close to Lyman Museum
The Lyman House Memorial Museum, also known as the Lyman Museum, is a Hilo, Hawaii-based natural history museum founded in 1931 in the Lyman family mission house, originally built in 1838.
Reverend David Belden Lyman and his wife, Sarah Joiner Lyman arrived in 1832, missionaries from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. It was one of the first houses on the island to be built in the style of their native New England. Guests included Mark Twain and Isabella Bird. In 1854 - 1859 the new Haili Church was built across the street, replacing the thatched structures that served previously for the congregation.
The mission house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 24, 1978 as site 78001012.[2] It is located at 276 Haili Street in Hilo, coordinates 19°43'18?N 155°5'28?WCoordinates: 19°43'18?N 155°5'28?W.
Almost a century after the missionaries, a museum was founded in 1931 by their descendents. In the late 1960s noted architect Vladimir Ossipoff designed and built a Museum building adjacent to the mission house. Upon its completion, the Museum moved there and expanded its exhibits. It has extensive displays on Hawaiian culture and is renowned for its collection of shells and minerals, including a specimen of orlymanite, named for Orlando Hammond Lyman (1903–1986), the museum's founder and great grandson of David and Sarah Lyman. The Museum has been an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution since 2002.
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#10 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
East Hawaii Cultural Center
Big Island HI
~23.03 miles from Kona city center
Hotels Close to East Hawaii Cultural Center
The East Hawaii Cultural Center (EHCC) is a cultural center in Hilo, Hawaii, that has regular art exhibits and holds workshops and classes. Administered by the East Hawaii Cultural Council, an umbrella group of local arts organizations, the Center is housed in a historic former police station facing Kalakaua Park.
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#11 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Downtown Hilo (Neighborhood)
Big Island HI
~23.04 miles from Kona city center
Hotels Close to Downtown Hilo
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#12 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Pacific Tsunami Museum
Big Island HI
~23.06 miles from Kona city center
Hotels Close to Pacific Tsunami Museum
Pacific Tsunami Museum is a museum in Hilo, Hawaii dedicated to the history of the April 1, 1946 Pacific Tsunami and the May 23, 1960 Chilean Tsunami which devastated much of the east coast of the Big Island, especially Hilo. The museum also has a mission to educate people in general about tsunamis, including the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. It is located at 130 Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo, coordinates 19°43'33?N 155°5'12?WCoordinates: 19°43'33?N 155°5'12?W. A scientific advisor to the museum has written a book on the two major disasters
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#13 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Big Island HI
~24.43 miles from Kona city center
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Hawai?i Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, is a United States National Park located in the U.S. State of Hawai?i on the island of Hawai?i. It displays the results of hundreds of thousands of years of volcanism, migration, and evolution—processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct Ancient Hawaiian culture. Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the most massive, offer scientists insights on the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and visitors' views of dramatic volcanic landscapes. In recognition of its outstanding natural values, Hawai?i Volcanoes National Park has been designated as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980 and a World Heritage Site in 1987.
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#14 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
Hakalau HI
~28.40 miles from Kona city center
Hotels Close to Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (17 acres) is a nonprofit botanical garden and nature preserve located off Route 19 at 27-717 Old Mamalahoa Highway (coordinates 19°48'38?N 155°5'45?WCoordinates: 19°48'38?N 155°5'45?W), Papa'ikou, Hawaii (island), Hawaii. It is open daily; an admission fee is charged.
The garden is located in a scenic valley opening out to Onomea Bay, and features streams, waterfalls and a boardwalk along the ocean. It was created by Dan J. Lutkenhouse, who purchased the property in 1977 and began to develop it as a botanical garden. It opened to the public in 1984, and was donated by the Lutkenhouses to a nonprofit trust in 1995.
Today the garden contains over 2,000 plant species, representing more than 125 families and 750 genera, with good collections of palms (nearly 200 species), heliconias (more than 80 species), and bromeliads (more than 80 species). Some of the Garden's mango and coconut palm trees are over 100 years old.
The garden combines water and flora: A three-tiered waterfall (Onomea Falls) provides one of several water views which include Boulder Creek and the lava tubes on Onomea Bay. This is the only tropical botanical garden in the US on an ocean
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#15 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Hilo
Hawaii (The Big Isand) HI
~29.00 miles from Kona city center
Hotels Close to Hilo
Hilo (pronounced /'hi.lo/) is a coastal town in the State of Hawai?i. It is the largest settlement on the island of Hawai?i, and the second largest settlement in the state. The population was 40,759 at the 2000 census.
Hilo is the county seat of Hawai?i County, Hawai?i, and is situated in the South Hilo District. The town overlooks Hilo Bay, and is near two shield volcanoes, Mauna Loa, considered active, and Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano upon which some of the best ground-based astronomical observatories are placed.
Hilo is home to the University of Hawai?i at Hilo, as well as the Merrie Monarch Festival, a week-long celebration of ancient and modern hula, which takes place annually after Easter. It is also home to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation, one of the world's leading producers of macadamia nuts. It is served by Hilo International Airport, inside the CDP.
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#16 of 16 Things To Do in Kona
Port of Hilo
Hawaii (The Big Isand) HI
~29.09 miles from Kona city center
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Cruise lines arriving at the Hilo Port will dock in Hilo Bay on the eastern side of the Big Island of Hawaii. Known as one of the rare surviving examples of a Hawaiian plantation town, the rich historical heritage of the Hawaiian people is sure to offer authentic experiences found nowhere else.
Taxis or car rentals are about the only forms of transportation. Since space is limited, reservations are crucial to securing transportation. Traffic in Hilo is minimal and finding your way around easy.
Shopping
Just about everything can be found in Downtown Hilo. Purchase local sweets from Big Island Candies on Hinano, buy a Tahitian Black Pearl from the Black Pearl Gallery on Kamehameha Avenue or stop by Broke Da Mouth on Kilauea Avenue for specialty sauces and marinades with a local flair.
Two miles from Hilo Bay is the Hilo Farmers Market. Sample some of the exotic local produce while browsing among the various craft and gift items created by the locals. But first, stop by Sea-Jay’s Healing Massage station for a two minute “Free Sample” chair massage to start the day off right.
Things To See
Nine miles north of Hilo Bay is the Hawai`i Tropical Botanical Garden. Displaying a variety of palms, heliconias, gingers, bromeliads, and other tropical plants, it’s the essence of Hawaiian paradise. Nature trails meander through the rainforest, crossing streams and offer majestic views of waterfalls and the Pacific coast. Tropical flower bouquets can also be purchased and sent anywhere in the U.S.A., including Alaska.
For the young at heart, the Pana`ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens is bound to leave a lasting impression. Located off of Highway 11, it’s the only tropical rainforest zoo in the U.S.A. There are over 80 animal species, and the best thing of all, admission is always FREE. Highlights include tropical birds and exotic primates, a petting zoo and watching the feeding of a White Bengal Tiger.
Just an hour south of Hilo Bay is Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Two of the most active volcanoes in the world are here. Visitors gain insight on the birth of the Hawaiian Islands through interactive displays. Wilderness hikes offer exploration of lava tubes, volcanic craters, and rare species of indigenous birds and plants.
Restaurants and Bars
Looking for some home-cooking Hawaiian style? Ken’s House of Pancakes is sure to satisfy any type of hunger. Their menu is diverse with no time restrictions. One of their specialty dishes is the Chef’s Choice Omelet. Three eggs stuffed with Italian sausage, spinach, and mushrooms topped with mushroom gravy with your choice of pancakes with homemade Lilikoi (passion fruit) syrup, or toast, hash browns, rice, or French fries.
For a local-style happy hour, the Palms by the Bay on Pauahi Street will not disappoint. It’s a karaoke cocktail lounge and brewery. Sing your heart out while enjoying specialty drinks, pupus (appetizers), and good company. Even for shy visitors, this is a great place to kick back, relax and enjoy another side of Hawai`i.
These are just a few of the many beautiful aspects Hilo has to offer.
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