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Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Big Island Adventure
They call it the Big Island for a reason: It's so large that its 4,028 square miles could absorb all five of its sister islands twice. Geologically the youngest of the Hawaiian Islands (and technically known as Hawaii), the Big Island is wild, rugged, and magnificently untamed—a place for people who like their adventure with a little bit of an edge.
The star attraction is Kilauea, a volcano that's been erupting almost continuously for more than 20 years. Roughly 150 miles of trails crisscross Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, allowing visitors to explore the crusty, black moonscape of the flat, bowl-like caldera, which releases hot sulfurous steam through vents that lead to the subterranean molten rock. The short Pu'u Huluhulu Trail is a three-mile round-trip to a panoramic lookout that takes in the island's two peaks: Mauna Loa and the snow- and observatory-capped Mauna Kea (at 13,796 feet, the highest point in the Pacific). When conditions are right, the glow from the Pu'u 'O'o lava vent makes the hike a stunning evening outing. The trek to Halema'uma'u Crater is hot and brutal but worth it: A boiling cauldron of lava until 1924, the caldera still belches plumes of sulfur that creep across the surface like mist on a lake. The lava flow is something else: It often changes directions, sometimes coming so near the ranger station on Chain of Craters Road that you can park and watch it course down the cliffs like a river of fire, lighting up the night sky. More often, visitors hike over cooled lava to see the active flow (for current conditions, go to nps.gov/havo/visitor/lava.htm). If you prefer to see lava with expert naturalist narration, try Hawaiian Walkways (800-457-7759; hawaiianwalkways.com) or Hawaii Forest & Trail (800-464-1993; hawaii-forest.com). "Ropers from Hawaii Cause Sensation" was the headline when Big Island cowboy Ikua Purdy put Lower 48 wranglers to shame in 1908 when he won the World Roping Championship in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It all started in 1792, when Captain George Vancouver brought the first cattle to Hawaii; 40 years later, King Kamehameha had to bring in Spanish vaqueros to teach Hawaiians how to rope what had become rampaging beasts. Today, Parker Ranch is paniolo (cowboy) central, with a massive statue of Purdy in its shopping center and one of the largest ranches in the United States. You can practically hear the theme to Bonanza as you ride through rolling pastureland under the shadow of towering Mauna Kea (808-885-7655; parkerranch.com). One of the few companies that doesn't require nose-to-tail riding, Paniolo Adventures lets you achieve true cowboy-dom on gallops across some of the island's most panoramic open range. All you'll need afterward is a shot of whiskey and a John Wayne movie (808-889-5354; panioloadventures.com). Leave your rental car at the lookout and hike into lush Waipi'o Valley, on the north coast, where waterfalls cascade down the valley's nearly mile-high walls and wild horses roam (follow the mango pits on the forest floor). Make your way past primeval vines, taking in the scent of ripe papaya and spying the occasional taro lo'i (paddy), to reach the black sand beach, where you can hang with the locals. If you like to feel the wind in your hair, rent wheels from Mauna Kea Mountain Bikes and try the 18-mile downhill cruise through the Kohala Mountains, with the promise of lunch at the end (888-682-8687; bikehawaii.com). And if the thought of even that much exercise gives you hives, drive the winding road up to Mauna Kea's Onizuka Visitor Information Center, at 9,200 feet, for the daily stargazing program (808-961-2180), or head all the way to the top, to peek into the cluster of astronomical observatories as arctic winds howl around you and clouds drift below. Imagine being struck by lightning and you've got an idea what if feels like when one of the Kona coast's 1,000-pound blue marlins ("granders" in local parlance) hits your line. Every summer, the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament draws water warriors from around the world, but the fish run all year long in these warm, sheltered seas—as do the captains who chase them. The Charter Desk matches anglers to boats, but the custom is that the captain keeps the fish (888-566-2487; thecharterdesk.com). If you'd rather just watch the heroes come home, linger at the dock around 4 PM. If you've got an extra beer—and even if you don't—they'll tell you how they landed him. When conditions permit, true scuba fanatics dive where lava bubbles up from the ocean floor, setting off explosions and shooting white-hot flames. "It's really special," says the Nautilus Dive Center's Bill De Rooy (808-935-6939; nautilusdivehilo.com). Those who would be pleased simply to plumb lava tubes encrusted in marigold-colored coral, enjoy a dolphin escort, or feel like they're swimming through a tropical aquarium can sign on with Jack's Diving Locker, which explores the Kona coast (800-345-4807; jacksdivinglocker.com). The snorkelers' playland is Kealakekua Bay, a marine preserve swarming with colorful fish—and well known to Snorkel Bob's (808-329-0770; snorkelbob.com). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
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