|
|
|
           |
| |
|
Hawaii Islands (Big Island) |
| Interior |
| The
interior of the Big Island comes as a surprise: pastoral meadows
roll over gentle hills where once stood forests of sandalwood. This is
cattle-ranching country, most of it – ten percent of the island –
owned by the United States’ largest private ranch, the Parker Ranch. |
|
| The
fifty-mile Saddle Road cuts across the Big Island from Hilo to
Kona, between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Even locals consider it dangerous,
especially at night, as there are no facilities, and it’s a winding,
foggy drive. If you do choose to chance it (in the daytime), you get some
great views of the volcanoes – and a good deal of mist even then.
Strictly speaking, you’re forbidden to drive it in a rental car.
WAIMEA (also
known as Kamuela) is not the company town it once was – the
Parker Ranch now employs just one hundred of its eight thousand
inhabitants – but more of a sophisticated country-town resort, which
retains traces of its cowboy past. Though you can no longer tour the ranch
itself, there’s an interesting visitor center (Mon–Sat
9am–4pm; $5) in town; the nearby Kamuela Museum is enjoyably
eclectic and eccentric (daily 8am–5pm; $5).
Practicalities |
| B&B
is booming in Waimea; in fact there’s little else. Barbara Campbell runs
her own very appealing Waimea Gardens Cottage. The main alternatives
are the
refurbished Kamuela Inn, which is part
inn, part luxury hotel and the more upmarket
Waimea Country Lodge.
Merriman’s in Opelo Plaza (tel
808/885-6822) wins awards for its innovative cuisine, but if paying
$20 for an entree puts you off, cross the street and walk a few yards to
the Waimea Coffee Co in Parker Square (tel 808/885-4472), which
offers good coffees and vegetarian specials.
|
|
|
|
For
more general information
on Hawaii, go to: |
|
For more regional
information on Hawaii, go to: |
|
For
more product information
on Hawaii, go to: |
|
For
our special offers to Hawaii from Europe, go to:
|
|
These
specials are individual tour packages, including the roundtrip flights from
Europe, interisland flights, hotels, transfers and rentalcars. Another option is to create your own package to
the Hawaii by utilizing the separate travel components, like
hotels,
flights,
Carrental
and
excursions
on the islands. |
|
|
|
