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Depending on your driving plans and what part of
the island you'll be visiting, Jeeps. convertibles and mid-sized sedans
are all good options here. The main hazards are rain, other drivers and
VOG -- the sulpherous haze generated by the volcano, Kilauea, which can
linger over the southern half of the island when the trade winds aren't
blowing. The Big Island is larger than the rest
of the inhabited islands combined, comprising about 80% of the state's
land. It's possible to circumnavigate the island by car, and much of the
interior is accessible by road as well.
Most Big Island visitors stay near Volcanoes
National Park on the south side of the island; the Kona coast on the west
(leeward) side; or Hilo on the east (windward) side. In addition to the
major resort areas, numerous bed and breakfast inns are scattered
throughout the island.
The area demanding the most caution is the little
network of roads running through the northern interior of the island,
connecting Kona to Hilo and other windward towns. These are the main route
for residents traveling from one side of the island to the other, and
have been the scene of numerous accidents. People tend to drive too fast,
especially at night, and you should exercise great caution.
If you do a lot of driving here, you'll move
through some very distinct climates ranging from rain forest to desert. We
like to rent a mid-sized convertible on our visits; you can put the top
down for sightseeing, and run the air conditioning when you hit a hot spot
or when the VOG is lurking, and you can throw the top up when it rains.
The larger cars also have the power to haul more than two people up the
mountains. The windward (east) side is more likely to see rain than the
Kona side, and flash flooding is an occasional problem.
It's possible to drive for quite some time here
without seeing other cars or people, and for that reason you should keep
water, snacks and cool weather clothing in the car in case of a breakdown.
You might be sitting for a while.
Cautions aside, driving here is like exploring a
really compact continent. Within the space of an hour or two, you can move
from a tropical forest to an ancient lava flow reminiscent of a moonscape.
You can go from 80o temperatures at sea level to arctic
conditions atop Mauna Loa or Mauna Kea, or from the coffee plantations of
the Kona coast to the black sand beaches at the southern tip. From snow to
molten lava, you can find just about any scenery imaginable. For more information on Molokai, go to: Big
Island Hawaii (text, photo's & map)
For more information on Rental Cars in Hawaii, go
to: Rental Cars in Hawaii
For
more general information
on Hawaï, go to: |
