Hiking, Snorkeling and Sea Turtles, Punalu'u Beach, Big Island, Hawaii

Punalu'u Beach is a truly remarkable place of great peace, beauty and spiritual healing, Punalu'u's black sand-lined coves and beaches are world-renowned. Dozens of endangered Hawai'ian Green Sea Turtles swim the waters of Kuhua Bay, Ninole Cove and Punalu'u Harbor and frequently bask on Kaimu Beach here. The wildness of the ocean and the serenity of the freshwater fishpond and coconut palm-shaded beaches make this an ideal place to spend some soul-recharge time. Snorkeling, picnicking and camping, or just relaxing on the beach, are major destination pass-times here.

For more information, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com

Today's Weather in Paradise

Point Forecast: Kailua Kona HI 19.63N -156W (Elev. 0 ft) Last Update: 5:01 am HST Mar 14, 2008 Forecast Valid: 7am HST Mar 14, 2008-6pm HST Mar 20, 2008

Today Chance Showers Hi 80°F Tonight Isolated Showers Lo 72°F Saturday Chance Showers Hi 80°F Saturday Night Isolated Showers Lo 72°F Sunday Isolated Showers Hi 80°F Sunday Night Isolated Showers Lo 71°F Monday Isolated Showers Hi 80°F Monday Night Slight Chc Showers Lo 71°F Tuesday Slight Chc Showers Hi 80°F For more information on Hawaii weather, go here . For more information on touring Paradise, go here. Today: Scattered showers, mainly after noon. Partly cloudy, with a high near 80. West wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Tonight: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. East wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Saturday: Scattered showers, mainly after noon. Partly cloudy, with a high near 80. West wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Saturday Night: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. East wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Sunday: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 80. Northwest wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Sunday Night: Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southeast wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Monday: Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 80. North wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. West wind around 8 mph. Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 80. West wind around 7 mph. Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. East wind around 6 mph. Wednesday: Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. West wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southeast wind around 8 mph.

Frank's Big Island Travel Hints #4: Waikoloa to Pololu Valley

Driving north past the Waikoloa Beach resorts, the next turn off will take you to the Mauna Lani Resorts. This area has 5 Star to 5 Diamond resorts. It also has some great petroglyph fields near the Orchid at Mauna Lani Resort and some relaxing beaches which are open to the public. Tour Guide gives you turn-be-turn directions to find these wonders easily. The Shops at Mauna Lani offers high end shopping and fine dining.

Another 10 minutes north, on Hwy 19, brings us to a three-way intersection where you’ll make a left turn (north) onto hwy 270 and drive along the Kohala Coast. This northern tip of the island is less populated and less traveled. The first left turn takes you to Pu’ukohola Heiau and Spencer Beach Park.

Pu’ukohola National Historic Park is a large reconstructed heiau (a Hawaiian temple site) with a visitor center and self-guided tour. Your Tour Guide will have all the history and stories about this legendary spot.

Spencer Beach Park is a favorite family beach with lots of facilities. Camping is available, by permit only, and the “no wave” sandy beach is great for young children. It is also a fabulous snorkel spot if you have your own equipment. Tour Guide will tell you about where to get camping permits, snorkel rentals and all the facilities that are available here.

As we continue driving north on Hwy 270, there are several smaller parks along the way. Tour Guide will tell you about all of them and their facilities. For history buffs, Lapakahi State Park is a must stop. This re-creation of an ancient Hawaiian village is fascinating and free. Here you can see how a typical village was laid out and the huts that were used for housing. Whale watching from shore, during the winter months, is also very popular.

Super Tip: When driving in less populated areas, where there are less stores and restaurants, you will save money and frustration by bringing your own food and water. In these locations, even when you do find a store or diner, the items may cost much more. In addition, hours at gas stations vary by day of the week and time of year. It is wise to never let your gas tank get under half-full here. It is also wise to avail yourself of Public restrooms where you find them. Many of the restrooms in the smaller parks have been closed since the earthquake of 2006 and there are none available past the King Kamehameha Statue in the little town of Kapa'au.

Driving just a few minutes farther north, you’ll come to the town of Hawi (pronounced Haw VEE). A cute town with art galleries, souvenir stores, snacks shops and restaurants
(but not much more), Hawi is old Hawaii personified. Just a few minutes northbound brings you to the famous King Kamehameha statue in the small town of Kapa'au (kah pah OW). This is the birthplace of the storied first king to unite all the Hawaiian Islands under one rule. Tour Guide will present tons of info about the shops and restaurants in Hawi and Kapa'au, as well as about King Kamehameha himself.

Drive about 10 more minutes, to the end of the road, to view the Pololu Valley, one of Hawaii's great scenic wonders. From the parking lot at the end of the road you can get some gorgeous photos. If you’re up for some hiking, the trail down to the valley floor is about a 20 minute hike. Bring plenty of water because the hike back up is a hot 45 minutes. Tour Guide will give you more info about what to bring, what to wear and what to expect in the valley itself.

White, Black and Green Sand Beaches, Big Island, Hawaii

My name is Donnie and I live in Hawaii...I wanted to tell you a little bit about our beautiful colored sand beaches here on the Big Island. Going to the beach is a big thing in Hawaii, because we are blessed with not only weather consistently gorgeous year round, but also with numerous beautiful beaches on which to enjoy our golden days.

Because our Big Island is geologically quite young and the landscape is immature, our beaches tend to be smaller than those on the older islands, and are therefore all the more precious. What the Big Island has that some of the other islands lack, though, are beaches with spectacularly colored sand...white sand, black sand, green sand and even grey sand.

For more information, go to www.tourguidehawaii.com.