Hilo, Hawaii - The Big Island
Hilo - Kailua Kona - Kealakekua Bay
This is one of the Big Islands oldest towns and is located on the eastern side of the island near the bay with which it shares its name – Hilo Bay. Gracing the shores of this little crescent bay you will find the island’s largest town, Hilo. Even though it is the biggest settlement on the Big Island it still has a very relaxed atmosphere amongst it some 40000 occupants.
History records show that the original Hilo inhabitants were Polynesian and for many years the settlement was the hub of political power, as well as being the islands main social destination. For about a hundred years this remained unchanged, then in the early 19 th century the first Missionaries arrived and with them the cash crop sugarcane.
What is most remarkable about Hawaii’s settlement of Hilo is that it is still in the same spot! Within the space of fifteen years Hilo was hit by two tsunamis – once in the mid 1940s and then again at the dawn of the 1960s. Both times the city has managed to bounce back and push through the devastation that these natural disasters bought with them. Stepping into the city today, and gazing upon the modern buildings lining the sidewalks – visitors are oblivious to the disaster that once washed through these very streets
The busiest part of Hilo is the downtown area, which is alive with many restaurants that which service a whole range of pallets – Chinese, Korean, Japanese and American. Small shops such as the U.S. The Pottery Gallery are particularly popular with visitors to Hawaii.
Visitors will also be tempted to visit the natural and historical attractions that are based in the area. The Lyman House Museum offers a great display of both the natural and cultural history of the Hawaiian Islands. Other major crowd drawers include the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo, the Pacific Tsunami Museum, the Liliuokalani Park, and the Suisan Fish Auction.
The area is also full of waterfalls –the 420 foot Akaka Falls and the beautiful Rainbow Falls for example. These attractions coupled with the city’s wet weather conditions has earned it the title of the "City of Rainbows”.
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