Honeymoon in Hawaii

Post-wedding, we wanted a balance of blissful relaxation and out of this world exploration and a honeymoon in Hawaii seemed to be the perfect destination! We commenced our trip in Kailua Kona, a coastal town with a beachy, relaxed vibe. We strolled through the streets, stopped in souvenir shops, and munched on shaved ice.

From Kona we moved towards the Southern coast to explore the more extreme side of the island. Not knowing what was in store for us, the first lava field we encountered stunned us! After driving to the southern-most-point-in-the-U.S., we hired a truck to drive us to the remote Papakolea Green Sand Beach. Also on our docket was the black sand beach, which was less remote, but we were lucky enough to spot Honu, Hawaiian Sea Turtles, resting on the beach.

What makes the Big Island of Hawaii so incredibly special is the lava flows. My husband was insistent that our honeymoon would not be complete without seeing lava up close and personal. We booked a tour that took us on a three-mile hike across fields to a current lava flow. From there we acted like giddy children, taking pictures, poking the lava with sticks and even roasting marshmallows! As the sun set our group wandered over to the coastline and admired the stars while lava flowing from underground tubes plunged into the ocean.

After a few days of adventure, we made it to our lush hotel at the Big Island Resort. On our agenda: eat, drink, sleep, lounge, swim and repeat. We were fortunate enough to be walking distance from many neat places like a petroglyphs park and beautiful beaches and lagoons. One evening we decided to drive Saddle Road to Mauna Kea Visitors Center to watch the sunset over the Western Coast. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano topped with some of the world’s best telescopes and observatories. Because of this the Big Island has strict rules on light pollution, which makes stargazing out of this world.

We went on to finish our honeymoon on the island of Oahu. The hustle and bustle of Waikiki was certainly a shock after the mellow Big Island, but soon we adjusted and enjoyed the busy beach life there. For a day, we rented scooters and visited the Pearl Harbor Museum as well as snorkeling hot spot, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve.

Kona Seaside Hotel
75-5646 Palani Road
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
800-560-5558

Fairmont Orchid Resort
1 North Kaniku Drive
Kohala Coast, Hawaii
808-885-2000

Hawaiian Hilton Villages
2005 Kalia Road Honolulu, Hawaii
808-949-4321

Carolyn Spivak is an addict of travel hacking, film, homemade pizza, and her brand new husband!