You’re welcome. Yes, I know technically you didn’t thank me yet, but I’m just going to assume you will because planning any trip with teenagers is a total pain the tush. And when it comes an itinerary for The Big Island of Hawaii, I just did all the work for you. 

Why The Big Island

I’ve now been to three islands in Hawaii and they are all incredible. We had our honeymoon in Maui and Kauai, but I chose The Big Island for my kids because it has more activities for them. They’re not the kind of kids who can sit beside a pool and swim all day without moaning how bored they are and end up playing on their phones, and I’m like awwww crap, I just spent thousands of dollars for my kids to do the same thing they would have done at home.

(P.S. We went for 12 days but I think 9 or 10 would have been the sweet spot. P.P.S. If I planned this trip again, I might do most of it on The Big Island and a few days on Maui.)

Here are all the activities we did with links to the outfitters we used. Peppered between these activities were lazy days spent lying on lounge chairs, snorkeling on the beach, and sipping dragonfruit margaritas. Me, not the kids. 

Volcanoes National Park

Holy crap, where the heck are we? Mars? Nope, we’re in Volcanoes National Park. It literally feels like a different planet. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see fountaining lava. If you’re unlucky like us, you’ll get to see the craters steaming. Win-win! It was super cool. Well, technically hot.

E-Biking with Fat Tire

There are a bunch of areas you can get to by car around the volcanoes, but we chose to hop on an e-bike tour and see them. There’s a lava tube, a lava lake, the volcano house, and other amazing things. I wish we did the Kilauea Iki Trail hike down to the hardened lava, but the weather didn’t cooperate. Oh well, a reason to go back!

ATV Tour at Ohana Ranch

The ATV adventure at Ohana Ranch was muddy, wild, and AWESOME. It’s close to Volcanoes National Park so you’re gonna want to do it when you’re on that side of the island. If your kiddos are older, you can each ride your own ATV. If they are younger, you can get a four-person one. These kickass guides will lead your group down some very muddy, very hilly trails, and in the middle of the adventure, you’ll stop and learn a little about Hawaiian traditions, some amazing trees and the ranch. Oh, and they provide helmets and boots! AND they had an adorable pig I was tempted to shove under my raincoat and steal. Which I didn’t. Side note, does anyone know where I can get some pig food?

Lanikai Brewing Company

There are a bunch of local restaurants in the area and we picked this one. It’s small and there might be a wait, but this place was worth it! There are lots of delicious pizzas and plenty of good stuff on their menu. I wish I took a picture but I was too busy shoveling food down my piehole. 

Hawaii Zipline Tours (This is on the east side of the island, so the same side as the national park. You could do it while you’re over there. We didn’t because I wanted some lazy days between our activities.)

Pack your courage and an extra pair of underwear because let’s just say you might need a clean pair after this ride. But it is so safe and super fun and our guides Tehani and Vince were some of the nicest people we met on the island. There were seven ziplines that I would rate from “My grandma could do this” to “Oh my F’ing gawwwwd, I’m going to die!!!!!” Seriously, the last one was a half mile long over a 450-foot gorge with an incredible waterfall. It was insane and awesome and slightly terrifying. Let’s just say there are four pair of underwear somewhere in a Hawaiian landfill. 

Camelot Fishing Charter

If anyone in your family loves fishing, this was pretty darn cool. Captain Robert was super fun and chatty and so was his first mate Lael. We caught one fish that day. ONE AMAZING FISH!!!! It’s called an Ono, which means “delicious” in Hawaiian, and man did it live up to its name. My only regret was not lying down next to the fish to take a comparison picture because it was 58 inches which is almost as long as me! 

Pololu Historic Trail

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know we love to hike, and this hike did not disappoint. I was actually worried about it because everything says how slippery it can be after a rain, which pretty much happens all the time because duhhh, rainforest. But it wasn’t too bad. Just take it slow at the beginning. And listen to the Hawaiians at the top to learn about how King Kamehameha was hidden here in the 1700s. There is soooooooooooo much Hawaiian pride and it was pretty magical to see. You’re going to hike wayyyy down to this amazing blackish sand beach below. Just remember, you’re also gonna hike wayyyy up to get back to the top. It’s a good cardio workout but only a mile in total, so totally doable. 

Gill’s Lanai for lunch or dinner

Make sure to stop here for lunch or dinner after your hike because there’s a reason it got 4.9 stars on Google. The tacos and salsa were delicious, and the upstairs deck was super fun to sit at.

We also went across the street to this place for dessert. What is the name of this place? No F’ing idea because I was stupid and didn’t look, probably because I was distracted by the shaved ice the size of my head.

Where We Stayed on the Big Island

We stayed in THREE places, but you’re gonna notice I’m only mentioning two of them. That’s because I think one of them is too expensive and a little rundown and had some other issues and I don’t think it deserves the free advertising. But the other two were great!!!

Mana Lani Auberge

Wow. Just wow. Don’t get me wrong, I know this hotel is moocho expensive, but it was impeccable. I could go on and on. We paid for a mountain view room and they upgraded us to a partial-ocean view. We asked to be far from the elevators, and they tucked us away in a nice quiet wing. They supplied the room with cold fresh water every day. The beach was loaded with cushioned chairs and umbrellas. The Surf Shack restaurant near the beach had the best vibe, and they comped my kids’ meals often. They brought in fun additions like a guy who served coconuts and a wood-fired pizza tent. There was a free laundry room. The game room was beautiful and had a pool table, a shuffleboard table, chess boards and foosball. The hotel gives you two hours of complimentary snorkel equipment per day. And the design of the hotel was gorgeous. Were things expensive? Abso-F’ing-lutely. But they are expensive all over the island. This place was amazing.

Lava Lodge (very close to Volcanoes National Park)

Volcanoes National Park was almost two hours away, so I decided we should spend the night there. Great decision!!! There is a hotel in the actual park and I would highly recommend trying to get reservations. We couldn’t, so I booked us at the Lava Lodge, a cute, rustic cabin in the rainforest. It had so much character, and we were surrounded by coqui frogs that chirped all around us at night. It’s fully equipped with a decent bathroom, kitchen, wifi, television, and a guest book that’s super fun to read. And the kids got their own attic area with three big beds! 

A Few Restaurants We Liked on the Big Island

CanoeHouse

If you are up for a very expensive dinner, CanoeHouse is amazing. It’s a gorgeous setting right on the beach at the Mana Lani Hotel (make reservations for sunset!). My hubby and I left our kiddos behind because hell if I’m gonna pay hundreds of dollars to sit there begging my rugrats to eat something other than French fries. We ate sooooo much food because we couldn’t stop and practically had to be rolled home. Insider tip, if it’s date night and you plan on getting a little sumpin sumpin, mess around before dinner because there ain’t no way you’re gonna bump uglies after this meal.

Smash Daddy’s 808

Who the heck knew a little burger joint in a strip mall could be so good?! The smash burgers were deeeelicious, as were the shakes, and they had live music. Is it a must do? No. But if you’re getting a little sick of eating at the hotel, this is the perfect remedy!

Lava Lava Beach Club

Two words: tourist trap. BUT, and this is a big but much like my own, the setting is super fun and beautiful. It’s right on the beach and they have fun outdoor games to entertain the kiddos. You definitely need to make reservations well in advance. The food was so-so, and so was the service, but the setting makes it fun.

Pineapples (in Hilo)

We randomly ended up at this place, and it was adorable! Outside but undercover. Plus, Holden and I got these awesome drinks!

Buffet Breakfast at the Mana Lani Hotel

The breakfast buffet at the Mana Lani Hotel is to diiiiiie for. An omelet station, mochi donuts, lychee and lilikoi, fried rice, it was sooooooo good. FYI, it was also sooooooo expensive. $55 a person. That is not a typo. P.S. You can make reservations to eat there even if you’re not at the hotel! 

Foodland Farms Grocery Store (near the Mana Lani)

If you are staying nearby, I HIGHLY recommend stopping in this cute grocery store to pick up some provisions because as much as I love a buffet breakfast, I’m not a billionaire. I bought cereal, snacks and a loaf of bread with a jar of peanut butter and jelly because one itty-bitty, crustless PB&J at the hotel cost $13. I meannnn. 

Swimming with Manta Rays

This was majestic, magnificent, incredible!!! Or so I hear. I’m not gonna lie. Zoey and I had tickets but we chickened out. This is like one of the only places on earth you can swim with the manta rays that are over ten-feet wide, and it’s supposed to be amazing. However, it requires putting on a wetsuit and jumping into the ocean at night (there are giant lights). Zoey and I are both nervous snorkelers and the idea of doing it scared the crap out of us. Do I regret not going? A little. But not a lot. If you aren’t a chicken-shit like me, you should definitely book this one.

Last but not least, I’m sharing my two favorite travel outfits because they were too awesome not to share. Just click on the pictures for more info! (FYI, I am an Amazon Associate and can earn from qualifying purchases, but I only share stuff I really like. Thank you!)

Thanks so much for reading my post! If you liked this, please don’t forget to like and share it! Mahalo!!!!!