Hawaii for Landlubbers

Article by: Sara Benson, January 2008

Watch lava flow

On the Big Island of Hawai'i, Kilauea Volcano has been erupting continuously since 1983. Hawaiian shield volcanoes fountain and ooze dramatically, with fiery fingers of molten lava often reaching the ocean's edge, causing billowing clouds of steam. There's no guarantee you'll actually see lava flow during your trip, but as recently as 2003 lava ran across the end of Chain of Craters Road in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and visitors could walk out along the coast to observe the eruption glowing like hellfire at night. For updates on Kilauea's current status, and for a list of places where you might glimpse vulcanology in action, visit the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website.

Hike the volcanoes

Even if Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes, hides her face during your trip to Hawaii, all of the islands have a wealth of volcanic landscapes to explore on foot: trek the eroded cliffs of Kauai's Na Pali coast, clamber above the snow line on Mauna Kea, catch dawn breaking over the summit of Maui's Haleakalā ('House of the Sun'). Other nature trails weave through native rainforests or up to head-spinning lookouts over the ocean and the 'Grand Canyon of the Pacific' in Kauai's Waimea Canyon and Koke'e State Parks. Explore Maui's serpentine Road to Hana, where roadside stops have hidden paths that lead to waterfalls and musical bamboo groves. Na Ala Hele, the state's public-access trail program, and Lonely Planet's Hiking in Hawaii guidebook can provide you with more information.

Bike above the clouds

Forget the strenuous effort required to climb volcanoes - how about cruising downhill instead? Though it's a bit of a risky proposition, mountain biking Hawaii's volcanoes is a blast. On Maui, Haleakala Bike Co runs a tour that drops you off at the summit before sunrise, then takes you to a staging point outside Haleakalā National Park for a 2000m descent back to sea level. It's a nail-biting ride during which you barely need to pedal. On Kauai, mountain-biking tours coast from the rim of Waimea Canyon all the way down to the beach. Moloka'i Ranch offers single-track to more technical terrain, including guided rides atop the world's highest sea cliffs. On Lanai, the Munro Trail, named after a New Zealand naturalist who introduced Cook pines to the island, is a red-dirt jeep road that even hybrid bikes can handle if it's dry; it follows a ridgeline up Lanaihale (1000m), the island's highest mountain.

Ride 'em, cowboy!

You may be surprised to find out that paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) learned how to rope and ride a whole generation before the Wild West. Today you can ride across the rolling hills of ranches established during the 19th-century colonial plantation era. Historic Parker Ranch on the Big Island holds a grand rodeo celebration every Fourth of July. On Maui, Pony Express Tours leads horseback riders down sliding volcanic-cinder trails into the summit crater of Haleakalā. Sure-footed mules and their wranglers make the vertigo-inducing trip down the windswept cliffs of Molokai to the beautiful, isolated Kalaupapa Peninsula, where endangered monk seals give birth. Contact Molokai Mule Ride for details.

Hip-shaking hula

Forget the clowning-around, grass-skirted, Hollywood B-movie versions. Hula is both a sacred form of religious expression and an artful dance accompanied by drums and chanting. Casual drop-in lessons for tourists are given at beach resort hotels. For an in-depth cultural experience, ask the Hawaii Convention and Visitors Bureau or island tourism information offices for recommendations of local hula halau (hula schools). Book tickets a year in advance to attend the Big Island's Merrie Monarch Festival, starting on Easter Sunday, in which over 250 teams from Hawaii and the US mainland compete. The hula kahiko (a very traditional form of hula)is freely performed on the rim of Halema'uma'u Crater several times each year. Contact the Big Island's Volcano Art Center for more information.

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