A dear long time friend of mine is a member at the Hilo Yacht Club where we usually meet up before…read moreI leave the nice town of Hilo. Hilo Yacht Club is located on the edge of Hilo Bay about 3 miles from the Hilo International Airport. This visit brought us family style appetizers. The kalbi was well prepared (taste a bit too sweet for me but good nonetheless 3.5 stars), the calamari was fresh and deep fried (5 stars) with a decent tasting dredge pre-fry. The poke was okay (3.5 stars) and I say this because fresh fish is plentiful in Hilo. Knowing this I guess I expected a bit more from the standpoint of quality of fish. But, will I go back? Yup if I'm invited as the ambiance is relaxing and decent. Our server Justin was a great guy and made me laugh the entire time I was there! But if you've not gone there, be sure to use your global positioning service because the location is off the beaten path!

Sorry I have to mention that it's a private club. Hilo has…read morelimited upscale dining options and this place has consistently good service but kind of inconsistent food. No shorts/slippers in the dining room, but come as you are for the more casual outdoor dining section. We were impressed with their food options and pricing for a private party we had. Highly recommend if you know someone with a membership. Also it's weird they're a yacht club that literally has no yachts or even a dock.

Very cool experience to walk through 2 caves…read more Bring a flashlight / headlamp. Your phone flashlight won't be as strong but can work if you have no options. Ideal shoes would be hiking boots but gym shoes will work. There are steep steps going down and then uneven rocks until the cave. The cave is uneven as well. Parking: maybe room for 10 cars, so parking could be difficult. When we went around 1pm on a Saturday, we didn't have a problem. Park and walk across the street to enter. Bathrooms: I did see some. Didn't use them though.

When we went it was on and off raining. The stairs are quite steep- down to the two caves. One on…read morethe right and one on the left. If you have trouble with balance etc. you should consider waiting in the car as the caves were wet and slippery. Was just accross the street from the parking lot. We were there for about 1/2 an hour. And it's FREE! I enjoyed seeing what the lava had created. We went to the volcano after this. Recommend flashlights and at least one head lamp. Phone lights are just too little!

Not sure how to review this. It's a lookout area. Plenty of parking. Area is well kept. It has…read moreamazing views of Waipio Valley.

This sacred and historic valley lookout is always worth a stop. If the weather is good, the views…read morewill be spectacular. Only went to the look out and didn't go down as of respect for the locals. There is a shelter with restrooms and a grill. Saw people having a picnic. Parking is on the street with paved path to the look out.

I stayed at Kalani for 11 nights. I rented a cottage with meals and activities, aka the Kalani…read moreExperience. Then I participated in a Yoga is for Every Body retreat. I walked to the meals from my cottage, and up to the pool almost daily. It was a beautiful and peaceful walk. I was concerned at first but my body quickly adapted. The meals were amazing. I had never experienced such a healthy and delicious cuisine. Most of it was locally-sourced and organic. They had lots of vegetarian options as well as vegan. That's not to say they didn't have wonderful desserts every night with dinner. I participated in several yoga classes. They have all kinds; fast, slow, Vinyasa, Yin, you name it. But they also have cultural classes on Lei making, hula dancing, salsa dancing, permaculture hikes and more. I was not bored for even a moment. If anything I needed to take a nap a couple times during the day for having been so active and busy. The people were friendly and helpful with lots of information about the locals and the community of Pahoa. They took us to Uncles market a local market/party every Wednesday night. If you have the option to do so I would also highly recommend staying at kailani for the Open Mic at least once it's fabulous. The pool is lovely but be fore-warned its clothing optional and there's a lot of nudity. There are lounge chairs to sit in and there's even a sauna area and changing rooms. I enjoyed two massage sessions while I was there. One was an apprentice massage which was just fine and very relaxing, the other was a Lumi Lumi Hawaiian massage which was amazing and different and just... quiet an experience. I would recommend it to anyone. I hope to return next summer on a sabbatical which is 30 days of participating in the community and it includes all of my lodging and meals and some massage work as well. It was hard to leave.

I didn't make for the E-dance or Holiday Festivities or New Years Festivities but I met some people…read morewho partook in them and expressed a good time. I went for a yoga class led by Marcia, 90 minutes flew by. There's places to stay, a store etc

You'll never see more gorgeous views than you will from these tennis courts at the Mauna Kea. The…read moreviews alone are worth 5 stars, but the drills were super fun too. I was told by the concierge ahead of time that I didn't need to worry about booking tennis until the day before so to just wait until we got to the resort. It turns out the drills book up fast and way ahead of time so when I called on arrival day I ended up being #9 or 10 on the waitlist. Eek! Fortunately, the waitlist moves since people get busy with other things to do in the Big Island so I did get in to 2 classes. Joseph and Dan (i think) taught both drills. We started the drills with a warm up and then did a bunch of mini games. I'd say most players were at the intermediate level and they did a good job of pairing us up so that the levels were well matched. An hour of drills flew by, especially when looking at that view! My daughter also took one of the kids drills, which she enjoyed. The ages ranged from about 10-15 so at 14 she was one of the older kids, but all of them hit pretty well. The instructor did a great job of keeping them engaged with games and the hour seemed to move pretty fast for them too. Two other days I reserved courts (that you do the day before- i recommend calling in the morning since they fill fast)) and hit with my kids, which was a lot of fun. It can get pretty windy out by the ocean and a little hot too, but they drop off water while you're playing to keep you hydrated. We left our racquets back at home (less to pack), but we just rented racquets which was also a good way to try out some new ones. I have my eye on a Yonex after playing pretty well with it one day! The pickleball courts were even more full than the tennis courts. I stuck with tennis this trip, but would love to do both next time!

I do not know the club members nor the coaching staff here but I do know that this is one of the…read moremost epic places to play tennis possibly in the world. Funny I live near a small town called Seaside and grew up playing at one of the tennis clubs, in regards to ambiance nothing compares to this fabulous resort tennis club. Here to celebrate a close family friend's wedding we decided to play a little mixed doubles and sweat out some of last night's libations. It was hard for me to focus as I heard the waves lightly crashing ashore and the view of the palm trees didn't help as I raised my face into the sun to hit a serve. This club is run by a friendly staff as they remembered that family that I arrived with, they are as regular as visitors to hit island get and the pro shop is neatly laid out and it was hard for me not to buy one of those bright signature orange Mauna Kea Beach Hotel logo-ed hats or shirts. Lucky for me, the color orange and I do not get along... well at least not Tony the Tiger orange. If you enjoy the game of tennis and you want to hit a few while visiting the Kohala coast, I recommend hitting up the Seaside Tennis Club. If not for tennis, just check out the club grounds to see how magical and refreshing it would be to play here. Open 8:00am-5:00pm Daily

We wanted to play tennis while visiting Waikaloa, however the court available to us was usurped by…read morepickleballers. We had visited the Mauna Lani tennis facilities on prior visits but hadn't played there, so we decided to book a court. The price was reasonable (about what we'd paid visiting other clubs in California), and we played longer than the time we had booked. They have a lot of demo rackets (Wilson, Yonex & Head) to play with as well, so don't worry about bringing your own racket. The staff is incredibly welcoming & made sure we had everything we needed for our game. The court rental included water as well as chilled towels, brought out in a cooler for us. Nice touch! The courts are recently surfaced, on the slower side but beautifully maintained. I look forward to playing again when we visit next spring!

My wife and I bought a couples pass for a week for ~$470. All the fitness equipment you need is…read moreavailable here except kettlebells and a 35 lb barbell which my wife wished they had. They have Peloton bikes, row machine, treadmills, and elliptical machines. The treadmills are a bit dated and there were a few machines out of order which is why I gave it 4 stars. Overall though a great place to workout especially if you have stayed at the Marriott and Hilton Waikoloa resorts and have seen their joke of a fitness center.

What an overload for the senses. There are trails of all lengths and difficulty so plan well. Bring…read morelots of water, closed toed shoes and pack food if you plan to make a day of it. The view of the active volcano is spectacular and the rangers are helpful with answering any questions. The parking is sufficient although you may have to drive around for a moment if it's busy. We did the long hike and it was rigorous, but not impossible as long as you do not have mobility issues. There are stairs and steps at the beginning and the end, but walking across the lava field is amazing. Follow the rock formations for your directions. At the end, we wanted to wash our hands, but the only place for a sink is in the volcano house. All other areas are just out houses so plan accordingly. Every purchase in the gift shops supports the Rangers and the park so be kind and pick up an item or two and even feel free to give an additional donation when you check out. There are not many gas stations on the road to the volcano coming from the south around the bottom of the island. However, gas is cheaper when you do find it then you may find in Kona.

Amazing Must hike…read morethe volcano crater One of the few places you can hike on a real volcano crater Do not miss on the Big island

Donna wont bother to call you, even after years of playing there, to fix a wrong…read more Dont spend your money or time at a place that wont back its product, nor do what they say. Honorless

I loved the family passion of the tennis pro mom Donna and her daughter who taught for so many…read moreyears, they are famous in USTA!! They created fun musical high cardio tennis warm up that can uplift any age into a faster flow and more accuracy. Due to my broken bones from accident and age, I may never return to my strength I had when I first met this special tennis pro team , but I am willing to return after the metal is taken out of wrist and just enjoy the sun warming court passion and fun events. I used to be manager of #1 global wheelchair triathlete Randy Cadell and started teen camp with sponsorship we raised and donated teaching kids after their summercamp students were done for a yoga kids character that had them all laughing and loving our style so it would be great to support this tennis pro family. I have a background coaching Licensed Clinical Nutritional and Yogic Therapy warm up workshops for USTA in Santa Monica and would love to collaborate for events or produce professional online media with our 25 year media background and resources. We believe in uprising diversity and low income opportunities too.

I don't know if I would call this a hike, so much as a paved loop walk. Try to come early as the…read moreparking lot can get really filled, spilling into "paid" parking on the side of the roadway. You probably won't spend longer than an hour hear, unless you really get obsessive about capturing those perfect photo shots to post on Instagram. The pictures people have posted pretty much speak for themselves. But nothing beats seeing this live waterfalls, flowing in-person. With the wind in your hair, the scent of all the lush plants and such. This is on the Hilo side of the Big Island that is Hawai'i, so check the weather plan around the tropical rains that may or may not happen around the weeks you visit. You may pass some roadside stalls along the way here, where they're selling freshly cut pineapple of incomparable sweetness and flavor. Overall, definitely a space to get your dose of shinrin-yoku/forest bathing to cleanse your etheric body and be present in the moment.

This is more than just a waterfall, it's an experience where you immerse yourself in a rainforest…read moreand appreciate the beauty, sounds, smells, and little creatures around you. Although the entire hike is about half an hour, I would recommend you take your time and see everything around you. The hike itself is not strenuous. Some of the reviews indicate the steps were arduous, but our little 3-year-old had no problem. The paths are paved with railings. It didn't take long before we reached where Akaka falls was visible. It is beautiful against the mossy green backdrop. Then we climb the stairs to see the other waterfall, but when we got there, it was pretty anti-climatic. It's a small little fall, but still worth seeing. Overall, this is a beautiful spot to discover new plants, see a couple of waterfalls, and take a ton of pictures.