9 Top Quality Questions and Answers

How Long Does It Take To Drive Around The Big Island?

Immerse yourself for a day in your life that you will always cherish and remember for the rest of your life. The short answer to the question is about 5 hours or little bit more than that. But that is if you were to only if you were to pretty much stop for gas and nothing else. Otherwise, the tried and true answer is to give it the day from morning to night. Not all of the amazing things we recommend to do can be done in one day but for the sake of sharing our island's best secrets we are going to list all that we want to share and disclose to make your trip as phenomenal as possible.

What are the Best Things to Do?

This list could potentially become very extensive but some notable mentions are much needed:

Mauna Kea Observatory, Hapuna Beach, Volcano National Park, Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, South Point, Hilo Break-wall, Tsunami Museum, Hamakua Coast, Waimea Town, Kohala Coast Resorts, King Kamehameha Statue, Captain Cook Monument, Red Road, Pohoiki, Hilo Town, Puako Petroglyphs, Waikoloa Resort, Hualalai Resort, Hawi Town and Saddle Road.

Where are the Best Places to Eat?

The best answer to this is to look on each one of our property area pages and the top restaurants are all listed per area of focus. For example in Hilo you just can't miss Ken's House of Pancakes or Cafe Pesto for that matter. On the Kohala Coast Ulu and Ruth's Chris might be something to make an appointment for the evening after the long day of exploring the trip via a lot of long driving. Either way, the food here is really good and all that comes with the ambiance of living by the ocean.

What is Hilo Town Like?

Hilo town or the city of Hilo has changed a great deal even over the last 10-15 years. There was a time were traffic was no existent in Hilo but not it's a different story. Just driving around on the weekend can result is being stuck at a traffic light behind other residents or visitors. Still however, Hilo for the most part remains a quaint sleepy town of long time residents who truly understand that living a slower pace of life is the reason they choose Hilo. There are some really incredible things to do and eat in Hilo town. Be prepared for the rain, Hilo is considered one of the rainiest cities in the country, certainly in the top two next to Ketchikan Alaska with 141.3 inches per year. Hilo receives on average 126.7 inches of rain throughout it's annual course.

What is the Volcano Area Like?

Volcano is a place like no other. The cool misty rain over the Hapu Ferns coming down makes us all feel a little nostalgic when there. The crater is an absolute must see. As is the lava flow at night if you ever have the time. However that is not really something that can be a part of a day trip in relation to the purpose of this blog. Land and real estate in Volcano is affordable in most parts due to the higher risk of the lava zones it is built on, like lava zone 1, 2 and 3. More on that at another time. Overall, Volcano is a truly special place. Volcano village is a little place where residents enjoy each others company at a cool 3,750 feet above sea level. Hawaii Volcano House Restaurant is a great place to break up the trip at the halfway point or so if you are traveling from Kona and started your trip on the West side of the island.

What are the Best Waterfalls to See?

This is a great question. Where else will you see waterfalls like these? Everything else on this trip simply has a challenging time comparing to what a waterfall can do for the soul. It is a healer and just watching the majestic waters flow over the tropical Hawaiian foliage is a sight for all to see. Akaka Falls and Rainbow falls in North Hilo are by far the two that are must haves on the list. Umauma Falls, Pe'epe'e Falls, and Hi'ilawe Falls are 3 more that cannot be missed. However for just a day trip Rainbow Falls or Akaka falls should suffice and leave lasting impressions on making sure the trip is a success.

What is Waimea Like?

Waimea is considered Paniolo or cowboy country. Parker Ranch spans much of the land here and what a beautiful sight this is to see. There is the dry side - lower Waimea, and the wet side - upper Waimea. Little old shops mixed in with the new provide visitors and residents with much needed necessities such as groceries and restaurants, and even a haircut too. In Waimea Merriman's is a well known luxury dining experience to be had. Waimea is a great place to take a rest and stop in after driving from Hilo and through the Hamakua Coast. Just remember that before you come into Waimea located in Honokaa there is a great place for Malasadas on the Hamakua Coast called Tex Drive In.

What is the Kohala Coast Like?

The Kohala Coast - What else can we say. The words have such an amazing tone to them. We live here, we work here, and we play here. The creme de la creme and the jewel of the Big Island. This simply put, is the best place on earth. Resorts are well placed, builders respect the product they construct, and the beaches are just tremendous and fanciful. Hapuna Beach is a visitors favorite and always has been. Yet still with all the tourists it remains calm and quiet most of the day except for weekends. The inspiration of the Kohala Coast reminds us of the beauty that our sacred island holds.

How is the Current Real Estate Market on the Big Island?

The real estate on the Big Island of Hawaii is very diverse and spread out. Prices are ranging in all kinds of ways. The Kohala Coast luxury home and condo market is where we specialize and that is what we know best. At this time in summer of 2019 values are holding somewhat steady. Anything between $500,000 and a million is still selling in a reasonable amount of time and like always if a seller is being realistic and willing to give a bit of a break on the asking price. Homes between the $1 million range to $3 million are demanding strong offers too. The reason for this is that the inventory is low especially for new construction. Pricing on property for single family homes over $3 million remains to be holding it's own too but as usual taking a little bit more time to sell.

Contributed by Paul Adams, Broker in Charge - Luxury Big Island