One of the things I love about Hawai’i is that no matter where you go and look you see something spectacular.  Granted there are some places here in Hawai’i that might not be all that great, but for the most part, you can see some of the most beautiful sights you’ve ever seen. You can’t always drive right up to the wonderful sights of Hawai’i, sometimes you need to do some hiking for your sightseeing adventures.

Sightseeing in Hawai’i

You are able to drive to the main location of each of these wonderful sightseeing places, however, there may also be a hike involved.

Waipio Valley

We didn’t hike the Waipio Valley, at least not this time.  Then again, you don’t have to hike it, you can drive down to the bottom of it. I think it is actually recommended to drive to the bottom rather than hike because it is a steep path down. You need to have a 4×4 to do drive to the bottom of Waipio Valley.  This valley is an interesting one, at least, to me because people live down there!

Waipio Valley

Waipio Valley

Pololu Valley

Pololu Valley is much different than Waipio Valley.  You drive to the very top and park.  From there you can just stare out into the beauty of the valley or you can take a 30 minute (or so) hike to the bottom and explore the beautify in its fullest.  We’ve visited Pololu Valley a few times now, even hiked down to the bottom.  It isn’t an easy hike, and if you do it, you want to have lots of water handy.  The view from down in the valley is just as beautiful as it is from the top of the valley.

Driving the Kohala Coat area to the very end of Highway 270 you’ll be rewarded with an unforgettable view from the Pololu Valley Overlook.

Pololu Valley from the bottom

Akaka Falls

Not the first waterfall we visited while in Hawaii, but by far the coolest.  One thing I’ve noticed is Akaka Falls is often mistaken for the waterfall scene from the Jurassic Park movie, however, that waterfall is not located on the big island of Hawaii.

Visiting Akaka Falls State Park will allow you to see the 442 foot Akaka Falls, Hawaii Islands most famous waterfall, but also the 100 foot Kahuna Falls.

Akaka Falls

Rainbow Falls

If you are in the Hilo area of the Big Island of Hawai’i, you will want to make a stop to see Rainbow Falls, which has an 80-foot drop and is known for the rainbows that are formed in the surrounding mist.

Visiting the lookout of Rainbow Falls, which has an 80-foot drop and is known for the rainbows that are formed in the surrounding mist.

Rainbow Falls

What’s your fancy? The valley’s or the falls?