Holoholo: A journey without a destination, a leisurely ride, ‘go where we go and see what we see’ sort of a thing. Our drive along the northern coast of the Big Island was a day following the spirit of holoholo.

The 40-mile stretch of Highway 19 between Hilo and Waipio Valley is known as the Hamakua Heritage Coast. Although not windy and wild like Maui’s Road to Hana, Hamakua Coast has its own jewels. We had already explored Hilo a few days ago and were now making our way to Honoka’a by way of the Hamakua Coast.

Leaving the dry Volcano town behind, we soon found ourselves in an interestingly changing climatic zone. Such is the Big Island. It was a rainy day and I was slightly irritated (and still sick!), but it did not keep me from having fun. It wasn’t quite the seclusion I had imagined, but the entire drive along the coastline was enjoyable, nonetheless.

Looking at a note I had scribbled on a piece of paper, probably months ago, I noticed Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Gardens (HTBG) scribbled away in the corner. While my husband was driving, I consulted my traveler friends on TripAdvisor. Great reviews. Let’s go.

Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Gardens on Onomea Bay

Approximately 8 miles from Hilo, after following a 4-mile wild and winding road through a jungle-like landscape, we reached the entrance to the garden. We grabbed some snacks from the back seat and a camera, purchased our tickets and proceeded to the entrance. Instantly, we came across a boardwalk-like bridge that carried us down. It was a breeze going downward, a Tough Mudder obstacle course (minus the mud) coming back up. Masterfully engineered, nonetheless.

Onomea Bay is where the early Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, and Filipino settlers landed on the island and built the Onomea Sugar Mill. They planted wild banana, mango and coconut trees that have now reached great heights. Once the mill stopped its operations, the area was turned into a passion fruit farm. Around the early 1900’s the valley, which was carved out by the Onomea and Alakahi streams, was completely deserted and the vegetation grew back into a dense tropical jungle.

Dan and Pauline Lutkenhouse established these gardens. They first saw the land during a vacation in 1977, fell in love with the 17 acres of seclusion, and bought it. They sold their 40-year old trucking business in San Francisco so they could move to this paradise and convert it into a botanical garden.

So as not to destroy the plants, Dan and his helpers avoided the use of tractors and big machinery. They worked for 7 years with hand tools and chainsaws to cut through the thick canopy of vines. Over the course of years, Dan planted the hundreds of species of plants that now live here. The gardens were opened to the public in 1984, and later on in life the couple donated the land to HTBG.

The gardens are pristine but the jewel is the 3-tiered Onomea Falls that forms the Lilikoi Lake. Around this lake can be viewed more species of flowers and plants than in any other single place in the world. There are also 7 Mckaws in a birdhouse.

After weeks of hiking and backpacking, this was really soothing. We spent way more time here than we had originally planned to, but time becomes irrelevant when you are surrounded by magic.

Akaka Falls State Park

You would think that by now I would have had my fill of waterfalls. You would be wrong. So off we drove to Akaka Falls State Park. After paying the $5 parking fee and 5 minutes of petting a feral kitten, we splashed onwards to get to the falls.

If you are only interested in watching the Akaka Falls, go left and a short walk will get you to the viewing point. For a more enjoyable route, take the Akaka Falls Loop Trail that goes right. The whole walk is about 0.4 miles through a jungle growing out of control, and you are also able to see Kahuna falls on the way. It was pouring on us the whole time. Our rain jackets and water shoes made life a little easier.

After climbing down a few flights of stairs we found ourselves at Akaka, where Kolekole Stream plunges 442 feet straight down into a pool. Akaka is twice the height of Niagara Falls but not as wide, and the volume of water is much less.

An adventurous little Hawaiian specie of the Goby Fish, called Oopu Alamoo, uses suction discs to climb upwards to the stream where it spawns. Once spawned, the younglings swim to the ocean to mature, and then begin their backwards journey up Akaka Falls to continue the cycle. The will to procreate is strong in this little one, my friends.

Laupahoehoe Point State Park:

Our next stop was at Laupahoehoe Point State Park, which is located in a tsunami zone. In 1946, the April Fools’ Day Tsunami caused a 56-foot tall tragic wave here, that washed away 24 people. The beach, in general, is unsafe for swimming due to the dangerous surf.

The falling coconuts and fronds might appear to be a bigger enemy around here. Don’t forget that helmet. It is, however, good for picnics and scenic views. Locals hang out and fish around here as well. You can also camp with a permit and check out the train museum.

Given that it was a rainy winter day, we were the only people at the beach other than a group of guys hanging out next to the benches, while the music blasted away in their pickup truck.

We hung around for a while and enjoyed the views but were soon forced back into our car as the rain started to pour down. We did not stop again until we got to Honoka’a.

Honoka’a

Honoka’a is a laid-back town close to Waipio Valley. Given our planned excursion into the valley the next day, we decided to make this our home for the night. The town was established when an Australian, named William Purvis, planted the first macademia trees close by, in 1881. But the glory days of the town came in the early 20th century with the sugar boom and later during World War II many soldiers stationed around here would come to hang out in the town.

We stayed a few miles out at Waipio Wayside Bed & Breakfast run by Jackie for close to 3 decades. We stayed in the Moon Room that backs into the garden. Musical tree frogs chirped away into the night; earplugs helped us sleep soundly in the comfy bed. But not before we had dinner at the Green Market and Cafe upon Jackie’s recommendation. We were not disappointed at all.

The next morning, she served a delicious breakfast complete with the best gluten free waffles ever and lilikoi butter. I loved it so much that once I got home I ordered it online. She was even gracious enough to send us the recipe later. At some point in time I want to go back and hike to Waimanu Valley. When I do that, I am definitely staying at this wonderful B&B.

Waipio Valley

Called the Valley of the Kings, Hawaiian royalty used to vacation in this beautiful valley, back in the day. These days it is a haven safely tucked away from the tourist humdrum. Commercial access is limited to a few outfitters. We had done enough hiking during this trip, so we opted to see the valley on horseback.

After reading many reviews I decided to select Na’alapa Stables. It is a very well run business and they offer you a 10% discount for making advanced reservations, if you print out the online coupon and bring it with you.

We got there about half an hour before our tour started, filled out a few disclaimer forms, and then hopped into a van that carried us down a very steep road into the valley. We saw a few hikers climbing out of the valley on our way down and from the exhaustion on their faces, I was glad that I had decided against hiking in and out. Once at the stables in the valley, our guides carefully paired each of us with a suitable horse based on our weight and skill level.

I was riding for the first time and was very nervous but my beautiful horse, Rocky, did not give me any problem. My husband’s horse was a bit ornery, and yet another horse was hellbound on trying to eat any avocado he came across. We passed many taro fields, little houses and narrow pathways. Most of the ride was comfortable but there were a few rough areas and a fun stream crossing.

Our knowledgeable guide Mahina, who also grew up in the valley, gave us a lot of history as we were riding. The valley walls have dramatic waterfalls coming down all over the place. The access to Waimanu valley is through a trail that starts right here in Waipio valley. Most of the valley is closed off to the outsiders which is a bummer, as you cannot get up close to the waterfalls, but we did see quite a bit from the valley floor.

One of these days I would love to hike in the area and possibly to Waimanu, but that day I was content on letting my horse carry me. Looking back on my adventures, during the flight back home, I pulled out my sketchbook and penned my memory of Rocky, the beautiful horse.

Have you hiked down to Waipio Valley and made it to one of the waterfalls?