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Travelling with Lyn

Category Archives: Big Island Hawaii

Japanese Garden by the Waterfront – Just a Beautiful Place

03 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Big Island Hawaii, Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens

≈ 34 Comments

Tags

Big Island, Hawaii, Hilo, Hilo Bay, Hilo Farmers Markets, Japanese gardens, Japanese teahouse, Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens, Pagodas, Photography, travel, Waihonu Pond

Situated in the heart of Hilo town, on Banyan Drive, on the island of Hawai’i is the Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens. This beautiful park with Japanese Gardens, sits on a 24 acre park on Hilo Bay. These Edo-style Japanese gardens are said to be the largest such gardens outside Japan. The gardens contain Waihonu Pond as well as bridges, ponds, pagoda, statues, torii and a Japanese teahouse.

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These traditional Japanese gardens are extensive, simple, peaceful and a place to walk, reflect and enjoy.

The park itself is beautiful with winding pathways that take you through the peaceful Japanese garden with many different foot bridges and several huge banyan trees.

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Queen Liliʻuokalani Park and Japanese Gardens is such a beautiful tranquil place to have a picnic, stroll, or just relax on the beautiful landscapes.

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With pagodas, bridges and flora and fauna that is perfectly landscaped, you are almost mythically transported to a magical place. Located along the shores of Hilo Bay, you can enjoy the bay as well.

Hilo Bay
Hilo Bay
Hilo Bay
Hilo Bay
Hilo Bay
Hilo Bay

As you wind your way through the park, over the arched bridges and past numerous Japanese statues, you begin to truly feel a sense of calm, which is pretty much what the park was designed to do in following traditional Japanese gardening techniques. Definitely worth a stroll through – and would certainly be a great place to enjoy a picnic lunch from the Farmer’s Market

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We saw a Nene here, which was also a treat for us. It certainly is a great place for photographs. Anywhere you point your camera will give you a lovely photo.

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Take the time to stroll through the garden and experience the peace and beauty of Hawaii. If you like to walk peaceful gardens or just take a quick walk, this is the place.

Beautiful Insights into Hawai’i’s Past

15 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Big Island Hawaii, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau

≈ 33 Comments

Tags

Big Island, Hawaii, Hawaiians, History, Kapu, National Historical Park, Photography, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, travel

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park is located on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i.

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The historical park preserves the site where, up until the early 19th century, Hawaiians who broke a kapu (one of the ancient laws) could avoid certain death by fleeing to this place of refuge or puʻuhonua.

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This is a marvelous, respectful view of Hawaii’s past and how its culture worked. Now that it is a national site, the displays & information available have been expanded in greater detail.

This “Place of Refuge” is located about a 45 minute drive from down town Kailua Kona on Hwy 160. On our way from the Volcano National Park to Kailua Kona we stopped here at the park. It is a free attraction, however you will be charged $5 to park if you use their paved parking lot.

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We loved this little slice of history. The beach is breathtaking – we spent about an hour exploring the lava rock tide pools and saw lots of fish.  The self-guided walk around the park didn’t take much time – maybe an hour. We spent about 1.5 or so hours wandering around the grounds, learning about the historical information around the site. It was very scenic as well, the tall palm trees, the sand, the black lava rock, the ocean, all blending into some picturesque views. The setting, at the edge of the ocean, is just gorgeous. Since it is a religious site, you can’t swim or snorkel at the park, but there is a swim and snorkel spot right next to it and you can see colourful fish in the tide pools.

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The park has many beautiful palm trees, white sand all around and there are various beautiful ancient houses to visit where you can see the tools and canoes that ancient Hawaiians used when they lived here. You can also see several beautifully crafted “totems” around the park.

The exhibits and artifacts area of the park is small and easy to walk around. With numbered markers and some reconstructed structures, you can download an app, or use the brochure you get at the gate, to learn of the various purposes and significance of each. If you happen to be there when a Park ranger is giving a guided tour, then you will most likely get more out of it. There also is a wall of murals, with a recorded audio history that is rather simplistic.

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If you want to make more of a day out of it, there is a beach picnic area a hundred yards from the parking lot to the south with tables with charcoal grills and port-a-potties.  There is no food or beverages available at the visitor centre, so plan accordingly. The visitor centre is open 8:30am – 4:30pm. It has restrooms, a water bottle filling station, a very small gift shop, and amphitheatre.

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We are glad we stopped.  I would recommend it, especially for anyone wanting to know more about Hawaiian history and culture.

 

Beautiful and Unique – Punalu’u Black Sand Beach

29 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Big Island Hawaii, Punalu'u Beach Sand Beach, Hawaii

≈ 53 Comments

Tags

Big Island, Black Sand, Black Sand beach, Green Sea Turtles, Hawaii, Hilo, Honu, Photography, Punalu'u Beach, Sea Turtles, travel, Volcano National Park

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Although I had lived in Hawai’i for 11 years I had never actually been to a black sand beach, until I recently visited the Big Island, Hawai’i.

 

 

Black sand
Black sand
Black sand
Black sand
Punalu'u
Punalu’u

It is hard to express the wonder that you feel when you walk out onto this beach. The sand is jet black; it is like walking on crushed black diamonds. The black sand is made of basalt and is created by lava flowing into the ocean which explodes as it reaches the ocean and cools. The black sand does not stick to you at all and feels so clean.

Close up of Black sand

Punalu’u Beach is one of the more famous black sand beaches of Hawai’i and is a favourite spot for turtles.  Punalu’u Black Sand Beach’s jet black shores are an unforgettable sight with coconut palms bordering the upper edge of the sand. Punalu’u beach is easy to access off Highway 11, and is about 55 miles from Hilo. We drove down to Punalu’u beach from the Volcano National Park.

Punalu'u Beach
Punalu’u Beach
Punalu'u Beach
Punalu’u Beach
Punalu'u Beach
Punalu’u Beach
Punalu'u Beach
Punalu’u Beach
Punalu'u Beach
Punalu’u Beach
Punalu'u Beach
Punalu’u Beach
Punalu'u Beach
Punalu’u Beach
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Punalu’u Beach
Punalu'u Beach
Punalu’u Beach
Punalu'u Beach
Punalu’u Beach
Punalu'u Beach
Punalu’u Beach
Punalu'u Beach
Punalu’u Beach

Almost immediately after arriving we spotted a couple of sea turtles, called Honu, resting on the black sand.

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Rolling waves meet the shore bringing in sea turtles who like to bask on the warm sand.
The water at this point is called sweet water which is fresh mountain water meeting the ocean in springs. This is another reason the turtles love it here.

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The green turtle is a large, weighty sea turtle with a wide, smooth carapace, or shell. It inhabits tropical and subtropical coastal waters around the world and has been observed clambering onto land to sunbathe. “Basking” (resting) behavior is becoming more common all around Hawai‘i and is an exciting way to watch green sea turtles

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While this is not a great place to swim, the unusual encounter with the natural world is almost surreal. You’ll come out with incredible pictures and wonderful memories.

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 To see a black sand beach is unlike anything you’ve seen before. I was captivated by the actual beauty of it, and how soft the sand can be after the lava breaks down so much!

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