Host: Sean StehuraWhen: Anytime Length: These are day hikes Fee charged: This changes throughout the year but just to provide a ballpark idea of expected costs, the basic fee is $175 for 2 nights lodging plus a volcano hike. I have certain packages. You can take the hike without the lodging, or stay in my houses without taking the hikes. LODGING: Most visitors will make use of Sean's convenient lodging, noting that the lodging/hiking "package" makes a pretty good deal. The cottages are located in the southeast corner of the Big Island of Hawaii in Hawaiian Paradise Park, the nicest community in the area. This is only a 20 minute drive from the Hilo Airport and 30 minutes from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The cottages are comfortable, totally remodeled, one and two bedroom accommodations located in a tropical fruit orchard and botanical palm tree garden. They have complete kitchens, phone hookup for the internet, TV-VCR with tape library, a king sized bed, laundry facilities and a big deck to enjoy the gardens. You can pick organic fruit. Avacados, East Hawaii is the best-kept secret on the Island. Fresh air, tropical rainforests, geothermal swimming pools, waterfalls, botanical gardens, snorkeling ponds, volcanoes, black sand beaches, humpback whales, millions of wild orchids, miles of wilderness ocean hiking trails and beautiful, historic Hilo town with its great restaurants. The cottages make a comfortable base for exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Kea and the East Hawaii coastal wilderness area, which is a five minute drive away.
Rainforest-Ha'ena Beach: Hot Pool - Black Sand Beach Hike: Volcanoes National Park- Kilauea Iki Trail Volcanoes National Park after dark Mauna Kea Forest Trail:
APPENDIXES
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oranges, limes mangoes, tangerines, tangelos and ruby red grapefruit are ready to pick. Each lodging has a private fenced half acre and is located five minutes from the ocean with miles of orchid covered rainforest trails hugging the ocean lava cliffs.
The old King's Trail leads through magnificent banyan/palm/mango rainforests covered with orchids. We hike this wilderness ocean trail past Paki Bay to Ha'ena Beach and The Nene Sanctuary. Watch humpback whales playing in the bay. A very special place to ancient Hawaiians that few tourists see. Enjoy lunch and a refreshing swim at the beautiful palm shaded white sand beach while nenes fly overhead. Rinse off at the fresh water spring. Pickup in Keaau or our lodge, The Palm Garden Cottages. The Hike is 3 hours round-trip and not difficult. Hiking shoes and swimming trunks are advised. Lunch and day packs are provided. A flopy disk with 25 free digital photos given to each guest or couple. $60 per person. Maximum 4 hikers. $45 per person when staying at our cottages.
This is an early morning adventure. At 7AM we drive 20 minutes to a natural hot pool nestled next to the ocean. The setting is out of a tropical dream. Thermal swimming pool, palm trees, jungle, crashing ocean. After your swim we will drive the beautiful red road stopping at MacKenzie State Park to view a lava tube and ending up at the new black sand beach in Kalapana. The beach is reached on a one mile hike over the Kaimu lava field. Watch Pu'uo'o vent smoke in the distance. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings only. $45 per person. Maximum 4 hikers. Pickup at our lodge only. $35 when staying at our cottages
Our Volcano tour drives the eleven mile loop around Crater Rim Road stopping at Halema'uma'u, a lava shield capped with a pit crater, and the observatory. Then we will hike down into Kilauea Iki to the caldera. The tour walks through beautiful 'ohia lehua/fern rainforest (Wao Kele O Puna) with ferns reaching 30 feet high. The Hawaiian honey creepers, the apapane, amakihi and I'iwi live here. You then enter a lava moon scape of immense distruction. The Kilauea Iki hike will not follow the usual trails and deviate to a much more interesting but little used path. After hiking the volcano and a visit to the art center we will take a special hike to a koa forest, a native hardwood tree. This trail is very special and not in tourist books. Kilauea Iki is a 3 hour hiking tour with moderate climbing. The koa forest trail is a half hour hike and easy. Pick up in Keaau and our cottages. Lunch and day packs are provided. Good hiking shoes are advised. 5-6 hours for the tour. $85 per person. Maximum 4 hikers. $50 per person when staying at our cottages. A floppy disk with 25 free digital photos of the hike given to each guest or couple.
If the lava is flowing we will first tour around the Crater Rim Road stopping at the observatory and Halema'uma'u crater. We then drive down to the dramatic Pu'u O'o vent lava flows for a night hike that change with the flows. Packs, flash lights and snacks are provided. Trails are rocky and good hiking shoes are mandatory. At the present it is a three mile hike to the flows and takes 4-5 hours for the tour. You won't forget this experience. Pick up in Keaau, Volcano and at our lodge. It is a 50 mile round trip drive to the lava flow from the Park entrance. $75 per person. Maximum 4 hikers. $55 per person when staying at our cottages. A floppy disk with 25 free digital photos of the hike given to each guest or couple. Our cottages are located only 30 minutes from the Park.
Hike the Pu'u o'o Trail on Mauna Kea. Beautiful old growth koa and ohia kipukas. Birding is excellent and views of Mauna Kea are wonderful. One of my favorite hikes for viewing endangered native birds. Mauna Kea is the highest mountain in Hawaii at 13,796 feet. It last erupted about 4500 years ago. Its summit is often capped in snow and is home to a large astronomical complex. The hike alternates between stark lava flows and old growth forest. Lunch and backpacks provided. Hiking shoes and binoculars advised. Moderate hike. Pick up in Hilo, Keaau and at our lodge. $65 per person. Maximum 4 hikers. 4-5 hours. $50 per person when staying at our cottages. A floppy disk with 25 free digital photos of the hike given to each guest or couple.
