Hawaii: Too Much to See, Not Enough Time

We started our trip in Waikiki, Oahu, which felt like a big downtown with fancy shopping malls and big hotel chains built in paradise. This vibe isn't exactly what I look for in travels, so my only not-so-paradise-y experience was Waikiki in Honolulu. It's still very beautiful!

The food, on the other hand, was phenomenal. We ate poke pretty much every day. Poke is raw fish mostly served as an appetizer. If you're looking for a quick lunch with down-to-earth and local food, go to Rainbow Drive-In and order a mixed lunch plate, which consists of fried chicken, beef, and mahimahi, mac salad, and rice. In addition to Waikiki's great food, it can be a lot of fun for those who love shopping and busy beaches; that just isn't me!

We spontaneously decided to book a flight and head to the Big Island of Hawaii. It's Hawaii's most eastern and, as the name reveals, biggest island.

Similar to Oahu, the Big Island of Hawaii is naturally divided into a windward and leeward side, which is quite an interesting phenomenon. The windward sides of the islands are beautifully lush, as the winds bring moister air. The leeward sides are predominantly drier with less vegetation, as the mountains are blocking most of the winds. We flew into Kona, which lies on the west side of the island and has one of its three airports. We spent our first night at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, which is quite a big resort and looks like a temple from the inside with its massive walls and columns. The beaches all along the island are beautiful and breathtaking with their clear water and lively underwater life. If you're lucky, you can spot some sea turtles.

After time at the resort, we finally experienced Hawaii from a different, and what felt like a more genuine, side: a side that I connect with much more. We stayed at the Puakea Ranch, a lovely little ranch with cottages on the northernmost part of the island.

Goats, sheep, horses, a pig, and chickens were daily visitors, with a little farm stand to take eggs, coconuts, and lemons for daily use. The nearest town was Hawi. This is a tiny town of what felt like eight houses and two blocks with a convenience store, a Mexican restaurant, a bakery, a gallery, and a real-estate office.

If you're on the Big Island, check out Kīlauea, the most active of all volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii, and maybe stay at one of the beautiful bed and breakfasts in Volcano, the name of the town. Check out Volcano Rainforest Retreat or Volcano Village Lodge.

If you dare, you can hike up close to the lava streams. Bring tons of water, though! It gets incredibly hot and humid during the day, and the heat rising from the black lava stone doesn't make it better.

Hawaii has a lot to offer, and I hope to go back and explore more of its beauty sometime in the future. Indulging in the "island feeling" wasn't as easy as you'd think living in such a busy city as San Francisco. People in Hawaii take things much slower, and you can feel that in the air. It felt good letting go of daily commitments back home. Unfortunately, vacation always goes by in a heartbeat. There is always too much to see and never enough time!