Loving lava-land

Land of contrasts: From its great surf breaks to incredible hiking trails, Hawaii offers visitors a stunningly varied setting for a holiday.

Photos: Reuters, Tim DeLaVega centimetres of rainfall a year, but two-thirds of it falls at night. Hilo has funky little cafes, some excellent casual restaurants, fashion boutiques, lovely beaches and a tented farmers’ market where you can sample the island’s diverse selection of ethnic cuisines, from coconut curries, sushi rolls to delicious poke ahi, a spicy raw tuna salad. We stayed at the historic Shipman Inn, where owner Barbara-Ann Anderson provided an extensive dossier of where to eat and what to do on this side of the island. You could happily fill a week.

During my visit to the Big Island, I visited friends who live on the coast south of Puna. This corner of the island is different once more, featuring dense coastal jungle and a jagged coastline of volcanic beaches popular with surfers. It’s idyllic, as there are few people in this part of the world. Perhaps that’s not surprising - the 1983-86 eruptions of Kilauea spewed molten lava for 12 kilometres down to the beach. It has hardened into beautiful swirls of rock and sharp outcrops that are brittle like glass, creating some of the most gorgeous landscapes I’ve seen anywhere. The writer travelled as a guest of Hawaiian Tourism, Hawaiian Airlines and the featured hotels and resorts.