If you visit Hawaii, there’s a good chance you will hit all the major tourist spots – Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, and Halema’uma’u; but what about the secret spots? Sure, you could spend all your time in the tourist trap around the island, but what if you want to experience a slice of life away from all the crowds? Luckily for you, Hawaii is teeming with hidden gems. And this article will let you behind the curtain to get a real view of what this place is about. So read on to learn about some of the secret spots on the island of Hawaii!
The Major Tourist Traps On The Big Island
The Big Island of Hawaii is teeming with natural beauty and unique experiences, but it’s also home to some notable tourist traps. Of all the Hawaiian islands, the Big Island has arguably the most kitschy and overpriced attractions.
One of the biggest tourist traps on the island are those claiming to offer an “authentic” luau experience. While a visit to this type of activity can be fun and entertaining, they pressure you into buying souvenirs at extremely marked-up prices and routinely contain scripted performances that lack any real, meaningful connection to Hawaiian culture.
Similarly, shops in tourist-heavy areas will often contain trinkets and tacky apparel advertised as genuine Hawaiian memorabilia; however, these goods are mass-produced and made cheaply with low-quality materials in countries such as China or Thailand. If you’re looking for goods that truly reflect the unique culture of Hawaii, always shop locally in more rural parts of the island or, even better, directly from artisans creating handcrafted wares worth supporting.
Secret Spots on The Island Of Hawaii
If you genuinely want to avoid the crowds and immerse yourself in the local culture, plenty of hidden gems are waiting to be discovered on the Big Island. Here are some must-see places that are probably not on your itinerary:
Pololū Valley
Pololū Valley is a secret spot in Hawaii known for its beauty and naturalness. It’s hidden away on the northern coast of the Big Island, shrouded away from the tourist trails that litter many of the other Hawaiian locations. The valley offers peace and tranquility and contains native plants like palm trees and ferns that add to its enchantment. From atop Pololū Lookout, you can appreciate views of Hawaiians past with ancient terraces reaching into the valley below where turtles still swim in sea caves.
This unspoiled paradise also includes a black beach on the valley floor, one of Hawaii’s few black sand beaches. This beach looks surreal – and it’s even more breathtaking when you realize that no one else is around to take in its beauty. The valley can be accessed by hiking a trail from Pololū Valley Lookout, which, although a bit rugged, offers stunning coastal views along the way.
Golden Pools of Keawaiki
The Golden Pools of Keawaiki are a captivating sight to behold. Situated just to the south of Waikoloa Village and hidden away in a secluded pool by immense lava fields, Golden Pools is a must-see spot on the Big Island. While it will take a bit of hiking through the lava fields to get to the pools, it’s more than worth it for the unique experience that awaits you. The Golden Pools are freshwater ponds located in a small oasis amongst the black lava rocks. Unique, gold-colored algae grow on the rocks in the ponds, which gives the water it’s coloring.
That’s right; the pools are actually golden! It’s a one-of-a-kind sight that you won’t find anywhere else on the island. So instead of heading to the usually crowded beaches, why take a trip to Keawaiki and see for yourself what all the fuss is about?