November 27, Hilo

November 27, Hilo Hawaii

The coastal town of Hilo is the largest settlement on the island of Hawaii and overlooks Hilo Bay. Mauna Loa, considered an active volcano, and Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano, are located nearby. Hilo is home to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation, one of the world’s leading producers of macadamia nuts. Hilo is the wettest city in the United States and one of the wettest in the world with an average yearly rainfall of 127.7 inches.

Hilo’s expansion was a direct result of sugar plantations which drew a large Asian population. Because of its location it is particularly vulnerable to tsunamis. In April 1946 a tsunami hit Hilo killing 160 people. As a result, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was established to track these killer waves and provide ample warning. In May 1960 another tsunami claimed 61 lives allegedly due to people’s failure to heed the warning sirens issued by the Center.

I had set up a private tour here and had six other people joining Sharon and I, for a tour to the Volcano National Park and other stops. The tour was excellent, with stops at four different locations around the crater rim, which provided great views of the volcano. Our last stop at the crater was at Volcano House for lunch, which also provided our last look at the crater before returning toward Hilo.

On the way back, we stopped at an orchid farm where we saw many different orchids in bloom that we hadn’t seen elsewhere, then a stop at Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Company where we were able to sample all kinds of nuts both plain and with various toppings. From there we made a stop at Rainbow Falls which while not a very tall falls, is very nice to see, then a quick stop at a local farmers market for apple bananas (a banana that has the flavor of an apple), and then back to the ship.

Even though we did have some rain throughout the day, the tour was fantastic. Our guide Lori was excellent and obviously very proud to be Hawaiian and share her knowledge and history. I can now understand why people say that if you have never been to Hawaii, a volcano tour is a must. I only wish we had more time so that we could have booked a walking tour to the actual floor of the crater, or even an evening tour to see actual lava flow. But what there is to see is magnificent and well worth visiting.

All in all it was a wonderful cruise, albeit a little longer than we personally really care for. But to see the pacific islands, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii all in one trip made it all worthwhile. The food onboard ranged from OK to great, the entertainment was OK (our personal opinion), the staff overall were outstanding. We had great service in the dining room even though our servers really had too many tables, and our room stewards were fabulous. HAL has finally gone back to a true buffet in the Lido which we really enjoyed. It’s nice to walk up and say I want that meat/fish, those vegetables, or non at all. The Canaletto was nice, but with a set menu that never changes we only ate there twice. We would give it a four star cruise!!