Planning a family trip to Hawaii comes with plenty of things to think about. There are flights to book, bags to pack, sunscreen to remember, and the inevitable question of how much you can actually fit into one trip.
But once you get to the Big Island, some of those plans start to matter a little less.
The kids aren’t asking what time the next activity starts. Everyone is looking out the car window. Someone wants to stop for fruit. Someone else has spotted a waterfall. And suddenly, you’re all paying attention to the same thing.
That’s one of the things we love about hosting families at our Big Island bed and breakfast. There are plenty of things to see and do, but it also gives you plenty of reasons to put the itinerary away for a while.
You Spend Less Time Looking at Screens
We aren’t going to tell you to leave the phones at home. You’ll want them for pictures, directions, and probably a few videos of the kids seeing a waterfall for the first time.
But you may find that you use them a lot less than you expected.
Once you’re walking through Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, watching steam rise from the ground, or exploring a lava field, there’s a lot to look at that isn’t on a screen. Some areas of the park also have limited cell service, which makes it easier to forget about checking notifications for a while.
Back in Volcano Village, the rainforest provides plenty of distraction, too. You might hear birds calling from the trees in the morning or hear rain moving through the canopy while you’re sitting outside. In the evening, there isn’t much reason to be anywhere except together.
You Start Talking Again
Family vacations don’t always go exactly as planned. Someone gets hungry. Someone doesn’t want to hike anymore. Someone needs a bathroom five minutes after you leave one.
That’s family travel.
But some of the best conversations happen in between all of that.
Maybe it’s during the drive to the park when your child starts asking why the volcano is smoking. Maybe it’s on the way to Hilo when everyone starts pointing out waterfalls along the road. Maybe you’re sitting around the table at the end of the day talking about the best thing you saw.
The Big Island gives you plenty of reasons to talk because there is always something new to notice.
You Do More Things Together
At home, everyone can easily fall into their own routine. One person has work, another has school, someone has practice, and before you know it, you’re all in different rooms doing different things.
A family trip to Hawaiʻi naturally changes that.
You might spend the morning exploring Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, drive Chain of Craters Road in the afternoon, and stop for shave ice on the way home. Another day might mean the Hilo Farmers Market, a waterfall, and dinner in town.
Not everything has to be a big excursion, either. Pick up some fresh fruit and eat it outside. Take a walk through the rainforest. Sit together and watch the rain.
Those ordinary vacation moments count, too.
You Find Things Kids Actually Want to Eat
Traveling with kids can make meals interesting. Fortunately, the Big Island gives you plenty of options beyond the usual kid’s menu.
Start with malasadas. These warm, Portuguese-style doughnuts are covered in sugar and are best enjoyed fresh. They’re an easy stop after a morning of exploring, especially if you’re heading toward Hilo. Then there is shave ice, fresh pineapple, mango, papaya, and other tropical fruit you’ll find at farmers markets and roadside stands.
For older or more adventurous kids, fresh poke from a local market is a great introduction to authentic Hawaiian food. The Hilo Farmers Market and the Cooper Center Market in Volcano are among the best and easiest places to wander and discover new things to try.
And sometimes, of course, everyone just wants pizza. Volcano Village has several restaurants and casual places to eat, so you don’t have to drive into Hilo every time you’re hungry. Lānikai Brewing Company, for example, is right in the village and makes an easy stop after a day at the park. There are also options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and those nights when nobody wants to make another decision.
Your Kids See a Volcano for the First Time
This is one of the things that makes a Big Island family vacation different from a typical beach trip.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is right here in Volcano, and Kīlauea has been shaping this landscape for generations. Depending on current volcanic activity, you may see steam rising from the crater, glowing lava after dark, or miles of hardened lava left behind by earlier eruptions.
They can walk through a lava tube, stand beside steam vents, look into a crater, and see where an eruption changed the landscape.
And because Volcano Village Estates is so close to the park, you don’t have to make the volcano an all-day outing. You can go in for a few hours, head back for lunch or some downtime, and return later if everyone still has energy.
You Remember the Little Things
You will probably remember the big things, too. The volcano. The black sand beach. The waterfalls. The drive along the coast.
But ask your family about the trip years later, and you may be surprised by what comes up.
It might be the fruit you bought at a roadside stand. The malasada someone got powdered sugar all over their shirt eating. The rainstorm that caught everyone without jackets. The bird your child spent twenty minutes trying to spot.
Those are the stories that become part of your family’s history.
And that’s one of the best reasons to travel together in the first place.
A Family Trip That Is About More Than Seeing Hawaii
There are plenty of things to do in Hawaiʻi, but you don’t need to plan every minute of your trip. Some days, you’ll be out exploring from breakfast until dinner. Other days, everyone may be ready to head back after a morning at the park.
Many of our accommodations are set up with families in mind, too. Select units have full kitchens, and every room includes a microwave and mini-fridge. You can also add in-room breakfast, which is stocked the night before. That means there’s no need to get everyone dressed and into the car first thing in the morning just to find breakfast.
That’s what we like about having families stay with us. You can spend the morning exploring the volcano, come back for lunch, take a break, and head back out when everyone is ready.
Check out our family-friendly lodging and start planning your family trip to Hawaii.