Big Island Scenic Day: a Waterfall Coming Out of a Lava Tube

The stop that separates this from every other Hilo day tour is Kawainui Falls, where the water comes out of a giant lava tube. The island's plumbing, made visible. Getting there means the Old Mamalahoa Highway on the Hamakua Coast, a winding road under tall trees with the ocean showing between them. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park covers the volcanic half: the caldera where Kilauea lives and erupts, an ancient lava tube to walk through, and steam vents you can feel the heat from. Rainbow Falls drops 80 feet off the Wailuku River, and on a sunny morning the rainbow appears in the mist. The banyan next to it is worth the photograph. In town: the Hilo Farmers Market, open seven days a week, with produce, local food and handmade work; the King Kamehameha statue, and what the chief who united the islands actually did; Lili'uokalani Gardens with its arched bridges and ponds; and Richardson's Beach, black sand, tide pools where green sea turtles gather, and time for a quick swim. Lunch is at a Hawaiian-style eatery, and cold drinks come with the day. Groups run to 13 people, the guides are local, and the minimum age is 5. Pick-up is available across the Hilo area, including the cruise terminal.