Hawaii (The Nano Continent)
Author: Carolyn Koenig
March 2007
Features
The Big Island encompasses 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones, sheltering lush rainforests with giant tree ferns, sunny beaches, moonscape-like fields of chunky brown lava and sub-alpine dry forests.
In winter, snow caps Mauna Kea and you could, if you had the notion, ski or snowboard in the morning and swim in the Pacific in the afternoon.
Its two dominant landmarks—Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa—rise more than 13,000 feet above sea level; if measured from their true base on the ocean floor, each would tower more than 32,000 feet, making them the tallest mountains in the world. Atop Mauna Kea, as you peer into giant telescopes, your world view reaches the stars.
With 4,028 square miles, it’s also the largest of the Hawaiian archipelago. And it’s still growing, lava flow by lava flow, from the depths of Kilauea Volcano out to the sea. (You can actually witness its pyrotechnics, a show that’s been going on almost continuously since 1983).
“People who come from the mainland really like the different perspective you can get here,” says Laurie Jo Rogers, owner of Destinations in Paradise, a Big Island-based DMC. “You can easily go from the coast to a different climatic environment, and there's so much to do."
For meeting planners, this geographic diversity is also echoed by a wide variety of event venues and activities that take meetings on the Big Island way beyond the realm of ordinary. Set up your tables oceanside, under the stars, surrounded by palm trees gently whispering in breeze. Line up tee times for your golfers in designer-named courses carved out of lava rock. Snorkel in pristine waters that harbor marine life that exists nowhere in the world but Hawaii.
Then wrap your meeting in the warmth of the aloha spirit, which comes naturally here, says George Applegate, executive director of the Big Island Visitors Bureau. It was the birthplace and home of King Kamehameha, the ruler who united the islands in the 19th century, and has a rich cultural history. “This is where it all began; we still live the aloha spirit.”
HONING YOUR GPS
This youngest of Hawaiian islands, created by the successive eruptions of five volcanoes from the ocean floor, is 93 miles long and 76 miles across at its widest. When the first Polynesian voyagers reached Hawaii, more than 800,000 years ago, they’re said to have landed at South Point, at Ka Lae—which is now the southernmost tip of the United States.
But the important compass points to remember are east and west. If you think of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa as the island’s north-south “spine,” the mountains serve as a division between the western and the eastern sides—which are diametric as well as geographic opposites. Yet, each has its own intrinsic beauty and environments.
The western side is lined by the fabled Kona-Kohala Coast, favored with perpetually sunny days and idyllic nights. Kohala is the island’s “Riviera,” with posh hotels and equally posh real estate. It’s linked with the Kona Coast, the center of the island’s regal history, by the laid-back harbor town of Kailua-Kona, which has a colorful mix of dining, art galleries and boutiques, plus significant cultural sites.
“One question I’m always asked is ‘when should I come to Hawaii?’” says the bureau’s Applegate. “I always say, ‘Any time,’ because the Kohala Coast gets only 6-8 inches of rain a year. It’s a meeting planner’s dream.”
Following the pattern of the trade winds, the east side of the island personifies the tropics, with 120–200 inches of rain annually. Here’s where you’ll find primeval-like rainforests, shimmering waterfalls and lush vegetation, including the orchids that gave the island its nickname (The Orchid Isle). Here’s also where you’ll find Hilo, the largest community on the island and its commercial hub. Although the city is growing, reinvigorating the downtown with galleries and museums, it still evokes the charm of old-time Hawaii. Hilo is also home to the University of Hawaii-Hilo and the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, one of the most popular events in the state.
Adding a little drama to the map, the windswept Hamakua Coast caps the north with rugged lava cliffs and pounding surf, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, south of Hilo, is home to Kilauea Volcano and ancient lava tubes huge enough to tour.
BOTH SIDES NOW
Because of its size, the Big Island is the least crowded of the Hawaiian islands. But that doesn’t mean it’s undiscovered. Recent statistics from the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism showed a 3.9 percent increase in arrivals for the fourth quarter of 2006, outpacing the state’s 2.9 percent increase as a whole. (This is a continuing spike, and post-October 2006 earthquake, by the way.)
The upswing can be attributed to the island’s unsurpassed opportunities for relaxation and adventure—and the trend of time-pressed business travelers either adding a few extra days on their own, or bringing their families for a mini-vacation. Some companies—like DaimlerChrysler, says Harmony Cordeira, sales manager on the Big Island for Panache Destination Management, a DMC specializing in incentives and corporate meetings—plan incentives specifically for families during the holidays.
Also, increased airlift made access to the Big Island even easier in 2006, Applegate says. Last June, ATA Airlines added nonstop service from Oakland to Hilo and plans are to launch nonstop service from Oakland to Kona this coming June.
WHERE TO MEET
Not surprisingly, most of the Big Island’s meeting properties are on the Kohala Coast, where seven major resorts hug the coastline, ranging from the Hilton Waikoloa Village, whose conference center is tucked seamlessly into the grounds, to the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, whose new Hale Koaloha Pavilion is a columnless, open-air venue. South of Kailua-Kona, the newly renovated Sheraton Keauhou Bay provides a freestanding conference center.
“The Sheraton was consistently there for my group, no matter what,” says Monika Rogers, executive administrative assistant and event planner for Starbucks Coffee International’s Asia Pacific Group. Rogers brought 150 attendees from around the Pacific Rim for a regional business meeting, where they added activities such as island tours, scuba diving, swimming with manta rays and a catamaran cruise. “Because we travel so much, many of the group brought their families,” she says. “The Sheraton even offered us a rate for five days before and five days after.”
On the eastern side, Naniloa Volcanoes Resort in Hilo is the primary meeting spot and the area’s only true luxury resort, although Volcano House, its sister property located in the national park, has views of the Kilauea Caldera and Halemaumau Crater that may make it the most unique venue on the island. (See the chart on page 76 for detailed Big Island hotel information.)
Other meetings options on the Hilo side include Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii, which opened a year ago on nine acres near the University of Hawaii in Hilo. This $28-million, 40,000-square-foot exhibition and planetarium complex features a special events hall that can seat up to 240 people.
The University of Hawaii at Hilo Conference Center hosts a variety of organizations, varying from professional and educational meetings to research-oriented seminars and programs. It can accommodate 600 for a function and up to 1,000 for a reception.
It’s not uncommon, however, for groups meeting in Kona or Kohala to drive to Hilo, exploring the north coast in between and the city’s museums, botanical gardens and historical sites. Conversely, “I have groups that fly into Hilo and drive over to the Kohala Coast,” says Panache’s Cordeira.
UNIQUE VENUES AND ATTRACTIONS
With all the diversity the Big Island has to offer, feel free to act like a kid in a sandbox and dig in. And speaking of sand, you’ll find black sand, white sand, salt-and-pepper sand—even green sand beaches (it’s due to olivine, a volcanic mineral).
If you’d like your group to have a day on the beach, complete with toys (kayaks, boogie boards, hydrobikes, volleyball, etc.), look no further than Ocean Sports, which offers a Beach Bash at Aneho'omalu, a white-sand beach in Waikoloa Resort. And if you want to add a little “Wow” factor, take a tip from Panache’s Cordeiro and board your group on a catamaran out of Kawaihae Harbor on the North Kohala Coast and, after a pretty sunset sail, bring them to their own beach party in style. “It sure beats arriving in a motorcoach,” she says with a laugh. (A-beach, as it’s nicknamed, is the only privately owned and managed beach on the island, which means you can arrange a Beach Bash day or night.)
Ocean Sports also offers snorkeling, sailing or whale-watching charters aboard their catamarans, as do other local companies including Fair Wind Cruises, which has two catamarans, the 60-foot Fair Wind II and 55-foot Hula Kai. Cruise on the Hula Kai along the Kona Coast and the boat’s underwater hydrophone system will allow you to actually hear the whales sing.
Ecotourism is a “natural” here on the Big Island, and Hawaii Forest & Trail is one of the pioneers. The company offers seven eco-friendly tours varying from easy to mildly difficult that go into private reserves and forests, up to the summit of Mauna Kea and into Volcanoes National Park.
Another option is AgVentures, which gives your group a one-on-one opportunity to experience both the land and the people who farm it. Given the Big Island’s agricultural bounty, the program’s farm visits can include coffee plantations, orchid gardens and organic produce farms—all hosted by the families themselves.
Or, try Hummer Safari Tours, which will take you on trails inaccessible to the public in convertible H1 Hummers, which seat 8, for a three-hour excursion with a local guide. You’ll navigate the rugged terrain of the spectacular Kohala Mountain Rainforest in a trip that features scenic waterfalls, native Hawaiian plant life, pristine riverbeds and a stop where you’ll swim in a hidden waterfall.
For another “real Hawaii” experience, walk-trot or canter to Parker Ranch, one of the largest cattle ranches in the U.S. and one of the oldest (it celebrates its 160th anniversary this year). Here Hawaiian paniolos (cowboys) work the cattle as they have since the days of King Kamehameha I, who recognized the commercial potential of cattle he had received as a gift. Saddle up with Cowboys of Hawaii for either a horseback or an ATV adventure that goes from past to present, immersing your group in the spectacular island panorama of grasslands, mountains and ocean views. You can also meet there: the ranch’s historic home can host up to 120 for a reception; its garden can accommodate up to 400. If you’ve got the group, they’ve got the space: the rodeo arena grandstand seats up to 1,200.
Hawaii is renowned for its lush gardens and tropical vegetation, and two gardens near Hilo are prime examples. Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is a nature preserve in a valley set on Onomea Bay with meandering trails, waterfalls, ocean vistas and a vast variety of rare and exotic plants—more than 2,000 species and counting. A virtual greenhouse, Nani Mau Gardens has 20 acres of artistically landscaped displays. Both can host outdoor events for small groups.
For the more adventuresome, go flightseeing (Blue Hawaiian Helicopters; to the island's star attraction, Volcanoes National Park, with the ever-active Kilauea.
And if your group’s pleasures run more toward golf and spa treatments—need we mention that diversity? The island’s a paradise for golfers, with 20 scenic and challenging courses to satisfy the best of them. World-class spas will soothe your attendees indoors, or outdoors in private hales where nearby ocean waves add their own relaxing, rhythmic ambience.
“We have a saying here,” says the bureau’s Applegate. “You’re in Hawaii, but are you on Hawaii?” Increasingly, planners who want an authentic Hawaii experience are answering “Yes.”
