Trip Moments Recommendations
#Mauna Kea Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)
Mauna Kea Tour Trip - Cold & Beautiful!
Prepare to wear layers after layers if you're not used to winter/the cold like I was! I totally should've worn more warming clothes! by the end of the 7 hours trip I was freezing!!!! especially the part where we got to see the stars and have an amazing experience watching the sun set - I couldn't enjoy it as much as our guides were sharing information with the laser cause I was too cold to get out of the car. might have even gotten some tiny frostbite! I highly recommend to wear very warm jackets, socks and even leg warmers. the shoes didn't need to be hiking ones as most people are only able to drive up with a jeep or join a tour. i recommend joining a tour since the corners can be dangerous/hard to turn if you're not living on the mountains already haha!
it was truly a magickal experience and not to be missed.
the one I went with was called the mauna kea tour experience by Hawaii Island Holidays on Viator! this is their contact number: +18083130368
Enjoy! #trip #instatravel #solotravel #solofemaletraveller #mountainview #hawaii #bigisland #coldweather #volcano #viator
Breathtaking Big Island Hawai’i
Big Island Hawaii is the largest of the islands in the Hawaii archipelago. maunakea is the crowning jewel of this incredible island. On the big island you will find mountains so high they are often snow capped and the temperature goes well into freezing at night. Only a two hour drive will take you to the most stunning beaches right across from tropical rainforest boasting thousands of species of birds and other incredible wildlife unique to the Hawaiian islands. The diversity in landscape on the big island is truly legendary and remarkable. Nowhere else in the world can you go from the beach, the tropical rainforest and up to the mountains so high that it snows in the middle of summer!
visit the big island soon and you’ll have the choice between hundreds of high-quality and professional touring company’s that will spoil you with luxury, amaze you with scenery and treat you with the aloha spirit of kindness and love.
 #travel #wanderlust #travelling #traveller #travelphotography #instatravel #adventure #journey #travelgram #travelpassion #travellifestyle #myjourney #wonderlust #trip #ilovetravel #camping #traveling #traveladdicted #travelgoals #traveljournal #igtravel #traveladdict #travelpics #bestvacations #travelphotos #traveler #tourist #travelblog #tourism #hiking
You can admire the sea of clouds and sunset in Mauna Kea by nightfall. It would be freezing in the mountain, but cotton-padded overcoats are available. You can have a lunch and some ice-cold beers in brewery. UCC coffee garden is on the slope of volcano. You can enjoy sunshine and wonderful coastline here. If you like bake, do remember reservation in advance!
Sunset on the Big Island of Hawaii
How to enjoy the sunset of a lifetime on the Big Island of Hawaii
During my few days on the Big Island, I never had the chance to formally see the sunset. Either because I misremembered the sunset time and was rushing in the mountains, or because the clouds were so dense that I was panting to catch up. Until the last evening, at Mauna Kae, I finally witnessed a beautiful sunset that I will remember for half a lifetime😭
Before departure, I was indecisive. The guide described the difficult road up the mountain, and although I rented a four-wheel drive, the fear of the unknown made me start looking for a guided tour up the mountain. However, I was scared off by the high price of $750 for a chartered car🙂 Strictly speaking, it was money that drove me to face the fear of the unknown🙂
The road to Mauna Kae is divided into two sections: the first is to navigate to the Mauna Kae Visitor Information Station; the second is from the visitor information station to the observatory (no navigation required, there is only one road).
The first section of the road leads to the visitor center, which is a normal mountain road without much difficulty. On the way, you will pass through the clouds, visibility is low, and it may rain lightly (see picture 14). Drive slowly, this road is very beautiful, with quiet rain and fog, strange plants, and a sudden drop in temperature, full of mystery and emotion. At the visitor center at an altitude of about 2000 meters, you can stop for a while to adapt to the high-altitude environment and use the restroom (the restroom is very clean, and if you continue to go up, there are basically mobile restrooms). But if it's close to sunset time, if your body allows, it's best not to stop and queue up the mountain as soon as possible. The queue will be checked one by one by the ranger, who will teach you how to shift gears when going up and down the mountain, and will also chat a few words. If the queue is long, it is likely to miss the sunset.
The second section of the road is described as a terrifying mountain road in various guides, but if you have driven on more primitive mountain roads in China, this road is nothing! The first three-quarters are dirt roads covered with small stones (but it feels like they have been leveled), and the last quarter is a well-paved asphalt road. Proceed slowly in the correct gear throughout the journey, and when there are no other vehicles, try to drive close to the center of the road, and there will be no big problems! About manual shifting, we checked various materials a few days in advance, memorized various fancy skills, and found that even if you don't know anything, when you face the ranger, they will patiently teach you how to shift gears and which gear to use when going up and down the mountain. This is not complicated! You will understand it as soon as you hear it! It even seems that the same gear is used for going up and down the mountain, and the ranger teaches the safest way. In fact, we still shifted to other gears at a slower speed on some sections of the road. If you are not an old driver, you should follow the instructions! Safety first!
Drive all the way to the end, and you will reach the observatory at the top of the mountain. The altitude here exceeds 4000 meters. If you are worried about altitude sickness, you can refer to my experience. Generally speaking, when the altitude exceeds 2000 meters, I will feel dizzy, and if I stay for a long time, I will have symptoms of headache and nausea; when the altitude exceeds 4000 meters, I will stay in bed and not get up🙂 We stayed at the observatory for forty minutes, and only in the last five minutes did I clearly feel dizzy, my eyes were spinning, and my ears were ringing, so as long as the time is not too long, you don't need to worry too much about altitude sickness.
Popular Topics
# awesomepic
# tripblazers
# urbanexplorer
# mytripvlog
# summervacation
Recommended Attractions at Popular Destinations