Despite being the largest island in the chain (it's twice as big as the others combined), Big Island is the least developed.
In a nutshell
Come here to see waterfalls, lush valleys and the only active volcanoes of the Hawaiian islands. At Hawaii Volcanoes National Park the earth is alive and the scenery changes from one day to the next. The sight of molten lava glowing at night is pretty unique. Kilauea, at the centre, is the 'drive-in volcano', with everyone flocking to see the latest spectacular eruption. Mauna Kea is the world's tallest mountain (when measured from its submarine base). There's fantastic hiking in the area, and south of here at Ka Lae is the southernmost point in the USA.
The Kona coast has swimming, snorkelling, surfing, scuba-diving and sailing. There are world-class golf courses and deep-sea fishing opportunities, and Kona coffee is grown here too. Also in the area are the old residences of Hawaii's monarchy, both ancient and modern.
North of Kona is South Kohala, which has the most sunshine of any part of the Hawaiian islands. There are more great beach activities, golf courses and excellent seafood restaurants.
Eats & drinks
There's all kinds of international, Asian, US and Hawaiian food on offer. The local shellfish must be sampled.
Getting there
Fly to LA with Virgin Atlantic (daily from Heathrow). Overnight in LA on the outbound journey, then catch an internal flight the next day to Kona, Big Island.
Additional info
Time difference - GMT -11 hours
Transfers
When tailor-making holidays, transfers are available at an additional cost:
Return airport transfers
Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel - £57pp
Hilton Waikoloa Village - £49pp
Limos
Feel like a film star and guarantee that your hotel is the first and only drop-off with this private limo transfer! All limo prices are per car for a one-way trip:
£289 - max 4 passengers
Please bear in mind that the luggage space is only that of a normal car.