Blink and you may think you’re in Japan as you stroll through peaceful Liliʻuokalani Gardens, named after Hawaiʻi's last reigning monarch, Queen Liliʻuokalani. Located on Hilo's Banyan Drive, this authentic, 24.67-acre Japanese garden was dedicated in 1917 as a tribute to Hawaiʻi's first Japanese immigrants who worked in the island of Hawaiʻi's sugar cane fields. This beautifully landscaped park features arching bridges over fishponds, rock gardens, pagodas, Japanese stone lanterns and a teahouse. Views of Hilo Bay and Mokuola (Coconut Island) enhance this peaceful setting. With so much to see, this is a popular park for families to explore while they’re visiting the Hilo area.

At ʻAkaka Falls State Park, located along the northeastern Hilo Coast, you can see two gorgeous waterfalls on one short hike. The pleasant 0.4-mile uphill hike will take you through a lush rainforest filled with wild orchids, bamboo groves and draping ferns. As you follow the paved footpath, you'll first see 100-foot Kahuna Falls. Continue to follow the loop around the bend, and you'll discover towering ʻAkaka Falls which plummets 442-feet into a stream-eroded gorge. Beautiful ʻAkaka Falls is perhaps the island of Hawaiʻi's most famous waterfall. Easily accessible, this hike takes less than an hour.

Rainbow Falls is an awe-inspiring waterfall that tumbles 80 feet into the Wailuku River that gushes below. Surrounded by lush tropical rainforest, this waterfall is easily reached from city centre Hilo as itʻs just a 5-minute drive away. Known as Waiānuenue in Hawaiian language, the name translates to “rainbow [seen in] water” and is befitting for these falls, as the rising sun commonly ignites a dazzling rainbow in the mist. Visit Rainbow Falls to experience the home of Hina, the ancient Hawaiian moon goddess, that is said to live within a lava cave encapsulated behind the falls. This peaceful oasis is a fantastic place to visit in the early morning to view the falls and explore the stunning natural environment that surrounds them.

These two geologic attractions line the 18-mile Wailuku River, the state’s second longest tributary. Part of Wailuku River State Park, their free, scenic lookouts are open during daylight hours and offer parking and bathrooms. The Boiling Pots is about 1.5 miles upstream from Rainbow Falls and is a succession of eroded, hollowed out lava formations that fill with the flow of the river. When the river is engorged with storm runoff, the “pots” fill to the brim, become turbulent and appear to “boil.” Access the Boiling Pots via Waianuenue Avenue to Peepee Falls Road. Pronounced peh-eh-peh-eh, Peepee Falls can also be seen from the Boiling Pots lookout.

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