Itinerary
DAY 1-2: SNORKEL AND LEARN REEF ECOLOGY IN KAHALU’U BAY
This is a favorite among our teen adventure programs, so we’ll start this trip in Kahalu’u Bay! 🏝️ Here we will discuss reef ecology with our knowledgeable guides and study different types of coral and exotic fish 🐠, along with reef etiquette to help protect the fragile ecosystems in the bay. This Hawai’i summer trip will include swimming and snorkeling alongside large populations of brightly colored marine life (parrotfish, peacock bass, eels, goatfish, and more) 🐢 in Kahalu’u Beach Park. The water is shallow, allowing the sunlight to reach all the way to the floor and creating incredibly abundant coral and sea-life. Hawaiian sea turtles are known to frequent the area, so keep an eye out for them! 🌊
Accommodation: Camping 🏕️
DAY 3-6: SURF THE KONA COAST AND NIGHT SNORKEL WITH MANTA RAYS
You can’t visit Hawai’i without learning how to surf! 🏄♂️ Throughout our trip, we’ll have three different days of professional surf instruction on the Kona coast, back at Kahalu’u Beach Park. This area is extremely well-suited for beginner surfers: A barrier rock wall shelters the cove, keeping the waves gentle. During our time on the coast, we’ll spend the afternoons relaxing on the white sands of the nearby Hapuna Beach, regularly voted one of the best beaches in the world. 🏖️ One night will be dedicated to a Kona specialty: snorkeling with manta rays! These gentle rays do not have sharp teeth or tail stingers, and we’ll get to float above and with them as they feed on plankton and glide in the lit-up water below. This is sure to be a huge highlight of the trip. 🌊
Accommodation: Camping 🏕️
DAY 7: SAIL THE KOHALA COAST
It’s time to harness the tradewinds for a day on the Kohala Coast 🌊. On this part of our program, we’ll learn how to sail a catamaran and cover topics like safety at sea, knot-tying, trimming sails, and more! 🛥️ Students love gliding atop the water they have been exploring underneath! As we sail, we’re likely to cruise alongside spinner and bottlenose dolphins 🐬 and maybe even false killer whales! We’ll take snorkeling breaks, joining the sea turtles 🐢 for a swim in the cool Pacific waters. The stony coral colonies here are part of a semi-contiguous system, making it one of the longest reefs in Hawai’i.
Accommodation: Camping 🏕️
DAY 8-9: HIKE IN HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Put on your hiking shoes 👟 and get ready to explore Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park 🌋, home to the famous Kilauea and Mauna Loa, for two days. Kilauea, meaning “much spreading,” is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and we’ll get up close and personal with a hike around the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater! 🌋🔥 According to Hawaiian mythology, Halemaʻumaʻu is the home to Pele, goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes. 🌬️⚡ Because of Kilauea’s continuous activity, the nearby landscape is largely barren, with a few endemic species thriving. This designated International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site 🌍 is always a crowd pleaser for our groups!
Accommodation: Camping 🏕️
DAY 10: HIKE TO GREEN SANDS BEACH
Officially known as Papakōlea Beach 🌊, Green Sand Beach is a beautiful secluded beach 🏖️ on the southern tip of the Big Island that we will have the pleasure of hiking to 🥾. Part of the base of Mauna Loa, the bright green olivine crystals covering the beach were formed during an eruption about 49,000 years ago 🌋. Olivine is a Hawaiian mineral found in its volcanoes’ lava. After a meadowland hike 🌿 down to this geologic oddity, we’ll explore the walls around the beach and admire the gorgeous teal water 🌊💎.
Accommodation: Camping 🏕️
DAY 11-13: HIKE TO WATERFALLS AND EXPLORE HILO
The historic town of Hilo brings many more adventures! 🌺 Over two days, we’ll hike 🥾 to the 80-foot-tall, 100-foot-wide Rainbow Falls 🌈, officially known as Waianuenue. On sunny days, dazzling rainbows dance around the area as the water plunges over a lava cave 🌋 and into the river below 💦. To top off our trip to Hilo, we’ll explore a lava cave system north of town! 🏞️
Accommodation: Camping 🏕️
DAY 14: ZIPLINE OVER UMAUMA RIVER AND EXPLORE AKAKA FALLS
You may have to pinch yourself to make sure you aren’t dreaming as you zipline over 14 rushing waterfalls 🌊, suspension bridges 🌉, and treetops 🌳. We will see beautiful panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean 🌊, the top of Mauna Kea 🏔️, and a view of a 100-foot waterfall! We will also cross a 200-foot suspension bridge that will take us 100 feet over a water-filled lava tube 🌋! We will come down from the exhilaration of ziplining by hiking to see a view of 422-foot Akaka Falls 🌿. We will meander through the lush rainforest filled with wild orchids, bamboo groves, and draping ferns to reach this magnificent view 🌺.
Accommodation: Camping 🏕️
DAY 15-18: SERVICE LEARNING
Get ready to learn about Hawaiian culture 🌺, native plants 🌿, and invasive species 🐢 as we dive into the community service portion of our program. We’ll camp 🏕️ with local families on their farms, and engage in projects like rehabilitating banana 🍌 and macadamia nut trees 🌰, learning more about sustainable agriculture 🌱 and how the local community utilizes abundant native species in the region 🌾. In addition, we’ll also volunteer at the local market garden 🥕 and food hub 🍎 while learning about sustainable Hawaiian farming practices 🌾. We will participate in a vetiver class 🌿, and if time allows, we’ll also work to help eradicate damaging invasive species 🦗. Students love this portion of the program to learn more about their surroundings 🌍 and connect with local families 🏠 that Bold Earth has long-standing relationships with. We are welcomed into locals' homes 🏡 and are treated like family 🤗. We are so thankful for our partners in Hawaii 🌺 who are able to expose us to Hawaiian culture and teach us more about the beautiful island we spend so much time exploring! 🌴
Accommodation: Camping🏕️
*Listed above is Bold Earth’s intended itinerary for this trip. All itineraries are subject to change in order to provide the best possible program quality.
Activities
✅ Community service: 8 hours
✅ Sailing
✅ Snorkeling
✅ Hiking
✅ Surfing
