Starting on Nov. 1, all of West Maui—except for historic Lahaina—will reopen to tourism, according to Maui Mayor Richard Bissen.

This speeds up the city’s initial plan of reopening the area in phases, which began on Oct. 6, two months after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than century ravaged Lahaina and killed at least 99 people.

Bissen said he made the move after discussions with his Lahaina advisory team, the Red Cross and other partners. Housing for displaced wildfire survivors will not be affected.

Courtesy of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority

West Maui has about 11,000 hotel rooms—half of the total rooms on the entire island—and this area has long been popular with visitors to the Valley Isle. The return of visitors will kickstart an economy still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and now the August wildfires.

“No one in Hawai‘i will ever forget the tragedy that our friends, families, loved ones, and colleagues in Lahaina are enduring,” said Daniel Nāho‘opi‘i, chief administrative officer of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. “The response from residents statewide and by people around the world to support Maui’s recovery has been incredible and inspiring. Now is the time for people everywhere to show their support for Maui by booking trips, making restaurant reservations, and frequenting Maui’s retail stores and attractions that support workers and their families.”

If you’re planning to travel to West Maui, here’s what you should do:

• Check with individual accommodations, activities and businesses in West Maui to see if they’re open and what are their hours of operations.
• The rest of Maui—which includes Hāna, Wailea, Wailuku and Upcountry Maui—are open. Consider staying in a hotel or B&B in these areas.
• Support local businesses. When you’re planning on where to eat, grab coffee or buy souvenirs, patronize a shop or eatery that’s locally owned.
• Consider volunteering or donating to an organization that’s helping Maui victims, including the Maui Food Bank, Maui Humane Society or to the Maui Strong Fund.
• Be kind, show empathy and be patient. Businesses have had to cut hours and staff. Service might be slower than you remember—or would like. But the island and its people have been recovering from a devastating loss. Show kindness.

For travel updates to Maui, visit here.

Fani Leilua drove all the way from Salt Lake City, Utah—more than 400 miles!—to eat at Zippy’s on the day it opened in Las Vegas.

“When you fly into Hawaiʻi that’s the first stop you make and always the last stop because it‘s always something you wanna take back home,” she said in a video provided by the restaurant chain. “Knowing that it’s not only in Hawaiʻi, it’s going to be out here in Vegas, so it’s not too far from us now. It’s only a drive away. We can always drive down and get some ʻono food. It’s cool. It’s exciting.”

The grand opening of the restaurant at 7095 Badura Ave. on Oct. 10—and 10:10 a.m.—was filled with Hawaiʻi-style fanfare, from a traditional Hawaiian blessing and untying of a maile lei to Hawaiian chants and hula.

Halau performed hula outside the new Zippy’s Restaurant in Las Vegas on Oct. 10.
Photo: Courtesy of Zippy’s Restaurants

Thousands of people from all over—many with ties to the Islands—lined up outside the restaurant, located 15 minutes from The Strip. Many had been waiting four years for the restaurant chain to open here, after it announced its plans to expand to the Ninth Island (what locals call Las Vegas) in 2019. The opening was delayed due to the pandemic.

“This day just felt like it took forever to get to, so we are really excited,” said Jay Kaneshiro, vice president of operations at FCH Enterprises, the parent company of the restaurant chain. “I know the team here is doing an awesome job of preparing and getting ready.”

The company hired more than 200 employees to work at its Las Vegas location.

The restaurant, which has 22 locations on three islands in Hawaiʻi, features a menu of local favorites, including chili, Korean fried chicken and the popular Zip Pac. Napoleon’s Bakery—with dobash cakes, cornbread and malasadas—opened, too.

The roughly 8,000-square-foot restaurant is about the same size and layout as the company’s Waipiʻo, ʻEwa and Mililani locations, with take-out, dine-in and a bakery. The company also built a central kitchen—there’s one on Oʻahu, too—that will produce food and bakery items for future Zippy’s locations.

A mural by curated by Hawaiʻi artists Jeff Gress and Kamea Hadar from the collective World Wide Walls outside Zippy’s new location in Las Vegas.
Photo: Courtesy of Zippy’s Restaurants

Zippy’s also made donations to four community partners in celebration of its opening. Three Square, Opportunity Village, The Just One Project and the Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club each received a donation of $10,000 in recognition of the services that they provide to those in need in the local Las Vegas community.

“In Hawaiʻi, as in many other places, tradition dictates that when you are invited to someone else’s house, you never arrive empty-handed,” said Kevin Yim, vice president of marketing for the restaurant chain. “So, as we enter Las Vegas, a place that isn’t our homeland, we come bearing gifts to those already of this place. We hope that these gifts market the start of a relationship between the people of Las Vegas, its community leaders and our own Zippy’s staff.”

Zippy’s Restaurant, 7095 Badura Ave., Las Vegas, Nevada, zippys.com.

Starting on Sunday, Oct. 6, visitors will be allowed to parts of West Maui, almost two months after deadly wildfires destroyed much of the coastal town of Lahaina and killed at least 97 people. It’s the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in over a century.

Maui County’s first phase of reopening on Sunday will be the resort area stretching from The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, south to Kahana Villa. (See map.) Following that, more areas will reopen on a rolling basis.

The only locations on Maui that have been completely closed have been historic Lahaina Town and the surrounding areas impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires.

“Our priorities have focused on the well-being of our people and that will continue to be critically important,” said Mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement. “Six weeks ago, we focused on searching for unaccounted loved ones and supporting the safety and health of survivors. As we take careful steps forward in an unprecedented disaster, addressing our West Maui visitor industry, their employees, and the local businesses that work in conjunction with the industry requires planning that will get us to a manageable re-opening.”

After this initial phase, the plan is to reopen areas from Māhinahina to the Maui Kāʻanapali Villas, then the area from the Royal Lahaina Resort to the Hyatt Regency.

The rest of Maui has been open to visitors—even encouraged—to help stimulate the island’s economy, which stalled right after the wildfires. Those areas include popular visitors spots like Wailea, Kahului and Hāna.

The reopening of West Maui has spurred protests by residents and Lahaina Strong members, who staged a rally at the state Capitol this week. They urged Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green to delay the planned reopening, carrying a petition with more than 11,000 signatures.

Some Lahaina residents who have been displaced by the wildfires have only recently been allowed back into their neighborhoods to see what’s left of their homes and businesses. Many haven’t been back yet.

But Maui businesses are eager to see visitors return to the island, as many are still recovering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, which approved a $2.6 million marketing campaign to encourage travel to Maui, is asking that visitors be respectful and not visit the Lahaina area or the parts of West Maui that are still closed.

A prime example of this can be found in the recent discovery of the Clermontia hanaulaensis, a new addition to the Clermontia family. The Clermontia hanaulaensis was spotted by botanist Hank Oppenheimer of the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP), a partnership with DLNR and the University of Hawai‘i. During a routine survey of the area, Oppenheimer decided to look over a ridge he hadn’t explored before, and was surprised to find a patch of these rare plants growing right out in the open, with just over 80 adults and 20 seedlings spread out over an area the size of roughly 10 football fields. “I decided to just turn a different way and look over a ridge I hadn’t explored before and there they were,” said Oppenheimer. “They looked very different from other Clermontia.”

Clermontia is a genus of plants that evolved in Hawai‘i and is found nowhere else in the world. They grow as small shrub-like trees in cloud forests, wet and mesic forests, bogs and shrublands. Their long, paddle-shaped leaves grow atop branches that fork like a candelabra. Urban gardeners might compare their growth to non-native plumeria, but Clermontia flowers are long, spreading tubes sheltered by their leaves above. This species flower is lavender and white.

Although the plant was actually spotted in 2020, it took years for botanists from around the state to verify that the Clermontia hanaulaensis was in fact a new species and not a a hybrid of other Clermontia species. Botanists also had to study the plant’s leaves and flowers, comparing them to herbarium specimens and photos to confirm that it is a previously undiscovered species.

While the discovery of a new plant, especially one unique to Hawaiʻi, is a joyous occasion, the species is already already being considered for a critically endangered status. There are many threats to the Clermontia hanaulaensis, some of which include introduced plants, slugs, pigs and rats which eat seeds and fruit. Axis deer are also a major threat to plant-life on Maui, the the spread of the Clermontia hanaulaensis’s population is hindered by the lack of native forest birds in the area due to mosquito-spread avian malaria.

Fortunately, the plant was found by PEPP and seeds have already been collected to hopefully ensure the species’s survival. The land that the plants were found on is also not state protected land, however the landowner has been a longtime conservation partner.

For more information about PEPP, visit pepphi.org.

Roy and Kathy Sakuma, the founders of the ʻUkulele Festival Hawaiʻi nonprofit organization, are back at it again.

Knowing full-well how healing music can be, the Sakumas are donating over 800 ʻukulele to various Maui organizations and institutions who will help get the instruments into the hands of those who have been directly affected by the Maui wildfires.

“For more than 50 years, our mission has always been to bring laughter, love and hope to everyone through the music of the ‘ukulele, which is why we want to show our love and support to the Maui community through our ‘Ukulele Gift of Hope,” said the Sakumas. “The need for emotional healing is an integral part of recovery, and we hope the joy of the ‘ukulele will add to the healing process for everyone impacted directly on Maui, especially our keiki.”

Roy and Kathy Sakuma.
Photo: Courtesy of ʻUkulele Festival Hawaiʻi

Partnering with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, many of the ʻukulele will be delivered to the Kākoʻo Maui Relief & Aid Services Center in Kahului, which will make sure that the instruments are delivered to families and keiki who need them most.

“Aloha is more than just a word as it embodies a way of life deeply rooted in the soul of Hawai‘i, and over the past few weeks, I have had a front-row seat to that aloha, and the generosity from all over has been nothing short of overwhelming,” said Kūhiō Lewis, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. “We would like to send a heartfelt mahalo to both Roy and Kathy for opening their hearts to the people of Maui and lifting their spirits through music and the ‘ukulele.”

LISTEN: Have Aloha Will Travel EP50: Talk Story with Famed ʻUkulele Instructor Roy Sakuma

And this gift of music just keeps on giving. The Sakumas—who are staying busy since the final ʻUkulele Festival Hawaiʻi in 2022— are using their organization’s name and publicity to help educate and promote other ʻukulele-related events around Hawaiʻi, and the Sakumas are planning to hand-deliver some of the ʻukulele donations to families on Maui. In addition to their donation efforts, the Sakumas will be providing motivational talks at Baldwin High School on Oct. 5 and at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa on Oct. 6. The campaign continues at the ‘Ukulele Workshop at the MACC on Oct. 7 before culminating at the 16th Annual Maui ‘Ukulele Festival also at the MACC on Oct. 8.

Roy Sakuma at the 42nd ʻUkulele Festival Hawaiʻi.
Photo: Courtesy of ʻUkulele Festival Hawaiʻi

Also at the 16th Annual Maui ‘Ukulele Festival, vintage ʻUkulele Festival Hawaiʻi t-shirts will be sold—with some dating as far back as 1999. Of course, in the spirit of giving and aloha, all proceeds made from the t-shirt sales will go directly to the Maui Food Bank.

“We would like to send our heartfelt mahalo to our donors along with the Hawai’i Community Foundation and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement for their integral role in our campaign and supporting our mission of bringing smiles back to the faces of Maui’s keiki and families through the ‘ukulele,” added the Sakumas. And if you’d like to donate to help get even more instruments into the hands of those who need it most at the moment, you can make a monetary contribution at the ʻUkulele Festival Hawaiʻi’s Maui relief page.

Traveling to Maui right now is a complicated subject. After the disastrous Maui wildfires that affected large parts of West Maui and some sections of Kula, the Valley Isle was sent into a state of recovery as thousands of residents were left without jobs, homes and even loved ones. But what we’re seeing from businesses, employers and the state’s tourism authority is that, right now, Maui travel is still encouraged—just not to West Maui, yet. So here’s what you should know if you’re planning a trip to the Valley Isle.

Maui is Open to Visitors

During the weeks following the fires, many news outlets, social media influencers and even us at HAWAIʻI Magazine told visitors that Maui was closed off to visitors, and that plans should be canceled or rerouted to another island. It’s clear to us now that that is very much not the case, and while West Maui is still currently closed off to the public, the rest of the island continues to be open to visitors. Not only is it open to visitors, but travel is encouraged, as many Maui businesses have had to lay off staff or shutter due to the rapid decrease in tourism to the island.

The black sand beach at Waiʻānapanapa State Park. Photo: Getty Images

“No one in Hawai‘i will ever forget the tragedy that our friends, families, loved ones, and colleagues in Lahaina are enduring,” said Daniel Nāho‘opi‘i, Chief Administrative Officer of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. “The response from residents statewide and by people around the world to support Maui’s recovery has been incredible and inspiring. Now is the time for people everywhere to show their support for Maui by booking trips, making restaurant reservations, and frequenting Maui’s retail stores and attractions that support workers and their families.”

Treat Maui Travel Differently

While we encourage Maui visitors to enjoy the island in their own way, going with a mālama (to care for, to preserve) mindset is a great way to travel to Maui while also helping the island in its recovery efforts. So what does having a mālama mindset mean? Well, instead of going to a large fast food chain like McDonalds for lunch, go to a locally owned and operated eatery instead. And while you’re on Maui, support businesses financially by buying your goodies and take-home gifts and local Maui stores and businesses.

Local bakery Baked on Maui.
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

You can also look for voluntourism activities to do on island, and a great resource for that can be found at the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority’s Mālama Hawaiʻi program, which even offers volunteers rewards and discounts on accommodations and more.

But most of all, it’s important that visitors come to Maui with a sense of aloha and a deep well of patience. While the island is open to visitors, many of its residents are still healing from the trauma. The fires were catastrophic, and even those not directly affected by the flame are still reeling from the shock. So if you come with respect and aloha, you can expect the same in return.

West Maui Reopens Oct. 8

On Sep. 8, Gov. Josh Green made a statewide announcement that on Oct. 8, the West Maui communities of Kā‘anapali, Nāpili, Honokōwai and Kapalua will fully reopen.

Governor Green stated, “Beginning October 8, all travel restrictions will end and West Maui will be open to visitors again, so people from Hawaiʻi and around the world can resume travel to this special place and help it begin to recover economically. This difficult decision is meant to bring hope for recovery to the families and businesses on Maui that have been so deeply affected in every way by the disaster.”

Kāʻanapali Beach on Maui’s west side.
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Lahaina itself will remain fully closed to the public until further notice, out of respect for the town’s residents. There are still numerous cleanup and recovery programs in place to clear hazardous debris and materials from the wildfire, and access is strictly prohibited except for Lahaina residents.

Maui is Still Maui

ʻĪao Valley.
Photo: Rolland and Jessica

While the severity of the Maui wildfires can not be underplayed, much of the island is still the same Maui visitors and residents know and love. Wailuku is still home to eccentric cafes and art studios, ʻIao Needle continues to wow visitors and residents with its towering glory, and the winding Road to Hāna is still highlighted with roadside waterfalls and jaw-dropping views. So rest easy if you’ve already booked travel plans to Maui, the island and its wonderful views, beaches, activities and more are still there for you.

UPDATE: Sep. 19, 2023

In a video posted by the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, greenery blooms in a sea of dead leaves. It is none other than the Lahaina Banyan Tree, which has acted as a ray of hope for Lahaina locals and residents who lost everything in the deadly Maui wildfires last month. The tree—and the Lahaina community—however, stands strong. While a number of volunteers immediately began to help rehabilitate the tree by airing out its soil, treating it with a nutrient-rich compost and making sure it was getting watered daily, there was still no way to know for sure if the historic banyan tree was going to make it.

However, life finds a way. After just over a month since the blazing fires, new clusters of green leaves have begun sprouting on its massive branches. Better yet—as seen in the video—numerous bunches of greenery and plant life have also started to grow around the tree and on its soil. These are all positive indicators for the tree’s health, which was also aided by a blessing from Kumu Kapono Kamaunu. The volunteer group—which is made of up Maui arborists, landscapers and volunteers—who helped manage the tree’s recovery has also begun working on saving the historic ʻulu (breadfruit) trees in the area as well any other surviving historic trees.

Photo: Courtesy of DLNR

In times like this, where so much tragedy has befallen a community Hawaiʻi loves, the Lahaina Banyan Tree gives hope. It’s a reminder that, even in a place that was essentially burned to the ground, life can find a way. And with enough help, perseverance and time, things can get better—and new life can begin to grow again.

UPDATE: Sep. 6, 2023

While the Lahaina banyan tree has yet to rebound back to its pre-fire splendor, signs of life are very much there, according to landscape contractor Chris Imonti.

“We did root samples last week and we had very good news as far as new life in the roots. A lot of new roots shooting off. We tested the moisture and arborist Steve Nims, who is the unofficial leader of the Banyan Tree hui has analyzed all the treatments and he is out today putting sensors on the tree to measure growth rates. With the compost tea we are seeing good results and as long as we give it enough love, I think it’s going to be fine,” Imonti commented.

A volunteer spreading alfalfa around the base of the Lahaina banyan tree.
Photo: Courtesy of DLNR

Additional measures have been put into place by the hui (group) who are caring for Lahaina banyan tree and working towards its restoration. The ground and soil around the tree is being regularly aerated, and it is often being treated with a “tree-loving soup,” a mix of nutrients Imonti himself formulated for the recovering banyan. Additionally, volunteers are spreading chopped up alfalfa, a legume—a soil enhancing green manure—around the base of the tree to aid in its recovery.

For many, the Lahaina banyan tree serves as a ray of hope for Lahaina residents, who lost everything in the Maui wildfires. Not only that, the tree serves as a special place for many, whether they were using it to serve as the perfect backdrop for a wedding proposal or just as a shady spot to rest from the sun. “I’ve been here for years and years so, like many others, I have a personal attachment to the tree,” says Imonti. “To me, it’s a symbol of hope. We’re taking it to heart to try to bring back the tree, to give some hope to Lāhainā. We don’t know what’s down the line, but I think it’s going to be a new beginning for everybody.”

ORIGINAL STORY: Aug. 17, 2023

Amidst the unimaginable tragedy that has been the Maui wildfires, a ray of hope still stands. The historic Lahaina banyan tree is still alive—according to expert arborist Steve Nimz. According to Nimz, who inspected the tree over the weekend and found live tissue in the tree’s cambium, the layer just below the bark, the tree shows signs that it could recover and that there isn’t reason to give up hope on it.

The Lahaina banyan tree is one of the oldest in Hawaiʻi. It was planted in Lahaina on April 24, 1873, by William Owen Smith, the sheriff of the town at the time. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant mission in Lahaina, the exotic Indian banyan stood only 8 feet tall. The tree quickly began to expand its root system with new roots and trunks sprouting up—and the community adored the tree.

Experts assessing the Lahaina banyan tree after wildfires scorched the town.
Photo: Courtesy of the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources

Today, the tree stands over 60 feet high. It has 46 major trunks, and it provided ample shaded space for locals and visitors to escape the Lahaina sun. And it’s likely due to its exceptional growth and large number of trunks and aerial roots it has grown over the years that it survived the disastrous fires that engulfed the town.

But the road to recovery is long. For Lahaina, and Maui, it will take years before the island is able to feel a sense of normalcy after such a devastating event. And for the Lahaina banyan tree, arborists like Nimz are doing everything they can. A team of arborists have formulated a daily watering program for the tree, and local contractor Goodfellow Bros. will utilize its water trucks to keep the Lahaina banyan sufficiently watered.

A protective area has been established around the tree.
Photo: Courtesy of the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources

Other efforts will also be put into play. Despite the soil underneath the top layer not being burned, an additional 2-inch layer of compost will be laid around the tree to provide additional nutrients to the banyan. The preexisting soil will also be aerated to allow optimal drainage when the tree is watered. A protected zone around the tree has also been designated with signs and fencing, and kumu Kapono Kamaunu blessed the tree over the weekend to help aid its recovery.

Ultimately, time will tell if the Lahaina banyan tree ever makes a full recovery. While a team is dedicated to its recovery, the tree has yet to “wake up” and show signs of recovery. And much like Lahaina itself, with this kind of trauma, only time and support can make a difference. But there’s hope that people will sit under this grand banyan again.

If you’re like me, you’re already looking for cheap flights and hotel rooms on Hawaiʻi Island.

News about the most recent eruption at Kīlauea—which started on Sept. 10 and continues to amaze with fountaining lava within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater—has sent visitors flocking to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park this week.

The three recommended eruption viewing areas are Kīlauea Overlook, Kūpinaʻi Pali, and the eruption viewing overlook near Keanakākoʻi. Parking (numbered) is available near each overlook (volcano symbol). However, you may be required to hike from other parking areas, if parking is full. Map courtesy of the National Park Service.

Hilo is one of my favorite towns in Hawaiʻi—check out our latest issue, coming out next month, to read more about it!—and there’s a lot more to do here than you may think. So if you’re planning a trip to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, stop (or stay) in Hilo, at least for the day.

Where To Stay

The SCP Hilo Hotel.
Photo: Courtesy of SCP Hilo Hotel.

Hotels near Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park are booking up fast—I know, I checked—so best to secure lodging as soon as possible.

Volcano House is a great option if you want to stay as close to the action as possible. The historic 33-room retreat—the original house was built in 1846—is located within the national park. The rooms aren’t the most luxurious—hey, you’re here to see the volcano!—but you can’t beat the view: The hotel overlooks the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater at the summit of Kīlauea. (Get breakfast at the hotel restaurant, The Rim.)

The Grand Naniloa Hilo, a DoubleTree by Hilton is a local favorite—and one of the biggest hotels in Hilo. (It boasts 32o newly refreshed rooms and suites.) It’s located right on Hilo Bay and rooms offer great views of the ocean and Mauna Kea in the distance. The drive to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park takes about 45 minutes, but you’re within walking distance from Hilo Town.

BOOK YOUR STAY

If you’re into traveling green, check out SCP Hilo, a newly renovated eco-friendly hotel on Banyan Way—about a 45-minute drive to the volcano. Every guest who stays at the hotel supports the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund’s efforts to preserve the Big Island’s beaches and marine habitats. (One stay equals 2.2 pounds of trash removed from a local beach.)

BOOK YOUR STAY

Where To Eat

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kens House Of Pancakes (@kens_house_of_pancakes)

There’s a handful of restaurants in and around Volcano Village that are worth stopping by. ʻŌhelo Café is open for lunch and dinner, with some of the best wood-fired pizzas on the island. Some of the more popular dishes including a buratta appetizer with Roma tomatoes, pesto and a balsamic reduction; Kauaʻi shrimp risotto with lemon, butter and shallots; a hefty pork chop dropped with a gastrique made from the endemic ʻōhelo berries; and wood-fired baby back ribs with the restaurant’s Fuji apple barbecue sauce and garlic smashed potatoes. It also serves hand-crafted cocktails, wine and local beers.

Thai Thai Bistro & Bar is a popular stop, serving both what it calls “Western” and Thai dishes. (We recommend getting the Thai options.) Its curries are classic, and the pineapple fried rice is a great side. Servings are shareable.

The Rim at Volcano House boasts the most unique setting—it’s located right on the rim of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater with stunning views of the current eruption. Breakfast is simple but filling; dinner is more extensive with steaks, pastas and local fish options.

Foodies staying in Hilo will want to book a table at Moon and Turtle, a raved-about neighborhood eatery that’s been touted as the best restaurant on the island. The menu is packed with farm-fresh, seasonal ingredients in dishes that rotate often. Right now it’s serving a tako (octopus) carpaccio using local octopus and miso-marinated local beets; deviled eggs using local eggs and house pickles; and a panko-crusted, apple-braised pork belly that almost had me on a plane to Hilo. With only about 40 seats (including at the bar), reservations are highly recommended.

Want poke? Head to Suisan Market, which serves some of the freshest seafood on the island. (Suisan is a retailer for fish across Hawaiʻi Island.) Some of its most popular poke combos include sesame shoyu and spicy ʻahi.

A Hilo landmark, Ken’s House of Pancakes—now open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily (it used to be 24 hours)—has more than a hundred dishes on its menu, from sumo-size loco mocos to banana mac nut chocolate chip pancakes. Whatever you’re craving—turkey and gravy, taco salad, liver with bacon and onions, pineapple upside-down cake—Ken’s probably has it.

What To Do

ʻAkaka Falls.
Photo: Getty Images/ RomanKhomlyak

You mean besides gaze at lava?

There’s lots to do in Hilo Town, from browsing the popular Hilo Farmers Market to hiking to the 442-foot ʻAkaka Falls. There are lots of small shops and eateries dotting Hilo, from the popular Kula Shave Ice to the throwback Café 100, which boasts more than 30 varieties of loco mocos.

If you’re planning to spend your entire vacation at the national park, here are some tips from park staff to keep in mind:

• Volcanic eruptions can be hazardous and change at any time. Stay on marked trails and overlooks. Do not enter closed areas. Avoid cliff edges and earth cracks, they are unstable.
• Hazardous volcanic gases present a danger to everyone, especially people with heart or respiratory problems, infants, young children and pregnant women.
• Observe the eruption quietly and respect Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners who honor the sacred legacy of this land and give them space to practice their customs.
• Slow down and drive safely. Expect long waits for parking spaces at popular vantage points like Kīlauea Overlook.

Check the park website for eruption viewing information, hazard and closure updates, https://www.nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes.

The eruption remains contained to the Halemaʻumaʻu summit crater and is not threatening any communities.

Although lava may be visible from many areas and overlooks surrounding Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, conditions can change at any time. Check out the park map and download the new NPS mobile app to help you navigate during your visit.

“We implore all visitors heading to the area to exercise the highest level of respect. While eruptions can spark excitement, it is imperative that observation occurs in silence, allowing the eruption’s voice to reach you,” a post on Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park’s Instagram read. “Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, who honor the legacy of this land, deserve unreserved respect for their customs.

Read More: 6 Tips to View Hawaiʻi’s Erupting Volcano

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (@hawaiivolcanoesnps)

Sunday’s eruption is the third so far this year for Kīlauea and follows a weeks-long period of heightening seismic activity.

The first eruption this year happened in January and that eruption ran through March. The second was in June.

Watch the eruption live here: