Stargazing on Hawaii’s Big Island
Getting to the Big Island
If you remember, the original plan was three nights in Waikiki, but just before we left, we decided to change that to three nights on the Big Island for some night sky photography. Then, thanks to our cancelled expedition, this turned into six nights. We scrambled a bit, canceled our original booking, and managed to snag a great last-minute deal at the Westin Hapuna, which was also perfect for our Marriott points hoarding.
After a six-hour flight from Seattle, we landed in Kona around 9 pm, picked up a rental car, and made the 40-minute drive north. We arrived at the Westin Hapuna in the dark, and the place seemed deserted (but it was after 10 pm). They welcomed me with a purple orchid lei and gave Andy a kukui nut one.
We couldn’t see much of the resort, but our room was super nice (we’d booked the lowest category, but got an upgrade). We had five full days ahead and no real plans—a perfect way to relax after the travel chaos.
The Westin Hapuna
The Westin Hapuna was a dream—so much more relaxed than the crowded resorts in Waikiki, even though it was fully booked. Two pools, one adults-only, and plenty of beach chairs. The beach itself was huge, and finding chairs with umbrellas was never a problem.
Sure, there were a handful of people were doing the whole Hunger Games-style pool chair dash before sunrise, but not nearly as bad as other places we’ve stayed. We always found lounges with just the right amount of shade.
Fun fact: all of the sunscreen in hawaii is mineral based to protect the reef.
This wasn’t the wildlife-focused part of our holiday, but there was still plenty to photograph. Birds gathered near the koi pond, vibrant flowers bloomed everywhere, and dragonflies and bees were abundant. We even spotted a couple of weasels on the golf course, adding a bit of unexpected wildlife to the mix.
And because I was on a Marriott points run, we decided to sit through the 90-minute timeshare presentation at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, about 15 minutes south. That place felt a lot busier than the Westin, so we were happy with our choice. We didn’t sign-up for the timeshare, but collected our 50k points.
Where We Ate
Breakfast at the hotel was a massive buffet (with an amazing view), but they also had a menu. The food was fantastic.
One morning, we drove into Waimea for breakfast at Hawaiian Style Cafe—the Hawaiian Sweet Bread French Toast was so good that we went back on our last day.
For lunch, there was a poolside restaurant where you could grab drinks, too. Their Mai Tais were $20, and one was plenty. Andy was craving musubi (Spam and rice wrapped in seaweed), so we asked the concierge for a recommendation and she pointed us to L&L Hawaiian Barbecue at Queen’s Marketplace. The ambiance was a solid 5/10, but the food was good enough that we went back twice.
We also stumbled upon a roadside malasada (donut) truck. You pick your donut, filling, and coating. I kept it simple with no filling and went for one plain, one cinnamon sugar, and one powdered sugar. SO good.
For dinner, the Westin had two restaurants, but both were fancy, and we weren’t feeling it. Instead, we took the shuttle to Mauna Kea’s casual bar for dinner. There was some construction going on, so the bar was temporarily in a banquet room. It sounds bad, but it wasn’t—still had a great view and live entertainment (guy with a ukulele and a hula dancer).
One night, we ventured to Smash Daddy in Waimea—which is perfect if you’re headed to Hilo or planning some stargazing.
The Night Sky
Speaking of stargazing, we were determined to give night sky photography another try at Mauna Kea. We’d struck out on our last trip here—clouds both times. This time, we decided to go on a tour.
After some Googling, we found two options: you can go to the summit (if you have a 4-wheel drive, which we didn’t), or you can do a group tour, but they last 8 hours, and the summit closes 45 minutes after sunset, meaning everyone has to descend to lower altitudes for stargazing. We found a shorter tour—just 2 hours—which visits a different spot away from the crowds. They only run the tour when conditions are favourable, and they cancel if it’s cloudy. The next available slot was Wednesday, so we booked that with Thursday as a backup.
Wednesday morning, we got a text confirming the weather looked good and a pin for the meeting point. Later, we got another text pushing the meeting time back by 30 minutes due to weather. We finally met up around 8:30 pm, about an hour’s drive from the Westin. A bit surreal, driving into a deserted area at night to meet some stranger from the internet, but hey, we got warm coats, and the stars were already shining brightly when we arrived.
About 20 people joined us, and we drove another 5k to a viewpoint. It was crystal clear—the stars stretched all the way to the horizon in every direction. We laid out blankets, marvelled at the night sky, and took tons of photos.
Sure enough, we got a low tire air warning when we got back in the car, but knowing it was from the altitude, we didn’t worry (too much). Driving in the dark on the Big Island is not fun as there are a lot of wild animals – donkeys and goats – lurking along the roadside.
The next night, we decided to head back on our own. It was pouring rain when we left the hotel, but the weather app said it would clear up where we were going—and be even clearer at higher altitudes. Not feeling super optimistic as we drove through the downpour, but like a light switch, the rain turned to sunshine. The closer we got, the better the weather. By the time we arrived, the sky was perfectly clear.
Tips for Night Sky Photography:
- Find a location at a higher altitude. It doesn’t have to be Mauna Kea—Mauna Loa is right next door. Scout during the day or by using Google Maps.
- Use an app like PhotoPills to check what will be visible and in which direction when you are there.
- Check the cloud forecast for the right elevation (this site was super helpful): Mauna Kea Weather Forecast
- Arrive before it’s completely dark to get set up!
Considering we had neither a tripod nor a remote, I’m pretty pleased with the results!
