Wows and Woes
Lava creates explosions as it enters the sea.
Spectacular Hawaii Island brings you up close and personal to Kilauea, the world's only "drive-up" volcano. You might be lucky enough to get within a few hundred feet when surface flows are active.
"Vog," comprised of volcanic emissions including sulfur dioxide reacting with other gases, moisture, dust and sunlight can be highly irritating.
Insider Tips
Visit the volcano at night. Bring a flashlight, good hiking shoes and lots of water. Depending on the lava's ocean entry points, you should be prepared for a hike of several miles over very rough terrain. Each hiker needs his own flashlight. Pregnant women and young children should not venture to the lava flows.
Bottom Line
Even the most seasoned adventurer will find thrills from one end of Hawaii Island to the other. Hosting 11 of the world's 13 climactic zones, the island offers truly one-of-a-kind primal adventures.
Author's Most Memorable Moment
I was able to once take family and friends to the rarest of events: Surface flows crossing Chain of Craters Road. Just two or three hours old, the lava was cool enough to walk on, crunching beneath our feet.
Article Written By Misty Murray
Misty Murray has been writing professionally since 1987. An award-winning, senior advertising copywriter, she's written for major clients in Southern California and Hawaii. As lead writer for a popular Big Island home magazine, she specializes in Hawaii homes and interior design. She has also written for national magazines. Murray holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Los Angeles.
