Hilo Hawaii

Hilo is the Big Island's county seat and largest city yet it has maintained all the ambience of an old-fashioned small town.

Downtown Hilo includes a popular farmer's market as well as the Lyman Mission House Museum and Pacific Tsunami Museum. Other Hilo attractions include Big Island Candies, Panaewa Rain Forest Zoo, the Suisan Fish Market & Auction and Nani Mau Gardens.

Each spring, Hilo is also the setting for the Merrie Monarch Festival, the most prestigious and highly anticipated hula competition in the world.

Hilo might be Hawaii's "small town" city, and that suits its residents just fine. The natural surroundings here are beautiful, but the strongest attraction in Hilo is its people. This is a very friendly community with a wonderful small town atmosphere.

Things to see and do

* Volcano National Park
* Akaka Falls
* Pacific Tsunami Museum
* Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo
* Hilo Tropical, Lili'uokalani and Nani Mau Gardens

General information

Cruise Season - Jan - Dec
Currency - US dollar (US$)
Language - English
Land Area - 140.6 km²
Population - 45,000
Electricity - 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style or with a round pin below
Time - GMT/UTC minus ten hours
International Country Telephone Code - + 1 (USA) + 808

Port Location - The ships dock in Hilo Bay just beyond the hotel district located on Banyon Drive in Hilo. The Hilo airport is 10 minutes away and downtown Hilo is a short taxi ride of only 10 minutes.

Transport Links - As public transportation on the Island is minimal, virtually all visitors rent a vehicle from one of the many rental agencies upon arriving at Hilo International Airport. As an alternative, taxis are also available at the airport though renting a car is almost always more practical.

Hilo International Airport is the main airport serving Hilo and the eastern side of the Big Island. The majority of flights to Hilo originate from Honolulu via Hawaiian Airlines, Aloha Airlines, Island Air, or Pacific Wings.