Aloha Bruce and Yaling Fisher offer listeners important Big Island Pro’s and Con’s on this Monday, April 4, 2022, Hawaii Vacation Podcast. But first, an update on Hawaii Aloha Travel in the news and the latest developments in Hawaii tourism.

Bruce was featured on a recent Hawaii News Now lead story talking about some amazing visitor arrival and spending numbers from the first months of 2022. He notes limited inventory for hotel rooms, and he and Yaling discuss soaring room rates already booked for the months ahead.

The Restaurant of the Week segment includes H Mart, a Korean supermarket that has a terrific food court. Various dishes are recalled with relish, including a “left wing” chicken dish that Bruce enjoyed (it takes about 15 minutes to prepare an order).

Big Island Pro’s and Con’s starts with Bruce noting a new digital site pass at Hawaii Volcanoes National Parks, the first of its kind in the fee-charging federal parks program nationwide. It makes park entry easier. “I like that we’re at the cutting edge of this technology,” says Bruce. The pass is not available to commercial users and conventional pay-upon-entry for park users remains in place.

Each of Hawaii’s main islands have their own unique appeal, Bruce says, and mentions that the Big Island is large enough to contain all of the other Hawaiian Islands. This Big Island Pro’s and Con’s episode discusses wide variety of activities, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Volcanoes National Forest. Bruce and Yaling say that the Big Island is great for repeat Hawaii visitors looking for new things to experience in Hawaii.

Bruce explains that the sheer size of the Big Island means that there are some long drives to certain places, “and that can take up a lot of time”. He also notes that there aren’t as many options for accommodations on the Big Island as there are on Oahu.

The number of ocean activities available on the Big Island is vast, ranging from novice snorkeling to deep-sea sport fishing. Big Island Pro’s and Con’s is the start of a series of upcoming episodes to focus on Hawaii’s Neighbor Island experiences.

Bruce and Yaling encourage Hawaii Vacation Podcast listeners to engage with HAT across our social media platforms and check out our Secret Hawaii Tours. “What we do here on the podcast is unique,” Bruce says. “And we’ve been doing it for 15 years!”