The magical Big Island - Hawaii - is the perfect playground for kids of all ages.

We’ll meet you on the first morning at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott on the Kohala Coast just north of Kona (public shuttle is available from the Kona Airport to Waikoloa). We’ll head straight for Waimea in the heart of Hawaii’s cowboy country. Following a bike fitting we’ll set off, pedaling through ranchlands and rolling countryside to a viewpoint overlooking the lush Valley of the Kings with its thousand-foot cliffs. Hawaii’s royalty lived in this valley for hundreds of years; some are laid to rest there in hidden burial caves. We’ll hike through the jungle to spectacular Akaka Falls, where legend has it that if you strike a certain rock with the branch of a lehua tree, the sky will darken and rain will fall. After refreshing ourselves with the world’s best tropical-fruit smoothies, we head to our night’s lodging at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, where our oceanfront rooms overlook beautiful Hilo Bay. You’ll enjoy the ocean-side pool and hot tub!

On Day Two we’ll bicycle a blissful stretch through a portion of this island the locals love, where the ocean plays peek-a-boo through immense banyans and forests of fragrant eucalyptus. We’ll explore recent lava flows and spend time playing in bathwater-warm thermal pools overlooking the ocean. Our next two nights are spent at a lodge in Volcanoes National Park – and if conditions are right, we may even be able to view Kilauea volcano’s red-hot lava as it courses down the hillside, sizzling into the ocean.

Day Three we’ll explore the home of Hawaii’s volcano goddess, Pele. We’ll hike into the Thurston Lava Tube, a ferny grotto where once a river of steaming lava surged, now a tranquil cave with ‘lavacicles’ (the volcanic version of stalactites) soda straws and other lava formations to discover. We’ll head down into the volcano’s crater for a hike across its surface, where steam vents and the eerie hardened-lava moonscape provide a home for Hawaii’s oddest bird, the protected Nene (Hawaiian Goose), which thrives in these seemingly barren lava plains. In the afternoon we’ll take a drive all the way around the crater so you can see the volcano at work.

Day Four starts with a glorious downhill cruise from Kilauea Crater to a black sand beach famous for its sea turtle community. You’re sure to see some of these ancient creatures on the sand or in the tidepools, searching for things to nibble. We’ll explore a coffee plantation in the Kona area, where kids can play hide-and-seek among the greenery and grownups can purchase tasty Kona coffee, which only grows in the ash-rich soils of this tiny region. Then it’s on to Kona town and our oceanfront lodging at the Keauhou Beach Resort. It’s right next to the best snorkeling beach on the island: calm, shallow, and home to colorful corals, rock formations and over 100 species of fish. We’ll provide the snorkel gear. You bring the waterproof camera!

On Day Five we’ll hike to the black sand beach of Pololu, where centuries ago a human chain fourteen miles long passed rocks hand-over-hand up the hillside to build a heiau, a Hawaiian temple to the ancient gods. Tonight we’ll stay at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, an upscale hotel on the Kohala Coast. This full service resort has its own white sand beach from which you can snorkel or join a scuba dive boat. Two tennis courts, a huge swimming pool with water slide, and a full service spa are also on-site. Two championship golf courses, shopping, and restaurants are right next door. If you're here for the New Year's trip, we'll ring it Hawaiian style!

On our final morning, we’ll board a 58-foot catamaran and set sail from our hotel to a hidden bay where coral formations make lovely hiding spots for thousands of brilliantly-hued fish and green sea turtles. We’ll snorkel from the boat and finish off with a gourmet lunch on board. Equipment, instruction, food, and drinks are all included in your trip fee. On the way back, we may catch sight of some of the humpback whales which frequent these islands. We’ll conclude with an award celebration back at the Waikoloa Beach Resort. If you like, you may choose to spend additional time in Waikoloa, or take advantage of our complimentary van ride to the Kona airport that afternoon.