HAWAII'S BIG ISLAND: Fun in the Sun for Everyone! , By Barbara Barton Sloane 

Plumes of smoke rose heavenward from the top of Maunaloa. Because this is one of Hawaii's very active volcanoes, we were kept several hundred yards away from the site. Yet, even from a distance, the power and majesty of Maunaloa was awesome. Much about my recent trip to Hawaii's Big Island was awe-inspiring. Here was everything one expects to find: tropical paradise, enveloping warmth, glistening blue sea and luxurious resorts. Badly in need of some serious R&R, I was delighted to find that the island also offered a perfect destination for me to reconnect with nature – and with myself. Here I found a natural sanctuary to restore the soul.

On the Big Island, miles upon miles of untouched land contribute to its natural beauty. It's a place of extremes – from fiery volcanoes to snow-capped mountain peaks, from acres of green pasture lands to vast ebony lava deserts, and from tropical rain forests and verdant valleys to white, gold, black and even green sand beaches. Out of 13 climatic regions on the planet, this island has all but two, Arctic and Saharan. Whatever climate you're craving, you're sure to find it here.

For centuries, native Hawaiians have revered nature's bounty from mauka to makai (mountain to sea) and have developed the powerful healing art of Lomi Lomi massage using native plants in age-old practices and encouraging soul-searching through self-awareness and forgiveness. Dale Silva, co-founder of the Hawaiian Lomi Lomi Association says "without aloha – without love – for oneself, for the environment, for each other, how can you begin to heal? It all starts with aloha." The aloha spirit is abundant here. You feel it in the sunshine that warms the sand beneath your feet, you see it in the clear ocean water, and you hear it in the gentle rain that falls in the forest.

Hibiscus flowers large as dinner plates lined the lush drive to the Four Seasons Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu Resort on the Big Island with deep green, velvet-like lawns leading to the turquoise sea beyond. Greeted with a fragrant purple orchid lei placed around my neck by a pretty hostess and the words "welcome to the Four Seasons," I had a hunch that I was in very good hands and that wonderful pleasures awaited me.

Chanting for Healing

Precisely at dawn the next morning, I was invited to participate in an Ocean Purifying Ceremony led by the resident ceremony leader, Daniel Akaka. As a group of us walked to the ocean, Daniel blew a conch shell to the four corners of the earth. He began a chant to clear the mind and start a new journey at daybreak. We stood in ankle-deep water as he instructed us to join hands, a symbol for inviting the people of all the lands to join us. His chant asked that we be instructed, educated and inspired as we go through life's journey. As he offered a prayer of thanksgiving, he placed a Ti leaf (used to ward off evil spirits) around our necks and greeted us nose to nose. As we did this, we exhaled our breath in a "Ha" sound – the first sound uttered when we're born and symbolizing the life force within each of us.

Daniel next took a bowl with small stones in it, emptied it and filled the bowl with pure water. He explained that as we go through life, we take on worries, problems, negativity. Each problem is like a stone, so, to rejuvenate the soul, you have merely to turn the bowl over, let the stones drop away and allow pure water to refill the bowl. Simplistic? Maybe. But I can tell you that after this ceremony, the song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" kept buzzing in my head and I left feeling cleansed and ready to start a fresh, new day – baggage free.

Welcome to your Sensory Meltdown

At the Four Seasons Hualalai Sports Club & Spa I found an oasis of sybaritic delights awaiting me. A uniquely Hawaiian spa, there is a lap pool, whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms and cold plunges – all set amidst tropical gardens. Among the Signature treatments offered: The Hualalai Experience, in which you're pampered with a Polynesian Niu (cocoanut)body scrub, a Lomi Lomi massage, and a Kane facial. I opted to experience the Cocoanut Scrub, which transported me into a dream-like state. After the body polish, a warm blanket was wrapped around me and I was given a relaxing face and neck massage. The last step was an application of cocoanut milk and cocoanut moisturizing lotion. My skin had never felt so silky smooth, and I was beyond relaxed. My goal as I entered the spa was to be pampered, relaxed, and feeling beautiful. Mission accomplished!

From Chill to Sizzle

Once you leave the reverie of an Hawaiian spa and slowly re-enter the real world, your adventure begins anew. The Big Island is big on families. There's lots to do and even more to see for adults and kids alike, with variety as endless as the terrain. To explore waterfalls of the Gamakua coast and the Kilauea volcano, stay on the Hilo side of the island. Move over to the Kona side for sun and fun on the beach. One of the best reasons to choose a family vacation on Hawaii is that children are highly valued in this island's culture. The word 'ohana means family and the word keiki means children, words you may hear nearly as often as aloha during your stay. Keiki are warmly welcomed here.

Children enjoy exploring new things and numerous hiking trails will take your family to ancient heiau (temples) or past flooded fields where taro, the Hawaiian staple, is still grown as it was hundreds of years ago. 

There are countless species of marine life cavorting in the waters of Hawaii's Big Island and you'll see lots of them while snorkeling. Younger kids enjoy exploring the island's tide pools brimming with crabs, snails, barnacles, mussels and small fish. If you visit during the winter months, the most famous marine life, the playful humpback whale, can be spotted just off-shore. Want to explore the new and different? Found nowhere but on the Big Island, in Hawaii's Volcano National Park you'll see a real active volcano which is a lot more thrilling than a theme park volcano and a lot hotter!

On family vacations, there are, of course, adults-only activities like a morning of golf or a romantic candle-lit dinner and happily most of the resorts here offer programs for children that are much richer than just baby-sitting, including beach excursions, crafts, hiking, tennis, games and hula lessons .There's something to thrill and charm every age.

Hawaii is a paradise, pure and simple. It's impossible to list all that makes this island special, but I've managed to narrow it down to a few of my favorite things:

• A wake-up call by tropical birds
• Not having to wikiwiki (hurry-hurry)
• Snorkeling with amazing underwater life
• A gentle rain – quickly followed by more sunshine
• Your nightcap: the soothing sound of the ocean
• The Hawaiian motto: Ho'okahi no la o ka malihini: A stranger only for a day.

Hawaiians have a saying: I mohala no ka lehua I k eke' ekehi'ia e ka ua. Easy for them to say, but the meaning is simple and sweet: The lehua blossom unfolds when the rains tread on it. During my stay on the Big Island, I did, indeed, experience the warm, gentle rain. I relaxed, I rested, I unfolded. And yes, it was great!

Oh, almost forgot. There is one thing I definitely do not like about Hawaii: Leaving.

Planning to go?

*Big Island Visitors Bureau  www.bigisland.org

*The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu

72-100 Ka'upulehu Drive, Ka'upulehu HI
www.fourseasons.com/hualalai