Our last stop was the Big Island. We allowed for some serious downtime here at the Sheraton Keauhau Bay Resort and Spa. The gigantic waterslide into the main pool and the smaller waterslide into the scuba pool occupied a lot of our time here (Craig was only able to do the smaller one), but we managed to find some time to explore, including another helicopter ride over the lava fields and the bubbling cone of Mauna Loa with Blue Hawaiian again. This was a hefty drive, so we spent all day covering the entire loop of the island counter-clockwise, with the air tour booked in the middle of the day out of Hilo.
Volcanoes National Park Offers Limited Accessibility
Volcanoes National Park was accessible enough. Although some of the trails had stairs, we made our way around this park with ease, and the helicopter tour made up in spades for what we couldn’t see! There are also a whopping 14 state parks on the island of Hawaii, so spend some time to take in this beautiful island.
Dolphin Fun
For a lazy half-day trip, we drove a few miles north of our hotel to the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Kailua-Kona for a private swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Quest. Located on several islands in Hawaii, you’re not limited to swim with these beauties on the Big Island. The Dolphin Quest crew members were very experienced in working with people with disabilities and catered to Craig’s every need. Our dolphin friends did, too.
The Hilton itself was an experience, and if you have the funds to stay here, do treat yourselves. The walk to the dolphin arena took us past a lazy river complete with gondola drivers, an indoor goose habitat, a museum-like hall with ancient carvings and paintings, over a large bridge traversing the three-pool complex, and past the largest hotel waterslide we’ve ever seen. This is an award-winning resort, so even if you’re not staying here, visit it for Dolphin Quest.
Hawaii Access Improving
Our research prior to the trip paid off considerably, as we likely wouldn’t have kayaked or taken a catamaran trip if we hadn’t made some phone calls ahead of time. Overall, we found Hawaii to be improving on their access, with some distance still to go as many places have, but we hope to spend some more time there soon “researching!”
Andrea Jehn Kennedy and Craig Kennedy own Access Anything, a company based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, that specializes in travel consulting, writing, marketing, and education for all aspects of disability travel, including recreation and adventure travel as well as ADA rights, implementation and interpretation.
See Related Articles
Before you travel via plane, see Secrets of Accessible Air Travel—Know Your Rights.
