The Big Island is a beautiful destination that millions visit every year. There’s the weather, the surfing, the beaches, and the volcanoes. If you didn’t know, the Big Island is made of 5 major volcanoes. Fascinating, right? The island is still growing as we speak today!
While we all dream of sipping on mai tais and attending a luau at least once in our lives, you also have to consider safety. While you’re excitedly packing for the vacation, you probably don’t even wonder “Is Big Island, Hawaii safe” because it’s Hawaii. It’s part of the United States. What could go wrong?
There is some crime that happens on the Big Island. Don’t worry, this guide will help you understand the Big Island’s crimes and safety tips so that you can come there prepared, and most importantly have a good time.
Is Big Island Hawaii Safe? 2023 Travel Safety Guide
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Is Big island safe for tourists?
The Big Island of Hawaii has little to no crime that you should be worried about. There are small petty crimes, such as things being stolen. But if you are smart, you won’t have to worry about those crimes as well. However, you should know the crimes that do happen on the Big Island so that you can protect yourself and your family from it.
Here are some of the crimes that happen on the Big Island:
- Murder
- Rape
- Aggravated Assault
- Robbery
- Property Crimes
Luckily, tourists don’t experience most of those crimes. Some may experience robbery if the hotel doors or rental car doors are left open. Otherwise, the crime seems domesticated (local on local), which should ease your fears while planning a trip to the Big Island.
Is Big Island safe for families with kids?
Big Island has very little crime, therefore it’s safe to take the kids. In fact, there are many family-friendly resorts here. Staying at a resort ensures that your family is safe from any crimes. The resorts are usually in one of the safer places that tourists visit. There are also many activities that you can do with the kids on the Big Island. There are beautiful beaches and tonnes of activities that you can do as a family.
As per usual, practice safety wherever you go with your family. Make sure that you’re aware of where everyone is at all times. Make sure that everyone’s belongings are locked up or on their person. Before you take the trip to the Big Island, research where you’ll be staying.
Make sure that there is security on-site and on the beaches that you’ll be taking your family to. Following these tips will help you and your family be safe and to have an enjoyable vacation.
Is Big island safe for solo travellers or solo female travellers?
It doesn’t matter if you are solo traveller or man or woman, Big island is safe for everyone as long as you follow basic safety precautions.
- Research the area you’ll be staying in. Check out TripAdvisor for reviews about the area.
- Let your friends and family know your itinerary, in case you do run into problems.
- If you are visiting unknown area, take the help of locals. Don’t go in areas that locals tell you not to go into. Too many tourists accidentally become victims of domestic-related crimes because they were in the area.
- Don’t venture out late at night unless you are staying in a known safe area. A lot of crime happens late at night.
- Don’t snorkel or hike alone.
- Ensure that you are using reliable transportation services like Uber or Lyft instead of any random street taxis.
- Be aware of your surrounding all the time and listen to your gut.
Are beaches on the Big Island safe?
When you book a beach vacation, you’re dreaming of just relaxing on the beach and go into the water. You should never have to think about if you’re safe or not.
Beaches are safe on the Big Island, but unfortunately, there are some areas where thefts can happen. You should avoid the Kailua Kona beaches as there are many reports of thefts there.
To stay safe at any beach on the Big Island, bring nothing of value with you and try to go with a group of friends or family. The safest beaches are, of course, those at resorts, where security and sometimes police patrol on a regular basis.
Are food and water safe on the Big Island?
Sometimes when you go away to a tropical destination, you often have to worry about food and water poisoning. The good news is, the food and water on the Big Island are safe to consume. So this means, if you want to drink from the tap, you can. After all, the Big Island (aka Hawaii) is part of the United States, where there are laws for ensuring there’s clean water for everyone.
The food on the Big Island is delicious too. You can experience authentic Hawaiian food such as Poke, Loco Moco, and even Kalua Pork.
As per usual, make sure you don’t consume raw meat to make sure that you don’t get food poisoning. If you’re going to be enjoying something like Poke, make sure it’s sushi-grade fish, so make sure that the fish is of high quality and deemed safe to eat raw.
What are the safest parts on the Big Island for tourists?
The Big Island is one of the safest out of the 4 islands in Hawaii. But if you want to make sure your vacation goes smoothly, here are the safest places on the Big Island:
- Volcano in Puna
- Honoka’a in Hamakua
- Pahala in Ka’u
- Waikiola in Kohala region(resort areas)
These are just some of the safest places to visit when visiting the Big Island. In these areas, you don’t need to worry about crimes because at resorts there is usually security that patrols the grounds there.
There are remote towns that are essentially crime-free, but they are in the lava zone. Usually, there would be a warning before a volcano erupts, giving residents and tourists plenty of time to evacuate.
Places to avoid on the Big Island
The Big Island is one of the safest in all 4 islands of Hawaii. However, there are still some unsafe areas where crimes can happen at anytime of the day. Here are some places that you should avoid while you are visiting the Big Island:
- Downtown areas of Hilo
- Kailua-Kona
- Pahoa
There have been reports of property crimes in these areas rather than violent ones. But as per usual, it’s best to use your street smarts no matter what city or town you’re in.
This means you should know your surroundings and make sure everyone at home knows your itinerary. You should keep your belongings close to you or locked up securely, no matter if you’re visiting Big Island or not.
As with a lot of cities, a lot of the crimes happen more at nighttime, so you’ll want to make sure you are safe if navigating cities that are known for their crimes.
🏖 Suggested read: Is Waikiki Beach Safe in 2022? Everything You Need to Know!
General Safety Tips to Follow on Big island
- Don’t bring valuables with you. There’s no reason for you to bring your valuables on your vacation.
- Don’t swim alone and if possible, prefer to swim in life guard protected beaches.
- Never leave valuable unattended at beach, car or pool.
- If there are any warning signs posted on the beach, please follow them and prefer to avoid swimming in remote beaches, especially if there is no one around.
- Check weather report before going hiking or swimming.
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