Hawaii's Own Hollywood Walk Of Fame Is A Gorgeous Historic Tree-Lined Coastal Road

Hawaii is renowned for its spectacular drives, promising stunning coastal and mountainous vistas. One of the most unique roads is Banyan Drive in Hilo, the Big Island's charming and oldest settlement. The mile-long loop around a peninsula jutting into Hilo Bay is lined with the enormous gnarled trunks and leafy green canopy of 50 banyan trees. The history of this lush drive dates back to 1933, when the first banyan tree was planted there by actor Cecil DeMille, who was on the island filming a movie. Over the next few decades, famous figures, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart, Hawaiian Princess Abigail Kawānanakoa, and Louis Armstrong all planted a banyan tree along the road with commemorative plaques next to each tree. Today, a cruise or walk through Hawaii's verdant answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a must on your next trip. 

Along Banyan Drive are several hotels and restaurants you don't want to miss. The highly rated Hilo Hawaiian Hotel occupies a prominent spot on Banyan Drive. The high-rise hotel offers panoramic views over the coastline, as well as inland over the banyan trees. "We enjoyed daytime walks in Liliuokalani Gardens, Coconut Island and under the Banyan trees along Banyan Drive — all adjoining the hotel property," wrote a Tripadvisor reviewer. Rates here should fit within a traveler's budget. At the end of Banyan Drive, don't miss Hilo Bay Cafe, a local waterfront favorite renowned for its sophisticated, locally sourced fare, including garlic shrimp yakisoba and hamakua mushroom pot pie.

Kick off a tour of the Hilo area on Banyan Drive with Viator's Hilo Shore Excursion. The guided six-hour tour includes many of the Big Island's top highlights, from lush gardens and waterfalls to volcanoes and black sand beaches. It begins with a cruise down Banyan Drive to see the impressive trees planted by celebrities nearly a century ago. Also on Banyan Drive lies Liliʻuokalani Gardens, a sprawling Japanese garden that's the largest outside of Japan. The first stop is at Rainbow Falls in Hilo, an 80-foot waterfall whose thunderous cascade often produces mesmerizing rainbows. Big Island Candies is the next stop for a sweet snack, which serves Hawaiian-grown macadamia nut candies and cookies.

The natural wonders continue at Volcanoes National Park, home to two active volcanoes. The extraordinary landscape from lava fields to rainforest is a true sight to behold and offers insight into how the Hawaiian archipelago was formed. For an immersive experience, walk on a 0.4-mile trail inside a lava tube, an underground channel created by cooled lava flow. The tour concludes at Richardson Ocean Park, a black sand beach known for its sea turtle populations. "Sensory overload!" raved a Viator reviewer. "There were so many beautiful things to see. The black sand beaches were fascinating and the volcano is undescribable." This tour starts at $153 per person.