Downtown Hilo

The Hostel turns out to be in downtown Hilo, which is a FREE bus ride away from both the volcano national park and popular beaches. The downtown area is a little run down with many vacant lots and what appears to be a high number of homeless catered for and supported by charitable groups. However, you still feel safe walking around the wide streets and there are small independent stores catering for the tourist with a range of novelty items. Also there is a cinema with recent films for just $1.50 a ticket!! Excellent value for an evening of entertainment (even has an old space invaders original arcade game for 25c a game).
Attractions within downtown Hilo include the Tsunami museum - a one of a kind with excellent interactive exhibits an in depth video and range of first hand accounts which are brought to life by guides (some of whom have personal experience of the tragedies of 1947 and 1960). Well worth a look and good value at $8 entry. There is also a cultural centre and art/craft/farmers market - but that is about it! No direct access to the coast here as there is a highway and fence between the settlement (in part to give more protection from Tsunami’s) so not a beach lovers location…