The aptly-named Big Island is, by far, the largest island in the Hawai'ian chain - combine the size of all the others, double that figure, and the Big Island is still the larger land mass. Interestingly enough, this extra space does not translate to population since approximately 140,000 people, many of them living in urban areas like Hilo, call the island home.

A nature-lover's paradise, the Big Island has remained relatively unspoiled, and its protected forests include the Kau, Kapapala, and Ruu Makaala Reserves in the south and the Mauna Kea, Kohala, and Hakalau Reserves in the north.