Aloha! We are Joey and Gerrit, the loving hands behind Love Big Island. Here you can read the story of why this website came to be (our mission) and learn a bit more about who we are.
Our mission:
The aim of our website is to provide current, useful and real information to help plan your visit, while emphasizing the importance of buying local and traveling responsibly. Hawaii is a unique, intricate and beautiful place, and our mission is to make sure it remains as such for current and future generations.
With this in mind, we carefully curate the places, experiences and businesses we recommend, always preferring local vendors and tour operators where possible. We refrain from sending you to “hidden” or “secret” spots, as this can often (unintentionally) lead to these places being damaged and visitors injuring themselves getting there.
As we say in Hawaii, malama ‘aina (care for the land), leave the secret spots to the locals, and let yourself be enchanted by the countless easily accessible wonders the Big Island has to offer.
Suggestions?
As avid travelers ourselves, we rely on the adage that knowledge is power, and we try to present the information we have gathered to you in the most easily digestible and visually engaging way possible. However, we are always open to suggestions and love to hear from our readers so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions.
Who are we?
Born and raised on the Big Island, Joey has always been passionate about the people, culture and scenery of Hawaii and was excited to share this with Gerrit when they first visited the island together in 2008.
That trip was the first of many, but Gerrit was immediately struck by how difficult it was to find non-biased, quality information about the island and decided to start blogging about his experiences there. What started as a small passion project grew steadily throughout the years and has resulted in this collection which we now happily share with you.
Currently, we have the immense pleasure of splitting our time between the Big Island and a small town at the foot of the French Alps. Gerrit, originally from Amsterdam, works as astronomer and enjoys road cycling, Brazilian Jujitsu and growing chili peppers. Joey owns a small local company on the Big Island and loves hiking, outdoor markets, podcasts and poke bowls.
With love and from our ʻohana to yours, we wish you a wonderful visit and many returns to our little Big Island.
Aloha mai e,
Joey and Gerrit
Hawaiʻi Destination Specialist and Expert
We have been certified by the official Hawaii Tourism Authority to be Hawaii Destination Specialists & Experts.
Find and Follow the Love Big Island website online
If you like our style we invite you follow us around the web so we can keep you updated on all the latest Big Island news:
- You can follow LoveBigIsland on Twitter,
- See amazing Hawaii images on Instagram,
- Become a fan of our LoveBigIsland Facebook page, or
- Have a look at our Big Island pictures on Pinterest
Big Island Directory
Find a list of our friends, recommended accommodations and activities, and good places in general, in our Big Island Directory.
How can you support us?
The creation and maintenance of this website is a work of love. We do not accept donations, but there are a few easy ways you can support us.
Memberships
Love Big Island is a proud member of the following local organizations to show support to a sustainable development of tourism to the Hawaiian islands:
Hawai‘i Visitor & Convention Bureau
Sustainable Tourism Organization of Hawai‘i
cultural resources for over 25 years.Their top priority is to guarantee that companies comply with their mission to protect Hawaii’s sacred land, environment, endangered species, and the Aloha way of life.
