VW makes for comfy camping on Big Island

By Chris Oliver
Advertiser Staff Writer

Beloved of travelers everywhere whether crossing the Great Divide or hauling surfboards to the North Shore, nothing conjures up a road trip like this icon of the 1970s And where better in Hawai'i to hit the open road in this baby than on the Big Island, where Imua Camper Co. answers the call.

Last fall, Advertiser staffer Nick Gervais and New York buddy Dave DeRobbio, looking for a budget getaway, took a tour around the Big Island, spending five days (and four nights) in an Imua Volkswagen, deeming it "very affordable."

They rented mountain bikes, which they stowed inside while driving and on the roof rack at night.

"We figured we'd hear if anyone tried to pinch 'em," Gervais said.

Imua Camper Co. started up 18 months ago in Hilo, and business has been building steadily, says owner Shawn Zenor. A lifelong Volkswagen fan, Zenor, 33, spent three years working in a VW rental business in New Mexico and runs the business with two part-time helpers.

"Most of our clients are from the Mainland and Canada, but we're starting to see a number of local residents," Zenor said.

Campers are powered by a water-cooled 2.1-liter gasoline engine. Its compact size makes it easier to maneuver on the road than the larger RV and with 20 to 25 miles per gallon, they are economical to drive.

Each camper includes a fold-down double bed, and another in the "pop-top." That's ample room for four adults, albeit friendly ones. Each comes with a refrigerator, gas stove, sink and water supply. Most campers are air-conditioned.

"Camp kits" provide cooking and eating equipment, bedding, towels and cleaning supplies, Zenor said.

Zenor advises customers on which campgrounds to use and provides a guidebook with each camper. A link on the Imua Camper Co. Web site links to campground information and connects directly to a Hawai'i County Parks Web site with electronic applications for camping permits.

With "Soul Coffin" on the tape deck and the mini kitchen stocked, Gervais and DeRobbio could cruise, choosing where and when to stop for activities.

Things to see: Kona side

• Visit rural areas: Waimea's giant cattle spread, Parker Ranch.
• In South Kona, there's the City of Refuge, now named Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park, coffee plants on the steep slopes mauka; and special stops such as St. Benedict's "Painted Church" in Honaunau and the Manago Hotel in Captain Cook, one of the last Japanese country inns in Hawai'i.
• The Natural Energy Laboratory at Keahole Point excites those who see fish farming and biotechnology as the new frontiers.
• Elegant European and new Hawaiian cuisine dining in Waimea, once viewed as a cow town. Waimea also has buildings from early ranching days, a church row with 19th-century buildings and two modern astronomy centers.
• North Kohala, 20 miles away, has remnants of a plantation community with fishing and nearby golfing.
• Take a mule ride into Waipio Valley or kayak along the Kohala ditch, etched out nearly a century ago to provide water to the sugar fields abandoned in the 1970s.
• Mauna Loa and Hualalai volcanoes last erupted in 1984 and 1801, respectively. No lava has been emitted on the west side of Mauna Loa since the 1950 outbreak. According to retired volcanologist Jack Lockwood, flows on Mauna Loa have been nearly equally divided between east and west. The last two were on the east.
• Holualoa is an arts community in coffee country, with small bed & breakfasts and art studios.

Things to see: Hilo side

• Puna, where Kilauea Volcano has been erupting for 18 years, is almost the size of O'ahu. Visit the state's Lava Tree Park, outside of Pahoa, where lava molds of former ohi'a trees are featured. The best lodging deal is the $40/night A-frame cabins at Volcanoes National Park, rented through Volcano House. The cabin sleeps four (add $8 per person after the first two for everyone older than 13) and includes bedding and towels, but don't expect luxury: There's no outlets and you may want to bring an extra blanket (808) 967-7321.
• Hilo, more settled and populated than Puna, offers good lodgings, and Rainbow Falls off Waianuenue Avenue, as well as Pepe'epe'e Falls, better known to residents as "Boiling Pots," one mile upstream on the Wailuku River. Check out Hilo Bay, the Pacific Tsunami Museum and the historic Lyman House Museum, and the relatively new King Kamehameha statue in Wailoa State Park.
• Akaka Falls State Park is up-slope of Honomu.
• Hamakua, farther north, a one-time sugar district, is sometimes referred to as the Scotch Coast for the many immigrants from Scotland who settled there. There are small cattle ranches, sheep and goats, a new forest industry and Waipi'o Valley that some claim was once home to 20,000 native Hawaiians. Waipi'o Valley is free to visit but dangerous to drive. Guided tours are available by four-wheel drive or horse-drawn carriages. You can hike the valley floor but leave lots of time to hike out — it takes twice as long. Want a woodland experience? Kalopa State Park lies six miles south of Honoka'a.
• Cheap lodging: Uncle Billy's, Hawaii Naniloa or Hilo Hawaiian; lesser-known but also good bargains are Dolphin Bay and Wild Ginger Inn in the Pu'u'eo district on the north side of the Wailuku River.