Day 2
MORNING The Big Island's got 11 of the world's 13 climate zones, and the way to see them is from a helicopter. Fly over tropical rainforests; snowcapped Mauna Loa; and Kilauea, an active volcano with incredible red rivers of molten lava; Blue Hawaiian.
AFTERNOON Decompress with a traditional lomi-lomi massage in an outdoor cabana at the Fairmont Orchid's Spa Without Walls. (P.S.: This resort (left), a little more low-key than the Four Seasons, sits on a small, lovely beach. Rooms from $329; Fairmont.)
EVENING Split the kalua-pig quesadillas, warm local goat cheese, and signature Original Wok-Charred Ahi at Merriman's, a hyperlocal restaurant in tiny Waimea—the heart of Hawaii Island's emerald green ranch country; Merriman's.
