Big Island Chat

[Rosebud]

Here's a new thread to discuss travel to the Big Island, Hawaii!

You can also reference these old threads for more information on the Big Island:

Hawaii Chat (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3924)

Big Island (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1442)

[Rosebud]

(Holding space for future TOC)

[jki]

Can anyone recommend a Kohala condo that is nice, on the beach and family friendly? I've been looking on VRBO but the ones near the beach tend to make me cringe and hit page back immediately.

We stayed at the Mauna Lani two years ago and thought the beaches there would be perfect for kids (age 1.5 and 2.5). I've read that Waikoloa is better for families but wanted to get more feedback. I'd love any advice or recommendations!

TIA!

[justHB]

I don't know about specific condos, but I was looking on homeaway.com and a number of places looked very decent. Sometimes the places on VRBO are scary.

[jki]

Thanks for recommending homeaway.com - we're going to Cape Cod in October and they have a TON of rentals there!

[richgal]

Hey jki -- You might already know this, but the reviews from Hawaii Revealed are all available online (no password needed anymore). If you haven't already looked there, you can go to www.wizardpub.com, click on Big Island, and scroll down. They review hotel resorts and big condo complexes that are centrally managed, but obviously nothing for privately owned places or B&Bs. The Mauna Lani Terrace (adjacent to Mauna Lani Bay Hotel) may be a good option for you, but the beaches don't look all that great (lots of lava rocks).

Good luck!

[justHB]

The Mauna Lani Terrace (adjacent to Mauna Lani Bay Hotel) may be a good option for you, but the beaches don't look all that great (lots of lava rocks). I don't know specifically about the Mauna Lani area, but the Fairmont has its own man-made cove b/c of that reason. It's rather pretty.

[richgal]

I don't know specifically about the Mauna Lani area, but the Fairmont has its own man-made cove b/c of that reason. It's rather pretty.

Good point. From the aerial photos on the WizardPub site, it looks like the beach outside the Mauna Lani Terrace has at least one nice sandy cove (possibly manmade) that would be okay. My coworker stayed at the Fairmont and agreed that their beach was really nice (and protected). Not sure if there are condos nearby with access to their beach though. Mauna Kea and Hapuna Beach are both really nice beaches... but not very protected, and probably not very safe for the kiddos. When we were there in 2003, 5 out of 6 days were red flag days at Hapuna Beach, and the other was a yellow flag day.

I just bought the 4th edition of Hawaii Revealed, though, so jki, if you find a condo on the beach and have a question about the swimmability of the area, let me know and I can look it up for you.

[jki]

richgal:
OMG - thank you! I completely FORGOT about Hawaii Revealed online! Thanks!

[Foley42]

What is the minimum amount of days do you suggest for a trip to Hawaii (first time tourist)? I want to pack in as much as possible, but I don't want to be gone for 2 weeks either. I live on the East coast, so I know the jet lag will slow me down a little.

[justHB]

What is the minimum amount of days do you suggest for a trip to Hawaii (first time tourist)? I want to pack in as much as possible, but I don't want to be gone for 2 weeks either. I live on the East coast, so I know the jet lag will slow me down a little.Just the Big Island (Hawaii) or others as well? When we got married in Maui five years ago, we were coming from Pennsylvania. We spent 6 nights in Maui and 4 on the Big Island and I thought 10 days was good for two islands.

[HeatherFL]

I think the very minimum I'd suggest is a week, but that is a trip to the state of Hawaii. If you go to the Big Island, I think three days is a good amount of time. If you only spend a week total in the Hawaiian islands just remember as you leave, your body is finally adjusting to the time change!

~H.

[wendalah]

If you want to "do" the whole island (it is, actually, a "big" island), I'd recommend 5 days minimum. There's a lot to see and do there.

[am_81]

I'd suggest 5 days on the Big Island as well. We did 5 days in Maui and then 5 on the Big Island for out honeymoon and it still didnt seem like enough! 5 days in each place gave us just enough days to have a good mix of things to do (snorkeling, exploring, surfing, etc.) and some time for relaxing on the beach too.

[laura]

Ditto 5 - I did 5 nights on Maui and (separately) 5 nights on the Big Island, and it was enough to see/do a lot of things and also leaves plenty to do on a return trip.

Coming from the east coast, though, I would recommend a minimum of 7 nights (for 1 island; 10 for 2 islands) b/c at least 1 whole day will probably be lost to exhaustion, depending on how well you adjust and how you time your flights. But I like a good mix of activity and lounging around, so I like plenty of time to maximize both.

[justHB]

Also, if you're going from one island to another, I recommend you fly direct. When we booked our wedding/honeymoon, our travel agent had us flying from Maui to Oahu to the Big Island. We left Maui at 2pm and didn't get to our hotel on the BI until 10pm. Not cool (and just another reason why I don't like using travel agents).

[Foley42]

thanks for the suggestions :)

[jki]

Does anyone have any great restaurant recommendations? Also, are there any great luaus on the Big Island?

[justHB]

Brown's Beach House at the Fairmont Orchid.

[laura]

Canoe House at the Mauna Lani was our best meal on the Big Island. We attended the luau at the Mauna Kea, but it's the only one I have ever been to, so I don't know if it was a "great" one or not. I thought it was okay (none are really my thing though); my mom loved it.

[kris97]

Questions for experienced Big Islanders ...

We will be heading there for 9 nights the last week of June (staying at the Four Seasons - can.not.wait). We're hoping to spend half the days doing lowkey stuff/hanging around the resort and half the days exploring the Island. At least one day we're head to the volcano, but other than that, we haven't made planned.

So, aside from visiting the volcano, what sites/activities would you recommend? And, is there anything you would book beforehand?
We're pretty fit and up for physical activities, but also interested in seeing more of Hawaii's history and culture this time around.

Thanks!

[justHB]

A lot of people I know who visit the BI go snorkeling at Captain Cook's monument (http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/captcook/). We went and I thought the snorkeling was good, but everyone said we'd see spinner dolphins and we didn't. Our friends who were there the week before swam with them. You can either go with a tour company or you can rent a kayak and paddle over yourselves (that's what we did).

[am_81]

A lot of people I know who visit the BI go snorkeling at Captain Cook's monument (http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/captcook/). We went and I thought the snorkeling was good, but everyone said we'd see spinner dolphins and we didn't. Our friends who were there the week before swam with them. You can either go with a tour company or you can rent a kayak and paddle over yourselves (that's what we did).

We were on the Big Island last November and did the Captain Cook snorkeling trip. We went with a tour company (cant remember the name right now) . . . the idea of kayaking over sounded fun, but the tour included lunch and drinks, plus all the snorkeling equipment. All we had to do was show up with our bathing suits and a towel. We booked a couple days in advance and had no problems getting a reservation.

Definitely try to get your hands on a copy of Hawaii: The Big Island Revealed. It has suggestions for good hikes, tour companies and all sorts of activities.

The Big Island was the relaxing part of our honeymoon (we went crazy on Maui the week before), so other than the volcano and snorkeling, all we did on the BI was eat, drink and hang out at the pool.

[laura]

We did a helicopter tour over the (active) volcano when we were there, and I would recommend it. There is one tour that will also take you around the Kohala (is that what it's called?) coast to see some waterfalls you can't access any other way, but we didn't do that one. Ours was still great, though, and honestly I would not want to be up in a helicopter much longer than we were! We did it last minute so we paid 50% off, too; if your plans are flexible, I think it's pretty easy to swing that option. We snorkeled off the shore of our hotel, so I'm not much help w/ snorkel tours.

[Sazoo]

So, aside from visiting the volcano, what sites/activities would you recommend? And, is there anything you would book beforehand?
We're pretty fit and up for physical activities, but also interested in seeing more of Hawaii's history and culture this time around.
We visited the Big Island last September. Here are a few activities/sites you might want to look into:

Visit a Kona coffee plantation. We stopped at the Greenwell Farms (http://www.greenwellfarms.com/) just south of Kona. They offer free plantation tours throughout the day (no advanced reservations required). The person who conducted our tour was very nice and told us all about the history and process of growing coffee in Hawaii. After the short tour you can sample (& purchase) several varieties of their coffee before you leave. There are several other Kona coffee plantations that offer tours too, I believe.

There are some beautiful waterfalls over on the Hilo side of the island. We visited Akaka Falls but ran out of time to stop and see the others we'd heard were really pretty. I think one was called Rainbow Falls, maybe? Akaka Falls has a long and short walking path from the parking lot to the falls so you can get in a longer hike if you want to.

Visit a black sand beach. We stopped at the Punalu'u Black Sand Beach (at the southern tip of the island) on our way to the Volcano National Park. It was beautiful, and we wished we weren't in such a hurry to keep moving down the road to the volcano park so we could have spent more time there. We saw some green turtles swimming around in the surf, and took some great pictures of the waves crashing up on the black sand. Very neat, and not something you see at most beaches. :) Also, we stopped at the Punalu'u Bake Shop and picked up some Hawaiian sweet bread on our way to the beach. Yummy!

Another thing we did that was kind of fun if you're looking for a little history/culture - rent a 4x4 (we rented a Jeep Wrangler) and go "off-roading" to visit King Kamehameha's birthplace. It's actually not much to see once you get there...pretty much just a pile of rocks with a sign in front. :) But the off-road driving is sort of fun and it's up on the Kohala Coast (north of Kona) overlooking the ocean so the view is spectacular.

We didn't go on a helicopter ride but my parents did (they took a tour over the Kohala Coast, not the active volcano) and they said it was pretty neat.

[am_81]

Visit a black sand beach. We stopped at the Punalu'u Black Sand Beach (at the southern tip of the island) on our way to the Volcano National Park. It was beautiful, and we wished we weren't in such a hurry to keep moving down the road to the volcano park so we could have spent more time there. We saw some green turtles swimming around in the surf, and took some great pictures of the waves crashing up on the black sand. Very neat, and not something you see at most beaches. :) Also, we stopped at the Punalu'u Bake Shop and picked up some Hawaiian sweet bread on our way to the beach. Yummy!

I forgot that we visited the same black sand beach as well. It was just a few minutes' detour off the road to the Volcano National Park and was well worth it. DH was impatient to get to VNP so we only stayed 25 minutes or so, but I couldve easily spent an hour or more walking around. The egg-laying season (or whatever it is called) for the sea turtles and there were quite a few hanging out on the rocks and in the water.

[wendalah]

My favorite sights on the Big Island:

--The natural hot springs pool at 'Ahalanui Park (http://www.hawaiiweb.com/hawaii/html/beaches/ahalanui_park.html)

--TheKapoho Tidepools (http://www.hawaiiweb.com/hawaii/html/beaches/kapoho_tide_pools.html)...easily the most unique snorkeling experience I've had. Really cool!

--South Point (we didn't drive all the way down to South Point, but found the road to be really interesting--creepy--desolate--like nothing you've seen before)

--The Place of Refuge (worth walking around to see the tikis--they are replicas but very cool, plus there are a lot of turtles around)

--Hilo's Farmer's Market (held on Wednesdays and Saturdays)...get t-shirts, jewelry, and pareos here for cheap

--Drive up north to Hawi for interesting arts & crafts shopping

[laura]

We hit a good flea market / farmer's market in Kona, but I don't remember what day of the week it was - maybe it's always there? Great place to buy jewelry, souvenirs, etc pretty reasonably, and they are willing to bargain.

[richgal]

We were there in March '07 (our second trip --we honeymooned there in Sept. '03 as well). Two activities we did this time around that haven't been mentioned yet:

-- Manta Ray night dive/snorkel -- HIGHLY recommended. We are scuba-certified, and this was an incredible experience. We were graced by the presence of 6 manta rays that night (ranging in size from 8' diameter to 12' diameter). They are breathtaking to watch, and swam so close, we had to duck to avoid having them graze the top of our heads (which can injure the protective coating on their skin). If you are not scuba-certified, you can snorkel above them, for a still AMAZING view. We did it with Kona Honu Divers (http://www.konahonudivers.com). They take both divers and snorkelers on their boat, and are a very well-run operation.

-- Horseback riding in Waipi'o Valley. Absolutely gorgeous scenery. We did it with Na'alapa Stables and had no complaints.

Other than those two things:

-- I second Wendalah's recommendation for a dip in the Ahalanui volcanically heated pool -- wear reef shoes -- I got pretty seriously injured there when I kicked a lava rock underwater (after warning DH multiple times to be careful, of course).

-- If you can arrange it, I'd recommend staying overnight in Volcano or Hilo -- driving to Volcanoes National Park from the Four Seasons and back in one day will be a LONG day (we did that in '03, but stayed overnight in Hilo this time). The park is HUGE and there is tons to explore. Staying at the park until after the sun sets is highly recommended if there is a surface flow (even if from afar -- in March '07, it was a 7 hour hike to the surface flow, and we weren't about to hike it. In Sept '03, it was a 2 hour hike which we did). The red glow of lava at night is beautiful. You can check the USGS site for current status: Kilauea Eruption Updates (http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/hvostatus.php).

Just a few pics from our recent trip:
Manta from afar:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/222/488979615_417afd0ba9.jpg?v=0

Approaching:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/189/489002329_b11aaed2f3.jpg?v=0

And way up close:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/230/488952392_a4b8474bc1.jpg?v=0

March '07 Lava Flow from afar at dusk:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/218/488977484_8d73c116c9.jpg?v=0

Sorry for taking up so much room in here!

[rosa727]

I highly recommend Kona Village Beach Resort. We stayed there on our honeymoon, and it was amazing. The service and staff were great. We had our own tiki hut-type cottage on a black sand beach. It was heaven!

www.konavillage.com

[kris97]

Bumping this up ...

We're heading to the Big Island on Friday (!!), and just wondered if there were any other restaurant recommendations, other than the ones listed in the old thread (Roy's, Canoe House, Kawihae Harbor Grill, Brown's Beach House)?

Also, is there any point to bringing warmer clothes (like jeans or whatever)? I don't think we're going to be going to Mauna Kea, but I didn't know if it would ever get really chilly at night.

Anything else out of the ordinary you would recommend bringing?

[jki]

We're heading to the Big Island on Friday (!!), and just wondered if there were any other restaurant recommendations, other than the ones listed in the old thread.
We had a great meal at Tex Drive In (http://www.texdrivein.com/). DH had a fish burger that was delicious and their malasadas are awesome.

If you go to Hilo, Hilo Bay Cafe (http://www.hilobaycafe.com/) is excellent. Ocean Sushi Deli was also good and inexpensive.

In the town of Volcano, we had dinner at Thai Thai and Kiawe Kitchen. I thought both were mediocre but DH LOVED Kiawe Kitchen. He still talks about his sausage pasta.

Also, is there any point to bringing warmer clothes (like jeans or whatever)? I don't think we're going to be going to Mauna Kea, but I didn't know if it would ever get really chilly at night.

Will you be going to the Volcanoes National Park? We stayed in the Volcano area for 3 nights and had to wear the same clothing (that we wore on the plane) over and over because I failed to pack anything besides shorts and bathing suits! :o

[richgal]

Ditto several of jki's restaurant suggestions (the malasadas (Portuguese donuts) at Tex Drive In are AWESOME), and adding a couple more (these are both very casual):
Cafe Pesto (in Kawaihae and also in Hilo)
U-top-it (in Kona)

As for long sleeves/pants -- I'd pack 1 pair of long pants (or capris), and at least a cardigan or light sweater of some sort. If you're dining outdoors after the sun has gone down, it can get cool enough to need an extra layer, especially if it's breezy.

Have a great trip!! I'm so jealous!

[FallingforPhil]

Bumping for some questions....

DH and I are contemplating a trip to the Big Island at the end of March. We had originally thought about finding a place to rent through VRBO, but because we're doing this so last-minute, I'm guessing that won't be an option. Soooo, if you were doing BI on a budget, where would you stay?

I see some good package deals through travelocity at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa, the Holua Resort at the Mauna Loa Village, and the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. I've checked reviews on TripAdvisor, but they're pretty mixed for all three places.

I'm open to simple accomodations, but I can't deal with less-than-clean conditions. Be kind--I have no idea where to start with my planning, so if I should run far away from all 3 of these places, just say so! :o

[richgal]

Hey there! To be honest, the Big Island on a budget is quite difficult. The Sheraton is nice inside (my BIL/SIL stayed there last year), but the reason why it's cheaper than most of the other big hotels/resorts there is because of it's location. There are hardly any beaches in that area (it's all lava rock cliffs and shelves), and it's slightly more industrial in the area, and less resort-y. I don't know where the Holua Resort is, but the Outrigger Keauhou would have the same issues as with the Sheraton (and if the choice was between a Sheraton and an Outrigger for me, I'd DEFINITELY pick the Sheraton). The weather is also sometimes not as great there -- it rains down there more than it does up on the Kohala coast. But, the advantage of that area over Kohala is that there are cheaper restaurants and more of them. Most of the restaurants in the Kohala area are at big fancy resorts, so you end up paying a premium for most meals up there (or driving down to Kailua-Kona).

That said, the Big Island is HUGE, so if you plan to be fairly active while you're there, then it doesn't really matter where you stay. For example, the volcano park (which I HIGHLY recommend -- I think it's a shame to go to the Big Island but skip the park) is a 3 hour drive from the Kohala resorts area, and a 2-3 hour drive from Kailua-Kona. You can EASILY spend the entire day at the park, so that will be a LONG day away from your hotel.

On the other hand, if your main purpose is to spend time on the beach or by the pool, then you'd probably have a more enjoyable time staying up in Kohala (or visiting Maui instead where they have fabulous beaches and cheaper accommodations). I think I've posted several times in this thread with my favorite things to do on the Big Island (it's my favorite of the Hawaiian islands). Feel free to ask more questions if you have them. :)