karameli

It's coming up fast so I want to finalize reservations...before I do, I want to make sure I didn't overlook anything major. Any thoughts? Just reading it puts me in vacation mode

DAY 1 – BIG ISLAND
Arrive KOA at 2pm
Drive to Hilton Waikoloa
Dinner at hotel
Walk to A-Bay and watch the sunset

* A-Bay is only about a mile away, right? We’re flying from the east coast, so I want to keep this afternoon/evening low-key.

DAY 2 – BIG ISLAND
Leave hotel early and drive northern route to VNP
Stop at Waipio Valley Lookout
VNP: Kilauea Iki hike, Thurston Lava Tube, and Devastation Trail
Night hike to ocean entry or lava flow (whatever’s happening)
Dinner at Thai Thai (5 miles from park, open ‘til 9 p.m.)
Back to hotel

* We know the drive is loooong. We're okay with that!
* How long of a side trip is the Waipio lookout?
* Will we have time for everything above at VNP? We’re decent hikers.

DAY 3 – BIG ISLAND
Kayak Kealakekua Bay
Visit Pu`uhonua o Honaunau
Visit Painted Church
Drive north to Kiholo Bay for snorkeling
Dinner at Roy’s in Waikoloa

* How long is the drive from Waikoloa area to Kona/Kealakekua area?

DAY 4 – BIG ISLAND TO OAHU
Check out of hotel
Eat lunch at Kona Brewery on the way to airport
Fly to Honolulu!
Check in at Hilton Hawaiian Village and go to polynesian show at hotel
Dinner nearby (need this day to unwind!)

* Are we ok leaving our luggage in our car at Kona Brewery?
* Where should we eat near HHV? Looking for excellent food and not-overly-stuffy atmosphere.

DAY 5 - OAHU
Kayak Kane’ohe Bay
Lunch and snorkeling in Kailua
Dinner in Waikiki area

* We have free entrée coupons for Golden Dragon (at the HHV) and Nick’s Fishmarket. Any feedback on either of those?

DAY 6 - OAHU
Hanauma Bay snorkeling – early early early!!
Hike Diamond Head
Royal Hawaiian Luau at night

DAY 7 - OAHU
North Shore day!!
8:00 am one-hour ATV tour of Kualoa Ranch
Lunch at the shrimp trucks
Wander around Turtle Bay resort
Snorkel at Sharks’ Cove
Haleiwa – shave ice, shopping, dinner at Haleiwa Joe’s

* Are non-guests allowed to hike the trails at Turtle Bay Resort?

DAY 8 - OAHU
Pearl Harbor
Aloha Stadium Swap Meet
Tantalus on the way to Manoa Falls
Plate lunch in Honolulu (millions of suggestions on this board - it’s going to be a tough pick!!)
Go to the Kuhio Beach torch lighting and hula at sunset
Dinner at Duke’s

* Has anyone been to the Kuhio beach torch lighting? Is it worth going? It looks like it's about three miles from HHV.

DAY 9 - OAHU
Check out and leave bags at hotel
Relax on the beach, do some shopping at International Marketplace
Leave for the airport at 7:30 to catch our red-eye!

bobludlow

Don't bother with Kaneohe Bay on day 5 - you can rent a kayak for Kailua Bay (take your snorkels along) and either circle Flat Island or head around the corner and poke around all the coral heads around Lanikai Beach. The experience will be as good or better than a Kaneohe kayak and you spend less time in the car. You can get a great view of Kaneohe (and some gorgeous cliffs) if you take a slightly more roundabout route home on the H-3 highway. But why head back to Waikiki for dinner? All of the best restaurants are outside of that tourist ghetto.

karameli

Bob, thanks for your suggestion. We had picked Kaneohe because of the mountain backdrop, but it looks like Kailua Beach isn't too shabby, scenery-wise. It would be nice to cut out some extraneous driving.

And we're planning on eating lunch in Kailua (probably Buzz's?), but wanted to head back and get dinner near the hotel because we'll probably be tired and in desperate need of a shower by then!

echolynch

Karameli,

Yes, it is pretty close from the Hilton to A-Bay, keep in mind it might be warmer and muggier than you may be expecting, especially the first night so any amount of walking might be less comfortable.

Keep in mind they are paving in Waimea, which reduces the traffic down to one lane. This means you will want to be on the other side of Waimea BEFORE they start, which I believe is at 7 or 8 AM. Call the number KamaaianaK found: 1-800-887-3004 for updates. Otherwise it could add as much as 1.5 hours to your trip. Don’t forget to stop at Tex’s Drive in and Akaka falls on your way to HVNP. Waipio is about a 30 min RT side jaunt.
Depending on when you are going you might not get a good show for the night hike since you will need to be back at Thai Thai at 8:30 at the latest.

I still do not recommend kayaking Kealakekua Bay.
From the Hilton to Kealakekua allow 1.25 hours, unless traffic in Kona is really bad, then add another half hour. Try to time your drive back up to Kiholo to be through Kailua-Kona BEFORE 3 PM or traffic will be a snarl.

Your luggage should be fine at Kona Brewery.

Good luck and happy travels!

karameli

Thanks SO much for the info about the road construction in Waimea and the phone number for updates!! I'll keep a close eye on that so we know whether we need to leave at the crack of dawn. And if we wind up starting the day much earlier because of that, we could probably go to Thai Thai for an early dinner and come back to the park for the night hike. That might work out better all around and give our feet a mini-break.

After my previous post about Kealakekua (in which you gave lots of helpful info) we decided to go for it, since we've heard so many good things about the scenery and the snorkeling. We're both athletic and we've been ocean kayaking before...of course if the weather's acting up and the bay's extremely rough, we'll bail!

MelissaHI

I don't think the torch lighting on the beach is a big deal. Since you'll already be there, though, why not?

You could use your free entree at the Golden Dragon your first night, their food is yummy. I have never had a bad meal at Nick's, but the place itself is very aged and worn.

For your Diamond Head hike: I need to warn you that if you don't do it first thing in the morning, it will be HOT!

On Day 9, you could dawdle at Aloha Tower Marketplace on your way to the airport. It's halfway between Waikiki and the airport. www.alohatower.com

OldSouthernBelle

We used an entertainment coupon ($27) at Nicks July '05. Maybe it's not the most up to date....I really didn't notice anything in a bad way.
We had great food and service and I loved the Hawaiian Iced Tea ( not the Plantation Iced Tea I've seen discussed before, it was their version of Long Island Iced Tea)... give it a try!

bobludlow

No one at Buzz's will care if you drop a little sand on the floor when you sit down - how about an early dinner there before driving home? And a warning - don't patronize any other "Buzz's" that you see on Oahu, especially the one in Waikiki. Unafilliated restaurants with much lower quality.

karameli

Thanks for the suggestions so far! Maybe I'll do both Golden Dragon and Nick's, since Melissa and SOuthernBelle gave it good reviews (food-wise, at least!).

Bob, I actually just read on the wizardpub website in the Oahu updates section that "Buzz's Steak & Lobster" closed. Guess no one was fooled...

MelissaHI

Well, I may be the only one here with a point of reference on Nick's. The first time I went there, I was a junior in high school. When I told my assistant that, her face contorted and she said, "WOW, the restaurant is REALLY OLD!!!!!"

8-X

OldSouthernBelle

On Oahu, I'm assuming you know about Leonard's Malasadas, the Mac Nut Farm (free samples) and Menehune Candy Factory (free samples) - they ship your purchases home too - I recommend the Pineapple Snow Candy!

The_MI

Kona is awesome, you'll love it.

You have to go to the hotspring, its right in the ocean and is one of the greatest experiences you will ever have. Bring a floaty and some beverages and just relax after a hike. Its a bit of a drive through the lava feilds past the lava tree park.

Another tip
The Kaui coffee company makes better coffee then Kona coffee (less acidic) and if you do buy Kona coffee check the percentage, as some is only 10% Kona coffee. oh. and buy all your gifts and trinkets at wall-mart instead of hilo-hatie WAY CHEAPER

Have Fun

OldSouthernBelle

Melissa...hey watch it...there's more than that 'old' around here...that doesn't make us bad!

MileKing

More time on Big Island....less on Oahu. OR....With what looks like less than 3 full days on the Big Island, skip it entirely and spend your entire vacation on Oahu. Day 2 will be very long. I'd try to find time one evening to visit Mauna Kea (Big Island).

Most certainly skip Nick's. Mediocre food and poor service....that place is way, way, way overrated.

P_M

Bookmarking this thread.

And if anyone can answer my questions, I would be most grateful.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34838577

karameli

I'd heard of Leonard's and Mac Nut Farm but not the Menehune candy factory -- sounds tasty! I mapped it, and maybe we'll stop there on our way back from Pearl Harbor. Seems to be on the way. (Chocolate is always on the way!)

Mileking -- already booked all my airfare and I'm happy with our setup island-wise. I'm sure no matter where we go, we'll wish we could stay longer and we'll want to go back!

MileKing

karameli - I didn't realize your air plans were set. In any event, I would try to include Mauna Kea. You can drive up to the visitor center on your own and view the stars from there.....incredible and certainly one of the highlights of our honeymoon a few years ago. Good luck!

karameli

Thanks mileking -- maybe we'll see how tired we are at the end of that second day, and possibly try to get to Mauna Kea. Are there any turn-arounds along the way up? How long/difficult is the drive?

OnVacation

Karameli - Depending on where the lava is flowing, hiking out to see it can be a major investment in time. When we hiked out to see it, we started in late afternoon and didn't get back to our cottage in Volcano until about 10:00 PM. We were exhausted and I couldn't imagine having to drive back to Kona. The lava was about 3 miles out when we were there and it was a 2 hour hike each way to see it. The hike is basically picking your way up, over, around and between big chunks of lava and over cracks in the ground. It is a major pain in the ***. That said, the payoff is spectacular and watching the lava crash into the sea is an experience we'll never forget. If you guys really want to see the flowing lava, you might want to book a room in Volcano for the night. If it's not that important, you can still drive down Chain of Craters Road and see where the lava recently engulfed the road and swallowed road signs and that kind of thing. Even from the road, we could see the lava glowing on the hills in the distance at night.

karameli

OnVacation -- good points. If there is an active lava flow we can hike to (not just the ocean entry) we'll abandon the Kilauea Iki hike, because my husband's dream would be to see actual, flowing lava up close. As a consolation prize, we figured we'd just do the short walk from the end of Chain of Craters Road to see the glow and steam at the ocean entry. That's not a three-hour hike, right? I got the impression it was a short hike. The one you did probably had a better payoff though