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We will be spending a week on Oahu and a week on the big island of Hawaii. We will be renting a car each week. Does anyone have an opinion about whether it's better to fly into Kona or Hilo from Honolulu or is there no difference? Thank you.
Hawaii: Kona or Hilo
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Where will you be staying? Most resorts are closer to the Kona airport, but the volcano is closer to Hilo.
Haven't decided on a place to stay yet, but I just wondered if there is any advantage to one airport over another.
I always fly into Kona, and it's a very nice small airport. Sometimes people will fly into one, and fly out of the other depending on where they are staying or exploring.
If you're talking JUST THE AIRPORT, I like Hilo because the rental cars are all right at the airport. No catching a shuttle, which you'll have to do at Kona's airport.
Also, much of Kona's airport is outdoors, so if it rains, it can be a bit challenging.
It doesn't rain enough on the Kona side to worry about it.
You should pick your airport based on where you'll be staying.
Yes, I agree that you should pick your airport according to where you are staying. If I were staying a week on the Big Island, I would spend most of it on the Kona/Kohala Coast.
I agree with elsiemoo. There's hardly any rain, and there are some nice beaches on the Kona side.
You might want to drive to Hilo for a day or so, because the Hilo side is more green and lush, and the south end on that side is lovely. It's also close to the volcano.
Kona= Drier weather, more people, more package tourists, and lots of chain/big box stores.
Hilo= more rain, more lush vegetation, closer to the volcano, more funky/artsy shopping, quieter.
Both sides have lots of outdoor activities. I recommend flying into one, then out of the other.
One idea would be to fly into Hilo, stay a couple of nights, visit the volcano and see a few sites in Hilo, incuding gardens and waterfalls.
Then, drive up on the beautiful Hamakua coast, through Waimea, and spend the rest of your vacation on the Kohala coast. Hotel occupancy is down, and rates are more affordable.
From a hotel in Kohala it is an easy drive to visit the beautiful Hawi area, Waimea (Paniolo culture), explore the beaches, resorts, petroglyph fields. And it is about 30-40 minutes to Kona for more beaches, shops, restaurants, sites, and just a bit further to explore coffee country and Kealakakua Bay.
You would then fly out of Kona.
I would suggest flying into hilo and spending two night exploring the eastside and then end your trip on the kona/kohala coast, flying out of KOA.
We enjoy both sides of the island, but prefer Hilo for seeing Hawaii with less tourists. Often there is a premium paid to rent at one airport and drop your car at the other, at the end of your trip. Coming from rural Oregon, where it is a several hour drive to get to an airport, we have opted to rent from Kona and return the car to Kona as it is only a 2 to 2 1/2 hour drive from Hilo to Kona. We drive through Waimea so we can come in to Kona from the north avoiding the traffic back-up that occurs south of Kona in the mornings starting around Captain Cook. We split our time between the two sides as they are so different.