CityGuy

Hello all,

We have an 8 day/8 night Hawaii trip coming up around Christmas with our 2 kids. We are flying out to Lihue, Kauai and flying out of Kona. The Delta flights and rental cars are reserved. Beyond that not much has been planned. We have already visited Oahu and Maui. We have a number of questions regarding the itinerary.

- Given that we only have 8 (full) days, how do we split the time between the 2 islands? We were thinking 5 nights in Kauai and 3 nights in Big Island (seems short, but we don't have a choice).

- From LIH, should we fly into Hilo or Kona? We need to decide this first so we can book the lodging and inter-island flight.

- We definitely want to see the volcano (main reason to go to B.I). We have hotel reserved at Kona for 3 nights (part of vacation package), but I am not sure if that will work fine. It looks like Kona is 3-3.5 hours away from the park. Can we view the volcano in the evening and make it to Kona? At what time can you see the red lava flowing into the sea?

- One option is to stay near Hilo for a night or two and then stay in Kona for a day for our return (9 PM flight departure back home). Is that more practical? The inter-island air is not booked yet, so we are flexible. A rental car is available for pickup at Hilo and drop off at Kona.

- Ideally, where should we stay at Kauai and Big Island? We have to stay at least one night at Kona (Pacific Beach Hotel) as part of the package. Are vacation rentals pretty safe?

- Apart from the volcano, our main interests are exploring the beaches (coming from the Upper Midwest), shallow snorkeling (not everyone is a good swimmer in our family), a little hiking and tours/sights unique to HI. What are the must-see sights?

- Can we drive to VNP in our rental car (either from Hilo or Kona) or is it better to take a tour?

Thanks in advance

Marginal

-If you have to split up the time, and seeing the volcanoe is a primary concern, then 5/3 is OK. Remember the first night you will be exhausted and the last night you will be packing, so you only really have 6 nights to deal with.

-If you are staying in Kona, then fly into Kona. The west side has more variation in accomodation than Hilo

-At the current time, there is no flowing lava to be seen, and no flowing lava entering the ocean. If that is what you want to see, I'd reconsider visiting The Big Island because you are likely to be disappointed. The prior lava viewing area was more like a 4-5 hour drive back to Kona at night. You can visit the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park more easily, but what you can see will be more limited.

-The town of Volcano is a better choice to visit the park.

-You are getting very late to be chosy about accomodation. What is your nightly accomodation budget?

-The Pacific Beach Hotel is in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. Do you mean the Kona Beach Hotel?

-Time for a guidebook

-You can easily drive to the park. Please take time to visit the park website where you will find more information:

http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm

Marginal

Many people recommend taking a helicopter tour of the park. You'll have to see if it fits in your budget.

CityGuy

Thanks for your reply. We have 8 days, not counting the day of arrival. Our return flight is booked from Kona, not sure that can be changed. So would it be an easy drive from the National Park to Kona? The helicopter tour is probably ruled out because of fear of heights!

We will need to stay at least one night at Royal Kona Hotel, not Pacific Beach. Does it make sense to split the 3 or 4 days in Big Island between Volcano and Kona? We are looking for a moderate hotel.

Marginal

How old are the kids? What do they like to do? Do you envision one trip to the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park or more days?

If you want beaches, you are going to have to stay in the Kona or south Koahala or Waikoloa areas.

Tomsd

Suggest you fly into Hilo and from there - it's a short drive up to the Volcano - and plan on staying there for the night.

The next day - spend the morning sight seeing around the Volcano and then take the two hour drive over to Kona and spend a couple of nights there - where it's easier to get a direct flight back to Honolulu and then home.

If you have time - when landing in Hilo - drive up the east side a bit to Akaka Falls - which is very beautiful - about 30 minutes north of Hilo and then from there - it's about an hour back to the Volcano area.

Check the availability around Volcano Village - and our favorite is the Volcano Village Inn - but have to say our friend the owner did sell a short time ago.

Think this might be a different webpage - but the map is helpful. http://www.volcanoinnhawaii.com/

Tomsd

BTW - I like the drive from the Volcano to Kona - very pretty - and I make good time - but with the kids you might want to stop a time or two - but should still be able to do it in 3 hours.

tifa2276

You can drive to volcano from kona. I did it from the kohala coast. As Tomsd says, its a beautiful drive. With only 3 days there there is no point in doing a split stay. You would be wasting time packing up and moving, unpacking all over again when you can instead enjoy a leisurely drive. You visit a black sand beach, Or south point too. Have a great trip!

CityGuy

Thanks for your replies. Our boys are 14 and 8. We plan to make only one trip to theVolcano Park.

We really liked Hanauma Bay at Oahu. Is there something similar in either island?

Spending one night in Volcano Inn is a great idea. I will check to see if lodging is available at this time. Also, we have tickets from Kona to LA and back home(no stopover at HNL).

On another note, are there any roads in either island with sheer drop offs? We have fear of heights and don't enjoy such views and would like to avoid those if possible.

Thanks again.

fb

Hanauma Bay has probably the best snorkeling In Hawaii. However, there is good snorkeling on both Kauai and Big Island. South of Kona is Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (also called City of Refuge) and in Kona itself is Kahalu’u Beach - both places have very good snarling.
As for Kauai, you will likely get people recommending the North Shore, but it is too rainy for me in the winter, so I'd recommend staying at the South Shore, specifically Poipu. There, the best snorkeling is in front of the Beach House Restaurant.
I would not miss going up to Waimea Canyon on Kauai- although the road is windy, I don't recall it being near a drop off and the viewing areas for the canyon and the Napoli Coast have railings.

peterSale

We spent two nights in Hilo and ten in Kona.

The Volcano is absolutely wonderful. We spent the best part of three days in and around it and could have spent more. There are a huge variety of walking tracks.Go at night to see the glow in the main crater. They also have telescopes out for star gazing.Even when it was flowing to the ocean the viewing was about 1km away so all you saw was steam and the occasional small explosion with red in the steam. At night you could see the red glow on the hills but again far away.

It is a long drive from coast to coast for two reasons one it is very windy and secondly the legal speed limit is very slow. I'd say the drive was more like 4-5hrs. Can you not fly out of Hilo?

Kona was great. Night snorkel with the Manta Rays is a MUST DO. We went with Jacks diving locker. They were excellent, especially with the non swimmers - buoyancy vest and foam "noodle". Wonderful.
http://www.jacksdivinglocker.com/cha...mantanight.htm

Kona Coffee is delicious - likened to fine scotch - drink it straight (no milk or sugar) or not at all.
http://www.greenwellfarms.com/

Some good info here.
http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/captain...ealakekua-bay/

and here
http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/hikes_day.htm

The Green Sand beach is well worth the walk, but talk plenty to drink. Mauna Kea was a great evening trip as well.

Tomsd

Driving on Kauai and BI is not white knuckle stuff.

On Kauai - K'e Beach at the end of the road - past Prinveville/Hanalei - on the North Shore - is our favorite - and mid-island - Lydgate Park is also very good - both far better - IMO - than in front of the Beach House - which is also fun.

22tango

"The helicopter tour is probably ruled out because of fear of heights!"

My wife, who won't go out on a lanai that's higher than the 2nd floor, recalls a helicopter tour of Kaua'i as one of her most memberable Hawai'i experiences. And she sat up front in the seat next to the pilot.

CityGuy

thank you so much for all your replies. I am checking to see if they have any lodging available at Volcano. If not, we'll just stay at Kona and take a leisurely drive as tifa suggested.

tango: We loved the helicopter ride of the Grand Canyon, but sitting next to the pilot did freak me out a little and not sure I want to do it again.

Definitely, time for a guidebook. Thanks for all the awesome suggestions and ideas. It probably will be hard to squeeze it all in 8 days.

Lookin_Glass

There are no direct flights that I am aware of between Kauai and Hawaii so travel that day will take a few hours. Personally, I'd do 5 nights on Kauai and 3 on Hawaii. I would try to fly into Hilo, but really you should let interisland flights guide you in time management.

What we liked about staying in Volcano Village was early mornings and after dark. The park is open 24/7. However the glossy travel idea of seeing lava flow into the ocean is neither realistic, but a crap shot. Getting to those spots, if they exhist will require time, driving and hiking. Or a helicopter. No way would I do a boat tour to lava flowing into the sea. If you've ever seen footage of a lava shelf collapsing into the sea, you will understand.

Your trip requires time management. Would you be better of taking an early morning flight, or an evening flight? These are things that are hard to advice on.

ChiSue

You are trying to do too much in too little time.

Since you already have your flights booked into Lihue and home from Kona, and I presume you can't change those, let's see what options you have.

IMO you have time for Kauai OR Big Island. Choose where to stay just one night -- going out or coming back. Kauai is *tiny*. Big Island is HUGE. If you choose a week on Big Island, yes, fly into Hilo and stay overnight. See the volcano the next day, then drive north to see Waipio Valley. I would stay Kohala; you say you must stay Kona, but just one night?

The north shores of Kauai will be wet and windy in December, as will Hilo and the volcano area of Big Island. (I'm not sure Hilo *ever* dries out completely.)

You do not want to drive anywhere on Big Island after dark. This is also the only island where we routinely rent a larger car.

The best sealife among the four major islands is off the shores of Big Island; Maui comes in second, but has more easy-access beaches. Kauai has the least good; Oahu is next-to-last.

Tomsd

IMO - you have plenty of time to visit two islands. You could spend four or five days kicking back on Kauai (which is not "tiny" - but rather has a lot to see and do) - and then fly into Hilo - spend a night up at the Volcano area - and then wind up in Kona for the last two/three days and then take advantage of the direct flight back to Hono.

The flight from Hono to Kauai takes 20 minutes, and the only flights that will take a little time is if you go into Hilo - which usually takes a change of planes (actually - think you also have to change from Kauai once to get to Kona).

Good advice to start early - and if you wind up coming from say from Maui - it takes you down the beautiful northeast side of the Big Island/Waipo Valley, etc - and then it's less than a half an hour up to the Volcano from the Hilo airport.

Tomsd

And in the winter - it can be iffy snorkeling anywhere - but usually better on the south ends of the islands - and if it's a clear day - go early when it's the calmest with the best visibility.

And no idea how someone can rank Maui second for snorkeling/sealife - and it is good - but also Kauai has very good snorkeling at K'e beach on the north side - again depending on winter surf, etc - and mid-island - Lygate Park is also very good, and there are also some spots down by Poipu.

I/we have dove/snorkeled all over the Islands many times - and they each have some great spots.

Lookin_Glass

"The flight from Hono to Kauai takes 20 minutes, and the only flights that will take a little time is if you go into Hilo - which usually takes a change of planes (actually - think you also have to change from Kauai once to get to Kona)."

Please disregard this post as the poster clearly has ignored the original post and information shared and is going rogue with random thoughts that simply do not apply to a person who already has flights direct to LIH and flying out of KOA.

jamie99

That time of year I would stay south in Poipu and look for a condo with two kids rather than try and squeeze 4 into a hotel room. Look into Kiahuna Plantation, right on a great beach. Lawai Beach and Poipu have good snorkeling, Ke'e is good but the surf has been up lately per another forum, and it was even closed for a few days. You might get lucky though.

Define "moderate" in dollars so folks can help more.