2 weeks in Big Island - Did I make a wrong decission?
 

So the tickets are booked and hotels are reserved. After a lot of considerations and some discussions on Fodors, we decided to visit only one island with our one yr old. Since this is our first vacation, we wanted to keep it relaxing and not hectic with lots of driving and multiple sight seeing. We plan to drive around the island and stay at different places, basically keep it enjoyable and not make it feel like a chore.

And just when I was so excited and about to plan my itenary, my friend tells me that I am gonna be so BORED in 2 weeks. She kept insisting that 2 weeks is too much for just one island and that I should change my itenary and go to Maui or Ohau. I have been feeling so down ever since, felt like sharing and asking, so I am here again.

For all you folks who love Hawaii so much, did I make the wrong decission? Will I regret spending so much yet getting bored?

The Big Island is so big, no you won't be bored. I was there for a week with my family a few years back, and it wasn't long enough to really see the island. And you have a smart idea staying in more than one location. Sometimes, you just plan and do the research, and don't listen to well meaning pals or relatives. Can you tell I've been in that situation before? ;-)

Assuming this isn't a 4/01 joke, your friend must not have done her homework before she went. A lot of first-timers to the Big Island wind up spending a week or two in Kailua, never venture to the other shores, and come away with the impression that it's just one big, barren lava flow with nothing to do.

Nothing could be further from the truth. This year will be our 17th vacation there, and we *still* haven't seen and done everything.

I'm envious!

I've heard the "you'll be bored" comment before and frankly I've never understood it. It just does not compute.

It's your vacation, not your friend's and do it the way you want to. I prefer two weeks on one island. Having that amount of time on one island is the ultimate luxury.

Have a great time.

Bill

We spent 10 days on the Big Island and did not get to do all we had planned. I would go back for two weeks in a heartbeat. Has your friend ever been to the Big Island?

I know you'll have a great time!

Not at all. The Big Island is biiigggg! I spent 10 days there and didn't scratch the surface (no pun intended!)

Oh my firefly..if one has to be bored..two weeks on the Big Island is the place to be, lol.

People that make comments that put down someone elses trip plans..that is boring IMO.

I think you have made a good decision, two weeks on the Big Island with your little one will be wonderful. You will all be able to relax and enjoy the beauty of this wonderful island for two solid weeks..priceless!!

Firefly, all of the people who have posted in response to your question are obviously Big Island fans and their opinions are biased.

The truth is that of the four major islands the Big Island is third in number of visitors. The Big Island is very quiet and laid back with no night life and not nearly the variety of things to do as Oahu or Maui. On the other hand it is a nature lover's paradise. If you don't like what the Big Island has to offer you WILL be bored.

Rusty, on fireflyparent's first post, I recommended that she stay on Oahu for a few days and then travel on to the BI. After varied input, she decided that because they are traveling with a 1 year old, they would prefer to get to an island and settle in. In this post she said "we want to keep in relaxing and not hectic...We plan to drive around the island and stay at different places".

It doesn't sound like "no night life" will be a problem, IMO anyway. Sounds like the BI will give them plenty of options for the kind of quiet vacation with their new baby they are looking for.

Firefly, stop "feeling so down". If you get there - and so many of us are wrong - you can always hop on a plane and go to another island :-).

We love BI. It's perfect for families especially if you love nature. It's the most diverse of the islands and will amaze you. Just remember to let that friend know that your trip was perfect when you return...
Stay positive and look forward to a great trip!

thank you every one for making me feel so much better this morning. as i have posted before this is my first vacation with the little one and we wanted it to be a low key relaxing vacation, not a sight-seeing marathon. Thats why we chose one/this island.

we know we wont be enjoying night life anywhere we go with a one yr old. with a 5hr time difference, i am sure the first couple of days will be pretty laid back too. and we are READY for this. what i was not prepared for was this friend who kept saying again and again what a big mistake i am making. i am the kind of person who hates arguing and trying to convince her that i am right. as someone said, its MY vacation and we decide how it is going to be.

yes, she has been to BI and multiple times in Hawaii but mostly on the other islands. when i asked her how long she spend in BI, she goes not even a night, it seems she flew in only to see the volcano and back. my husband said the same thing when i was whining (believe me, he had to hear a lot of it before i posted here!)to him. he said she did not do her homework and i need not believe everything she says. a vacation depends on someone's expectations from a place, and i think we are pretty realistic in ours.

i am so relieved now, all geared up for more searches and planning of my itenary! you guys are surely gonna see a lot more posts coming up in the next 2 months :)

=D>=D>=D>

-Bill

We were on the Big Island for 10 days in December 2005 and then two weeks December 2006. Neither was enough time for us. In fact, dh is always checking out the real estate around Waimea because that's where we'd like to live some day. Seriously, there is so much to see and do, even if it's just relaxing on a beach (we liked Hapuna).

Instead of night life, we enjoy "morning life" before the kids wake up. In Hawaii, this means grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting out on your lanai while listening to the birds as the sun rises.

Enjoy your trip!

We spent 10 nights on the Big Island last fall and, like, spent it in several locations (first 3 nights near Kona, 2 nights near Volcano, 5 nights on Kohala coast.) We are now trying to figure out if we can bring our 3 young adult kids here next year. If you like being outdoors, you will love the Big Island. We have been to Maui, Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island. At this point, the BI and Kauai are our favorites. We're not much into night life, so we don't really care about that. I love that Big Island has so much to do, and there aren't huge crowds. It was great. You can click on my name to pull up my trip report if you want.

Have a wonderful time!

Sorry, I meant to say "like you are planning, spent it in several locations." I wasn't trying to talk like a teenage valley girl!

Oh my gawd samsaf, you are like so cooooool!

Bill

ffp, this is one of my favorite sites for planning in HI. Here's a link to a Big Island page -
http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/actbi.htm

A beach map -
http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/activity/bibeach.htm

The Big Island is BIG! You are going to be glad you have two weeks to spend there.

I've been to Oahu, Maui and Kauai, and the BI - and the Big Island is my favorite. I don't forsee going back to Maui and get irritated when folks think it's the "only" island to see.

Your "friend" has no idea what the Big Island has to offer. Flew in just for VNP? Phooey!

And, BTW, I've met samsaf and she is, like, soooooo cool! :-)

fireflyparents - My wife and were in Hawaii mid Feb. - mid Mar. this year. It was a great time not to be in Boston!! We first went to Maui and then to BI. We travel to Hawaii every year and have been doing so for 15+ years. We generally stay in condos. You didn't say where you would be staying, i.e. condo/resort/hotel. Although you mention hotels in your post. Also, where on the BI? It makes a big difference. Hilo, for example gets quite a bit of rain. Kona gets much less and Waikoloa very litte. TIme of year is also a factor. It gets hotter and more humid in the summer. Also, much less rain.

With a 1 yr. old, you will be a bit rstricted unless you can arrange babysitting. I would advise that as it gives you much more flexibility and options.

To the point - you will not run out of things to do in two weeks. You would not run out of things to do in four weeks. You will not be bored unless your 1 yr. old really restricts your activities. For first timers, we usually advise more than one island, not because you would be bored on one island but because you may wish to scout out other islands. It is a pain, however to move accomodations and you do lose a day with check out by 11AM and then the hassle of packing/rental car/air travel/rental car/unpacking. SO with two weeks or less, going to just one island is best. Unless you want the night life, or the big city (Honolulu) BI is great. There is tons to do, great beaches (Hapuna beach and Mona Kea beach), great snorkeling (try Kahalu'u beach park south of Kona which is great for all ages including little ones), great kayaking (go to Captain Cooks monument first thing in the AM if you can get a babysitter)and wonderful and varied scenery. If you don't already have it get a copy of "Hawaii the Big Island Revealed" by Andrew Doughty. It is very informative.

You will have a great time and will be sad when you have to leave.

Aloha

Firefly, we did a snorkeling cruise with Fair Wind on the Big Island and loved it. They are set up to accomodate families with infants and toddlers, so if you are interested check out their website.

www.fair-wind.com/II_fw_overview.htm

I'm glad you are ignoring your friends advice. If I had listened to some of my "friends" I would have been terrified to take my children anywhere. I've been told Europe, Hawaii, Charleston and Santa Fe are all inappropiate for families. Somehow, we have always had a wonderful trip and found activities that our family enjoys.

I live on Oahu and tend to pooh-pooh the other islands as boring. But I will admit, quite honestly, that you can spend 2 weeks on the Big Island and still not do everything there is to do.

Call your friend every day from the Big Island with a report on what you did that day, and rub it in.

thanks to so many positive posts, i know that we did not make a mistake by deciding on BI. as i said before, we are realistic in our expectation with what all we can do and what we cannot. with a one yr old and a 6yr old (i have mentioned him in my previous posts), i know there will be limitations. but inspite of all that we cannot do, i am positive that there will be things we can do together and enjoy :)

starrsville, thanks for the links, that big island map surely will be helpful. someone asked where all i will be staying. we are going around the island counter-clockwise. we start from kona for 5days at outrigger, go down to VNP and stay there for 2 days. we go to hilo next day for another 2-3nights. we come back to the kohala coast and spend the rest of the time there. we have sheraton in mind but have not booked as yet. we are going during the memorial day weekend and come back in 2 weeks or so.

samsaf, thanks for all the input. i will pull up your report and read it (i think i already did that though!). but i will surely refresh some more and maybe bug you with some questions too :)

i dont think we have a baby-sitter in mind right now. but as i read in someone's post, maybe we will enjoy the morning life with coffee on the lanai! hey, life is what you make out of it!! if i dont expect a night life, i wont be disappointed when i dont have, right?

we plan to attend a luau and would love to hear from you guys about it. what place is the best place for it and i am assuming kids are allowed, right?

wtm003 - that web link is tons of help for me. i am surely gonna contact them soon and find out more.

guys, i am browsing, reading as much as i can about BI. I would love to hear more from everyone as to what all i can do with 2 kids. i think we have snorkelling (have to take turns though), lazying on the beach, a submarine tour, playing with the dolphins, all the grogeous gardens, vnp, etc in mind. what other suggestions do you have for us?

bostonhawaii, i wrote about accomodation earlier. and yes, i do have that book in hand. but more than any other source of info, i have been relying on this website for varied info. so many helpful people with so many kinds of vacation, i dont think any book can ever do that!

melissa - lol, good idea. maybe i should do what you wrote! you know what guys, the more i think about it, the more i feel how annoying it is to tell another person that she is wrong when she is sharing how excited she is about her forthcoming vacation. i dont have that nagging unsure feeling anymore now -- A BIG THANKS TO YOU GUYS!!

firefly - you can still have a night life -- after the kids are asleep, sit on the lanai with your husband and gaze at the stars -- they are like diamonds! You can look out for some falling stars. I grew up in Hawaii and that was one of my favorite things to do.
And if you go to a luau, if you're going to try the poi, mix some sugar & water in it so it doesnt taste like glue!! Get it to the consistency of thick pudding. Your kids might like it -- its one of the most pure foods around. You have to try the kalua pig -- OMG, I am tasting it right now!
Have a great time and say hello to Madame Pele while you're there!!

Aloha

Rusty- While I enjoyed the big island, it's actually my 3rd favorite of the islands (Maui and Kauai are 1 and 2). Firefly had already booked her tickets, and my point was she won't be bored with two weeks on such a large and diverse island.

If you would get bored in 2 weeks, the people who live there must be MISERABLE. If only there was some way for them to get off the island! I envy your trip firefly, and hope you find a more positive and supportive person to share your excitement with.

Thanks, Bill! I AM cool . . . if only my kids would realize it!!!!!!!!! Oh, well, someday they will! (But I am more Southern girl than valley girl!!)

And thanks, Starrsville! You are also very groovy. Like, later, dude.

We took our two kids who were 11 and 3 at the time. With your two, you will not want a jam packed day anyway. We drove some days and other days we just laid around. Personally, I am sick of my hurry up life and half the wonderfulness of vacation is not having to go anywhere at any time. We got up slowly every day and had coffee on the lanai and breakfast at the condo. Then maybe we went to the beach for a while in the morning. Husband took older daugher snorkeling while Grandma and I waded with the little woman. She took a nap in her car seat (we brought our own by the way) and we just took it easy. We stayed in Kona and did do one really long day to drive to the Volcano and back but it was fine. A backpack and/or stroller for the one year old will come in handy. Just relax and enjoy and you will have a great time. One note about the luau. Our three year old was a handful that night and it was a real waste of money for DH and I. Grandma and our older girl loved it. We should have just let them go and took the little one to see the sunset somewhere. However, your kids are a different age so it might be fine. We stayed a week and wished for more. I am planning a return trip on Christmas vacation for 10 days this year.

Take a look at KonaWeb. www.konaweb.com
Lots of information there and people are very good about answering and giving advice. Plus, you get to look at the web cam of the Kona waterfront. <sigh>

Tripadvisor.com is also very helpful and has great hotel review information if you still haven't settled on the Sheraton. Walking to Akaka Falls and Rainbow Falls was really nice and your 6 YO will probably like that. A stroller would not work, so I hope you will have the backpack (is that right?) for your 1 YO to ride in.

We have a 2 week vacation planned to the Big Island this June. Planning to fill every single day with activity - no boredom expected!!

You guys make me feel so much better. Now when I think, I feel my friend really geared me up by her comments and I am determined more than ever to have a fun-filled vacation. The more I search, the more I find things to do and see, NO WAY am I or anybody getting BORED!!!!!!

sherrie, thanks for telling me about the stroller situation. Its been in my mind too. I guess we will try the baby carrier or just carry him (he is really a lite-weight little one) to nearby places. I dont think we will go trekking/hiking - my husband might though and I will happily stay with the kids near the resort pool :)

Ag3046, Konaweb looks very informative. Thanks so much for sharing. I have been doing my searches mostly on BI and no wonder I missed it!


oregonmom, thanks for telling me about the luau. I am hoping the little one will let me sit and enjoy, will surely post how it went when I come back :)
Still looking for recommendations as to which luau to go to.

I grew up there so I am biased. When friends ask me about filling the time, I give them a very long list of things to do. They come back admiting they didn't get to everything on the list and then also admiting some of the best days were when they did nothing.

A day spent watching the sun rise, going for a swim, having a nice lunch followed by a nap, another swim, a quiet dinner and watching the sun go down and the moon come up often turns out to be the best day of the vacation.

That's why it's a vacation.....

very well said hpl! i am surely planning on keeping one day aside for that :)
i would also love to hear what suggestions you give your friends who visit BI? since you lived there once, I am sure you have lots to share :)

People LIVE on the Big Island -- are they always bored? ;;)

Hey! I did not say that, my friend did, remember?!! I wish I lived in Hawaii :))

We have a house on the Big Island and have been visiting frequently for about 7 years now. My husband and son currently live there and I will be joining them soon I hope. Here are some ideas:

The outdoor farmer's markets. http://www.konaweb.com/konaweb/farmer.shtml
My favorites are the Ali'i drive markets on the West side, the Hilo and Pahoa Markets on the East Side. Pahoa Market is a kick.

Snorkeling: Kahalu'u Beach or Two Step by PU’UHOUNAU O HONAUNAU
South of Kona - Pu'uhonua O Honaunau or "Place of Refuge" National Historical Park is one of the most beautifully Hawaiian locations you can imagine and one of the best locations for learning about ancient Hawaiian life. Talk to the rangers, as they are proud of the park and it shows. Demonstrations of local skills are often happening here. Good snorkeling here just outside the park on the lava bench (called “Two Steps”), although it would be hard to have your children with you at the snorkel spot. The ranger at the park booth told us exactly where. Lots of sea turtles can be seen both while in the park and outside at the snorkel spot.

In June I am taking my grandson to the Sea Horse Farm just outside of Kona. Here is the website: http://www.seahorse.com
I've heard the tour is nice.

There is a free zoo in Hilo maybe your children would like. Here is the website: http://www.hilozoo.com/Z_home.htm

There are so many things to do, you definately will not be bored. Look online for the 101 Things to Do on the Big Island" http://www.101thingstodo.com/hawaii/bigisland/index.php

Relax, have a great time, enjoy the Aloha.

Do you need help creating a daily script for what you will say when you call her from the Big Island?
>:-)

Last year, we spent 8 nights on the Big Island and were never bored and there were still things we never got to do. Now, my husband is a go-go kind of person. I like to relax more. This was a combo vacation of go-go days and relaxing days. :)
I think there are many great things about each island. Personally, two weeks in hawaii on any island would be just fine with me. All the island hopping does take time and with a baby, I think you are right about staying put.
Enjoy the resort life.

The seahorse farm one exit south of the Kona airport is a magical place, turns adults into kids cooing over the seahorses, you get to feed them and hold them.

The Hilo Zoo is fun too, peacocks roam the grounds freely. We were there in February, click my name for more details in the trip report.

Add me to the chorus, I'm made I've never been able to spend more than 10 days there at a time. Don't underplay the Hilo/Puna area -- there are some real gems there.