pennypoopers

Thanks Sassy Cat. I will definitely look into this. If I'm going to stay at a hotel, I want to have easy beach access.

fossbomb

We did 2 nights on waikiki and did Pearl Harbor one of the days. It ate up a lot of time, I probably would not have done that if we had known how much time it would take. Then we did 2 nights at VNP on the BI, we did a lot hiking in the area, that was a perfect amount of time for us. And we were lucky enough to stay for 6 nights at the Hilton Waikoloa to finally crash and relax. I would do 2 nights on the Hilo and side and your other 4 nights in the Kona area.

peterSale

Get to Pearl Harbour very early to get a ticket for the Arizona. There is only a limited number each day.The missouri and Bow fin are both worth a look.

On the Big Island. Night dive/snorkel with the manta rays is a must. The Green sand beach is very good for a range of reasons, but a bit out of the way.

If you are at the volcano crater at night you are likely to see the glow of the lava and they have telescopes for stargazing.
Allow plety of time at the volcano.There are lots of talks and guided walks and plenty of other walks. We spent three days there and could easily have double it.

There are two walks that have guide books available at the visitor's centre or you can download them from the Park's website.
Kilauea Iki Trail goes down into a crater and is fantastic. Pu'u Huluhulu shows various features such as lava cover trees.
Take lots of water as there is none on the tracks and it cna get quite warm standing on a black rock.

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

Mauna kea is not really worth it unless you are really into stargazing and volcanoes. Great to see the rings on Saturn but then we were clouded out.

pennypoopers

What do you all think about staying in Hakalau on the BI? There is a very reasonably priced house rental there that we are considering for two nights. I believe it is about 20 minutes north of Hilo.

iowamom

We (DH, 8yo DD and me) visited Hawaii in March - 2 nights on Oahu and 2 nights in Hilo and 5 nights in Kona. We spent a long day exploring VNP and that area of the island. And then a long day driving from Hilo to Kona but didn't explore too long in one spot on that drive. We really enjoyed both sides of the island even though they are very different. We stayed at the Waterfall Inn in Hilo - fun place - and at a VRBO/condo in Kona.

wbpiii

Regarding the Outrigger, it is a nice resort and right next to Kahalu'u beach. It is an easy walk to the beach. Kahalu'u is a very good snorkel beach. The resort property is very pretty and the outside bar is over the tidepool, super interesting. This is a wonderful moderate level resort, I think you will like it.

pennypoopers

Dear Fodor Friends, you are all wonderful. I love all the help. We are looking to rent a house on the Hilo side (minimum stay may necessitate three nights). We have a choice between a house in Hakalau or one in Kapuho. While the Kapuho looks great because of the all the tidal pools it seems as though it is farther from things. Is that a fair assessment? If we are to go to Waipi'o Valley as part of our short stay on this side of the BI, doesn't it make more sense to stay in Hakalau? Now I'm stuck on this decision. We have three days to see Volcano National Park, tidal pools, Waipi'o Valley and all the other beautiful things there.

wbpiii

I like Kapoho Beach Lots, not so much Kapoho. I would not let your kids swim in the tidepools as there are posted warnings about the water quality.

pennypoopers

Thanks for the warning.