Going on a 10 day trip in June for our 10 year anniversay. 5 days on each island. We are active travelers, but prefer not to do too many tour group activities. But we are concerned about the amount of travel time, especially on BI. That considered:

We are staying at the Orchid on the BI. Is it worth the travel time (2.5 hrs one way?) to explore the volcanoe park?? Will the return trip be difficult if we wait til after dark? Would a helicopter trip be better?

We are interested in stargazing. Should we opt for opportunities at the resorts, do a tour to Mauna Kea or set out on our own to do this?

Is kayaking/snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay easy enough without a tour or is the tour cruise a better option?

If we are limited which area of the island should we explore first Hamakua, Kohala or Kailua-Kona?

As for Kauai:

Is the drive to Waimea Canyon worth the effort or should we just do the helicoter tour? (We are definitely doing the helicopter tour on Kauai)

Is kayaking into Huleia strenuous? Any recommendations on tours for kayaking? I've heard of one that combines the river and Na Pali coast but thought this might be too much of a work out. Could we do this on our own?

Any other advice???

bgabriel, I can't imagine five days on Big Island and NOT seeing Volcanoes Park. And your drive from Kohala to Volcanoes is an absolutely gorgeous one, where you will see some of the prettiest scenery in Hawaii! You will want to make stops along the way... If you go to "alternative-hawaii.com", and click on their "Be your own tour guide" feature, you can see pictures and driving routes around the islands.

If you like helicopter tours, Ihear Kauai is definitely a great island for it! And I would think the Big Island would be, especially when lava is flowing (but I'm too chicken, regardless!;-) )

Yes a trip to the volcano park is worth it. Not only will you see all sorts of interesting things at the park, you will end up seeing much of this diverse and beautiful island. We did the volcano park as a day trip from the Mauna Lani, which is right next door to your hotel. We drove in a basically circular route so we took one road to get to the volcano and another road to get home. Both parts of the drive were beautiful and very different from each other. We had time to tour most of the highlights of the volcano park except (and this is a big except) there was not time to drive and walk to where the lava was actually flowing. That would have required an overnight stay realistically. I don't know what current lava conditions are though. Maybe it is more accessible right now? Or not. I would try to get an early start to the trip so you do not end up driving home after dark, not for safety reasons but because you would miss all the spectacular scenery. We stopped for dinner in the Parker Ranch area at the tail end of our drive (at Merrimans) and only had to do the very last bit after dark.

I haven't been to Kauai for years, but on our trip I do recall we spent a long time getting to Waimea Canyon by car and on foot and it was completely fogged in. You couldn't see a thing! So for us, it was a total waste of time. I have no idea if that fog happens often or not but I smiled when I read your question.

Why drive 3 hrs. to see an active valcano when you can go see one of those just about anywhere? I suggest you sit by the pool and enjoy ice cold budweisers. Now that's Hawaii!

bgabriel: Others have answered your question on Volcanoes Nat'l Park -- yes it's worth it, and you'll have a much more relaxed time if you allow for an overnight stay near the park. There are lots of great B&B's in the area.

Kealakekua Bay offers some of the best snorkeling on the island, with or without a tour guide. The only advice I can offer is to GO EARLY, before the tour boats arrive midday. Much more peaceful.

A self-guided stargazing tour is not recommended, or in most cases feasible, because Saddle Road and the approach to Mauna Kea summit are off-limits to rental vehicles. Even if you were to disregard your rental contract, the final approach to the summit is VERY steep, and if it happens to rain (or even snow!) up there you're in big trouble.

Really the best/easiest/safest way is to take a guided tour. They provide all the necessities such as warm clothing (usually a parka), hot beverages, telescopes or binoculars etc, groups are kept small (just a few people, with no kids under 14 allowed, typically) so usually it's a very peaceful experience.

You have received really good advise so far, I only want to add that we love the kayak trip at Kealakekua Bay. It is not a hard trip. Depending on the tide, it can be tricky launching the kayak from the old pier, but there are usually a few locals around that like to earn a tip for helping launch. Kayak across the bay to the Cpt. Cook monument, then you can take the Kayak out of the water and snorkle in that area. We usually encounter dolphins when we kayak in the Bay. Just remember it is a marine santuary there and the dolphins come into the bay to rest. Have a wonderful trip, relax and enjoy the journey. I love the Big Island!

Thanks for the helpful information. Looks like we will opt for the drive to the Volcanoe intead of the helicopter tour. Hopefully the lava flow will be such that we can see it up close and personal. But if not, sounds like it is still a wonderful experience.

I am also excited to know that we can do the Kayaking to Kealakekua Bay on our own. How about Kayaking in Kauai? Any suggestions there?

We were on the Big Island in November of 2003. At night we saw some lava flow but I think you might see more by helicopter. We went on the Mauna Kea Summit Adventure tour. It was wonderful but expensive! I never saw so many stars in my life. It was difficult to breathe for a few minutes at that high of altitude but worth the trip.

Na Pali Coast is absolutely beautiful we took a boat tour and helicopter tour in May of 2000. The boat tour provided better photos of coast but the water was choppy.

Kayaking on the Huleia is about the least strenuous of all the navigable streams on Kauai. Last time I went the wind actually pushed us up river. Also it is very shallow. If you go with an organized tour you will ride back on a shuttle bus or in a motorboat that is towing all the kayaks so you dont have to paddle against the wind.

Waimea Canyon is only about a half day trip if you are staying on the south side. I have been up there maybe a dozen times, the view points are lovely and the Kokee Lodge is a fun stop for lunch.

On our last trip to Kauai, we drove to Waimea Canyon for hiking one day and took a helicopter tour a couple of days later. The canyon was gorgeous and the hike to Waipo'o Falls was a major highlight of our trip.

We took the helicopter tour following several recommendations but ended up quite miserable. My husband enjoyed it, but the rest of us suffered from motion sickness for the rest of the afternoon (and that was after taking Dramamine an hour before the trip). I was fine until the pilot swooped down into the canyon. All in all, we didn't feel it was worth the money.

By all means try the tour if you have a hardy constitution, but don't substitute it for the land trip.

Waimea Canyon (Grand Canyon of the Pacific) cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. The drive is easy, and the climate at the top will amaze you. Remember, you are visiting the most beautiful place (still left) on earth. Some years ago, at the Princeville Airport, I overheard a little boy say ...Daddy, does god live here? The Hanalei river is ideal for kayaking, and the beach at Hanalei Bay is great for star gazing. Actually, star gazing on the North shore is spectacular, as there are few (if any) street lights to bother you. Na Pali is best seen from the deck of a sailboat. Your concierge will be happy to point you in there direction. The Big Island is a living geography lesson. Presently, it is the only place where land is being formed on a daily basis. You will have a great time there.

To the person who wrote that you should just lay around the pool sipping a drink, why fly all the way to Hawaii and not experience it? You can get a drink anywhere! I'm not sure where else, at least in the USA, that you can get so close to an erupting volcano. Well, to each their own!
Anyway, let me put my "spin" on the pro's of your agenda. Yes, it is definitely worth the trip to see the Volcano's National Park. Call for conditions first, because if there is rain, it will be fogged in and you won't see much. There is a great visitor's center, with helpful rangers to give advice about different hikes. There are also informative films shown every few minutes about the history of the volcano and the flows both past and current. Here is a link that gives you current volcano flow information and photos: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/main.html
There is a great restaurant at the volcano lodge with a spectacular view of the Kilauea Caldera(when not fogged in). You could get there as early in the day as possible, do a hike to Thurston Lava Tube and then have an early dinner, followed by an evening drive down Chain Of Craters Road, then hike out, if it's not too far and see the flow at night! The drive back is long, but no different than any other night driving and the starry skies are spectacular! A stop a Merriman's restaurant would be another great choice in dining experiences, be sure to call them for hours/reservations. If you do decide to spend the night at Volcano, be sure to bring warm clothes, the temps are cold in the early am or pm hours. (not so at the lava flow area) If you opt for a helicopter tour, take it out of Hilo, that way you will get more actual in air time over the volcano. If you take it from Kona, your trip to the volcano is counted as part of the trip.
I'd just do the helicopter tour in Kauai!
As for kayaking to Kealakekua, have you ever kayaked before? If not, I'd recommend a guided tour. If you have, then just check conditions for that day and go early. We hiked down on foot two years ago with our snorkel gear and it was great! If you don't have the book: Hawaii The Big Island Revealed (there's one for each island) by Andrew Doughty/Harriet Friedman, you should get it! It's considered "the Hawaiian travel bible", by many. Another place to go if you want to snorkel is next to The Place of Refuge in Honaunau, called Two Steps, by locals. It is a fantastic place to snorkel and you may encounter dolphins there. We were lucky enough to encounter them twice last year while snorkeling there! If you do encounter them in either location, as well as turtles or other creatures, just observe, do not try to chase or touch them. It is against the law, as they are protected species, but more importantly, it stresses them and disrupts their natural behaviors.
Moving on to Kauai's Waimea Canyon, again, well worth the drive! What long drive? It's a small island and don't you want to see it all? Again, just check the weather and go early. We did a half day hike into the canyon and it was fantastic; it truly is The Grand Canyon of the Pacific! Again, there is a visitor's center, free maps, etc that you can pick up before you start a hike.
The rule of thumb for any of these adventures is to do some homework about the area, know your limits and be prepared!
Another activity to consider is to kayak or canoe down the Wailua River (very safe) or take a river boat tour to Fern Grotto (Elvis filmed part a movie there and it's famous as a wedding spot).
Well, that about wraps it up, though I could continue on for hours about the place I love and travel to annually!
Good luck and have a wonderful time!

I'll second all of the recommendations to do the VOlcano National Park. This was one of the highlights of our trip to the big island!

I recommend doing both an air tour and seeing it fromt he ground. The air tour is best for getting you near the active area, and the ground tour is best for seeing the calderas, and for getting a good feel of the sheer size of the place. We used Mokulele Flight Service (small planes, not helicopters) from Kona.

You could also stay in a local B&B in Volcano instead of making the long drive in one day. We stayed at the Country Goose B&B in Volcano Village (5 minutes from the park) and loved it. If you do decide to make the long drive, do try to get as close to Kona as you can by nightfall. It is VERY dark at night on the Big Island since there are few streetlamps (because of the observatories).

ChristieP: bgabriel was asking about helicopter tour vs. ground on Kauai not the Big Island. I'm sure your response was accurate for BI, though.

Oops! Sorry, ChristieP, I re-read the original question and it seems he was asking about air v. land for both islands. Don't you wish there was an erase button on these messages sometimes?

Wow!! Such great advice and it keeps on coming. Thanks to the info. we will be opting for the drive (not the helicopter tour) to the Volcanoe and hope for some flow. Either way, seems like it will be an amazing experience. We aren't staying the night but will let our instints and the conditions determine how late we stay (seems like mixed reviews on driving back to the Orchid at night). We are looking into the a snorkel trip. Seems like a killer to get up for the 9am departures since we are a little way from the pier (30-45 minutes right??). Are the afternoon trips adequate? We are considering SeaQuest and Body Glove.

As for Kauai, we planned a helicopter tour early in our stay and then will drive to the canyon near the end of the trip. Again, everyone seems to agree that this "must see" is worth the drive. We'll also do a sunset cruise of NaPali coast (Captn Sundown) instead of the river kayaking tour. Can't seem to fit in a luau on either island. Is the hula show at the Coconut Market Place an alternative??

I'm pretty sumre pumpy's comment about missing the only active volcano in the US for a cool one by the pool was a joke!

Keep in mind that currently, it is about a mile hike over cooled lava to the active flow area. It is a very hot walk since the lava is black, and gets really hot in the sun, and then the active lava is hot, too. We elected not to do the hike, and saw the active flow by air instead.

The road from VNP back to Kona is 2 lanes, windy, and often crowded. Be sure and leave at least 3 hours to make the trip back. I'd REALLY recommend staying in a B&B for the night rather than making the long round trip drive. The Country Goose (where we stayed) was just $75 a night...

Mornings are better for snorkle trips because the water is calmer. The drive back from the volcano to the Orchid would be exhausting after dark - and it is really, really dark. Check the Volcano National Park website for an update on the lava conditions - it has been moving slowly closer to the coast for an ocean entry, which is truly spectacular, especially at night. Have a great time.

Just a quick comment re helicopter tours on the BI - a few years ago we went up to the Mauna Kea summit with a small group on a guided tour. The guide was very knowledgeable and informative, and one of the things he pointed out to us was a series of helicopter "burns" on the road on the way up. He said helicopters were unsafe near the volcano because the volcanic gases interfered with their internal combustion engines. They often have to crash-land, although usually there are no injuries - but it's still scary. Subsequently so many people talked about how much they enjoyed their helicopter trips over the volcano that I began to wonder if the guide had really known what he was talking about. Then, a friend of mine watched one of those network news shows (20/20? 60 Minutes? Not sure which) and they did a story saying exactly the same thing - those helicopter trips over the volcano are not safe and the accidents are rarely publicized.