Honeymooning in Hawaii and we are staying 5 days on the big island and we need recommendations on where to stay and what to do. We were thinking of staying on the Kona coast but aren't sure, any feedback would be helpful. Thanks

We need more info, such as: budget, interests, when you are going.

Lots of info. There are a lot of sites good for all islands. Just ignore the Oahu info.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...trip-to-hi.cfm

We were on BI May of '06, but stayed at a timeshare condo. Saw lots of fabulous hotels north of Kona along the beach and a few in Kona, but the beaches there seemed to have lots more rocks.

I put in a request to Matnikstym to see if he could offer tips, since he lives on the BI.

Good luck with the wedding. You will love honeymooning in HI.

Just returned from BI where we spent 6 days.

We stayed 2 nights in Hilo at Hilo Seaside Hotel (safe, clean 2-star accommodations) and did Mauna Kea one day and then on our way to Kona did Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls/Boiling Pots, Waipoo Valley, and the tide pools.

We then went to Kona and stayed at the Hilton Wiakoalo Village - got a good deal bidding on Priceline ($118/nite vs $249 on all other sites). We did the Green Sand Beach and Volcano in 1 LONG day (I wouldn't recommend that), a whale watching tour 1 day (Dan McSweeney - www.ilovewhales.com) and a 2-hour airplane tour another day around the island (Island Hoppers). We had plenty of beach time (our favorite was Hapuna - sandy, clean, bathrooms, lifeguards, etc - if you can get a deal, the Prince Hapuna resort is right there).

I would HIGHLY recommend a full island air tour at the BEGINNING of your stay - we did it on day 3. I was thankful to have done it BEFORE going to the Volcano as we were better prepared for what we saw (or didn't see) there. The airplane tour was expensive, but WELL worth it, in my opinion.

I'll be writing a trip report in another day or so if you want to search my listings (I'll have links to photos, too).

The Kohala coast is a very nice area to stay. We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa which is a HUGE hotel complex. There are lots of families and it is very busy. We loved as we were traveling as a family. If you like busy, this is the place. The Marriott next door seemed a little quieter and I know they just redid their rooms.
There is a nice Fairmont hotel which seemed much quieter and was very nice.
I believe there is a four seasons. We did not go there. We loved the Big Island for its great snorkeling!!! Loved swimming with the turtles at the Hilton, but you can swim with turtles around the island as well. We did enjoy the long drive around the island to see the volcano. We never got out to see the lava. (A helicopter tour would be better I think). Many here love the volcano, but it was miles and miles of black rocks. We did like visiting the water falls along the way, but I would not go back to the volcano unless it was by a helicopter so that I could actually see it. My opinion.
I would spend my days snorkeling and relaxing. Hapuna Beach has great boogie boarding waves and was a short drive north from the Hilton.
We really enjoyed the Hilton, but if you want a quieter honeymoon, I would look elsewhere.

What I meant to say was we did NOT like driving around the island to the volcano to see miles and miles of black rocks. That again was our opinion. I liked spending my time swimming with the turtles much better.

Honeymoon? I think Fairmont Orchid has Honeymoon written all over it. The nights there can be very romantic with dining under the stars to live music.

I would stay away from Kona proper, too busy. With such little time, I would take a Waipio Valley day trip over the volcano. For boating there is a boat that leaves the Mauna Lani in the morn and afternoon for snorkel/whale watches. If you want something more, you will have to drive to Kona. If your Hubby is a fisherman, there is NO fishing better(Yes, better than Cabo for big game fish-IMO).

It depends on what you want to see and do. If you want to spend your free time snorkeling and swimming in the ocean, then rent a house in Kapoho on the tidepools. If you want good restaurants and a romantic setting, choose a hotel on the Kohala Coast. Kona town proper is too crowded and busy so I'd avoid that. If you want to see the lava and Volcano Park, then a place in Kapoho would be perfect. The Mauna Lani just reopened after the earthquake a few years ago and with the dismal tourist numbers, they might be having some specials.

Sorry, I meant to say the Mauna Kea Beach Resort is the hotel that just reopened.