Will be in Maui (5 days) and Kauai (4 days) in November. We are considering a day trip to the Big Island, instead of doing the road to hana - any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks!!

It's not the easiest place for a day trip because - well - it is the Big Island. That being said, if you fly into Kona and take a drive you will see sights you won't see anywhere else--that is the stark feature of those old lava flows. Then if you drive North you'll see country more like that you'd see on the road to Hana. Stop for lunch in Hawi and drive back on the mountain road through Waimea and you have a day trip--but all in the car. Others may advise you on seeing the volcano by way of Hilo, but I've never done that. It isn't feasible to do from Kona in a day. But if you decide to do the Kona trip described above, you will definitely see beautiful coastline, cactus prairie, alpine meadows, rainforest and lava in one trip. You can also see that same sort of "every climate in three hours" on the drive up to Haleakala, but it is not as diverse and is minus the lava. Good luck--I don't think there is any such thing as a bad place to go in Hawaii--although I've steered clear of Honolulu. By the way--the lava I'm talking about is not the active stuff--that's available only at the volcano (obviously)

We flew over on a one-day package for about $180. It was a 12 hour tour by Roberts, I believe. 12 passenger van with big windows. We saw EVERYTHING, and I can't imagine doing it myself by car. I would highly recommend this as a way to completely see an island.

Karla's suggestion sounds like it might be the way to go with your limited schedule.
However, I disagree that its an improvement over independant travel by car. There is no way you could see or experience everything! Stopping where you please for rainforest walks, snorkling, hikes to petroglyphs and historical sites, etc., etc. would be my definite preference.
The tour is a great idea - you'll want to return some day!

I lived there nearly 25 years ago... so i'm sure much has changed, but one of the most beautiful places i've ever seen was the black sand beach in Kalapana... located on the Puna side, which is the eastern side south of Hilo.

Puna side is lush and green, while the Kona side [west side] is dry and desert...lots of lava flow.

probably going to the top of Mauna Kea [where one of the world's greatest telescopes is] is quite an experience... although as another's message stated, this all takes time....

if I remember correctly, it takes 4 hours to drive around, 2 plus hours to cross [one road in the middle].

anyhow, I would opt for visiting the black sand beach of Kalapana... and enjoy [if it is still evident] the true local spirit of what Hawaii is....

also, Volcano national park is a must.. to see the sleeping giants as you smell the sulfer and if you are lucky, you'll be there for an eruption... the lava tubes are amazing... and the walk the offer is educating... BRING A LIGHT JACKET.... as it is usually cool and overcast......

aloha!!

I think what Karla meant that it is easier to so so much in a short period of time by taking a tour than by doing it by private car. A one day van tour of the Big Island is a great way to get a quick overview of the whole island. However, if you want to see things in more detail do it yourself by car.

We did a day trip to the BI from Oahu, rented a caras part of our package. We were glad we did it on our own, even though we saw less, because we had more flexibility. Who would have guessed that the kids would want to spend nearly an hour at the stinky sulphur vents -- great photo ops!

That's the tradeoff that it boils down to -- see more, vs. have more flexibility.

Dana, it's Hawaii. Relax, hang out, slow down, get onto island time!! You're already doing 2 islands. Come back and spend a week on the Big Island another time.

I think the suggestion about driving the northern part of the BI is good but since you only have one day I would go in through Hilo and do Volcanoes (we drove to the black sand beach on the same day by driving there and then back to the park) We thought Volcanoes park was the highlight of that island-and if you end up going back to the island another time you won't need to try to work that in. It is best to see the lava flow at dusk or dark though so not sure how that would work re: flying back to Maui the same night - I abhor tour group things but that may be your best bet due to limited time.
RE: the road to Hana-I'm sure many would disagree but we did not think it lived up to all the hype-we thought the scenery going north of Kapalua was beautiful and less traffic and we got a lot of the lush vegetation/waterfall scenery on Kauai. If you do decide to do the road to Hana- go just past the pools to Lindbergh's grave-there is a little park behind the church and some stunning views from there-best part of the drive!

Thanks for the advice - I agree w/Marilyn - we will save the Big Island for next trip!!