Big Island Must Do's
 

We are traveling to the BI in two weeks with our kids (15 & 11)and staying for a week. The last two days will be spent at the Volcano & Hilo. But other than that...What are the things that we "must" do during our stay? Thanks.

Personally, I loved the black sand beach at Puna lu'u. I could have spent the whole day there!

My family enjoyed kayaking across the bay to Captain Cook's memorial. Also the Place of Refuge just south of the bay. If you are into astronomy, the visitors center on Mauna Kea was very interesting after sunset. Your kids are too young to go to the top of the mountain.

To SuzieT: How far is the Place of Refuge from the Waikoloa area?

Larry, poking my head in here, the distance from The Place of Refuge to Waikoloa is about an hour or so. And while you're there at The Place of Refuge (Honaunau Bay), you might want to go snorkeling, as I've heard it's a really good spot for it!

We stayed in Kona, and it was at least 30 minutes from Kona. Not sure how long it takes to get from Waikoloa to Kona.

Thanks ladies!

If you can manage a night hike out to see where the lava flows meet the sea it is incredibly spectacular. We just got back this morning and hiked out both way after dark on Wed night to see the lava. I would recommend doing at least the hike out just before dark, watching the lava, and then coming back after dark. Lots of folks will be there to keep you company. Rangers are there till 9 P.M. Our 2 kids, 19 and 12 thought it was the best thing we did on the whole vacation! The hike is somewhat long - about a mile in each direction over pretty rough lava fields, so its necessary to have good tennis shoes and absolutely a flashlight. Also, we visited Place of Refuge yesterday to see the site and to snorkel. Both were outstanding - some of the best snorkeling in the state. Also, in Volcano, ask the locals to show you the jackson's Chameleons - the kids will love it! Good Luck - wish we were still there!

My must do is the Kileaua Ike crater hike. Start at the KI Lookout and go counter-clockwise and it's pretty easy. Beautiful rain forest; then some steep stairs into the crater; across the crater floor with steam vents everywhere and then up a pretty good trail and back through more rain forest. It can be done the same day as a trip out to the lava just before dark.

debjones,
Can you snorkel to the place of refuge right from the shore or do you need a kayak? Or am I getting confused with captain cook's monument????

Waipio Valley lookout and/or tour...to see the 1200' waterfall.

Hilo side:
Tsunimi Museum [downtown Hilo]

Senic Drive with stop @ "What's Shakin"....great smoothies.

Of course Rainbow Falls, Boiling Pot, Akaka Falls

Hawaii...it's all good!

Hi BettyinToronto,
you can snorkel right from the shore at Place of Refuge. It's not a sand beach - just lava-so it's kind of a hop off the rocks into about 6 feet of water and the reef is right there.

Have Fun!

We rented Kyaks and paddled to the middle of Kalakeakua bay just sat awhile and were rewared with a wonderful wild dolphin show. Get out early, about 7:30 AM, and your chances of seeing the dolphins are excellent. You kids won't forget it.

Did you rent your kayaks the night before? Did they hook the kayak up to your car for you? Do you remember which company it was and where it was located? Thanks!

My kids favorite thing to do was to snuba (scuba dive with the tanks above water)off the beach in Kona. We were there last March and had a great time, we stayed in Volcano National Park for two nights but unfortunately there was no surface lava for us to see. You're lucky that the lava is flowing it should be great. Have the macadamia nut pie at the lodge, it is the best dessert I have ever tasted. I think I might write Bon Appetit to see if they can get their recipe.

We rented the morning we went out. There are several places in Kalakeakua that open around 7:30 AM. We reserved a kayak the night before, but that probably isn't necessary unless its busier than when we were there. We stopped at Kona Boys on the recommendation of a local boy surfing outside our condo (we have teenaged daughters so we get lots of that kind of advice) and they were very nice and very helpful. It took about 20 minutes to load the kayak and gear and the drive to the bay is maybe 15 minutes more.

There are guys down at the bay that for a "tip" of about $5.00 will help you unload (and later for another tip reload) your kayak and get you in the water. Its worth the money.

In fact, one of the guys told me that its a good idea to drive down and ask if dolphins are out (if seeing them is your objective) before renting your kayak. If they are not, you can want for another day. We were lucky, it was a very busy dolphin day.

How much does it cost to rent the kayaks? I have only kayaked once before, is the water calm? Do you need an SUV to haul the gear? Or will a car do?

The Kayak at the Kona Boys is $47.00, I think you can get 'em cheaper, like $39.00 but they are close to Kaleakua bay and very helpful.

They load them on your car for you. We had an SUV and they put two on the rack with no problem (one for us and one for the kids). I suppose a sedan may only hold one, I don't know.

The Kayaks are really stable, the water is calm as its a very large bay (there were 8' waves on unprotected shores while we were there). The only trick to the ocean kayaks is getting back in if you get out to snorkle. It's pretty intuitively obvious, but if you do it wrong you can overturn the kayak. That's not a big deal unless your partner doesn't want to go in the water.

In my opinion, don't waste the money on a guided kayak tour, its fun and easy and going at your own pace is important to the experience.