Here's a question for all of you who have been to the Big Island-my husband and I like to take our winter holidays to Hawaii(we live in Canada-don't hold it against us.LOL).We have been to Oahu and last Dec we went to Maui for the first time and loved it (stayed at the Ritz). He loves Maui but I would like to try the Big Island this year.I have read so many amazing reviews about the BI and the scenery looks breathtaking!!! We are both 30, no kids,and we like to stay in luxury hotels on the beach with all the amenities. Hapuna Beach looks soooo beautiful-I would like to stay at the Hapuna Beach resort so that beach is right outside my door! We like great restaurants and some shopping (I have done my share on Maui and Oahu) but now I would like to just relax on the beach and take in all the scenery of the island.The FS also looks like a great place to stay but is there a great beach out front?? Fodorites, I need your expert opinion!! Thanks!!!

If you have never been to the BI you should go there instead of a return to Maui. The BI also has remarkable resorts. In fact, parts of the BI are so arid and volcanic that a lush resort on the beach stands out even more than it would on one of the other greener islands. Oahu and Maui are the two islands most alike (because of development and traffic) while Kauai and the BI are less developed and each still has more of its own charm. Don't count on terrific shopping or all of the amenities on the BI.

Big Island! I would suggest staying a couple of nights near the volcano and the rest of your time on the Kona / Kohala Coast side of the island. A couple of very nice resorts I would recommend (no particular order) would be the Hapuna Prince, Mauna Kea, Orchid, or Mauna Lani. PS: Hapuna Beach is very very nice!

While it can be crowded, Hapuna Beach is one of the lovliest white sand beaches in all of Hawaii, notable because the Kohala coast is otherwise pretty rocky. There are other white sand beaches on the BI (and plenty of black sand too, even a green sand one) but the island is enormous so nothing is all that close together. Hapuna is a State park, so even if you're staying at one of the places that doesn't have its own sand beach you can still go up there and have a fine time. (Some hotels, like the Hilton, have man-made sand beaches on constructed saltwater lagoons.)

The diversity and variety of the BI more than compensates for any other drawbacks. Fabulous drives, waterfalls, volcano a-steaming and burping, coffee plantations, the country's biggest ranch, observatories up where the air is real thin, historic cultural sites, funky Hilo... you can fill your days to your heart's content, or just hang on a beach or poolside.

The thing we like most about the Big Island is that because of its size and the relatively small tourist areas (just around Kona/Kialua and Kohala) you get to see a lot of everyday Hawaiian life - in small towns, countryside, everywhere. It's enormously enjoyable to have that as an option, even if you only see it in passing. IMO it's about as different from Honolulu and Lahaina/Kaanapali as you can get.

I agree with all of the above, BI has lots to offer. Our favorite hotel is Mauna Lani. Check it out at http://www.maunalani.com

We spent 9 days in Feb on the BI, 5 nights at the Hapuna Prince and 3 nights on the Hilo side in Volcano at the Kiluea Lodge. We loved every minute and there is absolutely something (lots of somethings!) for everybody on the BI including, but not limited to, beach/pool lounging, hiking, snorkelling, shopping, eating, drinking, stargazing, lava watching, etc...

The Hapuna Beach Prince Resort is very lovely and has all the amenities one would want including dining, beach and pool, snorkelling, a nice shore hike about 1 mile to the sister resort Mauna Kea, golf, etc... It is about 30 to 45 minutes north of the Kona airport and Kailua town that has lots more shopping and activities. It is also reasonably close to the North end of the island for more fabulous hikes, car touring through the beautiful pasturelands of Waimea (kind of like a cross between mountainous Switzerland and perfect pastoral Wisconsin).

I can't say enough wonderful things about our experience. I would highly suggest you spend at least a couple days on the Hilo/Volcano side which is completely different from the Kona Kohala side but incredibly beautiful in its own way.

Let me know if you have other questions as I would be happy to give you more info. Also you can check out my trip report posted here a few months ago.

Maria

I didn't stay there, but last year when I was on the Big Island, I had dinner at Pahui'a, which is located in the Four Seasons resort there. Dinner was magnificent: superb food and service in an elegant open air setting overlooking the beach. I was fascinated by the floodlamps the hotel had set up to illuminate the surf at night. Though not very wide, the beach looked very inviting. They also have a good number of variously designed swimming pools. In short, the place looked to me like the ne plus ultra in vacation resorts.

Thanks everyone for the great advice!!
We are definately going to go to the BI-maybe stay a few nights at the Hapuna Prince and a few at the Four Seasons for some variety!!! I am very excited-the BI looks so beautiful and I have read so many great things about the beaches there (including the Travel channel which has many BI beaches on their best list)! Can anyone recommend some fabulous restaurants as well on the BI? Thanks!

The Four Seasons is an enchantingly lovely place. The service is so good its ridiculous -- people were bringing me umbrella drinks, cold washcloths in a cooler, ice water, little popsicle thingies, fresh towels and anything I could think of to ask for. The beach is nice to look at, but is very rocky and shallow such that is effectively impossible to swim in the ocean. If beach means lay out in lounge chair and swill mai tais to you, it is a great beach. If it means snorkel or swim, it doesn't really have a beach. The incredible pools might be enough to make it up to you, I don't know.

As for restaurants on the Big Island, I'd suggest the aforementioned Pahu I'a at the Four Seasons. Dining on the patio within feet of the ocean starting at sunset and ending with the flood lights illuminating the surf was one of my favorite experiences. Reserve early, if you are staying there to ensure you get a good table. The quality of the food was extremely good. I'd also suggest Merriman's which is about a 30 minute drive and is a landmark place in the whole return to native ingredients movement. Not as swank as Pahu I'a, but the food is as good or better.

Last year I spent four nights on the Big Island, and I had four very different dining experiences, each of them quite wonderful:

Kiluea Lodge (the only fine dining, I believe, to be had in and around Volcano).

The aforementioned Pahui'a at the Four Seasons.

Le Bourgogne, in Kona.

The Luau at Kona Village. (I think they only do this on Friday nights.)

Add to that list the Canoe House at the Mauna Lani - incredibly romantic, Sam Choy's cafe in the industrial park between the airport and town (breakfast/lunch - oh, my), and a find from last week, the Ocean Sushi Deli in downtown Hilo - plain place but just about the best sushi we've had anywhere. Cheap, too. Oh, and hot malasadas from a drive-in I can't remember the name of, on the main highway between Hilo and Kamuela.