heyjude2919

Hi to all. I am in the planning stage again for a January trip to the Big Island (7 nights), and of course need help from all of you fodorites.
First thing- How to divide my time between Hilo and Kona. We fly into Hilo in the evening and out of Kona. We like outdoor activities moderate hiking,awesome vistas, and of course will start first at Volcano National Park. I booked lodging in Volcano for 2 nights. Not sure if that is enough tjme or whether we should stay near gthe coast since we want to do the black and green sand beaches and find snorkling spots.Also it sounds like there is not much in the way of stores or restaurants in Wolcano.
And then go north and around to Kona. Where to stay further notth and how much time do we need in Kona? I'm feeling overwhelmed looking at the travel books. Our trip is Jan 23rd, far off, but so many hotels are booked. I'd rather not book when goin north but am worried I'll be sleeping in the car. Thanks to all in advance.

DebitNM

I think 2 nights at Volcano is sufficient. But a day seeing the sights around Hilo is worthwhile as well.

I would spend the remainder of the time on west side of island. The area at Waikoloa is really nice, lots of places to stay there.

Our last trip, we spent our west side time at Courtyard in Kona. It worked for us, but not everyone wants to stay in the city. It is not smack dab in the middle of the city, so that might work for you.

martym

If you are flying into Hilo in the evening and have two nights booked at Volcano--that only gives you one full day in the area and maybe the morning on the day you check out. So you will have time to visit the park, maybe do a hike, drive down chain of craters road. If you want to access the black sand beach (Punalu'u?) it is about a half hour from Volcano. The beginning to the road to the green sand beach at Ka Lae/South Point is about one hour from Volcano. Unless you have 4 wheel drive, to actually get to the beach requires a 5 mile round trip hike from where you can leave your car. Take plenty of water since it is usually hot and windy there.

The east of the Big Island doesn't have good snorkeling from beaches (it doesn't have many beaches)-but there is good snorkeling in the tidepools at Vacationland in the Puna district. So I guess the bottom line is--if you want to do all those activities from Volcano, you probably should book 3 nights there (given your evening arrival).

Volcano does not have many stores (were you thinking shopping?)--it has a little general store if you want to buy supplies, a nice quilt store, and in the park, there is an art center with a shop that sells arts and crafts. The nearest supermarket to Volcano is in Kea'au about 10 minutes from Hilo on the way to Volcano. And it does have a small collection of restaurants.

After you leave Volcano, you could see Akaka Falls, the Tropical Botanic gardens, Waipio Valley on your way to the west side. The best beaches are on the Kohala Coast - north of Kailua Kona--where the Waikoloa area that Debit referred to is located.

On the west side of the island, the best snorkeling is probably at Kealakekua Bay and Honounou Bay in south Kona.

If you say hotels are getting booked up, IMHO you should decide where you want to stay on the west side and book now.

Hope this was helpful.

taitai

Where in Kona are you thinking of staying? Kailua-Kona is kinda past its prime in many regards and has all that nasty vog. I know some people love it but if I am flying all the way to Hawaii, i want to stay somewhere pretty, safe and sunny. Unless your plan is to stay at the Four Seasons (which I LOVE), I would stay further north in the Kohala District. Do you plan on renting a condo or a hotel? The Mauna Kea is my favorite hotel up there because the beach is just so gorgeous but there are many other spots as well. There are a ton of condos by the Mauna Lani and the Waikoloa Beach Resort.

I am not sure the Big Island is really a place you can go without having things booked. There are a finite number of places to stay and when they are full,you are out of luck. So, do some planning now and figure out what you want and book it. Also, have you booked your car? If not, do that first. They do sell out and the Big Island really isn't a place to visit without a car. I would do that before I booked flights or hotels or anything else.

The best snorkeling is on the West side and there are lots of options. Snorkeling off the beach is great depending on the swells. Probably need to play that by ear and go to whichever spot has the smallest swells that day. There are some great snorkel boat excursions...the Fairwinds is super popular...and, of course, the Manta Ray night snorkel is a bucket list type of activity.

Just remember, the Big Island is BIG so plan your itinerary around realistic drive times. Have a great trip.

tifa2276

On the Kona side I like the Kohala Coast, more specifically the Waikoloa Beach resort commnunity which consists of large hotels, Mariiot and Hilton, as well as condos. I personally like the Hali'i Kai condos and we've only stayed there. There is plenty to do on the Big Island, and there is a lot of driving involved but I highly recommend visiting: Hapuna Beach, the kona coffee farms, Waimea (have breakfast at Hawaiian STyle Cafe), stroll down Kailua-Kona, Hilo's farmer's market, snorkeling at place of refuge, Waipio Valley (just the lookout for amazing views, but you can hike down a bit too)...etc.

2 days in Volcano sounds good. Then you can take the rode south towards the black sand beach (Punalu'u) and to Ka Le (south point) where the green sand beach is, and back up to where the Kohala coast is.

I have not stayed elsewhere on the island so I can't comment on where to stay near Volcano. But I hear Volcano house is back to it's former glory!

Enjoy your trip!

heyjude2919

Thanks so much for responding so quickly, as I am definitely doing to get things booked right away. I have already booked a car but don't think it is a 4 wheel drive. I'll have to check. And after reading your replies I am thinking about adding another night to the 2 nights I have. I booked at Chalet Kilauea.(If anyone of you has a better suggestion, I can cancel.) We really hope to keep lodging at $150 a night if possible. Crazy huh!
No, I'm not interested in shopping, just wanted to get supplies and maybe have a place to eat dinner nearby.
So spending 2 full day and then heading north. Someone had mentioned staying at a B&B in Wainea that sounded nice. Is that too far to go from Volcano in one day with stopping along the way. Or is there a place where we should spend a night or two before getting that far around toward Kona? And if Wainea is a good place, would staying there for the rest of our trip a good plan or should we get closer to Kona. We fly out on the 30th at 9:30.
I really appreciate your help.

martym

The Big Island is big--yes--but that is in comparison to the other Hawaiian islands. One can drive all the way around it in about 6 hours. So I guess my point is that it takes about 2 1/2 - 3 hours to drive from Volcano to the Kohala coast. So no need to stop in Waimea--unless you want to. If you left Volcano in the morning, you would have time to see some sights along the way--get to Waimea in time for a late lunch and get to the Waikoloa area well before the sunset.

In Waimea, Village Burger is one place you might consider for lunch http://www.villageburgerwaimea.com/.

taitai

You don't need a 4 wheel drive. There are really no roads on the Big Island that need them. At least none that you can drive on without either trespassing or violating your rental car contract. So, don't waste the money.

There are a couple restaurants in Volcano. We had a decent dinner at Thai Thai and the Kilauea Lodge was also good. If you are staying an extra day there (and I am not sure you really need it), you might want to book a hiking trip to see the lava. They are about 6 hours long and require you to be in decent shape but they a great way to see lava up close including, if the flow is in your favor, ocean entry.

If you get an early start from Volcano, you should have no problem making it to Waimea in one day. Depends on how long you linger at the various stops along the way (Waipo outlook, Akaka Falls, Botanic Gardens, etc.). Many discourage driving the Northern Coast at night so be mindful of that.

I think Waimea might be a bit far north for exploring the Kohala Coast but that is just me and I don't like to spend that much time in the car. Particularly, if you are interested in snorkeling. The best beach snorkeling on the island, IMHO, is Makaiwa Bay which is about 45 minutes or so south of Waimea. There are many other beaches in that generally vacinity worth visiting (Kuana'oa, Waialea, Hapuna, Kukio) for snorkeling and playing. Place of Refuge is about 1:30-2 hours south or so. Only you know if you are willing to do these round trips every day. Personally, I would get a condo in the Mauna Lani or Waikoloa complex or a hotel room at the Mauna Kea or Four Seasons (if budget permits).

Have fun planning!

DebitNM

Waikoloa

Do you see a common theme here? It should tell you something...

heyjude2919

I think I have it now. We need to go ahead and get over to the Kona Coast. I guess I was just woried that I might be missing something along the way. And yes I agree the distances aren't really that far. I checked the hotels in Waikoloa. Wow, pricey. So do you know of any b&Bs that are nice in that area. I haven't found any yet. Thanks.

DebitNM

I would use VRBO.com to find condo at Waikoloa.

cd

heyjude, In Hilo it rains like 80% of the time. For that reason we just did the Volcano National Park, (in the rain) be sure and check out the Thurman Lava Tube, spent the nite in Hilo and then headed north to Akaka Falls (in the rain)
Kona and north and south of Kona is sunny. The Kohala coast is pricey but beautiful resorts. We stayed in Kona at the Kona reef because it was cost efficient and rented an ocean view condo. Hapuna Beach and "A" beach are 30mim north of Kona. There is a snorkeling beach right in Kona but I forgot the name. You would drive south of Kona, actually on the way to Hilo, for the Black Sand Beach, Punalu'u, we were there twice and both days were very windy and no one stayed, just viewed the sea turtles that come up there to rest.
Another place to snorkel is Place of Refuge and it is also south of Kona.
From Kona you can drive up the mountain to various coffee plantations.
The resorts in Kohala are nicer then staying in Kona but also more expensive, and we were never bothered by the vog. We stayed in Kona for a month and just drove all over the island for day trips. The HUla Kia a Fairwinds boat offers a great day snorkeling trip with really good breakfast and lunch!

taitai

As others have suggested, look for condos on the Kohala Coast. They tend to be less expensive than hotels.

As you look at a map, just remember that Kona has very few beaches. The coastline there is pretty rocky. The best beaches are north on the Kohala Coast. On the other hand, few condos in Kohala are Oceanfront. Kona has more oceanfront condos but it also has vog and is far away from the great beaches. So, decide what trade-offs you want to make and then pick you place for lodging based on that.

Have fun planning!

heyjude2919

Finally, I'm bookecd! Thanks to all of you for your advice. I am now booked 3 nights in Volcano, and 4 nights at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott. I was able to book on hotwire and got a room for $ 120 a night plus taxes. I've never used hotwire before so I hope I won't be disapppointed. I feel relieved to have it done.All of the things recorrended for activities I hope to fit in. They sound wonderful!!!Thanks again.

DebitNM

Did you get the room as a blind price or was it a known hotlel name? That's a great price!

sylvia3

If budget is important, while in Volcano NP, the small cabins of Nāmakanipaio ($55/night) are a really nice break. Plus, the military camp "mess hall" within the park is a great option for meals; open to the public and very reasonable!

heyjude2919

Debit, yes I booked it blind but I did it over the phone with a nice gal who asured me that I would be getting a 4-star hotel at 1/2 price.
And silvia, the Chalet Kilauea on travelocity was $144. a night. That was fine. But thanks.
We're just thrifty (especially my husband).
And we have 2 more nights on Oahu. I have that booked too. So i'm not going to think any more about this trip until January. This week has been stressful. You all have been a great help. i hope to post a good trip report when I get home.

sylvia3

"And silvia, the Chalet Kilauea on travelocity was $144. a night."
Is there another Sylvia? I never mentioned this place!(I'm a budget-minded traveler, too. There's so much to do on the BI that doesn't require any fees; have a great time!)

DebitNM

hmm, I didn't know you could book hotwire over the phone.

heyjude2919

Thanks to everyone. We're on the BigUsland now. I'll try to get a report written when we get home.