Big Island Restaurant & itinerary advice
 

Hi guys... I can't believe I'm going to Hawaii in less than one month. This time I'm visiting the Big Island for the first time with my bf. I'm super super excited. I was doing some reading in this forum and the Big Island Revealed, I pretty much have an idea of all the things I want to do, let me run it by you guys and tell me what you think. And then I have my dilemma, there seems to be SO MANY good restaurants on the island, I have to narrow down a few and it's so hard. So HELP ME!

Day 1 - I arrive pretty late, like 9pm, so I will be checking into the Hilton Waikoloa and call it a night.

Day 2 - relax by pool in the morning, lunch at Waikoloa Beach Grill, around 3pm, head to Mauna Kea for sunset and star gaze (how much time do u think I need to get to Mauna Kea?), dinner at Merriman's in Kamuela.

Day 3 - self guided Kayak at Kealeakekua Bay in the morning, then lunch at Killer Tacos, after lunch, head to Honaunau. Dinner at Kenichi Sushi (b/c my bf loves sushi so we have to have sushi for one night).

Day 4 - In the morning, head to Mauna Kea Beach and Hapuna Beach for snorkeling. Do you think two beaches in one morning is too much? I figure I put them together b/c they seem fairly close in distance to each other. For lunch, we're going to head to Bamboo in Hawi. After lunch, Kiholo Bay and then head back to hotel. For dinner... ????

Day 5 - check out of Hilton Waikoloa. Head towards South Point and Green Sand Beach. Check in at the Kilauea Volcano Lodge, around 3pm, head to VNP and stay there till around 8pm. Dinner reservations for 8:30 at Kilauea Lodge.

Day 6 - Early in the morning, we're going to drive to Rainbow Falls in Hilo. Is Pe'epe'e Falls worth the trip? After that, head back to hotel and check out of Kilauea Lodge. Lunch at some random place in HIlo, maybe Ocean Sushi (like I said, bf loves sushi), then head to Puna. I'd like to stop at the Mauna Loa Visitor Center and see some making of macadamia nuts. Then head to champagne Pond and Ahalanui. If there's time, I'd like to go to Hilo to just walk around Banyan Drive.
Dinner at ????
This is our last day, we'll have to be done with dinner by 8pm and head to airport as our flight is at 10:30pm.

So... I have 2 ???? for dinner b/c I can't narrow down which two restaurants to go to. These are my choices:
-Daniel Thiebaut (is it similar to Merriman's)
-Hualalai Grille at the Four Seasons
-Canoe House at the Mauna Lani Resort
-Brown's Beach House at the Fairmont Orchid

I need to pick 2 out of the 4 from the above. If you can't tell, I love Hawaiian/asian fusion food. Basically, of all the restaurants I've been to in Hawaii, I was never disappointed, and I take it b/c I'm a hawaiian fusion fanatic. But... is it too much hawaiian food? My bf thinks it might be too much, but we're in Hawaiii, no doubt that we'll be having a lot of Hawaiian food, right? I want to do 1 romantic/nice view/nice sunset dinner. Is Canoe House recommended for that? I was thinking Hualalai for the last day b/c it seems like it's more casual wear and since we'll be boarding a flight that night, we won't be dressed nicely anyway.

OK. Thanks so much for your help!!!

Check out my trip report - click on my name. I'll answer more later.

Debi

I love Killer Tacos :P, but on Day 3 to drive ~20 miles from K-bay to Kona & eat lunch there (K.T. is not easy to find), then turn around and drive all the way back to Honaunau Bay,#o uses up too much daytime in my opinion and K-bay and Honaunau are spectacular in terms of snorkeling. Can't recommend other local dining option than packing a lunch, though there are small area roadside stores.
:S-
Day 4 snorkeling area is limited to the rocks on either end of Mauna Kea Beach and not as impressive as K-bay or Honaunau, IMHO, & we preferred it over Hapuna.
Look forward to your T.R.!

JohnD, thanks for the advice, that is exactly why I decided to post my itinerary, to find out that Killer Tacos is in fact not on our way. So when is a good time to go out of our way to eat there?

Debbie... I clicked on your name but there were so many posts you made, I can't seem to find your T.R. for the Big Island.

kalunchi -- I'll send it up to top for you...
Debi

I would change day 2 to: get up early and drive to Kona to reach Kahalu'u Beach Park on south Alii Drive next to Keauhou Beach Resort for some great snorkeling, recommend bringing water shoes and underwater ((P)). Then after a few hours drive back through Kona and drop of film at Walmart or Kmart (1hr((o)) ((~))processing) then head for lunch at Killer Tacos and check out samples at nearby Kailua candy company, before returning to the pool at Waikoloa until star gazing.

Day 6 would pass on ((R)) & Peepee falls, and instead head further north for the more impressive Akaka falls trail first, then return towards Hilo stopping off at the Hawaii Tropical((F)) Botanical Gardens-with mosquito repellant of course, then on to lunch in Hilo.

I revised my itinerary a bit... Day 2 I was just going to have lunch at Killer Tacos, then do a bit of grocery/breakfast food shopping at Safeway. I heard French Bakery is good too, that is near Killer Tacos. Then I'm going to head to Snorkel Bob's and rent some snorkel gear - i'm really only going to be using it for 2 days, but I can't think of another way to get snorkel gear.

Day 3 I'm going to get up early and rent a Kayak for Kealakekua Bay, Honaunau afer K Bay and then lunch. After lunch, head to Kahalu'u Beach for some snorkeling and beach bumming. Then dinner at Kenichi Sushi.

I hear different views for the falls in Hilo. Is Akaka Falls hard to access? I'm beginning to think my itinerary requires a lot of adventure and I was really hoping for more relaxation than adventure.

Hualalai Grille is reserved for the last day, still deciding on one last restaurant for day 4.

Akaka falls is easy to access and makes you feel like you're in Hawaii! :S-Reminder: don't leave any valuables in sight in your car while at the falls.

On day 6, do not go to Hilo, back to Volcano, and back to Hilo. It is about an hour's drive from Volcano to Hilo, and there's no reason to do it multiple times. Just get up earlier and do the drive once! Also, you'll likely want to spend more than just a few hours at VNP. It really is an amazing place!

I agree about not driving to Hilo, and then back to Volcano to check out, and then back to Hilo. It would be easier to just check out before you drive to Hilo. There's also a terrific black sand beach right above Hilo, and it's fun to watch the surfers.

Also, we ate at Brown's Beach House this past Monday, and it was delicious! It was our best meal of the whole time we were on the Big Island.

If time is limited in the Puna area, you may just want to visit the Kapoho tide pools. I have been to all three. (Click on my name and see the Kapoho tide pool thread). Champagne pond takes a lot of time to get to if you are not staying in the gated community. Ahalanui was our least favorite. Kapoho tide pools are easily accessable and there is parking. BI Revealed has directions to it. You will have a great time. The Big Island is our favorite.

After much thought... I feel like my itinerary is too much activities and not enough relaxing time. I'm going to take the advice to not drive to Hilo and back to Volcano Village. I'm just going to take it easy on the last day and skip Puna. I made reservations to Hualalai Grille for the last night at 5:30pm. I requested for outside seating but not sure if it's nice to sit outside at the Hualalai Grille. Does anyone know? Is it usually windy there?