Big Island Trip Report
 

I just got back from 12 days on the Big Island and wanted to share my amazing trip. My husband and I stayed in Volcano for 2 days in a beautiful cottage. It sat in a rainforest of ferns....absolutely gorgeous! We visited Volcanoes National Park (took about 3 hours total). It was a little chillier than I expected. That night we hiked out to the flowing lava. The next day we took a little known hike to the Pu'u O'o Vent (the beating heart of the volcano). We were able to get surprisingly close to it while still staying a safe distance. It was an amazing hike through a rainforest before ending at the vent. We stopped at Akaka Falls on the way to the Kohala Coast and ate a malasada at Tex's Drive In. By the way, much thanks to the fodorites who recommended this place to us...it was as good as you promised. We stayed at the Fairmont Orchid for 7 days on the Gold Floor. I would highly recommend the gold floor because of all the extras it offers (access to the lounge with free sodas, bottled water, snacks, breakfast, your own personal concierge and much more). I had 2 massages at the "Spa Without Walls" located in the hotel. I would recommend 2 because you'll want one in the tiki huts over the waterfalls and one oceanside. I also had several friends who tried the coffee body scrub treatment and just raved about it. The snorkeling at the hotel was great. Sea turtles are in abundance there. I was pleased with everything at the hotel but the food selections. At lunch, most all the restaurants have the same menu, so we found ourselves eating the same things everyday. We took a Captain Zodiac rafting trip to snorkel at the Captain Cook monument. I have snorkeled in Maui, Kauai, and Bermuda and this was the best I've ever seen. My husband took a deep sea fishing trip with friends. Although his boat caught nothing, 4 out of the 8 boats that went caught Marlins. We also took a mule carriage ride thru Waipio Valley. It was nice but I wish I could've done the horseback ride. I waited till 3 days before to try and book it and they were already full. We also drove around Waimea and had lunch one day. Waimea is a beautiful town and shouldn't be missed. We stayed one night at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. Although it's definitely a sight to see, it was a little too big for me. It was extremely crowded and everything was overpriced. We did the Dolphin Quest and it was definitely worth the money. The waterslides were fun but I don't think I'd ever go back. I don't have kids so maybe I shouldn't say "never." It did look like a fun place for kids. My trip was everything I hoped it would be and more. I wish I were still there!

Thanks for your information. I have a few questions. What was the name of the place where you stayed in Volcano? When you said it was chilly in the park, do you mean only when visiting the vents and lava tube areas or is it also chilly near the flow (hard to believe!)? Is the Pu'u O'o vent hike the one mentioned in the Blue Book? How long did that hike take? Was your room on the Gold Floor a standard room or did you have a suite? Would love details about the view of the room! Which massage did you prefer? Was the mule ride informative and were you ever allowed to walk around? Did you have your luggage in the car when you did this tour and did you feel safe about it? Sorry for the overload of questions but we have never gone to the BI yet and are making plans for next summer. Thanks!

Thanks for your report. Do you think the Fairmont Orchid would be a good place to stay with kids. We are going next January and will have a 13, 15 & 17 year old with us. I am sure the kids would enjoy the Hilton Waikoloa but I think my husand and I would prefer the Orchid. How did you organise the trip to the Waipo Valley, was this through the hotel or did you book it yourselves. Thanks.

We too just returned from the BI yesterday and as you we had a GREAT time. We took a helicopter ride from Hilo and the views were magnificent. We also went to the Place of Refuge, played golf, relaxed alot and took a sunset dinner cruise on the Sea Smoke, a former world record speed catamarran originally owned by James Arness of Gunsmoke fame. All in all our vacation was a 9/10. I do agree about the Hilton. It is very nice but too large and there is no beach area as well. The Marriott was fine with us. Did you go to Roys fro dinner? It is one of the best restaurants we've ever eaten at. Aloha!

In response to your questions,
Ashley24: We booked the cottage thru Chalet Kiluea. They have a lodge and several rental homes/cottages they rent out. Although it was very rustic and kind of scary because we were so deep in the rain forest, I really loved it because it just added to the adventure. It was mostly chilly while visiting the vents. However I would still bring a light jacket for your walk to view the lava (if you go at night). It is slightly cool until you get a little ways into your hike...then it warmed up. The hike I mentioned to the Pu'u O'o vent is the one mentioned in the adventures section of the Blue Book. It was very adventurous but challenging. It took us about 5 hours total this includes having a good pace the whole hike and stopping to view the vent for about 30 minutes. You definitely want to bring a rain jacket and shoes that you don't mind getting muddy. We had our luggage in the car but put it in the trunk out of view. I was a little uncomfortable having it but we didn't have any other options. My room on the Gold floor at the Orchid was a standard room with lots of little extras. We had the super nice bed linens and bath towels, upgraded shampoo, conditioner, Aveda soap, etc. They left bottled water and sometimes fresh fruit in our rooms at night during turndown service. You could request a personal wake-up with coffee and the morning paper instead of the usual wake-up call. Our view was partial ocean with a gorgeous view of the golf course and the mountains. I actually preferred the oceanside massage because of where the tents were located. It was in a quiet area of the hotel with a beautiful view of the lagoon and ocean. The tiki hut over the waterfall was great too but I pay money for a sound machine to hear ocean waves put me to sleep each night...why not get a massage and fall asleep listening to the real thing? The mule ride was informative but I still think I would've enjoyed the horseback ride better. The mule ride is limited to the road whereas the horses can go down trails. The valley was beautiful but they were experiencing a drought while we were there so most of the waterfalls weren't flowing. You may want to inquire ahead of time about them. Also, we were never allowed time to walk around on our own so your freedom is limited on the mule ride. You should be fine with your luggage in your car on this tour because you actually park your car at the local country store to board the van that takes you into the valley. So there are plenty of people around.

Shandy: I think the Orchid would be fine for kids. All the kids I saw seemed to be having a great time. The beach is great for kids because it is so calm and they love to snorkel with the turtles and learn to surf in a safe lagoon. I would definitley recommend getting the activity card if you go with children. It offers them lots of free activities and will save you money. I have to admit though, during my teenage years, I probably would've enjoyed the Hilton more. There's lots of action with the waterslides, the dolphins, and a tram and boat that run thru the hotel. But as an adult, it was hard for me to feel relaxed there with all the crowds of people. Maybe you could just go to the Hilton for a few nights. Everything was very expensive there too. A glass of milk, coffee or OJ for breakfast was $2.50. At home I could buy a whole gallon for that!
We booked the Waipio Valley tour thru the hotel concierge but we also had the number from the Hawaii blue book.

Jacketwatch: We missed Roy's this time unfortunately. We did eat there on Kauai and the spare ribs were out of this world. Some people were born to do certain things and Roy was obviously born to cook!

Amanda: Sounds like a great time anyway! Cheers, Larry

Thanks so much for your TR! My fiance and I are going to Hawaii for 18 days for our honeymoon in late Sept/early Oct and we are staying at the Fairmont on the BI for a week as part of it.

I was wondering about the contruction they had been doing that I read about on here. I know it was a while ago, but did you see any still going on and if so, was it distracting?

Thanks!

I did see the construction but it was not distracting. It's not as close as I thought it would be. I stayed in the building on the opposite side of the construction so you could request that if you are concerned.

Thank you!