Bo2642

We're looking far ahead to early June of next year and have tentatively decided on spending time on Hawaii because of the volcano, the observatory, and other things that are exclusive to the island, things we haven't experienced during our times on Oahu, on Maui, and on Kauai. I'm starting to second guess myself, though, because we love Kauai so much. I am wondering if we will regret not returning there. On the other hand, life being what it is, if we don't experience the Big Island this time around, will we ever get a chance? Of course we could divide our time between the two islands, but we're hoping to keep expenses down by concentrating on just one without having to pay for an island hopper.

We're a family of 5 with two boys who will be 10 and 12 by the time of our visit next year. We've settled on a condo in Kailua-Kona for 7 nights. We're also looking at a house on the Hilo side for 5 nights. We know the boys will be interested in the volcano and the observatory, but they're interested in beach fun, too, and they're not the kind of kids who enjoy just lying around. Will we have to work hard on the BI to get to things kids like to do? ( Just a word about kids running the show; they don't. But this is a family vacation and we want everybody to have a good time.)

Does anyone out there with boys close to the ages of our two have any input? It's not too late to make some changes. No airline tickets purchased yet....

Many thanks in advance.

Tomsd

While we love Kauai - a close second is the Big Island - with the Volcano, beauty around Hilo/Akaka Falls - snorkeling/hiking, etc.

When you get up to the Volcano and check out the visitor center/movies/Ranger talks/walks, etc - go hike the "little" volcano - Kiluea Iki - which is a blast. You hike through part of a rain forest, down into the cauldron, a mile across and up the other side - all in a couple hours. It's a blast.

And for more info on snorkeling:

http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/hawaii-...ng-guide-hilo/

http://www.hawaiisnorkelingguide.com...norkeling.html

Tomsd

You can also head north of Kona - to the fabled Parker Ranch area - ride horses, and the boys would probably love floating down an old irrigation aquaduct type ditch.

Think they are still doing that but just google and google away. Plenty of things for kids (big and small) to do on the Big Island.

Tomsd

Here it is: http://adventureinhawaii.com/bigisla...adventures.htm

And the boys mike also like getting up to the Observatory on top of Mauna Kea. http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/mko/visiting.htm

Bo2642

Thanks, Tom. Still on the fence, but your input has given me a lot to consider. I've read many of your posts on this forum, not just on this thread. You work hard to share meaningful information, and the time and thought you put into them is much appreciated.

Lookin_Glass

Kauai is compact. You know what you are getting. I love Hawaii, but it is spread out. Will the kids be happy spending hours driving for exploration? If they are good car drivers and enjoy taking in the scenery then the BI has lots to offer. If they would prefer to hang at the beach and be more laid back then Kauai will be a better fit. IMHO

Ronda

We always took our kids to Kauai and guess what...that is STILL where they want to go. They loved the laid back atmosphere of Hanalei and when they go, guess what, they go to Hanalei.

Tomsd

Bo26: Thanks very much for the nice comment - and hey - whatever you choose will be fine. After all - every day in Paradise is a good day - at least - IMO. And uno mas - while the North Shore of Kauai is our favorite - we also love Big Island.

You could also consider an "exploratory" trip to Big Island - say flying into Hilo for a couple nights (would recommend you stay up at/near the Volcano - check the Volcano House at the Visitor's center and also the nearby Volcano Village) - and then drive over to Kona for a few days and fly on to Kauai.

As you know - the inter-island flights don't take much time and the outer island airports are easy to navigate.

If you fly into Hilo - even though it may take a change of planes in Maui? - it's usually very scenic - especially if they go along the NE coast of Big Island past the Waipio Valley http://tinyurl.com/csmpl55 - and then you are close to the Volcano - about 20? minutes from the airport. However - if it's still light out -I would first head up first to Akaka Falls - about a half an hour north of Hilo and then head back to the Volcano.

From the Volcano area - it's a very scenic drive (2 hours or more depending on how many stops you make) over to Kona and there are a number of flight options from Kona to get over to Kauai - although probably you will have to change planes in Hono.

You might also consider taking a helicopter flight if you spend time on the Big Island.

Tomsd

Oh yes - the inter-island flights have gotten more epensive - but I really think you would love spending some time on the Big Island if you can squeeze the cookie jar a little tighter.

Bo2642

@Lookin' Glass: You've put your finger on the exact things I've been thinking about. I have to say...scenery and long drives are not what the boys are into right now. And while they would love to see the volcano and the observatory, at this point I'm concerned that those aren't enough of a draw to keep them involved for 10 days. So...
@Rhonda: we've decided that for this time around, we will continue with Kauai. As a family we've had great times there over the past years. Something for everybody. Snorkeling and swimming, zodiac rides, ziplining, bonfires on the beach, community programs, and just kicking back. I'm the Grandma, by the way, and once every year or so I join my daughter, sil, and the grandsons for a special vacation, the islands being the usual destination. We've had good times on Maui and on Oahu, but especially on Kauai. Anyway, at first we were excited about adding to our Hawaii experience by finally visiting the BI. We spent hours reading guidebooks and locating vacation rentals, but the more we read, the more we were concerned that maybe this wasn't the best time, that it would be more for the adults rather than for the whole family. So, it's back to Kauai again. We've made our decision.
@Tom--once again thank you for your suggestions. Down the road--a couple of years from now-- if the BI is still in question, I can click on your name here on the boards and benefit from your input.
Thanks to all three of you for your responses.

Ronda

You won't be sorry! Our kids loved Hanalei. Loved the small town feel. I would have liked to have rented somewhere else on the island but they wanted to go back to Hanalei for a family vacation after they were all grown. Said they loved being able to walk to the store to get an ice cream bar. LOL They wanted to be able to walk home from the BAR. We couldn't go to any beach unless you could drag an ice chest there.

Well, I'm leaving them all at home this time. I want to be able to walk into the beaches you have to hike to. Well, not all the time. Searching for a condo in Princeville and what do you know, ran across a post of your's on staying at Sealodge F7. Mind if I ask how you liked the unit?

We were on the Big Island in January for a conference. We decided to describe it as Nevada meets the ocean. I just couldn't believe the long expanses of lava fields. We have relatives who live there and love the dry climate on that particular side of the Island. We did make it up North which was quite ranch like. We were there such a short time, didn't make it to the other side.

Hope you have a wonderful time!

Bo2642

Hi, Ronda--

We did not end up at the Sealodge after all. At the time I could not find a review of F7, and while some of the units there had rave reviews, others were iffy. Songdoc, who posts on this forum, has had good experience with Sealodge if I remember correctly. He, though, goes either alone or with a friend and doesn't require a large unit as we do. If you can find some of his posts, I think you'll find reference to some of his favorite units.

We found, instead, a 3 bedroom/3bath condo at Puamana. VRBO #134978. It's a golf course unit with a sliver of ocean viewable, and while we didn't have the pleasure of being able to hear the surf, it suited our purpose for the 5 days we were in Princeville, and we knew that when we went down to Poipu to a favorite condo there (oceanfront), the wonderful sound of crashing waves awaited and we could enjoy it there.

Not sure if it's permissible to copy my VRBO review here, but here goes. Also, there's an email I sent to the owner, Helen, while we were there which the owner posted. Let's see what happens:

Guest: Barbara(Hacienda Heights, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/14/10 Review Submitted: 07/29/10

To follow up on our email that Helen posted for our stay of 7/14-19, we felt lucky to have found this rental. Not only is it in one of the most desirable locations in the Puamana complex with absolutely nothing obstructing the view of the golf course and the sea beyond, but it offers sleeping accommodations which were perfect for our group of 6. With 3 bedrooms, my daughter Suz and hubby Danny had a king room to themselves, my young grandsons, ages 7 & 9 shared a 2nd king room, and my friend Susie and I took the room with the twins. Twin rooms are not overly common in Princeville rentals, and this was a selling point for us. And there were 3 bathrooms! Hooray. The upgrades that the property has recently received are obvious and welcome, and as my daughter said in the email, the mattresses are amazing. There are plenty of beach towels and beach equipment on hand, and a washer/dryer in the unit. A nice selection of pots and pans, dishes, and kitchen utensils, 3 tvs, a selection of books and movies....what more do you want? The nearby activities and attractions as listed in the property description are accurate, and our parking space was very close to the unit. Finally, it was a joy to work with the owner Helen. She was prompt in replying to all our emails, and she did this with all good humor. We certainly plan to come back to Kauai, and when we do, we will definitely contact Helen about obtaining this condo again.


Guest Comment Entered by Owner.

Guest: Barbara and her daughter Suz
Date of Stay: 07/14/10 Review Submitted: 07/21/10

HERE IS WHAT THE CURRENT GUEST BARBARA HAS TO SAY ABOUT OUR HOME IN HER EMAIL TO ME TWO DAYS AGO: (Susan is our Resort manager and she'll come by with her two dogs (Chihuahuas), if you have kids. Barb's daughter is Suz (Suzie) and is staying there as well """""Just a note to let you know how much we are enjoying our time here. My daughter, Suz, wants to make sure that I tell you how amazing the mattresses are. And your location is wonderful. Yesterday Suz, Danny, and the boys had surfing lessons and are still on a high over that experience. And a most special treat for Danny and wonderful for the rest of us was last night at Tahiti Nui where Keli'i Kanealii was performing. Danny is a super fan of Hawaiian music and has followed his music for a long time. From the time actually that he was one of the original Hapa duo. Today Suz and Danny will do a hike along the Na Pali coast--4 miles only. Suz put her foot down on the longer one. Susie and I are doing our own thing. Tonight we are meeting friends for a bonfire and sunset picnic at Anini Beach. All is good. Helen: This is Suz. Just want you to know we love this place. We're in heaven. BTW Susan has been great, and the boys love the dogs. We'll send pictures later.""""" Posted with Barbara's permission and her daughter Suzanne. Mahalo Nui Loa!

Tomsd

Now that's how to have a Bali Hai time. The 4 mile hike - it that the one where after two miles at the beautiful - but possible undertow sometimes beach - you turn inland for two miles or so to get to a nice waterfall/pond? Takes a little rock scrambling but it was a blast.

We also love Anini Beach (took a wind surfing lesson there) - and what a bonus for Tahiti Nui. Met some great locals there over the years, and even George Clooney and some of the cast of The Descendants hung out there a few times?

We love the North Shore of Kauai - our favorite - but again, also love BI and hope you get there sometime.

Now - have to decide what to do in San Diego this weekend.

Ronda

Wow Bo, that house is beautiful but much larger than we need. Thanks for the info though - I'll stash it away for another time.

Where do you stay in Poipu? I wouldn't mind splitting our time between North and South!

Thanks!

Bo2642

Hi, Rhonda--

Our favorite condo in Poipu is VRBO 140021. We hope it will be available for us for June 2013 now that we've decided to go to Kauai again. We have a lot of ff miles and hope to be able to book some or all of our seats with them, so we'll have to wait until seats are being released--what is it? somewhere aroung 330 days before departure. Hopefully we can obtain something that way and then go through regular booking for whatever seats the ff miles don't cover. We'll just have to wait and hope that the condo will be available for the dates we need. But it could be worth the gamble given that fares from LAX are running sky high right now.

At any rate, do check the VRBO site for the condo. It's not in a fancy complex, but it is well maintained, and we found this particular unit to be wonderful. My review is there under Oganesov-Dean if you care to read through it.

Ronda

It looks wonderful. I think we have decided on a unit at Sealodge. We are looking at this as a "scoping out" trip to see if we like Princeville. I'm lookin at Sealodge D6.

BTW saw The Most Exotic Marigold Hotel last night - loved it!

Bo2642

That's on my list.
Somehow I think we might be cut out of the same cloth.

Bo2642

Just saw The Marigold Hotel. Loved it, too, Ronda.