chrisliu19

Hi,

I've been skimming through the posts on this site and have managed to put together a loose itinerary for our trip in DEC. We're a young couple (in good shape) traveling with one set of parents who are in their 60s but are relatively fit/active. Any suggestions/comments on our itinerary would be greatly appreciated! Additionally, what is the weather generally like in Kona and Lahaina in mid-late DEC? Is it warm/sunny enough to get a good tan? We will probably rent a car the entire time on the BI, but do we need a rental car in Maui? We're staying in the Lahaina area.

Day 1: arrive Kona
Day 2: scuba diving Kona (any recommended dive sites and tour operators?)
Day 3: morning whale watching, afternoon drive to Volcano
Day 4: explore Volcano and night lava (is this something we could do without joining a tour?)
Day 5: drive back to Kona, snorkeling
Day 6: diving Kona, explore Waipio valey (how long is the drive from Kona to the valley?)
Day 7: morning flight to Maui, snorkeling
Day 8: diving Molokini (any recommended dive shops?), Old Lahaina Luau
Day 9: diving Lanai, beaches/waterfalls (recommend any?)
Day 10: last day (what to do?)
Day 11: return flight


Thanks for your input!

karameli

Are you staying over in Volcano on Days 3 and 4? To give youself more free time, I'd recommend driving to Volcano in the early morning, exploring, sleeping over (you'll be tired!) and driving back to Kona the next morning. Just an option, if you feel like you want more time in Kona. At HVNP, I recommend the Kilauea Iki hike -- a great four-mile hike across a crater floor.

Right now there aren't any lava flows and Chain of Craters Road is closed, but if there is an accessible view of the lava flow when you're there, definitely try to see it -- it's awesome!

The drive from Kona to Waipio Valley is about 60-90 minutes depending on traffic. Do you plan on exploring the valley on foot or by car? Many cars CAN'T make it down the steep and winding road. It's risky enough to DIY in a 4x4...your best bet would be a tour or mule-drawn wagon.

Hope that helps for a few of your days

dusty56438

Drums of the Pacific at the Hyatt (Maui) has the best fire knife dancer on Maui. Old Lahaina Luau does not have a fire knife dancer. So you ought to think about changing.

Last day: Road to Hana or Haleakala

You will need a car on Maui. It is less expensive than taking shuttles & paying for tours. Plus you have the freedom to go where you want.

The lava flow at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park changes daily.

A recent note about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park:

According to today's Star Bulletin,

http://starbulletin.com/breaking/breaking.php?id=5929

"noteworthy changes were a 66-foot drop of a lava crust inside Pu‘u ‘O‘o Crater, farther downrift from the earthquake area, and reduction of lava reaching the ocean to a mere trickle."

"The park reopened some areas to the public yesterday, notably Crater Rim Drive and trails in the summit area. Entrance fees were also waived at least for today as compensation to people who may be disappointed in not being able to go to the coast, although practically no lava is flowing there."

"The park also official closed its eastern boundary near Kalapana. Access from that area has always been discouraged and Hawaii County Civil Defense officials are working to enforce the closure, Orlando said."

For those of you who don't know the local place names, the hike in to the lava from the east / Kalapana side, has become the big activity in recent weeks since the ocean entry shifted and the flow moved east.

Please pay attention to what the officials say:

"ACCESS FROM THAT AREA HAS ALWAYS BEEN DISCOURAGED"

Now they are trying to close it and enforce it. Please pay attention. They are only doing it out of concern for your safety.

Here is a link to the park. Check the site just before your trip:

http://www.nps.gov/havo/

Other info:

www.mauihawaii.org

www.visitmaui.com Free brochure

www.bigisland.org Free brochure

olesouthernbelle

In Kona, we used Dive Makai (808-329-2025). Though not perfect, I would dive with them again. Their boat was 'fresh' out of dry dock - repainting and getting 'overhauled' and they had a delay of about 45 minutes to get it started.

They do the Manta Ray night dive. Though the Manta's didn't show up the night we were there, it was still wonderful! It's in Garden Eel Bay and many types of eels besides the garden ones (which are interesting to see).

They limit the boat to fewer divers and they handle the equipment for you. Snacks provided. A very friendly company.

There is another small boat operator I would try but they do not do the night dive - Pacific Rim Divers (334-1750)gets good reviews in the Blue Book.

olesouthernbelle

I din't mean to imply they ONLY go to Gardenn Eel Bay - that's just where the Manta Ray dive is done.

volcanogirl

Hi, chrisliu - if you don't have a place to stay in Volcano yet, I'd recommend the Kilauea Lodge; we stayed in a cottage there, and it was really cozy with its own little fireplace, nice seating area, stained glass windows. There's a good restaurant on site where you can relax by the fire - this part of the island can get cool at night, so it's quite nice.

You can definitely do the night lava without joining a tour depending on if that part of the park is open when you go. We did a tour of the park on our own, and then hiked out to see the lava flow at night. Be sure to wear good walking shoes and bring a flashlight.

I agree with Dusty - the road to Hana and the sunrise at Haleakala are missing from your Maui list. You could do either of those on your free day. Bundle up if you do Haleakala - there was ice on the ground when we went. Our guidebook said no matter how many clothes you have on, it won't be enough, and we kind of chuckled, but it was true. We saw people in their shorts and flip flops shaking from the cold. Bring some hot chocolate or coffe with you while you wait for the beautiful sunrise.

Cackti

Anyone know how whale watching is on the BI? I always thought Maui was the best for whales watching tours. Should they save the whale watch for Maui? I imagine they will see plenty on the Molokini and Lanai trips.

volcanogirl

We did our whale watching on Maui. We went in April, so we were at the very end of the whale watching season. It's kind of funny; they guarantee that you'll see a whale, and if you don't see one, they give you a coupon for another free whale watching excursion. We were thinking that very few of those get redeemed since they're given to tourists who are only there for a couple of days. We were lucky enough to see some from a distance.

martym

Snorkeling is good at the Two-Step area next to Place of Refuge in South Kona. It is also good along the coast just north of Ke'ei Beach, south of Napoopoo. (Take the road south out of Napoopoo until you come to the Ke'ei transfer station (trash drop off), turn around and then take the first left. There is no sign. It is a very rough lava road that goes back to the local village of Ke'ei. But you can make it in a rental--just go slow.) When you see the sign that says "No Vehics beyond this point park in the parking lot by the lava rock wall. It is easiest to get in the water just to the right (when facing the water) of the parking lot. There is a little inlet there. Do not try to snokel here unless the ocean is pretty calm and you are relatively strong swimmers. Or you can walk on down the road through the village to to little beach--which is never crowded. The local people have cleared a pathway through the water, and people do snorkle off the beach beyond the lava off-shore.

A good whale watch excursion on the BI is Capt. Dan McSweeney's www.ilovewhales.com

I would suggest you visit Waipio Valley on your way from Volcano to Kona. The wagon tour was good--we had a very knowledgable guide (he lived in the valley). http://www.waipiovalleywagontours.com/

As to weather, it will be warm and sunny enough to get a tan. It always is. Here's a helpful site for Hawaiian weather http://www.hawaiiweathertoday.com/

chrisliu19

Hi All,
Thanks for the insightful advice on things to do in both Maui and Kona. A few more questions if you don't mind...

Kona - martym suggested visiting Waipio Valley on the way back from Volcano to Kona. How far is the drive this way? Would we be driving around the entire island almost? Additionally, I've read many positive reviews about dinner at the Kilauea Lodge - is it worth it (seems a bit pricey)?

Maui - could we do the road to Hana or Haleakala sunrise on our own, or do we need to join tours for these excursions?

Which island of the two is better for a whale watching experience? I've read that there are more whales in Maui (tours are cheaper here), but everyone seems to recommend Capt. Dan McSweeny's on BI.

We're staying at the following places on our trip: Outrigger Waikoloa Beach Villas (BI) / Hale Aloha cottage with Country Goose B&B (BI, Volcano) / Outrigger Aina Nalu (Maui). Has anyone ever stayed at these accomodations?

Again, many thanks for everyone's feedback/comments!

CajunStorm

On Maui you can easily tour Hana Road and Haleakala on your own. I have heard that there are tours available for these excursions but have found that driving myself allows me to stop and enjoy whatever sights I like at my own pace.

volcanogirl

Hi, Chris - we really enjoyed the dinner at the Kilauea Lodge. It's a nice, cozy environment with a big stone fireplace made of rocks gathered from around the world. It's not super luxurious, but the menu if pretty eclectic - you can get exotic things like rabbit and antelope, but we had fish, and it was quite good. It was nice to relax there after hiking the volcano at night.

We did both Haleakala and Hana on our own with no problems. There are organized bike tours of Haleakala if that interests you, be we preferred to drive. For whale watching, we did Maui and did see whales, so I'd recommend it.

volcanogirl

sorry - meant but we preferred to drive. Have a great trip!

martym

You actually will be staying in Kohala. So the drive from Volcano to Kohala by way of Hilo(not the southern route), should take about 2 hours max.

If you want to stop at Waipio Valley on the way, leave the main highway at Honokaa. Waipio Valley overlook is about 10 minutes west of Honokaa.

LWest

I agree that the Road to Hana and Haleakala are both must-do's when visiting Maui, and you can definitely do them on your own. We considered doing a tour to Hana, but decided to save our money and try it ourselves. I'm really glad we did. We rented a GPS that had an audio tour of both Hana and Haleakala. So for MUCH less than the price of a tour to Hana, we had a self guided tour of both Hana and Haleakala. It automatically tells you all the good places to stop, and I liked it because we could spend as much time as we wanted exploring.

BINani

I recommend the night dive with the manta rays off at Keauhou/Kona.
http://www.hawaiiactivities.com/inde...395A9136B30C5A

Our friend went on this dive and came back the next year to do it again!

pjoneslake

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