I cant decide how many days should I spend in Hilo. Initially we thought, 2 days will be enough but now I feel there is much more to see and maybe it should be 3 days. For those of you who have visited Hilo, do you think I need more than 2 days? I will be having a 1yr old and a 6yrs old with me. We wont be doing too much hiking, but would like to visit all the waterfalls, the farmer's market, the zoo and the other attractions.
This is the first time I am planning a trip with FODORS as my primary guide, and it surely has turned out to be very exciting (even before my visit)!!!

I'm assuming you are staying in other parts of the BI. Then my opinion would be to stay 2 days/ 2 nights. Enough time to see Hilo, including the Farmers Market and the nearby falls.

I agree 2 days/2nights. This is the 'rainy' side of BI and really you can see most of the waterfalls in the area in about an hour (plus Akaka Falls when you drive past). The other activites you mention depend on how long you'd normally spend on them but personally a couple of hours at the zoo and a couple more wandering the market would be more than enough for me.
More time for the beach!

Don't forget to leave a day for Volcanoe National Park; much easier to get there from Hilo than from Kona.

I wouldn't stay in Hilo at all. I'd stay in Volcano, and visit the areas around Hilo from there. Hilo is gray and rainy most of the time, and Volcano is a real experience!

I should have been more detailed in my original post. I am staying in BI for 2 weeks. Almost a week in the Kona side, 2-3 days in Volcano area and 2 days in Hilo. This is what I had planned originally. I guess I will stick to it since most of you Fodorites feel that 2 days are enough.
Thanks!

Volcano to Hilo is only 45 minutes drive. Is it worth packing and moving to a different lodging for that short distance? You might want to do more research on Hilo before deciding to spend much time there; I've met few travelers who were impressed with the accommodations in Hilo especially.

I think I will stick to my original plan. I did some more research and yes, I am staying in Hilo. I am trying to avoid the 45mins drive to-from Volcano everytime I want to see something in Hilo because of the baby who is not too fond of his car seat.
Thanks for all the inputs.

You've made a good choice in planning to spend some time in Hilo. I've stayed there several times. I think it tends to be underrated. Firstly, it provides a good base for seeing Rainbow and Akaka Falls and Volcanoes National Park. Secondly, from Hilo you can take a beautiful drive north up highway 19 to the Waipio Valley lookout. On the way, you can stop at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens (see link below) just a few miles north of Hilo. In Hilo, you can visit the Pacific Tsunami Museum, which has even greater poignancy these days given all the tsunami activity of the last couple of years. All of this is more easily accessible from Hilo than driving all the way from Kona for daytrips.

Botanical gardens: http://www.htbg.com/

Pacific Tsunami Museum: http://www.tsunami.org/

Don't forget the zoo in Hilo, very nice and it's free.

thanks, yes we have drawn up an itenary for hilo and the zoo and the botanical garden is very much a part of it. Thanks for the links!

If you click on my name, it should bring up our trip report "Singing in the Rain" in February with 5 nights in Hilo and 3 in Keauhou, south of Kona.

shanghainese, yes, i have read that wonderful report you wrote. as i said earlier, fodors is my primary guide for my trip this time and these trip reports are extremely useful....your report is definitely one of them Thank you so much!