Hi,
Our 13 night honeymoon to Hawaii will be in August, planning on splitting the time between Oahu, BI, and Maui. We have plane tickets, although no hotels yet.
How many nights would you suggest on the BI? We would like to mainly sightsee on the BI with some time on the beach. We are thinking of staying on the Kohala Coast for 4-5 nights at the Hapuna Prince. We would like to spend a day at the volcano, go snorkeling one morning at Captain Cook's monument, maybe horseback riding in Waipaio Valley, and drive around a bit for waterfalls, black sand beaches, etc...Does this sound doable in 4-5 nights, with a little time leftover for laying on the beach? Also, I know the BI entails a lot of driving and we do not want to eat at the resort for every meal. Are there restaurants within a 15-45 minute drive that are decent? Looking for a mix of casual/cheap to more upscale. Any chain restaurants around (Outback, Chili's etc..) for lunches? Thanks you!

If you don't want much rest, and you are in to turbo-vacationing, you can do this with ease.

Since the Waipi`o Valley, volcano, black sand beaches are on the Hilo side, you might want to stay on that side of Hawai`i island instead?

Drive time from Kohala side to those sites is considerable -- with the added time required for each activity.

Just a thought....

Hi!
We just returned from a 10 day trip to Hawaii...5 days on Oahu and 5 on the Big Island. We stayed in Kona and rented a car. I think it is much better to stay on the Kona/Kohala side because it is much sunnier. Hilo gets a lot of rain. We took a day trip to Volcano. That took about 2 hours driving time each way. We stopped at the Punaluu Black Sand Beach on the way to Volcano. It is really cool!

We took a snorkling trip to Kealakekua Bay. That is by Captain Cook. It is only accessible by boat, so you have to take a tour. We took a tour with Fair Wind Snorkel out of Keauhou Bay and had a wonderful time. The snorkling there is amazing!

We also took day trips to the North Kohala coast and to Waipio Valley areas. It was less than 1 1/2 hrs driving time each way. Both areas are beautiful too.

The one thing I would have liked to do but didn't was take a tour up to Mauna Kea. My son is under 16, so he was not allowed to go. They have a telescope up there where 90% of the stars all over earth are visible!

Regarding dining, in Kona there is an Outback (didn't eat there). There is a good pizza and italian place called Basil's. It is close to a place that sells shaved ice...yummy!

Have a great trip to Hawaii!

I would spend at least one night in the Volcano area (I recommend Kilauea Lodge...wonderful rooms and great dinner and breakfast) to do the VNP any justice. You can still spend 3-4 nights on the Kohola coast.

I would second the snorkeling at Captain Cook's monument, and a visit to Waipio is great also. For dining, consider the short drive up to Waimea (Kamuela) for either Merriman's or Daniel Thiebault...both top-notch, with a slight edge to Merriman's. We also enjoyed Oodle's of Noodles in Kona for a good lunch spot (maybe after a morning of snorkeling?). Have fun!

The volcano can be done as a day trip from Kohala and we did it as a day trip from the Mauna Lani. BUT it is a very long and tiring day. The drive to and from takes ages (although it's pretty and interesting) and then you may have to drive or hike a lot further once at the park to actually see the lava flowing. If I had to do it again, I'd pay for one night's lodging on the Hilo side and make the volcano a two day trip. Then there would be more time not only at the volcano but also to explore the attractions near Hilo. Another alternative might be to do the volcano through a helicopter tour. It would be very expensive, but would take much less time out of your schedule. And since you are on your honeymoon, maybe you can justify the expense!

I would spend at least a night on the Hilo side. Volcano National Park has lots to see and a lot of hiking areas. Also at night it is often possible to see the glow of the lava from afar. En route to the Kohala side I would stop at the Tsunami Museum in Hilo, Waipio Valley for horseback riding and enjoy a leisurely, very scenic drive. As far as Captain Cook's monument. It is a great snorkeling area and you do not need to take a tour. There are plenty of kayak outfitters along the main road in Kona that will load up the kayak and point you in the right direction. It is an easy paddle. We have done it with our kids.