I am having a hard time deciding which resort to stay at, seeing that it is our anniversary trip, I keep hearing about the Mauna Lani Bay, has anyone stayed there that can provide feed back? We have reservations at the Orchid and want to be sure to have the best trip! so between the orchid, mauna lani and the mauna kea which one??

Aloha, We have stayed at the ML 3 times and my wife now rates all hotels compared to ML. It is a beautiful resort but what makes it special, even in Hawaii is the staff. They are super. Book an Ocean View room, the difference between OF and OV is not worth the price difference.
Bart

While I've not stayed at the Mauna Lani my brother has and spoke very highly of his stay. I just got back from a weeks stay at the Mauna Kea and would give it very high marks. What are room rates at the Mauni Lani?

David,

They have a summer special at 280 a night for mountain, garden and ocean view. The view is based on a first come first serve basis, so I don't know the odds of an ocean view. Good to hear you liked the MK, we have been undecided especially since this is our 10th anniversary and I want it to be outstanding!

I have to put in my vote for the Orchid. My husband and I stayed there a couple years ago (a slightly belated 10-year anniversary trip)and it was wonderful. The staff was incredibly attentive but not intrusive, and the grounds were, IMHO, nicer than Mauna Lani Bay. MLB does have a very special restaurant (Canoe House). Mauna Kea has a spectacular beach, but you can access that without being a guest (just get there early...limited parking).

Just an opinion, you can hardly go wrong on the Kohala Coast. Let me know if you'd like any other tips!

Kelly,

Thanks so much, I think since we have secured ocean view at the Orchid we will stay there. And we plan on having dinner at the Canoe House as everyone has spoken highly of it. Do you recommend any other spots for dinning?

We are also planning on horse back riding (I have never gone before) and driving to the volcano. Any other "must see or do" items would be greatly appreciated.

We thoroughly enjoyed the snorkel, snuba and/or Scuba Fair Winds cruise to Kealakakua Bay (Capt. Cook Memorial). Go to their web site at www.fair-wind.com (or winds.com. We took the 3/12 hr. afternoon excursion and had a great time (roughly $45 for snorkel).

You'll be very happy with the Orchid, it's a beautiful complex. For that matter, you'll be very happy with the entire Big Island. In fact, your post prompted my husband and I to start talking about our return (3rd) trip! We keep meaning to try another island, but we can't seem to get enough of this one.

How long will you be staying and what time of year? That will make a difference as to how many other "must-sees" you can fit in. Horseback riding will be fun (unfortunately, my husband won't do it.) Trips down into Waipio Valley seem to be the most popular, but we also saw people going down to Pololu Valley. Both gorgeous areas. I agree with David's recommendation for the Fair Wind, a top notch operation.

As for the volcano, I could spend hours talking about this magnificent park, so it will have to wait for when I have more time. For now, I'll just recommend that you consider staying overnight at a nearby B&B at least one night, if you have the time. The reason...it is quite a drive and some of the best views of lava are either at night or right before sunrise. The rates for rooms in the area are very reasonable, so we actually paid for a great place, even though we still had our condo. Next time, we will probably plan a volcano visit at the beginning or end of our trip and stay for 2 nights to avoid that double booking (a smarter financial move, wouldn't you say?!) My recommendation for lodging in that area is Kilauea Lodge (they have a website), but there are several.

Another recommendation is to check out Konaweb.com. They have a great forum and tons of Big Island info.

Horseback Riding: I can recommend the ride into Waip'io Valley, which your hotel activity desk can arrange for you. Easy riding over incredibly scenic terrain (streams, waterfalls, taro fields, forest) and, depending on your guide, lots of interesting history and folklore. I really enjoyed it.
Suggested restaurants: Roy's (in the Kings Shops, a short ride from your hotel); Merriman's (in Waimea); and Oodles of Noodles (a good lunch stop while visiting Kona). If you are interested in a very good Japanese Buffet, try Hakone (in the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel).

I forgot to mention when we are going, we are going the beginning of September and will be there for 8 nights.

I will look into the horse back riding at Waip'io Valley, it sounds wonderful. As for eating, I think on our hit list of restaurants is, Roys and the Canoe house since everyone raves about them, I think we will add the oodles of noodles as I know my husband would love it.

We planned on snorkling around the hotel area, but I wanted to ask about the Fair Winds cruise, can you comment on the diving, is it worth it? Is the snorkling better there then at the hotel?

Thanks again for all your responses, it really has helped and has us excited about our trip!