LONG Hawaii Trip Report.... Kona and Hilo (Part 1) :)
Oct 18th, 2004 | 08:19 AM
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LONG Hawaii Trip Report.... Kona and Hilo (Part 1) :)
We've just returned from a GLORIOUS vacation in Hawaii... our first time there. We spent 5 days on the Big Island (Kona and Hilo) and then 5 days on Maui... with a layover on Oahu on our way home.
Because these trip reports were infinitely helpful to me as I planned my trip - I wanted to post my own. Hope it is helpful to some of you as well!
DAY ONE - KONA
We flew to Kona from Washington, DC via LAX. After months of searching, I was able to get us tickets on United for $600 each. Probably not the best deal ever - but we were pleased with them... especially because we didn't have to go through Honolulu.
We got into Kona around 4pm and were immediately charmed by their small, outdoor airport. We picked up our rental car (Budget - standard car for $180 for 5 days... a great deal for a one-way rental to drop off in Hilo. A glitch on their computer waived the usual $50 drop off fee and they were very kind to honor it. They also offered us a free upgrade to a convertible - but we didn't want that much sun) - and drove to Kona. I know some people are turned off by the lava fields in Kona - but we thought they were fascinating. We stopped at the K-Mart en route to our hotel to stock up on bottled water and also bought some reef shoes and fins there as well.
We'd booked a room at the Ohana Keauhouu Beach Resort on Expedia. Our ocean-view room with breakfast buffet was $139 - which I thought was a great deal. I was even more pleased with the price when we arrived. This is a FANTASTIC property!! It has an unbeatable location - jutting out literally over the water and right next to what is considered to be the best snorkeling beach around. We were upgraded to a fantastic ocean-front room on the 6th floor with amazing views and found our room to be clean and nicely appointed. We loved everything about the Ohana Keauhou... from the kind and helpful staff and the outstanding breakfast buffet served in their open-air restaurant with great views of the pool and water and tons of palm trees everywhere you look - to the lovely pool area just steps from the ocean and nice open lawn and scenic pathway leading to the beach. We were clearly there in one of their slowest seasons - as there were never more than two or three other people at the pool when we were and just a handful of people in the restaurant each morning/evening... which we LOVED.... but I doubt this smaller resort ever has the feeling over being over-run with people. It's a real gem.
We were pretty wiped out that first evening from a day of travel - so after checking in we just enjoyed the sunset from the restaurant downstairs where we had terrific Ono sandwiches and our first lava flows.
DAY TWO - KONA
We woke up very early, of course - but I was pleased to find the hotel's workout room open at 6am. It's small - but has everything you'd need for a great workout plus an awesome view of their little cove and palm trees. We then enjoyed their great breakfast buffet and walked over to the beach. My husband is a novice swimmer (learned just for this trip!) and I thought this was a good place for him to begin. This area was filled with great fish of all kinds and sea turtles galore! Having grown up in Florida and snorkeled my whole life - seeing sea turtles was a new treat for me. The only slight con to this beach were the rocks you had to get past right as you got in. The waves picked up pretty early and getting in and out of the water got a little dicey. But overall - it was a fantastic spot.
We spent the rest of the day just hanging out by the pool and taking in the beautiful views all around us. We had another great Ono sandwich from the Ohana's grill and napped in their hammocks. It was a great way to get over jet lag!
That night we drove down to Kahlua to have dinner at Brown's Beach House at the Fairmont Orchid. The drive there is through all the lava fields - just so interesting. We had reservations at 6pm and got there just in time - I wish we'd given ourselves a little more time to explore because that area was really beautiful. Dinner was specatucular! Brown's Beach House is all outside and our table was just steps away from their lagoon. There was nothing between us and a beautiful sunset over the water except a few beautiful placed palm trees and tiki torches. It couldn't have been more scenic and the food and service (albeit expensive) were outstanding.
DAY THREE - KONA / HILO
Alas - our stay at the Ohana was much too short. (Hindsight being 20/20 - I think I would have added an extra few days there.) We were off to drive across the island to Hilo... making some scenic stops along the way. First we stopped at Greenwell's Farm for some coffee and a tour of their farm - which was free, short, and interesting. Then we were on to the Place of Refuge where we snorkeled some more.... again with sea turtles. The fish weren't as diverse here - but the few varieties we saw made up for it in their quantity - so it was a worthwhile time. One note - our 'Big Island Revealed' book had listed this as a great snorkeling spot... but we made the mistake of entering right through the park entrance to the refuge. Because this is considered a sacred place, they don't really want you carting in a bunch of snorkel gear. There is a beach right next door for that - which we didn't realize at first. So you might want to make note if planning to snorkel here.
We drove on to Hilo - all a very scenic and peaceful drive - and stopped at the Black Sand Beach. This was a neat stop - the sand is gorgeous and we saw some turtles sunning themselves here. Worth a visit!
We got into Hilo around 4pm and headed right to our B&B to check in. We stayed at the Hale Kae Hawaii Bed and Breakfast... another GREAT find!!! They have an absolutely unbeatable location with breath-taking panoramic views of the Pacific. Each of their 4 rooms (ranging from $105 - $125) has it's own private entrance and little lanai overlooking the water. They have a nice little pool and hot tub - which we enjoyed each night all to ourselves. Breakfast each morning was served on the upper lanai and the only thing better than the views was the food! We started each morning with a fruit course of fresh papaya, star fruit, apple bananas, passion fruit, etc... and then would have some amazing 'main course' of something like taro pancakes and portugese sausages, tomato and feta egg casseroles, mango scones, etc. It was really outstanding and a GREAT way to start each day!!!
That first night we had dinner at Nuang Thai in Hilo - recommended by some of our tour books. As huge Thai food fanatics - we found this place to be good.... but not great.
DAY FOUR - HILO
After an amazing breakfast - we started our day with a visit to the Tsunami Museum in Hilo. I'd been fascinated by Hilo's history of Tsunami's and this was a worthwhile place to stop for a little bit... particularly because our docent was a lovely old woman who had actually lived through both of them. Hearing her recount her experiences was very interesting.
After the museum, we drove out to the airport where we had booked a flight with Island Hoppers. After much research on these boards, I had decided that a small airplane tour of the area was much safer than a helicopter - and less expensive too. We felt very comfortable with our knowledgeable pilot and really enjoyed our one hour flight over Hilo and the volcanos. We had a great view of the entire area and it was a terrific way to get a perspective on the volcano and how much lava had been produced.
After the flight, we had a great lunch at Sombats - another Thai restaurant (I told you we liked Thai!) recommened by our B&B hosts. This is right next to Ken's House of Pancakes in Hilo and is OUTSTANDING.
We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening at Volcano National Park. We drove Chain of Craters Road and were fascinated by all the sights. We came to the end - where lava has covered the road - just before sunset and as the sun went down - we got a great view of the orange lava flowing a few miles away. I wish we'd gotten a closer look - but it was amazing to see it at all.
DAY FIVE - HILO
Another great breakfast to start the day - and then we were off to explore the waterfalls in the Hilo area. I think the lack of recent rain made the ones we looked at (Rainbow and PeePee) fairly insignficant. Wish we'd headed over to Akaka Falls - but were kind of underwhelmed with the waterfalls in general. Instead we headed over to the Thurston Lava Tube for a little exploring. Now THAT was awesome! We only wish we'd had stronger flashlights so we could have explored more of it.
We had a little more time that afternoon before we had to be at Arnott's Lodge for our Mauna Kea adventure - so we drove out to the Puna area. We stopped and explored the eastern most point on the island - where the air is supposed to be the freshest in the world. That was a really neat spot -a very rugged lava beach with huge blue waves crashing into them. Great pics - nice remote location. We wish we'd had more time and we would have hiked to the Champagne Pools. Next time...
Then it was back to Hilo to check in at Arnott's Lodge for their Mauna Kea "Summit and Stars" tour. There were about 8 of us in a van with a really enthusiastic guide (very hippy-ish!). This tour was much cheaper than the tour that departs from the Kona side too... $90 per person. The van made quick stops at Rainbow Falls and the lava tube (wish I'd known that ahead of time so we could have saved time and skipped them that morning) - and then we were up the VERY windy Saddleback Road to Mauna Kea. We stopped at the Visitor Center at 10,000 feet to get acclimated to the altitude - and then it was off to the summit at 14,000 feet just in time for sunset. The views were absolutely AMAZING! Really one of the highlights of the entire trip. You are above the clouds up here and the views are just stunning. After the sun set, we went back down to around 10,000 feet and were treated to jaw-dropping views of the night sky. Mauna Kea has some of the best star-gazing in the entire world. Astronomers from all over keep telescopes here - and it's not hard to see why. We were treated to crystal clear views of the Milky Way - and just thousands and thousands of stars that looked as if you could just reach up and touch them. Definitely a highlight and a highly recommended activity! (Two more quick notes - the high altitude wasn't too bad - but I had to take it easy on the top... no running from one photo op to another or I'd get light-headed. And the drive back in the dark on Saddleback Road - especially from my seat in the middle of the van - was a little nauseating. Small price to pay for such beauty, though!)
DAY SIX - HILO
Alas - it was our last day in Hilo and time to move on. We did a short hike down a little seaside trail and got to see some of the rain forest type atmosphere that Hilo is known for. And then for a real treat - we spent some time at the famous Hilo Farmer's Market (open on Wednesdays and Saturdays... do try to time your visit so you catch one of them!). This was so neat! I loved walking around all the tropical fruit stands and seeing things I'd never even heard of before! There were also tropical flowers galore - and just all sorts of neat odds and ends. A great atmosphere!! Fun to see so many local Hawaiians buying their weekly produce. We bought a chimaya (really yummy fruit that tastes just like vanilla custard!), dragon fruit, papayas, etc. and take with us to Maui.
Finally - a word about Hilo.... I read so many mixed reviews on this town when planning our trip - but ultimately we decided to spend time there because we wanted to be closer to Volcano National Park - and we wanted to experience a different part of the Big Island. I could not have been more pleased with our decision! I think Hilo has a very distintive Hawaiian charm. I felt like we got a feel for a real Hawaiian town - not just a tourist destination. The waterfront and main downtown area have a unique 50's/60's type feel - and there are plenty of activities in and near Hilo to keep you entertained for days. Incidentally - some of the best weather we had during our 2 weeks in Hawaii was on Hilo - it never rained once and was all blue skies and sunshine. Glorious sun rises over the Pacific too. I really recommend it!!!
Coming soon.... our 5 days in Maui!!!
Because these trip reports were infinitely helpful to me as I planned my trip - I wanted to post my own. Hope it is helpful to some of you as well!
DAY ONE - KONA
We flew to Kona from Washington, DC via LAX. After months of searching, I was able to get us tickets on United for $600 each. Probably not the best deal ever - but we were pleased with them... especially because we didn't have to go through Honolulu.
We got into Kona around 4pm and were immediately charmed by their small, outdoor airport. We picked up our rental car (Budget - standard car for $180 for 5 days... a great deal for a one-way rental to drop off in Hilo. A glitch on their computer waived the usual $50 drop off fee and they were very kind to honor it. They also offered us a free upgrade to a convertible - but we didn't want that much sun) - and drove to Kona. I know some people are turned off by the lava fields in Kona - but we thought they were fascinating. We stopped at the K-Mart en route to our hotel to stock up on bottled water and also bought some reef shoes and fins there as well.
We'd booked a room at the Ohana Keauhouu Beach Resort on Expedia. Our ocean-view room with breakfast buffet was $139 - which I thought was a great deal. I was even more pleased with the price when we arrived. This is a FANTASTIC property!! It has an unbeatable location - jutting out literally over the water and right next to what is considered to be the best snorkeling beach around. We were upgraded to a fantastic ocean-front room on the 6th floor with amazing views and found our room to be clean and nicely appointed. We loved everything about the Ohana Keauhou... from the kind and helpful staff and the outstanding breakfast buffet served in their open-air restaurant with great views of the pool and water and tons of palm trees everywhere you look - to the lovely pool area just steps from the ocean and nice open lawn and scenic pathway leading to the beach. We were clearly there in one of their slowest seasons - as there were never more than two or three other people at the pool when we were and just a handful of people in the restaurant each morning/evening... which we LOVED.... but I doubt this smaller resort ever has the feeling over being over-run with people. It's a real gem.
We were pretty wiped out that first evening from a day of travel - so after checking in we just enjoyed the sunset from the restaurant downstairs where we had terrific Ono sandwiches and our first lava flows.
DAY TWO - KONA
We woke up very early, of course - but I was pleased to find the hotel's workout room open at 6am. It's small - but has everything you'd need for a great workout plus an awesome view of their little cove and palm trees. We then enjoyed their great breakfast buffet and walked over to the beach. My husband is a novice swimmer (learned just for this trip!) and I thought this was a good place for him to begin. This area was filled with great fish of all kinds and sea turtles galore! Having grown up in Florida and snorkeled my whole life - seeing sea turtles was a new treat for me. The only slight con to this beach were the rocks you had to get past right as you got in. The waves picked up pretty early and getting in and out of the water got a little dicey. But overall - it was a fantastic spot.
We spent the rest of the day just hanging out by the pool and taking in the beautiful views all around us. We had another great Ono sandwich from the Ohana's grill and napped in their hammocks. It was a great way to get over jet lag!
That night we drove down to Kahlua to have dinner at Brown's Beach House at the Fairmont Orchid. The drive there is through all the lava fields - just so interesting. We had reservations at 6pm and got there just in time - I wish we'd given ourselves a little more time to explore because that area was really beautiful. Dinner was specatucular! Brown's Beach House is all outside and our table was just steps away from their lagoon. There was nothing between us and a beautiful sunset over the water except a few beautiful placed palm trees and tiki torches. It couldn't have been more scenic and the food and service (albeit expensive) were outstanding.
DAY THREE - KONA / HILO
Alas - our stay at the Ohana was much too short. (Hindsight being 20/20 - I think I would have added an extra few days there.) We were off to drive across the island to Hilo... making some scenic stops along the way. First we stopped at Greenwell's Farm for some coffee and a tour of their farm - which was free, short, and interesting. Then we were on to the Place of Refuge where we snorkeled some more.... again with sea turtles. The fish weren't as diverse here - but the few varieties we saw made up for it in their quantity - so it was a worthwhile time. One note - our 'Big Island Revealed' book had listed this as a great snorkeling spot... but we made the mistake of entering right through the park entrance to the refuge. Because this is considered a sacred place, they don't really want you carting in a bunch of snorkel gear. There is a beach right next door for that - which we didn't realize at first. So you might want to make note if planning to snorkel here.
We drove on to Hilo - all a very scenic and peaceful drive - and stopped at the Black Sand Beach. This was a neat stop - the sand is gorgeous and we saw some turtles sunning themselves here. Worth a visit!
We got into Hilo around 4pm and headed right to our B&B to check in. We stayed at the Hale Kae Hawaii Bed and Breakfast... another GREAT find!!! They have an absolutely unbeatable location with breath-taking panoramic views of the Pacific. Each of their 4 rooms (ranging from $105 - $125) has it's own private entrance and little lanai overlooking the water. They have a nice little pool and hot tub - which we enjoyed each night all to ourselves. Breakfast each morning was served on the upper lanai and the only thing better than the views was the food! We started each morning with a fruit course of fresh papaya, star fruit, apple bananas, passion fruit, etc... and then would have some amazing 'main course' of something like taro pancakes and portugese sausages, tomato and feta egg casseroles, mango scones, etc. It was really outstanding and a GREAT way to start each day!!!
That first night we had dinner at Nuang Thai in Hilo - recommended by some of our tour books. As huge Thai food fanatics - we found this place to be good.... but not great.
DAY FOUR - HILO
After an amazing breakfast - we started our day with a visit to the Tsunami Museum in Hilo. I'd been fascinated by Hilo's history of Tsunami's and this was a worthwhile place to stop for a little bit... particularly because our docent was a lovely old woman who had actually lived through both of them. Hearing her recount her experiences was very interesting.
After the museum, we drove out to the airport where we had booked a flight with Island Hoppers. After much research on these boards, I had decided that a small airplane tour of the area was much safer than a helicopter - and less expensive too. We felt very comfortable with our knowledgeable pilot and really enjoyed our one hour flight over Hilo and the volcanos. We had a great view of the entire area and it was a terrific way to get a perspective on the volcano and how much lava had been produced.
After the flight, we had a great lunch at Sombats - another Thai restaurant (I told you we liked Thai!) recommened by our B&B hosts. This is right next to Ken's House of Pancakes in Hilo and is OUTSTANDING.
We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening at Volcano National Park. We drove Chain of Craters Road and were fascinated by all the sights. We came to the end - where lava has covered the road - just before sunset and as the sun went down - we got a great view of the orange lava flowing a few miles away. I wish we'd gotten a closer look - but it was amazing to see it at all.
DAY FIVE - HILO
Another great breakfast to start the day - and then we were off to explore the waterfalls in the Hilo area. I think the lack of recent rain made the ones we looked at (Rainbow and PeePee) fairly insignficant. Wish we'd headed over to Akaka Falls - but were kind of underwhelmed with the waterfalls in general. Instead we headed over to the Thurston Lava Tube for a little exploring. Now THAT was awesome! We only wish we'd had stronger flashlights so we could have explored more of it.
We had a little more time that afternoon before we had to be at Arnott's Lodge for our Mauna Kea adventure - so we drove out to the Puna area. We stopped and explored the eastern most point on the island - where the air is supposed to be the freshest in the world. That was a really neat spot -a very rugged lava beach with huge blue waves crashing into them. Great pics - nice remote location. We wish we'd had more time and we would have hiked to the Champagne Pools. Next time...
Then it was back to Hilo to check in at Arnott's Lodge for their Mauna Kea "Summit and Stars" tour. There were about 8 of us in a van with a really enthusiastic guide (very hippy-ish!). This tour was much cheaper than the tour that departs from the Kona side too... $90 per person. The van made quick stops at Rainbow Falls and the lava tube (wish I'd known that ahead of time so we could have saved time and skipped them that morning) - and then we were up the VERY windy Saddleback Road to Mauna Kea. We stopped at the Visitor Center at 10,000 feet to get acclimated to the altitude - and then it was off to the summit at 14,000 feet just in time for sunset. The views were absolutely AMAZING! Really one of the highlights of the entire trip. You are above the clouds up here and the views are just stunning. After the sun set, we went back down to around 10,000 feet and were treated to jaw-dropping views of the night sky. Mauna Kea has some of the best star-gazing in the entire world. Astronomers from all over keep telescopes here - and it's not hard to see why. We were treated to crystal clear views of the Milky Way - and just thousands and thousands of stars that looked as if you could just reach up and touch them. Definitely a highlight and a highly recommended activity! (Two more quick notes - the high altitude wasn't too bad - but I had to take it easy on the top... no running from one photo op to another or I'd get light-headed. And the drive back in the dark on Saddleback Road - especially from my seat in the middle of the van - was a little nauseating. Small price to pay for such beauty, though!)
DAY SIX - HILO
Alas - it was our last day in Hilo and time to move on. We did a short hike down a little seaside trail and got to see some of the rain forest type atmosphere that Hilo is known for. And then for a real treat - we spent some time at the famous Hilo Farmer's Market (open on Wednesdays and Saturdays... do try to time your visit so you catch one of them!). This was so neat! I loved walking around all the tropical fruit stands and seeing things I'd never even heard of before! There were also tropical flowers galore - and just all sorts of neat odds and ends. A great atmosphere!! Fun to see so many local Hawaiians buying their weekly produce. We bought a chimaya (really yummy fruit that tastes just like vanilla custard!), dragon fruit, papayas, etc. and take with us to Maui.
Finally - a word about Hilo.... I read so many mixed reviews on this town when planning our trip - but ultimately we decided to spend time there because we wanted to be closer to Volcano National Park - and we wanted to experience a different part of the Big Island. I could not have been more pleased with our decision! I think Hilo has a very distintive Hawaiian charm. I felt like we got a feel for a real Hawaiian town - not just a tourist destination. The waterfront and main downtown area have a unique 50's/60's type feel - and there are plenty of activities in and near Hilo to keep you entertained for days. Incidentally - some of the best weather we had during our 2 weeks in Hawaii was on Hilo - it never rained once and was all blue skies and sunshine. Glorious sun rises over the Pacific too. I really recommend it!!!
Coming soon.... our 5 days in Maui!!!
Oct 18th, 2004 | 09:11 AM
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Joined: Sep 2003
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Thanks for the trip report - it was great. I'm so glad you enjoyed Hilo so much and were able to catch the true Hawaiian spirit there. I love the Big Island, especially the east side. We were there 9/17 to 9/27 and the weather was great then also. This year Kona has had more rain and Hilo has had more sun for a change.
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