October Hawaiian Trip Report
 

Hi Everyone,

I look at trip reports as a great opportunity to learn something about places from other people's perspectives and pick up ideas and hints before I go. Therefore, I'll start this one off by saying that my idea of a vacation is usually consists of finding off beat places. That is, as far away from the tourist areas as possible. I also get a certain satisfaction from finding wonderful little inns and b&bs on a shoestring. When I agreed to accompany my friend on this vacation, I realized really fast that this vacation would not be the same but I looked at it as an opportunity to try something new. I had been to Hawaii once in 1972. I went (reluctantly) with my parents and although I complained it would be really touristy, I had a great time so this time I went with an open mind.

We arrived in Honolulu October 14th and spent 2 nights at the Hawaiiana. The location was great and the construction in the area wasn't bothersome at all as we had heard it might be. The price was $98 per night including taxes which are quite steep on the islands. It is only a few blocks from the beach on the Ft Derussy end of Waikiki. I believe it to have the nicest beaches and and great park to relax under the trees when the sun becomes too much. Anyway, we spent a couple of days shopping around and lying on the beach since we didn't have a car. It was actually quite relaxing. I found it very interesting that the big hotels along Waikiki were full of Japanese tourists. Almost every one had Japanese couples posing for their wedding pictures. Since we were on a tiny budget we ended up eating in the bar of the Shorebird at the Outrigger Reef several times. The meals are under $10 and the views of the ocean are fantastic. The food isn't spectacular (the drinks are) but not bad at all either. The highlight of our two days was our hike up Diamond Head. We got up very early and waited for the bus. After about 30 minutes, we gave up and took a cab. The cab was about $7 more than bus fare would have been, but well worth it as the cab takes you all the way up to the entrance. We arrived at the base of Diamond head around 7 Am which was good timing as the sun's shadow blocked the path as we hiked up. It is a pretty steep hike so wear good shoes. We made it to the top and had a wonderful view. We were glad on our way down that we had taken a cab as we walked all the way to the bus stop which is about another mile down. We lucked out because a limo driver stopped and offered to take us back to Waikiki for the price of bus fare. I'll report on the big island soon.

So far this report sounds good, cosmos. I look forward to reading more. :-)

...and then, ....and then!:)

Belle

We arrived at the Airport in Hilo and rented a car. It was pouring rain which I heard was to be expected as this part of the big island is very humid and rains a lot. We drove straight to our b&b in Volcano (My Island B&B). The price was reasonable (around $90 with tax) and our room - the in-laws room - was clean although the least private room in the house. Since my friend insisted on having a private bathroom all along the trip, we often ended up on the ground floor near the reception. This is great for people that do not want to traverse the stairs, but I prefer an out of the way room. Anyway, the owners were very nice. It literally is like staying at grandma and grandpas house. He even hums and sings during breakfast which included tea or coffee, juice, cereals and breads with great jam. All in all, it was nice and we had no complaints, but again, be prepared as it is like staying with your elderly relatives. After checking in, we headed straight out to the Volcano visitor center for a short stop to pick up maps, etc. then drove the 30 minute drive down to the lava flows. We stopped a few too many times and ended up arriving in the dark which posed a bit of a problem walking the lava out to the viewpoint. A flashlight is a must! Since it was a full moon and the lava was flowing, we got some good shots. The first viewing area ended up being the best! Since the lava flows have changed, that may not be the case so check before you head out. The next day we toured Volcanoes National Park. I enjoyed this and recommend the hike into the forest near the steam vents. I found this at least as enjoyable as the area around the Lava tubes as you will more than likely have it all to yourself. The sound of the birds and the steam vents round every corner were wonderful. The view of the crater was spectacular all along the path. We did the crater drive and felt we had seen quite a bit so we decided to head down to Hilo. We checked into the Old Hawaiian B&B. This was our favorite accommodation on our entire trip. Our room was the Sunrise. Spotless, contemporary and the breakfast could not be better. I honestly do not see how anyone could complain about this place. It is also very near the Boiling Pots and rainbow Falls. We walked and got caught in a downpour. It was quite fun. It rained and rained and rained. And quite honestly did not stop for most of our trip. Since we are from the Pacific Northwest and fully intended to escape the rain, we were a bit disheartened. We had rented a car and our plan was to circle the island and so we moved on the next day. Really, I found Hilo a bit depressing anyway. Our B&B was the best thing about it. We saw the huge Banyan trees along Banyan Tree Drive and walked out to Coconut Island. We bought some take-out at the Suisan Fish Market and ate at their fast food counter. This is definitely where the locals eat. Everything on the menu is very cheap. I do not usually eat fast food, and I do consider this fat food, but it was quite good. It has true Hawaiian flavor. Afterwards, we headed out along the Hamakua coast. We drove very slow stopping quite often along the way to take in the views. One of the most memorable stops was Laupahoehoe Park where the Tsunami hit April 1st, 1946 and killed 24 school children and teachers. There is a memorial and many interesting stories. We later stopped at a cafe in town where our waiter told us 2 of his cousins were among those swept away. On the lighter side, there is a very interesting story of one school teacher who was rescued by her future husband. We moved on to the town of Honokaa where we stayed at Hotel Honoka'a Club. I'll start next time on this place as there is a lot to say. It was weird to say the least…

Cosmos, thank you for this very interesting trip report, with lots of good detail! :-) Could you do us one favor, break your writing up into a few more paragraphs to make for easier reading?

I completely agree with you about Hilo. My sister and I also found it too rainy, gray and depressing although there are some nice B&Bs there. Looking forward to reading the rest of your report .... Thanks for sharing!

Enjoying your report with immense pleasure so far cosmos.

I've stayed 4 nts in the Sunrise room at the Old Hawaiian B&B in May 05, and I couldn't agree with you more that it's a very nice stay. Lori's baked goods are the BEST!!!

Sorry to hear that it rained during most of your visit there...I loved old Hilo and the nearby sites, but we had very little rain during our visit.

Looking forward to the rest of your trip report...MAHALO

Cosmos,
We'll be staying at My Island B&B next May - in the Forest House. It sounds like breakfast is kind of minimal - more of a continental breakfast? That surprises me as I was thinking they served a full breakfast with eggs, etc.

We're also planning to stay at My Island B&B in June, in the Forest House also. Crazy, can you please post your experiences upon your return. It's always great to hear first hand what to expect.

Sherrie-
I certainly will. It's a tough decision to settle on a place sometimes, isn't it? The pictures plus some recommendations here make the Forest House look really good. The Teapot Cottages and Kilauea Lodge were difficult to pass up for me, though.

Thanks for all the encouragement. It truly keeps me going.

If I remember right, it is a “generous continental breakfast” There are not very many B&B’s on the big island that serve a full breakfast. I did find the "My Island B&B" breakfast filling and good. If you stay in the main house, everyone sits around a big table. We met some English people and had an enjoyable chat. I didn't feel rushed at all.

Don't expect much from the "town" of Volcano as it consists of a few restaurants spread out along a road. Most very pricey. I believe the Forest House has a kitchen so I would stop in Hilo and get groceries. There are serveral huge stores and many restaurants on the road out of Hilo up to Volcano.

I believe I left off at Honoka’a. We arrived around 3 PM and no one was around the reception and the door was locked, so we headed down the street to check out some of the antique/collectibles shops. From the moment we arrived somehow we new we were in for a strange experience. Just something about the town and the people. In one shop, a local had lost her shoes and was in need of a new pair so she was checking out the stores to see if she could find a used pair in her size. You just had to be there. Everyone wanted to share their story with you. Shops open and close on their own time.

We ended up chatting with a few shop owners then headed back to the Hotel Honoka’a Club, our destination for the night. We were led up to our room through what felt light a boarding house. I do believe people live in some of the rooms. The view in our room was wonderful as we had a corner room and the windows are huge all the way around, but we found it downright depressing. The chairs were stained, the bathroom was all rusty, there were spider webs and the bedspread was tattered and worn. The whole place was desperately in need of a paint job. It just seemed to me that they could take care of a few cosmetic things and it would have been a really nice place. No one cared.

After checking in, we drove to the Waipo Valley lookout. Since there were some rather seedy looking characters hanging out in the parking lot, and mostly because it was raining, we decided the forgo the walk all the way to the bottom and viewed it from the lookout a few hundred feet down. That night we ate at the way overpriced Italian restaurant in town since it was the only place open.

The breakfast was the worst on the islands without a doubt. It was set out in buffet style on a couple of paper plates. It consisted of a couple of pieces of stale bread, a couple pieces of sliced fruit, one plastic knife that we were supposed to share (we were the only two having breakfast with the exception of one of the locals that stopped in the pick off some fruit from one of the paper plates) and no other utensils. The weak coffee was cold. Honestly, it was almost disgusting at the time, definitely laughable later. I hope I don’t hurt anyone’s feelings if you are from this area, but we wouldn’t stop in this town again. Still, it left some memorable moments. I guess the best thing was the gas station in the middle of town that ended up having the least expensive gas on the island (less than Costco!).

The next morning we headed to Waimea where we stopped at the Starbucks. The sun was shining and we were happy to have our coffee! After lounging and checking out the health food store in Waimea Center, we headed off to the Parker Ranch which ended up being closed as it was still too early. We hung around for awhile and got some good pictures and then decided to move on to out next stop in Captain Cook. The drive was much longer than I had expected. The landscape really changed dramatically too. We were to kayak out to the Captain Cook Monument the next morning and we wanted to be nearby so we stayed at the Manago Hotel. We were staying in the Japanese room with tatami mats and a futon. The staff was extremely pleasant and helpful and the room had a fantastic view. We both had a Japanese bath (Furo) and relaxed.

That afternoon, we decided to go reserve some kayaks and then go to the Place of refuge.
The place of refuge was my favorite stop on the big island. We wanted to be there at sunset to get some great sunset shots. The timing was good as we had the place almost to ourselves. Unfortunately, the only other visitors were a German couple that we harassing the turtles nesting on the beach. I say harassing because they were stepping on them and I was a bit upset that no one was around to monitor this. I wouldn’t the Place of Refuge if you are on this side of the island. It was the most like what I expected Hawaii would be hundreds of years ago. We also visited the painted museum which is wonderful too if you can find it! The walls are painted beautifully and the view wonderful. I found the grounds very peaceful.

I highly recommend renting your kayak from a man that lives down by Kealakekua Bay. I must find his card so I can post his info. He is competitive with the other businesses as far as price goes and you can get your kayak right on the water. You don’t have to tote the kayak down to the water as he has a launching area right on his property! He provides a safe parking area and provides most equipment including waterproof bags, snorkeling gear, etc. He won’t open early though. If you want to be on the water before 8, you are most likely out of luck. You turn left right before the Kealakekua Bay parking area and continue on down the road until you get to the end. He is on the right. He has a sign.

Sorry I am so long winded. I’ll write more on Kealakekua Bay later.

OMG, I laughed until I cried about your experiences in Honoka'a. No wonder the breakfast at My Island B&B seemed generous! Reading about the turtle abuse made me hopping mad, though. You must write more. I'm addicted now...

I feel like I've just had a narrow escape! We came close to booking a room at the Club Honokaa, thinking it would be bit of "old Hawaii". Glad we decided on Mauna Kea Hotel instead. We leave for our own Big Island trip in a few hours; I'll post a report when we return. (Hope it is half as interesting as yours)

Lucky you, Bluefan, what time of the year were you in Hilo with very little rain?

Shanghainese,

mid-May 2005

cosmos,

Looking forward to the rest of your report. I wish I knew about the kayak rental guy right there at the bay. Although I enjoyed my experience with Kona Boys and that lugging the kayak to the launch point wasn't too bad, the idea of getting your kayak right there in the water at a separate launch area sounds too good to be true. It's a little tricky getting into the kayak from the pier when the local help aren't there. Hope you find his card and relay us the info 8-)

It took a little while, but I did find his card. The business is Ehu & Kai and they live in Kealakekua, Kahauloa, Hawaii right on the water as mentioned. The number is (808) 328-8775. We just happened upon them when we went down to check the area out. I hope they are still around. Give them a call first.

The day we went kayaking was one of the few nice days on the Island. It took about 30-40 minutes to kayak to the Captain Cook Monument. When we arrived we were the first kayaks and as we had no others to watch so we ended up having to figure out how to get our kayaks up out of the water. IT IS NOT EASY! There isn't a beach or at least the tide was high enough when we got there that there wasn't one the whole time we were there. Also, there are big rocks all the way up to the shore and the currents around the shore were quite strong. After about 30 minutes of figuring out what to do, we finally (very clumsily) were able to drag our boat onto the rocks.

At the monument, you can jump into the water from the concrete slab. The advice from many was to watch out and avoid the black sea urchins. Well, the day we were there, there was so much sea life in the water and black sea urchins everywhere! Fish of many colors and sizes filled the water. I have to admit I was a bit afraid. I have snorkeled in several other places including Thailand and the Caribbean, but I have never seen so many different varieties in one place. My friend cut her foot pretty badly while jumping in the water and had to retreat almost immediately due to all the blood so I continued on without her. Perhaps all her blood attracted them?

The day before, we had seen a cute little Jack Russell terrier coved in stitches. He had them down his leg, across his back and chest. Hundreds! I have never seen a dog so badly coved in stitches. When we questioned the owner, he said he had been walking along the shore a couple of nights before and an eel had jumped out of the water and attacked the dog. He was lucky enough to fight off the eel and not get bitten himself.

So, to get back to our snorkeling adventure, after about ten minutes of snorkeling and having fish approach me from every angle, a 6 foot eel swam out of a rock a few feet away from me and I said that was it and decided to retreat myself. Retreating, however, was not easy. Again, sea urchins everywhere! Trying to avoid them while getting out of the water was the most challenging part of our entire snorkeling escapade. In the meantime, several tour boats pulled into the bay and the snorkelers simply jumped off the boats, snorkeled and then climbed up the ladder to get out. For this reason, my friend said she wouldn't go back without taking one of the tour boats. I do have to agree with her. If you are really adventurous and want to kayak to Captain Cook’s Monument, go ahead and rent your kayak, but do be prepared for a bit of hassle at the monument end. Also, many other people said they had excellent luck swimming and snorkeling around the Place of Refuge.

We got back to the Manago Hotel in a bit sunburned around 11:30, picked up our bags and headed up the coast to our next destination…the Hapuna Prince Hotel. We had decided to end our stay on the Big Island in luxury. More about that later.

Cosmos: So sorry about your experiences at Captain Cook. Hope your friend recovered quickly. My family is travling to the BI in June and plan to make that trip, albeit with a tour operator. The sea urchin references make me wonder what happens if you come in contact with them. Why were you told to avoid them? I am anxiously awaiting your Hapuna experience report, as that is our destination as well. Thanks for a very enjoyable read. Look forward to the next installment.

cosmos,

It seems your kayak provider, Ehu & Kai, did a big disservice to you.

AFAIK, the other kayak rental shops like Kona Boys go through a whole presentation of what to expect, what to do and what to avoid. They showed us photos of where to land the kayaks near Capt Cook monument and warned us about the many sea urchins in the vicinity. Also, they provided/rented us with reef shoes and accompanying open-heel fins to best deal with sea urchins. Without such useful instructions, I could see how our experience might have mirrored yours.

I hope Ehu & Kai at least instructed you not to paddle within a certain distance (50yds IIRC) of dolphins and not to touch any corals in K-bay as it is a protected Marine Life Conservation District.

Excuse me for the long rant during your wonderful trip report, but it bothers me to no end that such activity vendors DON'T go through the whole process of instructing their customers as to how to best enjoy their venture in a safe manner, let alone as to preventing potential harm to the sensitive environment. It seems Ehu & Kai's apparent lack of instructions contributes to the current general negative attitude by many locals and officials towards activity providers (mainly kayak rental shops) in K-bay. Those locals want to instill stricter regulations or even restrict access exclusively to guided tours, which would be a real bummer to eco-conscious visitors who would like to experience such a pristine environment on their own and not have to go through expensive, crowded tours.

I'm not implying that you're not eco-conscious cosmos, but it seems from your report that other kayakers who might have used Ehu & Kai could potentially have done some damage to both the environment and themselves while tyring to land the kayak. Such could be prevented if Ehu & Kai weren't so negligent but instead been much more responsible in terms of guidance.

So I am sorry to hear about your unfortunate kayak/snorkel experience at K-bay...especially of your friend who cut up her feet. I've done both a kayak visit and boat tour to K-bay, but I enjoyed the kayak experience to a much greater extent. It was a wonderful exercise that allowed me to enjoy K-bay at my own pace.

Again, I'm sorry to hijack your trip report. I am thoroughly enjoying reading it and appreciate your adventurous style of travel. I'm sure your report will be most informative to future visitors of the Big Island.

I hope you at least got to enjoy the food at Manago Hotel. My mouth still longs for their delicious pork chops at the restaurant.

We rented kayaks from Ehu & Kai in May'06. I can tell you that Lawrence & Darlene (Kai's brother & sister-in-law) gave us a very comprehensive talk on the history, safety, directions, snorkeling, dolphins, etc. in the bay. This family did their utmost to ensure that we had the information necessary to enjoy our kayaking adventure. Our group of 7 rented kayaks from them 4 days in a row and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone planning a trip to the Big Island.