Spending 2 weeks on the BI
Dec 7th, 2004 | 10:43 AM
#2
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
I recommend the Polulu valley hike to the black sand beach. It is steep, but doable with proper shoes and well worth the effort. [Hope I didn't get mixed up with the name. It starts near the Kohala mule station]. Some cute towns nearby - Hawi, Kapaa etc.
There is also a Waipio valley shuttle [4WD] and it was fun to go down the valley with the person who grew up there. Make sure you dont have back pain before the trip. We got to see Taro fields and beautiful scenery.
The rafting/snorkeling near captain cook's monument. We didnt see any see turtles here but lots of fish. And some Dolphins jumping in sync when rafting. No bad backs on this one too.
other recos - walking on old lava flows in the volcano national park [ you can spend a whole day there], the botanical gardens on the Hilo side and the 'n' number of waterfalls on the Hamukua coast - Akaka falls, Kole Kole state park etc.
Mauna Kea stargazing tours are cheaper [about 70-80$] from the Hilo side than the Kona side. I tried the one with Arnott's Lodge & hiking adventures 2 weeks back and it was very good. Our guide said the best time to watch stars is in winter when it is also colder. Be prepared for the cold. They did offer some jackets but it is good to be prepared with our own jackets, gloves etc. We got to see the sunset above the clouds, and then the milky way and the stars. We had to take our own food. They also make a stop at the Rainbow falls on the way and at the 7/11 store for food .
One thing I would have loved to do but missed in BI when I was there in November - the ATV tour to Green sand beach. It sounded fun but I didnt have time.
Hawaii Forest & Trail offer unique hiking & other adventures - check out their website. I did the Valley waterfalls adventure and I liked it. They also do a volcano tour on the Kona side which was about learning the inside of volcano.
And there is always the lively Kona coast.
Good luck & have fun.
There is also a Waipio valley shuttle [4WD] and it was fun to go down the valley with the person who grew up there. Make sure you dont have back pain before the trip. We got to see Taro fields and beautiful scenery.
The rafting/snorkeling near captain cook's monument. We didnt see any see turtles here but lots of fish. And some Dolphins jumping in sync when rafting. No bad backs on this one too.
other recos - walking on old lava flows in the volcano national park [ you can spend a whole day there], the botanical gardens on the Hilo side and the 'n' number of waterfalls on the Hamukua coast - Akaka falls, Kole Kole state park etc.
Mauna Kea stargazing tours are cheaper [about 70-80$] from the Hilo side than the Kona side. I tried the one with Arnott's Lodge & hiking adventures 2 weeks back and it was very good. Our guide said the best time to watch stars is in winter when it is also colder. Be prepared for the cold. They did offer some jackets but it is good to be prepared with our own jackets, gloves etc. We got to see the sunset above the clouds, and then the milky way and the stars. We had to take our own food. They also make a stop at the Rainbow falls on the way and at the 7/11 store for food .
One thing I would have loved to do but missed in BI when I was there in November - the ATV tour to Green sand beach. It sounded fun but I didnt have time.
Hawaii Forest & Trail offer unique hiking & other adventures - check out their website. I did the Valley waterfalls adventure and I liked it. They also do a volcano tour on the Kona side which was about learning the inside of volcano.
And there is always the lively Kona coast.
Good luck & have fun.
Dec 7th, 2004 | 11:22 AM
#3
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 833
Likes: 0
I was on the Big Island at the end of September and have a very detailed trip report here: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34542623
You won't run out of things to do in two weeks, there's a million things to explore. I really enjoyed the black sand beaches, Ahalanui warm pond, and Place of Refuge and the nearby snorkeling at Honaunau Bay.
With that much time I would split your stay between the Hilo side of the island (staying either in Hilo or near
Volcanoes Nat'l Park) and the Kona/Kohala side. Drive times can be long, and splitting up your stay can greatly help reduce your time in the car.
The book "Big Island Revealed" by Doughty and Friedman is wonderful, with very good directions to everyplace they mention (not every book does this), excellent maps, and lots of places to explore. The Big Island has a wealth of sometimes hidden beaches and places off the beaten path to explore. And of course you could spend several days just checking out Volcanoes Nat'l Park.
Let me know if you have specific questions!
love
roxy
You won't run out of things to do in two weeks, there's a million things to explore. I really enjoyed the black sand beaches, Ahalanui warm pond, and Place of Refuge and the nearby snorkeling at Honaunau Bay.
With that much time I would split your stay between the Hilo side of the island (staying either in Hilo or near
Volcanoes Nat'l Park) and the Kona/Kohala side. Drive times can be long, and splitting up your stay can greatly help reduce your time in the car.
The book "Big Island Revealed" by Doughty and Friedman is wonderful, with very good directions to everyplace they mention (not every book does this), excellent maps, and lots of places to explore. The Big Island has a wealth of sometimes hidden beaches and places off the beaten path to explore. And of course you could spend several days just checking out Volcanoes Nat'l Park.
Let me know if you have specific questions!
love
roxy
Dec 7th, 2004 | 01:45 PM
#6
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 833
Likes: 0
RE: staying in Hilo
Hilo is great in that it's central to points north and south, with waterfalls even only several minutes away. You can't go wrong staying on the waterfront on Banyan Drive; you're right on the shore and the shoreline was quite pretty from the grassy tree covered grounds of my hotel, and shady Banyan Drive is covered with little grassy parks and access to the bay. There's enough food and shopping options to make Hilo a fine place to stay for a few days of exploring. No one would mistake it for a true tropical paradise, but there's nothing wrong with it.
love
roxy
P.S. Who wants to turn this into SF vs. SJ??
Hilo is great in that it's central to points north and south, with waterfalls even only several minutes away. You can't go wrong staying on the waterfront on Banyan Drive; you're right on the shore and the shoreline was quite pretty from the grassy tree covered grounds of my hotel, and shady Banyan Drive is covered with little grassy parks and access to the bay. There's enough food and shopping options to make Hilo a fine place to stay for a few days of exploring. No one would mistake it for a true tropical paradise, but there's nothing wrong with it.
love
roxy
P.S. Who wants to turn this into SF vs. SJ??
Dec 8th, 2004 | 04:05 PM
#7
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
I agree Roys a great place for dinner. My family says it was our best meal. Children 17 and 13. Go to the volcano. Two years ago we walked about a mile to see the lava and was literally within feet of the lava. tried to see the lava this year could not get close enough. the lava was flowing in the wrong direction. If you are into wineries there is only one on the way up to the volcano from the Hilo side. Small and intermate but nice. Star gazing on Mauna Kea was fun and going to the top is great. i don't know if you have a place to stay but we have stayed at the Hapuna Prince Resort highly recommend, Hilton wailkloa resort great for families but very big and the Kona coast resort a timeshare, nice to have a lot of room. Snorkel cruises are a good choice. Higly recommend reading the Ulimate guidbook BI revealed. Have a great trip.
