gregleskew8285

Is it worth it to stay in one location and do day trips on Big Island or is it better to stay in a few different places to be closer to the different sites? Any advice?

mlgb

Depends on what you plan on doing and how many days. I might split if it's more than say 4 nights.

oldemalloy

We spent 4 nights in one place and it was fine. The drives were interesting but we do not driving. You would spend as much time packing, checking out and then back in to the next hotel.

mlgb

I guess it depends on how long it takes you to pack especially with a family. Checkout for me is typically a key drop, 10 minutes at most. Check in can indeed take a while. Depends on the hotel and when you arrive.

You could spend the hours in between checkin and checkout driving across the Big Island and visiting Volcanoes National Park.

Madam397

I've been lucky enough to go to the Big Island twice for conferences for my husband. The Big Island is very big, an island the size of the state of CT with a minimal road system and so when we had time to tour, we did do a lot of driving but we did get to see and do everything we wanted to do. One of the couples that were part of our group did check out of our hotel and relocate to an inn near Volcanoes National Park. We happened to be there when there was a serious storm and so they had a very long ride getting back to the airport that was slowed by flooded areas.

suze

How many days do you have total? What do you want to see and do?

mlgb

Madam397 I was on the Big Island during and after one of the occasional Kona storm systems. That means that the weather comes in on the Kona side! I was fortunate to have booked in Hilo for most of my stay. I was supposed to stay in Volcano as well but the Airbnb there lost power. Luckily I was able to find space at Dolphin Bay Hotel, since many rooms were booked up by residents who also lost power. I'll post the direct link in case the OP is interested in a few nights in Hilo. It is a good lodging for those with cars and there are some one-and two-bedroom apartments with kitchens. Banana bread and fruit in the morning is provided. Not a pool place but convenient for east coast and Volcano National Park sightseeing. Also an easy airport close to town.

For beach time, the west coast is normally better, but more expensive. Dolphin Bay has a 10-day cancel policy so rooms often remain available. It's less than an hour to VNP on a good road.

Hawaii Hotels - Dolphin Bay Hotel, Hilo, Hawaii - Big Island Hotels

kureiff

Many people split their stay with a few days on the east side and the rest on the west side. If you’re exploring VNP, it’s nice to stay on the east side, especially if the lava is flowing and you want to see it at night. It takes a long time to drive from the west to the east side and the roads are really dark at night.

We tend to concentrate most of our days on the east side because we like to go to the beach, boogie board, swim, and snorkel. We are usually escaping MT in the spring (windy, snowy, and still cold after winter), and we want a lot of sun and beach time.

mlgb

I think kureiff mistyped and meant that they usually stay on the west side.

kureiff

I did! Thank you.

bumpmaster

IMO, staying on the west side is convenient, with more lodging available, and usually better sun/beach options. A day trip to VNP is very easy on the new highway that replaced Saddle Road. However, if you want to see evening lava glowing and do some hiking, etc., in VNP, and explore Hilo (Banyon Drive, gardens) and places like Lava Tree State Park, there's plenty to see on the east side to warrant a split stay.

garyw

We like split between east and west, staying 3 nights on the east and then the rest on the west. The Kohala region has the nice beaches and resorts while the Kona coast has the oceanfront accommodations.

BrianE78

Staying in place is more convenient. It depends on your preferences and site you wanna explore. If you are planning to stay more than 4,5 days you can switch places.

mjs

We are currently in a condo at Mana Lani. Fourth trip to the Big island over many years. If you have more than 5-6 days and want to spend more time on the East I would move but otherwise I would stay in one place on the west. I also like being close to the airport on departure and would prefer not to drive in from the east.

jacketwatch

We spent all our 9 days on the Kona side and it was quite fine really.

We drove from Kona all the way south to the southern tip then came back up north to Hilo from where we took a copter ride. We then rode all the way up north and came down south back to Kona. it was done easily in a day.

starrs

We spent a week at the Hilton Waikoloa and then off to Kauai for a couple of days. Back to the Four Seasons Hualalai for four more nights.

We did a little bit of exploring when we were at the Hilton and stayed on the resort while at the 4S (so much to do!)

But we DID leave the Hilton (did not check out) and took a leisurely drive around the island and stayed at a B&B near Volcanoes NP. Absolutely LOVED that day but so glad we did not try to do a back and forth day. Loved the different parts of the island and loved staying near VNP. Yes, we were paying "double" for that night but it was definitely worth it. That drive day was one of my favorite days in Hawaii, but we were totally relaxed because we weren't worried about getting back home.