My husband and I are trying to plan our vacation and we're taking my niece and nephew (13,15) along with us.

I would like to split up the time in Kona and Hilo... but how long should we stay in Hilo? The kids love to swim and relax - I would at least like to stay 5 days in Hilo for all the falls/volcano, etc. Is this too short for 15 full days? Or is it too long? We don't have to do something every day in Hilo, but it certainly is cheaper there.

Thanks,
Beckie

That's a hard question to answer without knowing how much you want to see on the Hilo side. Figure one or two days to explore VNP, and maybe another day or two for Puna District, Akaka Falls, the Botanical Gardens etc. If anything, five days might be a bit too long, but again it depends on how much you want to cover.

Just two other points.. If your niece and nephew bore easily then you may wish to minimize your stay on the Hilo side, or at least in Hilo itself. Even though it's a city of over 50,000, most everything closes early and there's not much to do at night. Kailua-Kona is a much more happening place for teens.

Also, that side of the Big Islang gets a LOT more rain than the Kona side. If the prospect of daily rain is a problem then you should minimize your stay on the Hilo side.

I don't know nearly as much about life on the Big Island as Fdecarlo, but from my own experiences there, I agree with her opinion 100%. If I were taking teens to the Big Island, I would definitely stay the majority of the time near Kailua-Kona. The scenery around/above Hilo is amazing, and VNP is great for a couple of days of exploring, but I would probably give the East side of the island four days, at most, with teens, spending the remainder on the Kona side.

Just a couple items of interest in Hilo:

Farmers Market Wed.& Sat.--good for a few hours....lots of T-shirts!!!

Lyman House is a good tour...interesting history of Hilo.

Tsunami Museum of the Pacific....good for all ages.

For the teenagers...Fun Factory ...an arcade with multiple games...small coin op. bowling...basket ball and baseball throws + electronic games...win points with tickets and redeem for gifts.
88 Kanoelehua Ave Hilo 96720

I'm so sorry I didn't get to this post sooner. Thank you everyone for your ideas and advice.

We decided to stay 4 nights in Hilo. That will be enough time for everything on that side.

We will be staying the first 7 nights in Kona at Seaside Village, the 4 nights in Hilo, 2 nights at the Royal Kona Resort (for the lu'au - we don't want to drive anywhere that night!), and 3 nights at the Hilton - that will be a treat for my niece and nephew. Should be fun to stay at all those places though!

If you've already booked your hotels, then this suggestion comes too late...however, I highly recommend spending at least a couple of nights in Volcano so you can go to the national park. It's definitely a highlight on the Big Island and to do ti properly, it's best to stay right there.

I would definitely second that. I would recommend two nights in Volcano National Park. It's a long trip from Hilo and from Kona. Don't miss Thurston's Lava Tube- the kids will love it.