The Big Island
 

Please make suggestions as to where the best place to stay on the big island of Hawaii and what things are not to be missed.

The best place to stay would be one of the Kohala coast resorts. They are all very nice, with a degree of luxury relative to their cost. The reason the Kohala coast is so nice is that the weather is dry and warm most of the year, so you can enjoy beach activities.

Secondarily, people enjoy staying at B & B's or vacation homes in one of the other corners of the Big Island, especially near the volcano.

The Big Island has 13 of the world's 15 climate zones, and the tallest mountain in the world (Mauna Kea). You can experience snow, and dessert, and jungle, and actually watch new earth being formed.

"Not to be missed" would depend on how long you have to spend on the island. Probably no one would fault you if you spent all your time enjoying the beach and activities at a beautiful resort, but you can experience amazing snorkeling (Kealakakua Bay), old and profound historical sites (Place of Refuge, Pu'ukohola Heiau, Lapakahi), wonderful waterfalls (Akaka), the earliest cowboy (Paniolo) culture in Waimea, and watching the whales between December and April.

Not to miss would also be petroglyphs, enjoying the coral graffiti along the highway, sea turtles, a hike through a lava tube, and venturing into one of the wonderful rural towns and experiencing the aloha spirit of the people and community.

If you are on the Big Island on the Saturday nearest a full moon, the "Talk Story" evening at the Mauna Lani is not to be missed. If you are there on King Kamehameha Day (June 11) the parade in Hawi is not to be missed.

A helicopter ride over the volcano is really special.

Alternatively, if you are shocked by the prices at the Kohala resorts, look into a condo or rental cottage. VRBO.com has tons of them, all over the Big Island. (VRBO = vacation rental by owner.)

We stay in the middle of Kona every year, in a condo that is 100 feet from the water (although it's a rocky shore). The lanai is huge and has a roomful of comfortable furniture on it, so we spend most of our time outdoors. You have the option to eat in, or go out. We like getting cheap papayas from the farmers' market (50 cents each!) for breakfast. Sometimes we see whales breaching right off the shore, or dolphins spinning out of the water. About a mile away is a very nice snorkeling beach that's good for beginners as it is sheltered.

But we do go out of Kona and all over the island doing things, including going to some great beaches in Kohala, a half-hour away. You need to get a good guidebook and decide what things interest you. Be advised that a trip around the island will take all day.

I stayed at the Hilton Waikaloa years ago. Yes, it was expensive, but it was worth it once. Don't know if I'd stay there again because I have less money than I once did. You can swim with dolphins there but it is more money and we did not do that.

You can get great prices right now on the really nice Waikoloa Fairways Villas condos (probably others in the area, too).

Our favorite part of the BI is Volcano National Park. It is just incredible!! We stayed at the kilauea lodge http://www.kilauealodge.com/
I highly recommend it!! We had a little cabin and ate breakfast everyday in the dining room.
Hiking in the park is not to be missed - not sure if the lava is still flowing - but it was spectacular!!

Thank you for taking time to answer my question. The information is very helpful.

what about the VOG on the Big Island. We are planning a trip in Setpember. Is the air really bad due to eruptions?

Shar--we visited the BI twice last year after the increase in volcanic activity--in April and in November. We stayed in south Kona both times. The air was much clearer in November than in April and, according to our friends who live there, is even better now.

In April the vog would hang off shore in the afternoons and interfere with the sunsets (i.e. watching the sun drop into the ocean). In November, sunsets were much clearer (even got a green flash one evening). We also found that, even in April, the Kohala skies (i.e., at Hapuna Beach and Kona Coast State Park) were quite clear and sunny in the afternoons even when it was overcast (from the vog) in south Kona.

We're going back to the BI this Thursday for a couple of weeks and I will report on the vog and other things when I return.

Of course, air quality in September is hard to predict bacause it is hard to predict the action of Kilauea.

We did a split between the Hapuna Beach Prince and the Kilauea Lodge; it was the perfect combination of beach time and time spent at the volcano. Our favorite things were Akaka Falls, Hapuna Beach, and Volcanoes National Park.

We stayed at the Waikoloa Hilton. It is a huge resort and we loved it. Some hate the large resort. This is probably the largest hilton complex I have ever stayed at. The restaurants on property were also very good.
There is a smaller resort next door, but still on the large side, the Marriott, which was being refurbished when we were there a few years ago. The Fairmont down the road was even smaller.
We loved our stay and would return to the Waikoloa Hilton tomorrow.
Our favorite things were: Snorkeling with giant turtles. We snorkeled at the Hilton, in Kona, we went on a cruise (fairwinds I think) and in several places along the way. Boogie boarding at Hapuna beach. Very nice large public beach just north of the Hilton and has great boogie boarding.
Did not love going to the volcano. We couldn't see anything and it was miles and miles of black rocks. Sorry if that sounds shallow, but it seemed a long way to go to see the black rocks (that are all over the island anyway :) )
Loved the waterfalls (like akaka falls mentioned above).
The Big Island is so unique looking. Our favorite part was the snorkeling was fantastic.

When we were on the Big Island, you could hike out to see the lava at night; it was gorgeous, flowing into the ocean. I don't think you can do that anymore, but it was amazing.

I'm one of the few people who actually preferred the Hilo side of the island, based on my trip there last summer. We stayed at two different b&bs on that side (Hale Kai in Hilo, Waianuhea in Honoka'a) so that we could explore VNP, Hilo, the gorgeous scenery, the small towns, the waterfalls, etc. Our last 5 nights we spent at Kona Village Resort and enjoyed the downtown and the snorkeling with the sea turtles. If you click on my profile you can see one of my sea turtle photos.

Have a great time on your trip!

You still can see lava flowing into the ocean. Check out http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...wing-hours.cfm

volcanogirl & martym, thank you so much for the tip on observing the flowing lava. It is certainly something we are going to do.

I am agreeing with ejcrowe even though I gave different advice earlier.

That combination sounds perfect!