My 17 yr daughter and myself are going to Big Island in April. We want to see the volcanos and other sites but like good weather and want to stay near shopping and nightlife/restaurants. Which area should we stay at - Hilo, Kohala coast or Kailua-Kona?
Any recommendations on hotels?

If you spend a couple days near Hilo/Volcano it will save you some driving. It is a minimum 2 hour drive from Kailua-Kona to the Volcano. The volcano can be cool, wet and windy so take some warm clothes. Stop at Punaluu Black Sand Beach and South Point as you come around the south end of the Island.

Kailua-Kona is a charming town. Lots of shopping for visitors.

The resorts on the Kohala coast are expensive and put you a long way from the sights. There are plenty of restaurants in Kailua--night life is questionable. Quinn's Almost by the Sea is our favorite place in town. Food is good, prices are good.

If you are planning on 4 or more days there then think about staying on both sides of the island. A couple of days near Volcano (or Hilo) and then a couple of days in Kailua-Kona would be best... this way you can see both sides without having long drives home at night.
Volcano NP was great and I wish we had had more than one day there... but we also enjoyed Kailua-Kona and all the beaches, snorkeling and restaurants, etc there. We stayed at the Hale Maluhia B&B about 5 min from Kailua-Kona and were very satisfied... their website is http://www.hawaii-bnb.com/halemal.html.

I can't imagine going to the big Island and not staying 3-4 nights minimum near the volcano. Must see volcano flow at night!! I also love the Hilton Waikoloa, on the kona coast....There is also a breath taking valley someone else here help me out with the valley...waipio valley, that is it. It is about 1.5 miles drive from Hilo. Jane go online and look up photos of different areas to start. I am sorry to say too frequently here at this chat room people will direct you to Kona and Hilo there is a lot more to see on Big Island, go discover. Andrew Dougherty wrote a wonderful book for Kauai and I understand he also has one for Big Island. ...Check it out..

Jane,
do get the book "Hawaii-the Big Island Revealed" by Andrew Doughty & Harriett Friedman. Cover price is $14.95.

A good web site for rentals is http://alternative-hawaii.com. It's a great site with lots of info.

Hi Jane,

Consider staying in two areas. We were there in August and spent 3 nights in Volcano at the Kilauea Lodge. It was a great place to stay and great food. This is their website. http://www.kilauealodge.com/

The Park was fascinating and only an short drive away. There was also a good Indian restaurant in Volcano.

We didn't run into much rain in the Volcano area and when it did, it was warm and evaporate quickly. It did rain at night and it was nice to leave our window open and listen to it.

After Volcano we went to the Kona area.

We enjoyed Bubba Gumps Shrimp Company in Kailua-Kona.

Consider taking the star gazing tour to Mauna Kea. This is their website. It was great! http://maunakea.com/

Just got back (yesterday), and I'd recommend a couple days in Hilo and the rest over in Kona. We stayed at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, which is far away from everything on the NW side, but rented a car and drove all around the island. The Hilo side is very green and jungly, the Kona side is very desert-like. Not to miss - the drive up the coast north of Hilo. It is incredibly beautiful with all these high bridges across stunning gorges and great coast vistas. Lapahoehoe beach (think that's right) was particularly pretty. Didn't spend much time in Hilo itself since it was pouring rain when we drove through, but it looked a lot less touristy than Kona. Kona has lots of shops and restaurants and is fun to walk around in.

Have a great trip - the big island is the best!

cg glad to see this post never heard about all the gorges you mentioned. On friend of mine grew up near Waipio valley she said her and her sister use to jog along a cliff and see turtles the size of voltzwagons swimming in the water. How high up the cliff she was speaking of I don't know but that image has always stayed with me.

yup I am a stay-on-both-sides-of- the-island folk also

We have been to the big island 5 times. The first time we stayed only in Kona. The day trip we took to volcanoes was quite taxing. It is probably close to a 3 hour drive one way from Kona to the end of the Volcanoes Park road. Very tiring to do it all in one day. Hilo is a beautiful city. A favorite of ours. The view out on Hilo bay from Hilo Hawaiin Hotel is gorgeous and the hotel itself is very nice. We now stat in Hilo for 2 to 3 nights and visit Volcanoes Park during that time. Volcanoes is only about 1/2 hour from Hilo. My favorite place to spend the rest of our visit to the Big Island is the Kohala coast. It is beautiful and sunny. But if you are looking for more of a tourist town with some night life, Kona might be your best bet. I love the Big Island, there is no other place like it that I have seen. It is worth staying on both sides so you can see the great diversity of the island. Take a trip to Waimea in upcountry for an even different view of this beautiful island. We have driven through sleet up there and in a matter of minutes, driven back down to the coast where it was 90 degrees. You'll have a great time! Aloha