The Big Island - Hawaii

[nj2Type-S]

hey guys,

my wife and i are looking at going to hawaii for an extended may long weekend. we are looking at going to the big island. we’ve already been to oahu, but this time we’d like to just hang out. this will only be a 5 day trip, unfortunately; airfare to other US destinations are similar, so we may as well travel a bit farther and go to the beach.

there are really no “must do’s” for us, aside from seeing the lava from the active volcanoes.

below are my inquiries:

1. should we book our accommodation on the east or west coast?
2. should we book a car? is parking an issue?
3. we would like to take up surfing lessons. can you recommend a place?
4. should we buy our snorkeling gear, or just rent there?
5. what is the best way to see the active volcanoes?
6. any tips or suggestions that you can offer for such a short trip?

thanks!

[msommers]

I hope you enjoy coffee!! There are loads of places to stop in to on the Kona side. Regarding Volcano National Park, keep an eye on the wind from their website.

Here's my trip:

https://forums.beyond.ca/threads/347419-Pondering-Hawaii?p=3915587#post3915587

Couple things I really missed out on:
- The boat tour to see lava entering the ocean (wasn't flowing at the time)
- Star gazing at Mauna Kea

[nj2Type-S]

I hope you enjoy coffee!! There are loads of places to stop in to on the Kona side. Regarding Volcano National Park, keep an eye on the wind from their website.

Here's my trip:

https://forums.beyond.ca/threads/347419-Pondering-Hawaii?p=3915587#post3915587

Couple things I really missed out on:
- The boat tour to see lava entering the ocean (wasn't flowing at the time)
- Star gazing at Mauna Kea


your pictures look amazing! looked like you had an awesome trip! thanks for sharing. star gazing at mauna kea sounds interesting. should i just book 1 night’s accommodation at the east side of the island for this?

also, i just saw that the return flight from kona stops over at lax for 2hrs+, which is perfect. what worries me is that i have a connecting flight from lax to salt lake city before heading back to calgary. i only have 45 mins stopover at SLC. have any of you guys done this? seems really tight!

[bjstare]

Should you rent a car? Yes. This island is much better if you have a car - moreso a 4x4. If you want to go up to Mauna Kea, you'll want something that has actual 4wd - Jeep wranglers are very popular rental vehicles. You don't have to book accomodations for the east side when you see volcano park, but be prepared for a long day.
RE: Snorkeling equipment - costco, walmart, and target down there are a great place to get things. Everywhere else will probably be pretty expensive.

My parents have had a house on the big island for about 10 years now, so I've done my share of things there. Like most of it. A coworker recently went down and I put together a list for her of some things that have been widely enjoyed by us and all the vistors my parents have had. Definitely more than you can do in 5 days (or a week), but maybe you'll see something you haven't thought of.



This is a great site:
https://www.lovebigisland.com/volcano-village/


The List (all of which are described in the site above)

Pololu Valley
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Polol%C5%AB+Valley/@20.2069432,-155.7511207,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x79537bbce52f757d:0xd0c91adb141d0e8!8m2!3d20.2069444!4d-155.7336111
(This place is absolutely beautiful. If you drive around the north side of the island, I would highly recommend stopping here. It looks just like the pics at the link above)

South Point
http://www.best-big-island-hawaii.com/south-point-hawaii.html
(Interesting to see, wouldn’t travel all the way down for this, but on the way to volcanoes park, it’s a neat place to stop for 20 mins. Cliffs to jump off of, but if you do – watch for the locals first. Only go if the locals are going, and only go where they are going. Except the blow hole, a few crazy ones jump in there, but I’d never do it)

Black Sand Beach
https://www.lovebigisland.com/big-island-beaches/punaluu/
This is another neat place to stop on the trip to/from volcanoes national park. I wouldn’t spend all day there, but it’s a neat thing to stop and see for a few mins. Usually pretty busy.

Green Sand Beach
http://www.bigislandhikes.com/papakolea-green-sand-beach/
If you have a 4x4, this will be a lot easier to get to. Minimal hiking if that’s the case. Wouldn’t go all the way there just for this, but if you can find the time en route somewhere else, it’s also neat. Probably won’t find green sand anywhere else!

Lava Hike (BE PREPARED!)
https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/multimedia_maps.html
https://www.lovebigisland.com/big-island-lava-viewing/

Waipio Valley
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g29217-d107596-Reviews-Waipi_o_Valley-Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html

Makalawena Hike
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60872-d560901-Reviews-Makalawena_Pu_u_Ali_i-Kailua_Kona_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html

Akaka falls (at the lookout dont forget to read about the fish that climb the falls)
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60583-d146748-Reviews-Akaka_Falls_State_Park-Hilo_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html
(This place is a little touristy, and they removed a bunch of the trees a year or two ago - not nearly as pretty as it was)

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park:
- The Kilauea Visitor Center
- Thurston Lava Tube
- The Thomas A. Jaggar Museum + Halema’uma’u crater overlook

Volcano House restaurant after sunset to view Volcano
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g143034-d282791-Reviews-Volcano_House-Hawaii_Volcanoes_National_Park_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html
(The restaurant here books up pretty far in advance – if you’re thinking about it, call right away. It’s fine dining. The alternative is a little pub there – would not recommend. Long wait, mediocre food, mediocre service. If you are stopping here, it’s good to check out the view and the hotel – hotel is kind of interesting, bit of history – but I wouldn’t eat unless it was at the fancy restaurant.)

Manta-Ray Night Dive
https://www.lovebigisland.com/big-island-manta-ray-night-dive/
(One of my parents good friends has done this 15 or 20 times. He said it’s an incredible experience)

Ziplining
https://www.kohalazipline.com/hawaii-zipline-tour-kohala-canopy/
(I haven’t done this, but my parents like it, and other guests seem to like it.)

Snorkeling
https://www.lovebigisland.com/big-island-snorkeling/
(Note the top three spots there – they are all good. City of refuge may be difficult to get in/out of water. Only rocks, no beach if I remember correctly.)


Beaches

Hapuna beach state park
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g2312116-d154307-Reviews-Hapuna_Beach_State_Recreation_Area-Puako_Kohala_Coast_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html
You will always be able to get to the beach, but if you show up at 10 or 11, the parking lot may be full. If it is, it’s quite a long walk; as such I would recommend showing up early-ish. Beware, there is nearly no shade at this beach, and it can get quite windy. It’s still a very nice beach though, we always make sure and go once when we’re visiting. No snorkeling here, small waves to play in though.

A-bay is another good beach. Gets reasonably busy, but always a place to sit somewhere
https://www.explore-the-big-island.com/anaehoomalu-beach.html
If the actual parking lot is full, just park in the gravel lot I’ve circled below. May be no parking signs, but we park there every time. Also, the Lava Lava beach club (bottom left of photo) has pretty good food, great place to eat (you can eat right on the beach, tables in the sand), but is expensive. Fine dining prices, drinks ~$14USD. Can snorkel here, but likely won’t see anything special.
81720

Another quiet beach where you can see many sea turtles on the sand (maybe good for photos?) is Honokohau Harbour. Usually see between 10-30 turtles when we go there. Can swim, but it’s a little rocky getting in and out of water. Beach is very long, can walk for ½ hour easily. This place is on the way into town from the airport, easy to stop by for a little bit ot check out the turtles if you don’t’ want to make a special trip.
81721

And, as mentioned, observatory is cool. My pics aren't near as good haha.
81722

[Rocket1k78]

not sure if this is too touristy but we stayed here and had a really good time. http://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com/ The pic on the front page is a man made lagoon that you can snorkel in and its packed with fish and huge turtles. I know its not the same as going out in the ocean but the ocean can get pretty intimidating for a newb snorkeler. This resort is massive so theres enough to do if you just want to veg or if you have a car you can always go explore.

Buy your own snorkel gear, its not that expensive and you know only your mouth has been in it lol its also nice to have if you plan on exploring other public snorkel spots.

45 mins is way too stressful imo, any delay and youre screwed

[Mitsu3000gt]

hey guys,

my wife and i are looking at going to hawaii for an extended may long weekend. we are looking at going to the big island. we’ve already been to oahu, but this time we’d like to just hang out. this will only be a 5 day trip, unfortunately; airfare to other US destinations are similar, so we may as well travel a bit farther and go to the beach.

there are really no “must do’s” for us, aside from seeing the lava from the active volcanoes.

below are my inquiries:

1. should we book our accommodation on the east or west coast?
2. should we book a car? is parking an issue?
3. we would like to take up surfing lessons. can you recommend a place?
4. should we buy our snorkeling gear, or just rent there?
5. what is the best way to see the active volcanoes?
6. any tips or suggestions that you can offer for such a short trip?

thanks!

I've been to the big island 3 times now and am leaving tomorrow for the 4th.

1) West. The East is the wet side, the West is the dry side (same as every island in Hawaii). I've stayed in a few places on the West side now and I recommend staying in Waikoloa, it's about 20 min North of Kona and close to the Saddle roads to get you across the island or up to Mauna Kea. Extremely nice area with lots of large, new, reasonably priced accommodation. Get your own condo - you can use VRBO or one of the many Hawaiian based rental companies. The Hilton is nice but being in a crowded resort isn't a good way to spend your time IMHO unless you have kids and need access to the pools/activities all the time.

2) Definitely rent a car, you almost have no choice. The roads are excellent too, and they have new highways now (it used to take 3+ hours on a shitty road to traverse the island). Parking is a non-issue.

3) Sorry never done surf lessons there

4) Rent it there, it's cheap and far less annoying than packing a mask, snorkel, and flippers. Just find a Snorkel Bob's or similar. The island has great snorkeling because there is so little runoff. If you want to do a snorkel tour, go to the Captain Cook monument.

5) From the air, at the Volcano Park at night, from the water (lava flow into the ocean is sometimes visible), and by hiking (check with the rangers to see where the lava flow is and if it's safe to go look at it).

6) Go up Mauna Kea and watch the sunset, then stop at the visitor center on the way down to check out some planets with their big telescopes or just enjoy how nice the sky looks. If you like to take pictures, now is your chance to get a great milky way shot. Stop a couple times on the way up to acclimatize yourself. Normal rental cars don't have insurance past the visitor center, but the road to the top isn't bad. Tours are absurdly expensive, so go yourself.

Check out Rainbow Falls and Akaka falls on the Hilo side, you can drive right up to both of them.

Here are some pics:

https://photos.smugmug.com/Hawaii2013/Waterfalls/i-DmPb3Xj/2/e98a130d/XL/DSC_1028-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Hawaii2013/Waterfalls/i-k5jtfB9/0/e77cbbf8/X2/DSC_1109-X2.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Hawaii2013/Mauna-Kea/i-7Fdfq6N/0/9c2f2f70/XL/Mauna%20Kea%20Pano%202-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Hawaii2013/Stars/i-FtGrHQZ/0/0af32293/XL/DSC_1586PRINT-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Hawaii2013/Kilauea-Volcano/i-NBQ76Qf/0/43dff450/XL/DSC_1707-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Hawaii2013/Snorkeling/i-CNQW9g4/0/7a7eecee/XL/DSC_0641-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Hawaii2013/Snorkeling/i-Q37csPK/0/2d35ed5d/XL/DSC_0230-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Hawaii2013/Misc-Exploring/i-QSWtPqg/0/89cb40b2/XL/DSC_1244-XL.jpg

[nj2Type-S]

thank you SO much for the response, guys! amazing reads and details that you guys posted. we really appreciate it! it's too bad our time there is so short, but we'll try to check out most of the stuff that you guys suggested.

we'll be booking some time for surfing lessons, so we're pretty excited about that, too. thanks again, guys!!!

[nismodrifter]

Enjoy. we are looking to go again, we loved our last hawaii trip to Oahu, snorkelling Hanuama Bay was amazing. Perhaps next will be Big Island

[nj2Type-S]

anybody going to the big island anytime soon? i called my credit card company (td visa) to see how trip cancellations would work, but they said they'd only refund me if there was an official trip advisory on a government travel website.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I was there a few days before the small earthquakes / intensifying eruption (I believe technically that volcano is always erupting). We saw lava bubbling at the surface right from the visitor center (Halemaumau crater) (in my pictures above the red glow is from lava 200-300 ft down). Seems like the majority of the island is fine except for Volcano National park which is closed. I think there is only a relatively small area that is inaccessible so you should still be able to enjoy an awesome holiday there. It's not a catastrophic eruption or anything, I can't see them issuing a travel advisory other than to stay out of that specific part of the island. If you're staying on the W / NW part of the island where most people stay (Kona / Waikoloa), you are a good 1.5-2 hours from the Volcano. I wouldn't stress about it unless the focus of your trip was volcano stuff, and very often you can't even get to the lava flows as they are changing every day.

We got offered a Jeep for only $100 more which was a really good deal because they let you take it everywhere, including to the top of Mauna Kea. That is way cheaper than the tours or 1-day truck rentals. They also now have staff controlling who can drive up there which I have never seen on previous trips, so I don't know if they would let you up there without a 4X4 or not. The road to the top is even better than before (looks like it got a fresh dump of tar or something on the gravel) and any car could do it no problem, but they still say you need a 4X4 to do it.

Kauai is mostly fine too, I was there 5 days after they got 50 inches of rain in 24 hours. The North shore past Hanalei is inaccessible (mud slides), but everything else including Hanalei is fine and open for business. The hikes we did weren't even muddy. The Waimea Canyon area & trails were also 100% fine. Na Pali state park was closed (Kalalau trail) and Haena State Park was closed (Tunnels beach).

The islands in general went through a period of abnormal rain but the dry sides of the islands were still bone dry and the weather was totally fine.

[nj2Type-S]

I was there a few days before the small earthquakes / intensifying eruption (I believe technically that volcano is always erupting). We saw lava bubbling at the surface right from the visitor center (Halemaumau crater) (in my pictures above the red glow is from lava 200-300 ft down). Seems like the majority of the island is fine except for Volcano National park which is closed. I think there is only a relatively small area that is inaccessible so you should still be able to enjoy an awesome holiday there. It's not a catastrophic eruption or anything, I can't see them issuing a travel advisory other than to stay out of that specific part of the island. If you're staying on the W / NW part of the island where most people stay (Kona / Waikoloa), you are a good 1.5-2 hours from the Volcano. I wouldn't stress about it unless the focus of your trip was volcano stuff, and very often you can't even get to the lava flows as they are changing every day.

We got offered a Jeep for only $100 more which was a really good deal because they let you take it everywhere, including to the top of Mauna Kea. That is way cheaper than the tours or 1-day truck rentals. They also now have staff controlling who can drive up there which I have never seen on previous trips, so I don't know if they would let you up there without a 4X4 or not. The road to the top is even better than before (looks like it got a fresh dump of tar or something on the gravel) and any car could do it no problem, but they still say you need a 4X4 to do it.

Kauai is mostly fine too, I was there 5 days after they got 50 inches of rain in 24 hours. The North shore past Hanalei is inaccessible (mud slides), but everything else including Hanalei is fine and open for business. The hikes we did weren't even muddy. The Waimea Canyon area & trails were also 100% fine. Na Pali state park was closed (Kalalau trail) and Haena State Park was closed (Tunnels beach).

The islands in general went through a period of abnormal rain but the dry sides of the islands were still bone dry and the weather was totally fine.

hey! thanks again for the response! we are pretty worried that most attractions would be closed. we will be spending most of the time on the west side and only really allocated 1 day on the east side (angel falls, hilo, mauna kea and the volcano lol), so we would still have a great time even if we couldnÂ’t go to the east side.

we are also concerned about flight delays and cancellations, so weÂ’re keeping our eyes out for any changes. hopefully, the air quality will not be affected too much, also.

[Mitsu3000gt]

hey! thanks again for the response! we are pretty worried that most attractions would be closed. we will be spending most of the time on the west side and only really allocated 1 day on the east side (angel falls, hilo, mauna kea and the volcano lol), so we would still have a great time even if we couldnÂ’t go to the east side.

we are also concerned about flight delays and cancellations, so weÂ’re keeping our eyes out for any changes. hopefully, the air quality will not be affected too much, also.

I don't think anything is closed except Volcano National Park - you will obviously want to double check closer to your departure date but nothing major is going on there except within the park to my knowledge. It isn't filling the air with ash causing problems for planes or anything. West / Northwest should be fine, it's nowhere near the Volcano. On the East/Hilo side make sure you check out Akaka falls and Rainbow Falls, then Mauna Kea is the other must-do (there are websites that tell you the summit weather to plan your trip and make sure you spend 30 min at the visitor center to acclimatize to the elevation). The Volcano will probably be the only thing you can't check out.


Hawaii Tourist Authority released a statement on May 4 in which assured travellers that it was still safe to travel to the country.

It said “the impact is limited to a remote region on the east side far away from the rest of the Hawaiian Islands”.

Further down in the statement, the authority’s president and CEO George D. Szigeti added: “No flights into airports anywhere in Hawaii are being impacted by Kilauea volcano and the area where the lava is coming to the surface is very far from resorts areas throughout the Hawaiian Islands where visitor accommodations are located.

“Travelers can enjoy their vacation experience in the Hawaiian Islands to the fullest, with the only the word of caution that they stay out of areas closed to the public for their own safety.”

This article is from today and shows the evacuation zones, which are pretty small relative to the island. It's fairly intense within that area though, judging by the photos:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/956831/hawaii-volcano-eruption-update-evacuation-zones-map-is-it-safe-travel-to-Hawaii

If they are allowing it, take a helicopter tour - you will probably get a better show than anyone else has got in a long time.

[nj2Type-S]

I don't think anything is closed except Volcano National Park - you will obviously want to double check closer to your departure date but nothing major is going on there except within the park to my knowledge. It isn't filling the air with ash causing problems for planes or anything. West / Northwest should be fine, it's nowhere near the Volcano. On the East/Hilo side make sure you check out Akaka falls and Rainbow Falls, then Mauna Kea is the other must-do (there are websites that tell you the summit weather to plan your trip and make sure you spend 30 min at the visitor center to acclimatize to the elevation). The Volcano will probably be the only thing you can't check out.



This article is from today and shows the evacuation zones, which are pretty small relative to the island. It's fairly intense within that area though, judging by the photos:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/956831/hawaii-volcano-eruption-update-evacuation-zones-map-is-it-safe-travel-to-Hawaii

If they are allowing it, take a helicopter tour - you will probably get a better show than anyone else has got in a long time.

thanks for the additional info! yeah,we're still monitoring the situation, of course, but it helps that our friends who live in hawaii says the west side isn't affected. maybe this will make it so that not a lot of tourists are going to be there next weekend? haha!

[Mitsu3000gt]

thanks for the additional info! yeah,we're still monitoring the situation, of course, but it helps that our friends who live in hawaii says the west side isn't affected. maybe this will make it so that not a lot of tourists are going to be there next weekend? haha!

Hopefully! Just go and have a blast, there is so much to do that isn't in Volcano National Park you will not have a dull moment. And yeah, if the helicopter tours are allowed over the area, you probably have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see lava like that.