Sweet Willie

Below is a list compiled so far for activities on the Big Island of Hawaii.

See and Hike Volcano National Park
Flumin’ da Ditch
Suisan Fish Auction
Akaka Falls
Rainbow Falls
Kohala Central Coast Petroglyphs
Mookini Luakini
Hapuna Beach
Black Sand Beach
Green Sand Beach
Liliuokalani Gardens
Puuhonua O Honaunau National Park
Night scuba dives w/MantaRays on Kohala Coast
Parker Ranch
Summit of Mauna Kea
Waipo Valley Lookout

Anyone have comments on above activities or do you have one I missed? Looking for must-do's not just something to see/pass the time.

l etoile

That's a pretty good list. Check on the manta dives before you put out the money and sign up. When I was last there a couple of months ago they weren't showing up because some researcher was putting tags on them. The dive companies were pretty ticked because he was taking advantage of the lighting systems they had set up to do his thing while ruining their business.

You can also kayak in the area where the mantas come. There are some small cliffs there you can jump off of. You can also kayak from Place of Refuge to Captain Cook's Monument. There's some pretty good snorkeling over there.

Pick up chocolate banana bread on the way to the green sand. You'll see the signs. I forget the name of the little deli on the right as you're heading south.

If you're going in the winter, look for whales.

Some art galleries to check out over in the towns near Flumin' the Ditch.

Eat at Daniel Thiebaut, Merriman's, Oodles of Noodles and Keei Cafe, if you get that way. Go early to Merriman's and/or Thiebaut's (they're real close to each other) and check out the shops over there. There's a couple of good vintage Hawaiiana shops. Kona Brewing Company has good beer and pizza.

You can get massages for $25 an hour from the massage school south of Kona. You need an appointment and they only offer it a few days a week.

If you like beaches, get a four-wheel drive and just turn off the highway wherever you see a road through the lava. There are some great empty beaches if you're willing to drive over the lava and then walk a bit. Also lots of turtles at the beach just north of the marina. You drive into the marina in Kona, go to the back, park and walk north.

Sweet Willie

See dining questions about the Big Island (and some you've mentioned here): http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...ML/000049.html

Steve M

If you have any interest in science, be sure to take the guided tours of the Mauna Kea summit. They are offered on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. You show up at the visitor's center (just below 10,000') and caravan in your own vehicle to the summit (4WD required). In addition to seeing the incredible views at the top that you can see anytime by driving up their yourself, you also get a guide, and get access inside a couple of the telescope facilities that you otherwise wouldn't have access to. Dress warmly for winter weather - there was still snow on the ground when I went there in May. It makes for an excellent contrast to the other things you'll do on the Big Island.

TA

I heard that this had been discontinued? Maybe double check this one.

teammjs

just to add--

Waipio Valley-- i'd suggest more than the lookout, do the horseback riding or wagon tour. it's interesting to actually go through the valley.

mantas-- if you don't want to risk the dive (time, money, or nerves). i believe the Orchid Hotel-- the one just north of the Waikaloa hotels) has a night light out to see mantas coming to the shore. we saw 2 in June, and it was worth the 5 min. trip from the Hilton.

Captain Bean's is a good booze cruise with audience participation show. cheesy, but a good value (food, fun, cost) way to see the Kona coast and get out on the ocean, if you don't do any other sailing/snorkling/fishing.

make sure you buy the book "the big island revealed". it's invaluable.

CountinPlaces

How could you miss seeing the Volcanos NP. Maybe it is a given.

Great info though! I will note these things for my next trip.

Edited for - - -(Ah! I see that Volcano NP was mentioned above.)



[This message has been edited by CountinPlaces (edited 10-22-2002).]

Lavarock7

For an extensive list of things to do, try here:

http://www.101things.com/

TraveltheWorld

Wow, very nice.. I was initially skeptical of a 101things site, but it was very informative and well written.

Thanks!

Wolverine

How many days ae necessary for the Big Island for a first-timer?

I have 14 days vacation.

Should I also see other Islands, or is it better to stay put?

Thanks.......

Sweet Willie

IMO, you've got time for two islands easy with 14 days vacation.

There are very frequent and cheap flights between the islands and many early morning inter-island flights so you will not waste prime day time hours traveling between islands.

for a first timer to the big island, I would leave yourself 5 days with no lounging around but then you miss out on the relaxation factor, so a 7 day would be great.

Lavarock7

I have been to the islands about 12 times in the past 6 years and have written a number of trip reports on the FlyerTalk trip reports. I f you don't find them there, go to http://trip.myhawaiiansite.com.

With 2 weeks available, I would not visit more that 3 islands. If you are passing through Honolulu, perhaps stay there a few days, then go to Hawaii for a week, then maybe Kauai or Maui or Molokai for the rest of the time. I've not been to Lanai so I can't comment on it, but understand there are some expensive resorts there and 1 car rental company (you supply your OWN insurance for the vehicle :-) You would want to read up an the islands and decide which one is right for you as each island is different. http://myhawaiiansite.com has photos and islands descriptions. Also look at http://gohawaii.com for their calendar of events to see what is happening on each island. For example, this next week is Coffee Festival on the Big Island.

I suggest people stay at least 5 days on the island of Hawaii (the Big Island), more if you have time. For people arriving on the Kona side in the afternoon; especially after a long trip, I suggest they check into their hotel and explore nearby. If in Kona itself, walk into town, unwind, have a snack. If at a resort, explore the grounds. You are nowhere near town as you would have noticed from the drive from the airport :-)

The second day you might want to get an early start and visit the volcano. From Kona or the resorts north of Kona, it is a long drive so get going very early. If you want to stop at a coffee farm, make it one along the main road. Stop at the overlooks and so on, but watch your timing. A detour to South Point (the southernmost part of the US) is fun, but it is a slow drive as the road in to fully paved and can take an hour or two to get down there and back.

The volcano park is a fun place and you will spend many hours there. Walk through the ferns and rain forest, see the caldera then take the long drive down to the bottom of Chain of Craters Road to see the fresh lava. Lately you barely have to walk from the car to see liquid rock!

I don't expect that you will have any time to visit Hilo that day (Hilo being a bit further along the road counter clockwise). I usually suggest people head back to their resort. However, it occurs to me that if you have 2 drivers, you could exit the park, drive into Hilo and shop and sightsee, re-enter the park after dark, see the glowing lava and switch drivers for the ride back (in the dark) to the hotel. That makes a VERY LONG day however, but it conserves time as the island really is BIG!

The third day you might want to drive northward up the mountain, through Waimea and head towards Hilo. Waimea has the Parker ranch (the largest family owned ranch in the US) and there are some fun things to do there. You might also stop at tex's Drive in for a malasade. A nice stop is the Kahuna and Akaka Falls closer to Hilo. Then there are Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots just outside Hilo.

If you have time (and your receipt) you can drive back to Kona past the volcano and stop back in the park (possibly to see the lava at night?).

The fourth day you might want to go to a beach. There are a number of beaches north of Kona (or at your resort if staying up there). Since the beaches are all open to the public, find a fancy resort and plop yourself down on the sand like a guest :-)

The fifth day you might like to shop and pack.

Now if you are staying on the Hilo side, you could do the volcano and Rainbow falls in one day, the Parker Ranch and rNorthWestern resorts and beach another day. A trip into Kona and the coffee farms might be another day.

Just a few suggestions. In my trip reports you might see a few other interesting places I've been to and certainly check out http://101things.com for 101 things to do on the island.

I really suggest 5 days or more as even with the trip suggestions above, you still miss out on hundreds of neat things on the Big Island.

I suggest minimum stays on any island to be:

Oahu 4 days
Kauai 4 days
Hawaii 5 days
Molokai 2 days
Maui 4 days

I also do not suggest worldwind tours of islands, unless you are trying to sample an island for a longer trip. Each island is very different and each has a lot to offer the visitor. You could spend up to a month on an island and just begin to understand and appreciate it. Then again, you may touch down on an island and instantly decide to spend the rest of your life there! It happened to me...

[This message has been edited by Lavarock7 (edited 10-26-2002).]

Sweet Willie

What about Lanai?

onedog

How much time should we reasonably allow to drive from the Hilton Waikoloa to the volcanoes? How long is the "long drive" from the caldera to see the fresh lava? Does anyone have any hotel recommendations where we could spend a night near the volcanoes so we aren't rushing to get back to the Hilton?

Thanks.

Sweet Willie

http://www.nps.gov/havo/pphtml/lodging.html
parents and brother’s family loved it.

Others:
http://www.volcanogallery.com/volcan...ge_choice_.htm

My wife and I have driven to Hilo, to stay in some of the very cheap hotels/motels there. Then in the morning we continue our drive around the north side of the island.