If you are an explorer determined to see every inch of the Big Island, we
recommend starting your visit by spending a few nights on the Kohala Coast
 . From
there you might want to spend a night in Hawi on the northern tip of the Big
Island to get the flavor of Hawaii in the 1950s
. Next,
plan to stop in Hilo
after touring down the Hamakua Coast. Some
travelers use Hilo
as a base for touring the Volcanoes National
Park
, although you might want to make a reservation for the extremely limited
lodging available nearer the Park. Return to the west coast (presuming you are
departing Kona) and stay near Kona to explore the southwest coast
.
We have an article in our travel planning section titled “Are you a Hopper or a Plopper”,
indicating that some vacationers prefer to nest, while other live to
explore. Most visitors to the Big Island are ploppers, who
prefer to spend most of their vacation time relaxing at their resort,
interrupted by an occasional tour of some other location. Many travelers arrive
in Hawaii with dive gear, sports equipment and golf clubs. It is unlikely that
these folks will have any desire to try and schlep this stuff from hotel to
hotel.
The Hilton
Waikoloa Village
Of the Big Island's visitors, approximately 2/3 stay on the Kona or west side of the island, while 1/3 lodge in Hilo or somewhere on the
east coast. Those are the official statistics, but if you are a plopper, we
recommend you consider the Kohala Coast and its resorts as the place to stay
.
You will most likely land in Kailua-Kona and although there are a number of
places to stay in this area, we urge you to examine the fantastic resorts to the north,
in the Waikoloa
and Kohala areas of the west coast. If you want luxury, you will
find it at the Four Seasons or the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. If you are looking for a
great family oriented resort with some exotic features, take a look at the
Hilton Waikoloa Village
. There are a number of excellent resorts along the
Kohala Coast and we think that this area is the place to stay while visiting the
Big Island.
The “rainy” season is December to March. Although storms are more common in
winter, it does not seem to change anybody’s travel plans since this period is
also the peak tourist season. There is a secondary
peak tourist season in summer, when it is both drier and warmer than in winter,
but this one reflects school being out and is when most families can stay on the
Big Island
long enough to make it worth the flight. The lowest prices for rooms are usually
found during the “shoulder seasons” of April/May and September/October. In
our opinion, the Big Island is a great place to visit whenever you can get there.
What should we do?
Sun, surf, swim.
If you are not looking for rest and relaxation, the Big Island may not be the
place for you. The Big Island is filled with resorts that can take care of
most every need. Hawaii will supply the great weather, spectacular beaches
and the tropical climate that seems to lull everyone into a slower, more relaxed
pace. All that laying around can be tiring, though, so what else is there to do?
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the leading attraction on the
Big Island. There is a lot to see and do there and we cover this fantastic
attraction in this separate section. Follow this link to explore
Volcanoes National Park.
The northeastern edge of the Island receives much more rain than the western side
and the copious precipitation produces lush rainforests and amazing waterfalls.
There is a fair amount to see and we provide ideas for exploring this area in our separate section
on touring the
Northeast Coast of the Big Island.
Golf
If great golfing is a prerequisite for someone in your party, they will
find many of Hawaii’s best courses on the Big Island and of these, the majority
are located in the Kona-Kohala area. We present a mix of the best courses,
categorized by their location along the west coast of the Big Island.
Golf in Kohala
The Mauna Kea Golf Course at the Mauna Kea Resort (The course is open but the
hotel was closed in December 2006 after damage from the October 2006) was
discovered to have weakened the structure.)
The Hapuna Golf Course at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel,
The North and South Courses at the Mauna Lani Resort,
Golf in Waikoloa
The Waikoloa Beach Course at the Waikoloa Beach Resort
Golf In Kona
The Kona Country Club’s Ocean and Mountain course in Kailua-Kona.
If this list does not offer enough play for you, ask your concierge for some
alternatives in the Kona-Kohala area.
Atlantis submarine
Ready for a descent to the ocean depths offshore the Big Island? If so,
consider taking a ride on the Atlantis submarine.
The 115 foot long submarine carries 48 passengers to depths of 100 feet. The
ride lasts approximately 75 minutes total, about half on the submarine and the
remainder on a shuttle boat from the Kona Pier to and from the submarine. The dive provides panoramic undersea views
of reefs along the Kona Coast and a local underwater shelf that is strewn with volcanic boulders. Of
course, tropical fish are in abundance.
You can find details at
http://www.atlantissubmarines.org/ . Kids 12 and under $42 and adults $84. Atlantis and variety of providers
sell tickets online and you may find a discount available online.
Kid must be at least 36 inches tall to ride the submarine. All voyagers must be able to
descend a near vertical ladder to ride the submarine.
The ticket office for the ride is located across from the Kailua-Kona Pier at
75-5669 Alii Drive in
Kailua-Kona. The shuttle to the Atlantis is boarded at the Pier.
Helicopter Rides
The Big Island is an extraordinary sight from the air. Due to its
size and the lack of roads in many areas, helicopter rides are considered by
many to be the best way to explore some of the island's "hidden" beauty.
The waterfalls on the North Coast and Volcanoes National Park are favorite areas
for touring by helicopter.
There are a number of helicopter services available. Evaluate the providers of helicopter rides based on their safety records and other factors that may be important to you.
Also, consider asking your concierge to recommend a company that meets your
criteria, as well as to arrange your flight.
We list two providers of helicopter rides below. (Please note that we
have listed them for you only as a convenience. The listings should not be
considered as a recommendation on their safety or suitability.)
Stargazing and Mauna Kea 
If you have an interest in astronomy and have a day to spare, you might
want to consider visiting the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station (Onizuka
Visitor Information Station) at 9200 feet above sea level.
There are a number of consideration related to undertaking this trip.
Visit this site for detailed information that should be read before planning an
outing to the Onizuka Visitor Center:
http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis/.
The Center offers a stargazing program every night from 6 to 10pm using
a variety of telescopes. Check with your rental car company to determine whether
they allow their vehicles to make this ascent.
If you are really adventurous, you can ascend to the top of Mauna Kea
for a dramatic vista, as well as to see the buildings housing the Kecks, the
"Big Boys" of the telescope world. Please note that you cannot ascend to the top of Mauna Kea without a
four wheel drive vehicle. Most rental car contracts prohibit taking a rental
vehicle up Mauna Kea due to the hazardous nature of the drive. There is a
human toll, as well. The height of Mauna Kea requires acclimatization stops and
very warm clothes, as protection against the 20°F temperature at the summit. If you are interested in making the ascent,
you should visit this site for detailed
information
http://www.keckobservatory.org/visiting.php
Hawaiian cowboys (paniolos) evolved just outside Waimea, at
the 150,000 acre Parker Ranch, which was established in 1847. It
remains one of the largest cattle ranches in the U.S., but is now run by a
trust as the last of the Parker clan died in 1992. The Visitor Center has a
number of exhibits explaining the history of the ranch and you can tour several
of the historic homes in the compound. Horseback riding, ATV riding, and
hunting are some of the activities available, including shopping at the Parker
Ranch store (check out the t-shirts if you are looking for something unique for
the folks at home). Details on visiting can be found at the Parker Ranch
website.
Luaus
Oh so touristy, but so much fun in the right setting! Although a variety of food
is offered, look for luaus with an Imu ceremony - where a pig that has been
roasting all day in an underground oven is uncovered to start the feast. Be
prepared to spend from $60 to $100 per adult (depending on the package) and,
thankfully, less for kids.
Before you make your reservation, do a little homework and find out what types
of food are served and the type of entertainment presented. The quality of staff
and their enthusiasm for the event will have a lot to do with your enjoyment
of the Luau. We
think the luaus mentioned below are the best offered on the Big Island. Rating
luaus is a tricky things and often a person's memory of the event is influenced
by the factors unrelated to the food or entertainment. The three we
present below are considered by many to the be the best on the Big Island,
but we urge you to take a look at the websites we reference and decide for
yourself.
Hawaiian Breeze Luau and Polynesian Review On the grounds of King
Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel at 75-5660 Palani Road, Kailua-Kona
. The
luau is held every Sunday and Tuesday through Friday. See this
website for more detail on the luau
http://www.islandbreezeluau.com/luau.php and
this website for information the hotel
http://www.konabeachhotel.com/info.cfm .
Royal Kona Luau -on beach at the Royal Kona Resort overlooking Kailua
Bay
. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday includes Luau and
the Lava Legends and
Legacies Review, which is held in the resort's oceanfront theater.
http://www.hawaiihotels.com/Main/Sub.cfm?ID=203&Ref=HHR
Kona Village Resort Luau and Polynesian Review. The luau, the Big
Island's longest running, is held every
Wednesday and Friday, but the theme on these two
days is slightly different. See the hotel's website for more details. The Kona Village Resort
is located near Queen Kaahumanu Highway in Kailua-Kona
.
http://www.konavillage.com/dine.aspx
Many of the larger resorts have their own luaus, although most are less exotic than the ones
mentioned above. If you don't feel like traveling, ask about their luau
and what it includes.
Captain Cook Monument
If you are a history buff, you may want to see the monument to Captain
James Cook, the first European to discover what are now called the Hawaiian
Islands. He had named the chain of islands the Sandwich Islands after the
Earl of Sandwich, Lord of the Admiralty for England.
Cook "discovered" Hawaii when he landed in Kauai in 1778.
During a return visit to Hawaii in
1779, he stopped at the Big Island, where he was killed at Kealakekua Bay during a skirmish with native
Hawaiians.
The monument in the Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park is across Kealakekua
Bay and easiest to reach by water. The
relatively small white spire monument is underwhelming and engraved as follows
"In memory of the great circumnavigator, Captain James Cook, R.N., who
discovered these islands on the 18th of January, A.D. 1778 and fell near this
spot on the 14th of February, A.D. 1779." The size of the monument
(which was placed by his fellow countrymen) may reflect the opinion that Captain
Cook's discovery of Hawaii proved to be less than satisfactory to the native
Hawaiians. (By the way, the "R.N." after the Captain's name stands for Royal
Navy.) While the monument isn't much, if you like to scuba,
the Bay may have something to offer you.
Kailua-Kona
While you may choose to attend a luau near Kailua-Kona or to take the Atlantis submarine from
the city's pier, there is little else in this city of interest to most vacationers.
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