Big Island Experts: Itinerary Comments, please

[geoand]

Late to the thread, but I saw more turtles while visiting the Place of Refuge once than 3 trips to beach going to the Volcano.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Is Chain of Craters road open? For some reason, I thought that part of the park was closed. If it IS open, then take note of the pull-out at the Petroglyphs sign alongside the left side of the road down on the lower part of it. There is an easy 15-minute walk back to a wooden circular walkway that shows you some petroglyphs. But here's a major insider's secret:

If you step off the far end of the circular walkway, and continue walking to the outcropping of rocks dead ahead, (maybe 200 feet), and then go around to the far side of those rocks, you'll see THOUSANDS of petroglyphs! They're everywhere back there - many more than you can see from the wooden walkway. It's pretty cool, since it's real, and the ancient Hawaiians never intended this for tourists. This was for them only.

Also, if Chain of Craters is open, you should be able to get to Thurston Lava Tube, along Crater Rim Drive inside the park. if you want to see a lave tube, this one is pretty good. Take shoes and a flashlight.

Dave

Unless road closures have changed in the last several months, Chain-of-Craters road is open. What has been closed is the rim road on the west side of the summit crater, between Jarret Observatory and the intersection with Chain of Craters.

 

[MichaelColey]

Wow! You're planning more in your week here than we've done in our 16 days. I'll definitely have to look back through this thread before our next trip, though, for additional ideas.

FWIW, the Mauna Loa factory is mainly just a gift shop (with great samples!). We enjoyed it, though. You can walk across to the factory and look in through an external walkway.

Another stop near there we enjoyed was the (free) zoo. You can easily do that in an hour or two, and they feed the White Bengal Tiger 3:30pm.

Also, north of Hilo is a 4 mile scenic route that we really enjoyed. Well worth the extra half hour or so that it took to drive (stopping several times to take pictures).

Is Chain of Craters road open? For some reason, I thought that part of the park was closed.

Most of it was closed last week when we were there. I think it still is.

 

[ronandjoan]

Ok, so keeping in mind that we like to do and see everything to a greater extent than we like to lay around/relax, here's our Big Island game plan. We've never been, so comments or suggestions for different activities or tour operators is welcome.

Arrive from Oahu Monday, settle in to timeshare (Kings Land).

Tuesday: Hang at resort, Mauna Kea summit excursion, pick up 2:40. Hawaii Forest and Trail

Wednesday: Beach, night Manta ray snorkel, Big Island Divers. Which beach would be better- Hapuna, Kikaua, something else?

Thursday: Check out very early, drive to Volcano NP, southern route. Morning snorkel excursion Kealakekua Bay, Sea Quest Snorkeling. Possibly stop by pu'uhonua o honaunau (how long should we devote to this if we do?). Punaluu black sand beach for a hour or so in afternoon. Arrive Volcano Village around 4:30-5pm.

Friday: Volcano NP. Typical sights, plus hike Kilauea Iki crater, and go where lava is flowing, if it is flowing, if not maybe a lava tube tour? It's only $10 each for the lave tube guided hike. We are thinking Kazumura for the lava tube tour, but only if no lava flowing, that is the higher priority, we'll have to wait until we are there to decide for sure, but advice/comments welcome.

Sat: Check out, drive back to Kohala via northern route. A few short waterfall hikes, if possible Waipio Valley tour- mule wagon or horseback? I think we'd prefer horseback, but the timing of the tour is less ideal than the mule wagon. Anyone familiar enough with either to comment? Check in to Fairmont Orchid, maybe attend their luau, The Gathering of the Kings. Is this worth it?

Sun: Redeye flight home. Relaxing day at the Fairmont or a Kohala area beach.

Thanks in advance for any help.

H

Where are you staying in Volcano Village for just one night?

 

[heathpack]

Where are you staying in Volcano Village for just one night?

Two nights in Hale Ohia, cottage 44. Yay, it has a FP, a kitchenette and a cat!

http://www.haleohia.com/44.htm

H

 

[heathpack]

Years ago I taught scuba classes and to be certified you had to pass difficult tests do three ocean dives,go thru heavy surf and about 1/3rd of each class did not get certified.They could take a future class free.A resort certification would be safe IF YOU WENT WITH A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED DIVER WITH OCTOPUS EQUIPMENT. You do not want your first ocean dive to also be your last one.

Agree that snorkeling is not as good as diving but better'n drowning. The kibosh has been put on the resort dive concept. Thanks for the reality check.

H

 

[DaveNV]

Two nights in Hale Ohia, cottage 44. Yay, it has a FP, a kitchenette and a cat!

http://www.haleohia.com/44.htm

H

Is Dixon still alive? Jeez, he must be 20 years old by now. Coolest cat ever! He loves to make the rounds (or used to) to the various cottages, to say hello. When we stayed at Hale Ohia in 2001 (Ihilani Cottage) we came home and found him asleep on our bed. It's a beautiful place, and you'll be sure to enjoy yourself. Michael is a very pleasant host.

Dave

 

[newportbeach]

Manta Ray and intro scuba

I read that one of you is not certified. The quick fix is the intro night manta ray dive if it is available. The depth of the dive is less than 33 ft., so for safety purposes a non certified diver with an instructor can do the dive. The reason to do scuba over snorkel is a group of you seat in a circle on the ocean floor and in the center in a giant battery flood light, and each of you has a hand flashlight. The show begins by small micro fish being attracted to the light source and then several large Manta Rays come to feed and put on almost a ballet which is great. I did this several years ago with my son who was not certified. The experience is not the same with a snorkel. If you put the flashlight on top of your head or the person next to you, the ballet comes right over to you and a giant Ray passing over your head is an experience you will remember.

 

[MuranoJo]

The last two times we were on the big island, we took a private tour of the lava fields with Ken of Kupahua Adventures and really enjoyed it. The first time in October 2010 we were able to see lava flowing into the ocean and the second time in August 2011 we were not able to see lava flowing. On the second hike we were able to visit a small lava tube.

http://onegreatearth.com/kupahua/

Hi,
Just curious what the tour offers vs. just walking in yourself?
Thanks.

 

[kwilson]

For those of you who will be on the Big Island in 2012 and staying up in Kohala, Hawaii Ocean Sports is running a great promotion on their website, certificate for 2 for any of their catamaran tours.

www.hawaiioceansports.com

Thx for posting this. We'll be there 3/2012 and will use this.

 

[Gracey]

Thanks for posting about haleohia just sent in a request for a reservation for the cottage in the woods w/bunkhouse.

 

[heathpack]

Now on to restaurants...

.... Ok, so I love food and fine dining, Mr. H not that in to "dining" but he does have a good time if the food, service, ambience is awesome. We also love good food served in a shack.

Truthfully, despite my request below for restaurant recommendations, when we are in tropical locales, somehow we seem to always just wind up eating a little something at the pool/beach bar during happy hour- after all, we're there anyway, might as well eat! We will pretty much eat breakfast in the room/villa most days.

However, I would like to have a few places picked out, should we muster sufficient momentum to actually clean ourselves up and head out for a meal or two. We are most interested in Hawaiian inspired food, or food from the cultures that make up modern Hawaii. Our only dietary restriction in NO FISH!

Having read a little bit on dining options, here's what I've come up with. Anyone been to any of these? Or maybe recommend something else?

Waikola area: Eddie Aikau Restaurant & Surf Museum and Sensei. Any reccs for a good place at Hilton Waikola Village, preferably with view? This would be for our first night and KPC seems like a little too much, we'll want something mellow. Maybe the Blue Lounge at KPC? Really a casual beach bar at Hilton Waikola would be ideal, I don't think there is one?

Kailua-Kona area: Rapanui Island Cafe (or something like that). This is very close to Big Island Diver, where we are doing our night Manta Ray excursion. If we get back on time (8:30) and can make ourselves presentable, this seems like a great place for a late meal. Anyone been? Any other reccs?

Between Kings Land & Place of Refuge: Teshimas Japanese for lunch. Other reccs, especially for beach-shack-with-a-view are welcome.

Punaluu: Bakeshop Dave recommended serves lunch, or we might just buy bread/pastries and have a black sand beach picnic out of our cooler.

Volcano: Not too many options, right now Thai Thai seems like the best bet. Could use some advice here.

Between Volcano & Waipio: Were thinking for the sake of time, we'd just eat something out of the cooler. Any good, fast options during the drive? Again, beach shack type place would work.

At the Fairmont, we are (probably) going to do their luau, The Gathering of the Kings. I only say probably because if we decide on the horseback trip in Waipio valley, we will not arrive at the Fairmont in time. Right now, I am putting the luau at a higher priority, but would love input on that. We are aware the luau buffet contains a lot of fish, that's ok, we're going for the show. This is quite pricey, which we don't mind if it's worth it.

Our last day on the BI, we are having sunset dinner at Browns Beach House. Very expensive, supposedly exquisite setting & food. Anyone agree/disagree? Then we fly home on a red eye back to LA.

Thanks,
H

 

[dsyrcle]

manta dive

If you are considering getting certified for Scuba, I would recommend getting this done before traveling to Hawaii. One option might be to complete your book work and pool work at home and then have your open water certification in Hawaii. This will cut into your already busy schedule however.
The manta night dive is amazing. Most trips will consist of 2 dives. The first dive before dark will allow you to get adjusted to your equipment. You want to be sure that you have sufficient weight to keep you comfortably seated in the sand to view the mantas overhead. One of my most memorable experiences was listening to the whales singing while on a dive. The sound travels for miles underwater.
Additional note: 2 step at the place of refuge is probably the best snorkeling on the island.

 

[MuranoJo]

When we were staying at Kings Land this September, we loved Pesto and visited it twice. Service and food were great both times.

We also tried a place in the same general area in a small area upstairs, but can't remember the name. I'll try to dig it out for you later.

 

[SmithOp]

Four Seasons Hualalai is just a few miles south of WKL, mile marker 87. I snorkeled with turtles eating breakfast in the bay (north entrance). South entrance has a small lagoon for beginners, swim out past the arch lava rock and the best off the beach snorkeling I have seen, sat and watched a ras cleaning station. I dont use flippers, just float with the tide, all that splashing makes the fish hide. I cant do boat trips, makes me quesy. Enjoy!

 

[SmithOp]

One activity you do not have is zipline, Kohala Zipline has been open just 6 months and has an excellent canopy zip with rope bridges and rapels, we loved it. 45 min north from WKL, we arrived at 7:30 and finished by 11:30, then lunch in Hawi at Lighthouse Deli.

I havent found any casual on the beach bar, but you could get takeout and walk down to the Marriot beach, they have a cocktail shack for DiY.

 

[davhu1]

For those of you who will be on the Big Island in 2012 and staying up in Kohala, Hawaii Ocean Sports is running a great promotion on their website, certificate for 2 for any of their catamaran tours.

www.hawaiioceansports.com

lynne Thanks for the info. Have you been on their cruise? Any comments on either the snorkel cruise or the dolphin cruise.

 

[lynne]

lynne Thanks for the info. Have you been on their cruise? Any comments on either the snorkel cruise or the dolphin cruise.

We will be trying them for the first time in January when we have family visiting. We are going on the whale watch.

We have previously been on snorkeling trips on the zodiacs and the dolphin snorkel with Sunlight on Water. Both were fun.

 

[davhu1]

We will be trying them for the first time in January when we have family visiting. We are going on the whale watch.

We have previous been on snorkeling trips on the zodiacs and the dolphin snorkel with Sunlight on Water. Both were fun.

We will be there next fall. Trying to decide on the snorkel or the dolphin. Let us know after your trip.

thanks

 

[SmithOp]

When we were staying at Kings Land this September, we loved Pesto and visited it twice. Service and food were great both times.

We also tried a place in the same general area in a small area upstairs, but can't remember the name. I'll try to dig it out for you later.

Are you thinking of the Blue Dragon? They only serve dinner. Agree on Pesto, we had lunch there yesterday, but it is predominately seafood. The calimari appetizer was fantastic and cooked perfectly, not rubbery at all like so many chain places, it was so delicious I ate the garnish too .

 

[riverdees05]

USA Today, Best Hambugers

"Hawaii"

"On the Big Island, Village Burger Kamuela at Parker Ranch Center in Waimea is a locavore's delight, with a grass-fed, pasture-raised, ground-fresh-daily Big Island beef burger, thick and grilled to order, topped with just-picked, Waimea-grown veggies in a brioche bun from nearby Hawi town. Other options include Wagyu beef, red veal, ahi tuna and vegetarian, hand-cut twice-cooked fries, unbelievable shakes just about all local. 67-1185 Mamalahoa Hwy.; 808 885-7319; villageburgerwaimea.com"

"Recommended by Joan Namkoong, Hawaii-based foodie and freelance writer"

Really good, tried them in October 2010

 

[Picker57]

Some personal B.I. faves...

We've had the good fortune to be on B.I. several times, and have never tired of it. Two Hilo items mentioned earlier (a) Akaka Falls and (b) Tsunami Museum I would consider 'don't miss'. Hilo is a bit out of the way but definitely worth it. There's also an excellent acoustic music shop at the end of town past the Farmers Market (Wed. and Sat. I believe) site. The Market Day is quite awesome as well.

As far as beaches, and I'm not a diver or snorkler, my faves are Hapuna and Mauna Kea. The latter has limited parking and you need to get there early, but it's a drop-dead-gorgeous beach. And the body surfing is definitely safer than Hapuna.

You've got a pretty busy agenda, but design in some time to 'stop and smell the hibiscus'. Hawaii is, among other things, about ambience and the buzz that you carry around for the next 6 months.

Enjoy !!!

-------Zach

 

[heathpack]

Big Island Itinerary: How it Worked Out in the End

Well, in short, the trip was awesome. The itinerary was busy but we had plenty of time to relax (for us, anyway) and we got a great overview of Hawaii.

We spent our first 3 days on Oahu at Aulani. I have reviewed our stay over on the DVC board- we thought Aulani was pretty swell. We were at Aulani Fri-Mon, next time we might consider a midweek stay to experience different resort activities. We'd also stop and buy some groceries so that we could eat less expensively and without having to have a full-on meal if we just felt like a sandwich. Otherwise no complaints.

Arrived from Oahu Monday at 1:45, picked up rental car, went down to Kona to check in for manta ray snorkel (for Wednesday, but needed to do paperwork and get sized for wet suit & gear), grabbed groceries, then drove up to Kings Land, arriving by 4pm. Kings Land was extremely quiet and serene after our Aulani stay. Dinner at Eddie Aukai in the Kings Shops (or something like that), the meal was good but overpriced. We hit the superpool and hot tubs at Kings Land in the evening- very nice with a huge waterfall, multiple hot tubs (one of which we had to ourselves), and a great fire pit.

Tuesday: Wanted to go to Hapuna Beach in the am, but surf was too high for swimming. Tried A-Bay- meh. Ok narrow beach, slightly cloudy water, dirt seemed to be mixed with the sand. When the flies started landing on us, we beat a retreat to the Kings Land pool where we hung until our 2:40 pick up for Mauna Kea summit excursion with Hawaii Forest and Trail. Highly recommend this tour. Great tour guide, lots of interesting info on the drive up the saddle road and then to the summit. Saw a Hawaiian short-eared owl (and actually knew what is was because of our guide), learned the 7 reasons why Mauna Kea is such a great observatory site, saw sunset at the summit and then spent an hour or two star-gazing through a 12 inch telescope (the highlight of which was Jupiter, 4 of her moons and her storm spot)

Wednesday: Hit the Hilton main pool in the morning- nice enough but just a pool. Enjoyed the lagoon except for the overloud conventioneers. In the evening, did the night Manta ray snorkel with Big Island Divers. Also highly recommend this operator- very professional. There were only 6 snorkelers in our group vs. maybe a dozen or more in other groups and this made things much more enjoyable. Amazing manta sightings- 24 the night of our trip, many coming within 4-6 inches of us snorkelers. Yes the water was cold and dark, but the overall vibe was very upbeat and happy, with all the divers/snorkelers from the various operators all having a great time at the "campfire."

Thursday: Checked out 6am (ugh, ok that was a bit of an early day!) for our snorkel excursion to the Place of Refuge and Kealakekua Bay, Sea Quest Snorkeling. We had some great humpback sightings on the way, spinner dolphin sitings in both bays, and bottlenose dolphin on the way back. Poked into a few sea caves as well. Also highly recommend Sea Quest, especially since the small zodiac-style boats allow for the sea cave explorations. Did not unfortunately have time to visit the Place of Refuge, drove the southern route to Volcano via South Point. Arrived Volcano around 4:30-5pm. Hale Ohia Cottage 44 was quaint and cozy- great fireplace, big jacuzzi tub, woodsy setting, kitchenette. Dinner at Kiawe Cafe (fine food, excruciating service).

Friday: Volcano NP, after a nice breakfast delivered to our cottage (quick bread, papaya, bananas, juice and coffee). Participated in two ranger-led hikes plus hiked Kilauea Iki crater, which we would highly recommend. After a rest and sandwich back at Hale Ohia, we headed back to the park after dark to view the "glow" from Kilauea caldera. No easily accessible lava flows in the park during our visit, but we had perfect weather- sunny, 70 degrees, neither a cloud in the sky nor a drop of rain, so we considered ourselves pretty lucky in the end.

Saturday: Checked out 8am, drove back to Kohala coast via northern route. Did one short waterfall hike, but otherwise drove the old highway as much as we could, stopping here and there if something caught our interest. Arrived the Waipio Valley overlook by around 11:45 am, had a nice picnic lunch there and then headed to the Last Chance Store for our 12:15 check in for our Waipio Valley Wagon Tour. This one was another winner, a trip via 4WD vehicle into the valley, then a 45ish minute tour of the valley via mule-drawn wagon. Beautiful, interesting valley full of taro patches, mango trees, wild horses, shallow rivers, and a great feel of "old Hawaii." After our tour, drove to Fairmont Orchid via Waimea, again taking the old highway as much as possible. Blown away by the lush green pastures enclosed by lava rock fences, felt like we were in Ireland. Check in to Fairmont Orchid around 4 pm, showered and then headed out toThe Gathering of the Kings, their luau. This was the only dud of the trip. There was some traditional dance, but much of this show was a weird attempt at a mix of soft rock, modern dance, Cirque-du-Soliel-esque effects and standard luau dance. It just didn't work, although the food and drink were good and plentiful and we met an interesting couple from Victoria, BC, so the evening was pleasant.

Sunday: Our last night in Hawaii, Redeye flight home. The plan was to sleep in, but we had not gotten up to north Kohala/Haiwe, so we rolled out of bed around 7am to check out this last corner of the island. The drive up Kohala Mountain road was breathtaking, as was the drive out to the end of the road (heading north). We then backtracked along the coast, stopping for a nice tour at the Hamuaka Mac Nut factory. I bought 4 pounds of Mac nuts, so expect a Mac nut recipe thread soon, lol. We got back to the hotel around 11am and spent the rest of our lovely day lolling on their beach. Pupus and one last set of cocktails on their verandah, listening to live Hawaiian music, then the sun set on our Hawaiian vacation and we headed out to the airport for our flight back home to LA.

The trip was really great. I know people say not to island-hop, but it worked very well for us. We managed an upgrade to a convertible on Hawaii, which was extremely nice given we had perfect weather every day. We covered a large amount of real estate and unfortunately had a schedule to keep, but had really terrific experiences. Thanks to everyone for their help in planning this trip, it really helped a lot!

H

 

[momeason]

Park ranger guided hike

We went to the Big Island 14 years ago. The National Park service conducted a wonderful hike to see some pristine lava tubes..nothing like the public ones. We all loved it. Reservations had to be made the Wednesday before. This was at Volcanoes National Park. There was no cost other than providing batteries for the helmets we wore. They only take the first 12 people to register for the hike. It was one of the favorite 2 activities over a 2 week trip to Hawaii, our 2 teenagers both loved it. The other fav was Haleakala Bike ride. They did not like the helicopter tour as much as this hike!
Have fun!

 

[slip]

Sounds like you had a great time. Island hopping works for some and not for
Others. That's why it's best for everyone to point out the good and bad points
And let the person decide. It's great when a plan works out. Now it's time to
Start planning the next trip.