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Planning Big Island trip

DebBrown

DebBrown

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
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We've been there a couple times, stayed in Kona area and Waikoloa and visited the Volcano area. Still I'm wondering what you think would be the best combo for a 10 day trip split between the Volcano area and the west coast. We're taking a family group and not timesharing. We need at least 4 bedrooms. The family is very interested in the Volcano national park, hiking, etc. Would 4 days by Volcano seem right? Which would you do first? Other ideas/suggestions?
 
We have stayed 3 times in Mauna Lani, in 4+ bedroom houses. Not everyone wanted to VNP so those who did drove over. I just don't think a 10 day trip is enough for a split, but if you chose to I would suggest 7 - 3 West vs East. There are fewer options near Hilo for a four bedroom, so you may have to adjust.
 
I would do 2 or 3 nights in Volcano village and the rest in either Waikoloa or Kona. I like the volcano area a lot. There are quite a few hikes you can do.

Ten days is kind of short since you basically lose a day when you switch locations. Packing up, getting to the new location, checking in with afternoon check-in times and unpacking takes a lot of effort. Depending on your crew, it might make sense to just visit VNP for a day.

I would try to use the airports near my location to fly in and out (KOA or ITO). It has been a while since I've looked at flight from Hilo, so I don't know how easy this would be.
 
If you are retired, active duty, etc checkout KMC (Kīlauea Military Camp). Actually the list is quite long who can stay there. If you want a kitchen make sure you reserve a Cabin with 2 bedrooms and a kitchen. On our last 3 week to the Big Island our main location was the Bay Club. But we did spend 2 or 3 nights at KMC.
 
Yes that is a good plan and you should be able cover the main hikes unless you wanted to do them all. Assuming you have your own vehicle, you can always drive to the volcano as it's only a 2 hr drive if there is a eruption if you are on the opposite side in Waikoloa, we had to do this when the eruption started. You can easily spend half a day to a day at Hilton Waikoloa Village swimming in the lagoon and seeing the vast array of artwork. Bay Club is a great choice this is where we stayed as well but is a bit more isolated, Captain Cook area is another great choice as it's closer to one of the most picturesque hikes and swimming locations with coral. You could split 3 d Waikoloa, 3 d Captain Cook both are 30 minutes from airport in opposite direction. Captain Cook area is closer to Costco and more retail type shopping. There are other sights near each of the areas so you will not run out of activities.
 
DebBrown said:
We've been there a couple times, stayed in Kona area and Waikoloa and visited the Volcano area. Still I'm wondering what you think would be the best combo for a 10 day trip split between the Volcano area and the west coast. We're taking a family group and not timesharing. We need at least 4 bedrooms. The family is very interested in the Volcano national park, hiking, etc. Would 4 days by Volcano seem right? Which would you do first? Other ideas/suggestions?
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Aloha

Some information on approximate flight arrival and departure time(s) at KOA might influence which side of the island to start with. Jet lag recuperation might also be a factor. Long ago before the new saddle road into Hilo we flew into ITO (Hilo). Given flight connection schedules versus drive time on the new saddle road, we wouldn’t do that again.
If you haven’t been following the kilauea volcano fountaining eruption episodes, I recommend becoming familiar with them. Maybe pack N95 masks for everyone just in case you’re caught in tephra fallout.
I looked at VRBO and there are a few 4 bedroom houses between Volcano and Orchidland / Keaau. There are many in Hawaiian Paradise Park and Hilo areas. Given road speeds and time of day, those are roughly similar drive times despite Hilo being much further.
There are dozens of 4+ bedroom houses in VRBO for the west side. Keep in mind that as you go further up the mountainside, the weather is different than down at the coast.
If you haven’t used VRBO and want some pointers on how to evaluate the listings, just say so.
Jack
 
You might be able to rent some 2 bed units at Vacation Internationale Sea Mountain. Its a 20 mile drive to VNP from the resort.

Bill
 
Henry M. said:
I would do 2 or 3 nights in Volcano village and the rest in either Waikoloa or Kona. I like the volcano area a lot. There are quite a few hikes you can do.

Ten days is kind of short since you basically lose a day when you switch locations. Packing up, getting to the new location, checking in with afternoon check-in times and unpacking takes a lot of effort. Depending on your crew, it might make sense to just visit VNP for a day.

I would try to use the airports near my location to fly in and out (KOA or ITO). It has been a while since I've looked at flight from Hilo, so I don't know how easy this would be.
Click to expand...
Years ago we flew into Hilo for a day and spent one night. At a glance, the flights from mainland to ITO are wildly expensive. We will have to evaluate.
 
Thank you all for your thoughts. My original thought was to stay in one spot and drive back and forth. That seemed tedious but might make sense since we can't predict what the volcano schedule will be next February. I'm having sticker shock about the rental cost of a 4 bedroom house!!
 
DebBrown said:
Thank you all for your thoughts. My original thought was to stay in one spot and drive back and forth. That seemed tedious but might make sense since we can't predict what the volcano schedule will be next February. I'm having sticker shock about the rental cost of a 4 bedroom house!!
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You should be able to find exchange for 2bd or timeshare presentations at Wyndham if there are non paying guests put them to work ;)
 
DebBrown said:
I'm having sticker shock about the rental cost of a 4 bedroom house!!
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Rent two 2-bedroom timeshares instead. Even paying Redweek prices, it's going to be FAR better than AirBnb -- most of which are illegal here, anyway. And some of them are REALLY sketchy. Like "owner slapped a sheet of plywood across a doorway and ran extension cords to a room with no outlets." That was a post a few months back in one of the Hawaii travel fora.

There are two strategies: splitting your time, and having a home base the entire stay.

I'm partial to the latter. But I see the logic of the former. If you split, you can stay in Volcano. (But be careful about ill-maintained water catchment systems in shady AirBnbs owned by Vlad from Moscow.) Or even stay in Hilo. The drive to the park from Hilo is easy.

Every visitor I've taken to see Kilauea has been happy with a single day at the park. So I think four days is probably overkill. And it's also why I'm partial to having a home-base closer to everything else you want to see. (And for most people, that's Keauhou. Not Waikoloa or Kailua-Kona.)

There is also a timeshare resort (Sea Mountain, Westgate) near Punalu'u black sand beach. It's an unusual choice. But for people who want the volcano, coffee farms, and lots of snorkeling, it makes a LOT of sense. Provisioning will be a chore, though. And there isn't any ticky-tacky tourist-trap stuff nearby.
 
ScoopKona said:
Rent two 2-bedroom timeshares instead. Even paying Redweek prices, it's going to be FAR better than AirBnb -- most of which are illegal here, anyway. And some of them are REALLY sketchy. Like "owner slapped a sheet of plywood across a doorway and ran extension cords to a room with no outlets." That was a post a few months back in one of the Hawaii travel fora.

There are two strategies: splitting your time, and having a home base the entire stay.

I'm partial to the latter. But I see the logic of the former. If you split, you can stay in Volcano. (But be careful about ill-maintained water catchment systems in shady AirBnbs owned by Vlad from Moscow.) Or even stay in Hilo. The drive to the park from Hilo is easy.

Every visitor I've taken to see Kilauea has been happy with a single day at the park. So I think four days is probably overkill. And it's also why I'm partial to having a home-base closer to everything else you want to see. (And for most people, that's Keauhou. Not Waikoloa or Kailua-Kona.)

There is also a timeshare resort (Sea Mountain, Westgate) near Punalu'u black sand beach. It's an unusual choice. But for people who want the volcano, coffee farms, and lots of snorkeling, it makes a LOT of sense. Provisioning will be a chore, though. And there isn't any ticky-tacky tourist-trap stuff nearby.
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Thanks for the thoughtful info. I'd like to avoid 2 units because we're traveling with our children and grandchildren. Every minute we spend with those kids is cherished. I want to sit at the breakfast table every day. We stayed in a gorgeous townhouse in Waikoloa area a few years ago. Today the nice places are $1000/night and up.
 
DebBrown said:
Thanks for the thoughtful info. I'd like to avoid 2 units because we're traveling with our children and grandchildren. Every minute we spend with those kids is cherished. I want to sit at the breakfast table every day. We stayed in a gorgeous townhouse in Waikoloa area a few years ago. Today the nice places are $1000/night and up.
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I live at the intersection of "poor coffee farmers," "smelly hitchhikers" and "illegal Airbnbs." (I'd link the "honest map of Big Island" but it has some language and it would just be removed.)

I have one AirBnb on either side of me. One is a tent. It's a really nice tent. (Kind of like the army tents in Mash.) But it's still just a tent. $500/night. The other is an all-glass tiny house that requires a 4x4 to get to. That's $1,000/night. Prices are insane right now. And I don't see any relief for at least two more years.

Oahu and Maui are lowering the boom on illegal AirBnbs -- two $40,000 fines levied last week. They're going to keep at it until people are afraid to list their illegal amateur hotel.
 
ScoopKona said:
I live at the intersection of "poor coffee farmers," "smelly hitchhikers" and "illegal Airbnbs." (I'd link the "honest map of Big Island" but it has some language and it would just be removed.)

I have one AirBnb on either side of me. One is a tent. It's a really nice tent. (Kind of like the army tents in Mash.) But it's still just a tent. $500/night. The other is an all-glass tiny house that requires a 4x4 to get to. That's $1,000/night. Prices are insane right now. And I don't see any relief for at least two more years.

Oahu and Maui are lowering the boom on illegal AirBnbs -- two $40,000 fines levied last week. They're going to keep at it until people are afraid to list their illegal amateur hotel.
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Just WOW! We've rented in Poipu for the last couple of years with the family and been super happy with luxury accommodations that, at the time, seemed pricey. But this is crazy.

I wouldn't mind seeing your honest map if you want to send it via message.
 
DebBrown said:
ScoopKona said:
<SNIP>

Oahu and Maui are lowering the boom on illegal AirBnbs -- two $40,000 fines levied last week. They're going to keep at it until people are afraid to list their illegal amateur hotel.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
beatofhawaii.com

Your Hawaii Airbnb Could Disappear Before Check-In

Is your Hawaii Airbnb actually legal? Honolulu just hit two illegal vacation rentals with $40,000 in fines, and travelers with future bookings are the ones most likely to feel it first.
beatofhawaii.com beatofhawaii.com
 
To add to the beat of hawaii article, Hawaii County is also cracking down on illegal rentals with a bill that should go into effect in July when all rentals for less than 180 days will need to register their property and apply for a certificate. Many of these homes will not be approved by the county when the home/condo is outside of an approved resort zone or had a non-conforming certificate issued.

www.civilbeat.org

Vacation Rental Owners Could Face New Hawaiʻi County Rules

Stronger enforcement and better registration requirements are on the horizon on the Big Island.
www.civilbeat.org www.civilbeat.org
 
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