Tips/advice/recommendations for 1st Hawaii visit WTD !

My Mom , sister Laurie and her 10 year old daughter , and my ( deceased ) brother's 10 year old were thinking about coming to Japan for a visit ( Ma and Sis have been here once before ) , but I think I've talked them into meeting in Hawaii instead , as none of us inc. my Japanese wife have ever been , and I'm sure the kids would have a heck of a lot better time there . A little too young to appreciate Japan in my opinion .

Anyway , since it would be our first trip , and we'd be staying for about a week , I'd like some recommendations with regards to where to go/stay and what to do/see .

Thinking about renting a vacation home for $ 300-400 a day and spending the week on the big island in Kona area .

Any advice/tips/recommendations would be appreciated .

Thanks in advance .

[ Edited by: sushiman 2007-07-17 21:25 ]

[ Edited by: sushiman 2007-07-17 21:26 ]

According to the book, 1,000 Places You Should See Before You Die in the USA & Canada, written by Paticia Shultz, her suggestions for visiting Hawaii are the following:

*Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Big Island, Hawaii)
*Hilo Farmers Marker (Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii)
*Merrie Monarch Hula Festival (Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii)
*Pu'Uhonua O Honaunau (Honaunau, Big Island , Hawaii)
*Historic Kailua-Kona (Big Island, Hawaii)
*Luau at Kona Village Resort (Big Island, Hawaii)
*Twilight at Kalahuipua'a (Big Island, Hawaii)
*Mauna Kea Resort (Big Island, Hawaii)
*Kona Coast (Big Island, Hawaii)
*Kona's Coffee Belt (Big Island, Hawaii)
*The Mauna Kea Summit (Big Island, Hawaii)
*Kealakekua Bay (Big Island, Hawaii)
*Parker Ranch (Big Island, Hawaii)
*Waipi'o Valley (Big Island, Hawaii)
*Hanalei & Princeville Resort (Kauai, Hawaii)
*Kauai By Helicopter (Kauai, Hawaii)
*The Na Pali Coast (Kauai, Hawaii)
*Po'ipu Beach (Kauai, Hawaii)
*Waimea Canyon and Waimea Town (Kauai, Hawaii)
*The Lana'i Coast (Lana'i, Hawaii)
*The Lodge at Ko'ele & Lana'i City (Lana'i, Hawaii)
*Hana Highway (Maui, Hawaii)
*Hana Village (Maui, Hawaii)
*Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (Maui, Hawaii)
*Kapalua Resort (Maui, Hawaii)
*Lahaina (Maui, Hawaii)
*Old Lahaina Luau (Maui, Hawaii)
*Molokini (Maui, Hawaii)
*The Friendly Isla of Molikai (Hawaii)
*Bishop Museum (O'ahu, Hawaii)
*Diamond Head ( O'ahu, Hawaii)
*Hanauma Bay (O'ahu, Hawaii)
*Historic Honolulu (O'ahu, Hawaii)
*Honolulu's Chinatown (O'ahu, Hawaii)
*Waikiki Beach (O'ahu, Hawaii)
*Polynesian Cultural Center (O'ahu, Hawaii)
*The North Shore (O'ahu, Hawaii)
*Pearl Harbor (O'ahu, Hawaii)

Way to bring it, WooHooWahine.

I stayed in the Kona area last year and loved it. It shows Hawaii as it may have been in decades past. The volcanic rock is amazing against the blue ocean.

Place of Refuge and the Black Sand Beach make for an excellent day trip.
There is a very good flea market.
Of course, save plenty of time for dinning at Don the Beachcomber.

Thanks for your advice / info . I'm psyched already ! Go !

We went for our first trip to the Islands last year and spent a paltry 4 days each on Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai.

It was Hawaii that we loved best.

We stayed at the Kona Tiki Hotel which was cheaper, small, local and low-rise - and walking distance to Don's was its distinct advantage! It was a lodging tip from TC that was spot on.

Enjoy your visit.

Watch out for the turtles at Black Sand Beach.

They seem to get in your way when you're trying

to see the other fish!!!

Kona Tiki Hotel looks cool ( checked their site ) . I think we'll probably just spend the entire week on Hawaii and take it slow . Since there may be 6 , possibly even 7 people going , I'm thinking that renting a house with a nice ocean/sunset view for $ 250-300 a day would be the way to go . We'll rent a car , of course .

[ Edited by: sushiman 2007-07-18 16:34 ]

Make sure you get up to the volcano national park

Hawaii Vacation Tips

On 2007-07-19 07:38, Rum Balls wrote:
Make sure you get up to the volcano national park

It's on the list - thanks !

Aloha Sushiman

Have a look at the above "Hawaiian Vacation TIps" thread. Good stuff! Also, when you get back, be sure to post in that thread any tips you've discovered to help out us future travelers. Have a blast!

-Weird Unc

Random stuff re: the Big Island

Absolutely rent a house! I have had great luck with vrbo.com, try there.

I second Place of Refuge, the black sand beach, and the Hilo Farmer's market. Driving to Hilo and back from the Kona area makes for a loooong but fully do-able day. You can now drive over Saddle Road (improvements have been made, old guidebooks will tell you you can't), it looks like the moon up there.

Also drive up the Kohala coast for great beaches and some fascinating, intense archaeological sites. Also on the Hilo side, Akaka falls and Rainbow falls are beautiful.

my favorite things on the big island, hands down, are Waipio Valley and Pololu valley. The hike up and down into Waipio might be more than your kids can do, it's super-steep but worth every step. Pololu valley is an easier climb, a trail with steps and switch-backs. I heard that it was damaged in the most recent large earthquake, though, so check on that.

Waimea, a smaller town that you will pass through going from Kona to Hilo, is nice. I remember really liking a mexican joint there called Tako Taco. 24 hour Ken's house of Pancakes in Hilo is also pretty good and will be great for kids/families. If you rent a house, though, hit the farmer's markets (there is one in Kona, too, in like a church parking lot on Alii drive) and cook cook cook! I still think about the tropical salsa I made last time. Pahoa is another cute smaller town, the hot springs beach there was really crowded, though, and kind-of gross - the water was covered with an oil slick of sweat and sunscreen greaze. The tsunami museum in Hilo was fascinating and would be a good rainy-day activity.

I'm sorry I don't have books or maps handy to get more detailed information. Let me know if you have any questions or want to see my photos.

The Big Island is so different from the other islands. Things move slower - and they call it the Big Island for a reason.

Day trips can be much longer (driving time) than on some of the other islands. And you may only be going 50 miles but you will average 35 miles per hour if the traffic is moderate.

The beaches are great but they are more removed from the roads than on some of the other islands. You have to sort of plan if you are wanting to stop on your day trips to go for a swim.

Both Kona and Hilo are fun places to explore but they are rather small - still great sites to see.

Catch the outrigger boat racing (if they are doing it) in the Kona harbor on Saturday mornings. Great place to swim and watch the boats:

and a beautiful sunset on the coast about 20 miles north of Kona:

I did my daily exercise routine at that cove and had one of the best "feeling" workouts and runs of my life.

Oh, there is a "resort" somewhere along the Kohola Coast that is an old hawaiian village themed affair. There are separate "huts" that people stay in and a large central dining hall and socializing area. Only rustic in design but not comfort.

Shelley (Shell in the Pacific), her friend Blakeley and I found it by accident when there a couple of years ago. We did not have our cameras at the time and I tried to google it but could not find the name. Does anybody know the place I am talking about? Will look more and see if I can find it. It was a great place to see.

Balmy regards,

Tiki Bob

[ Edited by: tikibob 2007-07-27 14:43 ]

[ Edited by: tikibob 2007-07-27 14:45 ]

On 2007-07-24 19:52, AllisonV wrote:
Random stuff re: the Big Island

Absolutely rent a house! I have had great luck with vrbo.com, try there.

I'm sorry I don't have books or maps handy to get more detailed information. Let me know if you have any questions or want to see my photos.

Thanks for the vrbo.com suggestion . We found a house via that site that we are seriously considering . What do you think ?

http://www.vrbo.com/112751

Thanks for your info and pics Tikibob !

the site you are considering seems pretty good location wise. it is fairly close to the city of refuge (if i am remembering correctly) and some really great kona coffee farms, as well as a good japanese steak house -teshima's- on hwy 12 in honalu (or something like that). :)

the real key to the big island is touring it in sections and packing lunches. if you truly go for doing it local style, you will find yourselves in places where no-one else is (during the week that is, since locals will vacation there on the weekends) and most of these places have no facilities. but it is entirely worth it to do a day trip and stake your claim at these places. the key is to pack a lunch (buy sandwiches at a gas station) and take many bottles of water. as long as you have a swim suit and snorkel gear, you are set. (band-aids are always a good idea too if you are me; long legged and clumsy in climbing up lava to get out of water).

places i highly recommend that you can find some info in tourist books are:
kiholo bay
the abandoned mill pier in kohala
4 mile drive north of hilo
kona village resort (not to miss!)
chain of craters road (obviously)
place of refuge (and im talking about the main deal, the big hike to the south of it, and then scuba diving to the north)

On 2007-07-27 21:08, tikicleen wrote:
the site you are considering seems pretty good location wise. it is fairly close to the city of refuge (if i am remembering correctly) and some really great kona coffee farms, as well as a good japanese steak house -teshima's- on hwy 12 in honalu (or something like that). :)

the real key to the big island is touring it in sections and packing lunches. if you truly go for doing it local style, you will find yourselves in places where no-one else is (during the week that is, since locals will vacation there on the weekends) and most of these places have no facilities. but it is entirely worth it to do a day trip and stake your claim at these places. the key is to pack a lunch (buy sandwiches at a gas station) and take many bottles of water. as long as you have a swim suit and snorkel gear, you are set. (band-aids are always a good idea too if you are me; long legged and clumsy in climbing up lava to get out of water).

places i highly recommend that you can find some info in tourist books are:
kiholo bay
the abandoned mill pier in kohala
4 mile drive north of hilo
kona village resort (not to miss!)
chain of craters road (obviously)
place of refuge (and im talking about the main deal, the big hike to the south of it, and then scuba diving to the north)

Thanks for your comments / advice / recommendations .

Yes , this house is near the City Of Refuge . Teshima's ? We'll have to check it out ! We have friends by that name here in the Japanese boondocks . ; )

Going to do a little more research and decide this weekend as to where we are going to stay . More than likely we're going to grab this house . I dig a little seclusion , the ocean view from the bluff , and the sunsets . Jacuzzi a plus too !

This thread is so helpful. I am currently on the Big Island for the next week and I was wondering if anyone could recommend any shops, spots or markets that sell vinyl records and/or tiki/Polynesian chachkis. Thanks so much for all this excellent info.

On 2007-07-31 04:06, Phofo wrote:
This thread is so helpful. I am currently on the Big Island for the next week and I was wondering if anyone could recommend any shops, spots or markets that sell vinyl records and/or tiki/Polynesian chachkis. Thanks so much for all this excellent info.

Tiki stuff....

Kona Swap Meet
Hilo Farmers Market

ANY gift shop, really...The Big Island IS Tiki.

Sushiman....

One of my favorite spots on the Big island is South Kona. Start out on the main road from Kailua-Kona, and head south...The first town you hit, Kainaliu, is my favoite little town on the Big Island. Keep going south into and hit all the towns along the way. OF COURSE....go to Honaunau, place of refuge. that is a MUST.

Keep going all the way through Ka'u, all the way to Black Sand Beach.

This is the drive that inspired the songs "The Road to Punalu'u" and "Black Sand, Blue Sea" on the the Tikiyaki Orchestra CD.

Be sure to stop in Naalehu at the Punalu'u Bake Shop, and remember to play the CD on the drive :)

On the Hilo side, there is lots of great stuff to see...one of my faves being Onomea Bay. Great spot, and of course Volcano National Park. DO have the breakfast buffet at Volcano House. Awesome.

There's so much great stuff to see on the BI.

Actually, as I write this, I'm waiting for the cab to come and take me and my fiancee' to the airport, we're on our way there for 3 weeks. Not kidding.

I'll be going to Kauai for the first time on this trip, as well as the BI and Waikiki.

I love HAWAII .

http://www.tikiyakiorchestra.com
http://www.tikiyaki.wordpress.com
http://www.cuefactory.com

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2007-07-31 06:00 ]

On 2007-07-31 05:53, tikiyaki wrote:
Sushiman....

One of my favorite spots on the Big island is South Kona. Start out on the main road from Kailua-Kona, and head south...The first town you hit, Kainaliu, is my favoite little town on the Big Island. Keep going south into and hit all the towns along the way. OF COURSE....go to Honaunau, place of refuge. that is a MUST.

Keep going all the way through Ka'u, all the way to Black Sand Beach.

This is the drive that inspired the songs "The Road to Punalu'u" and "Black Sand, Blue Sea" on the the Tikiyaki Orchestra CD.

Be sure to stop in Naalehu at the Punalu'u Bake Shop, and remember to play the CD on the drive :)

On the Hilo side, there is lots of great stuff to see...one of my faves being Onomea Bay. Great spot, and of course Volcano National Park. DO have the breakfast buffet at Volcano House. Awesome.

There's so much great stuff to see on the BI.

Actually, as I write this, I'm waiting for the cab to come and take me and my fiancee' to the airport, we're on our way there for 3 weeks. Not kidding.

I'll be going to Kauai for the first time on this trip, as well as the BI and Waikiki.

I love HAWAII .

---

http://www.tikiyakiorchestra.com
http://www.tikiyaki.wordpress.com
http://www.cuefactory.com

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2007-07-31 06:00 ]

3 weeks ? I envy ya bigtime man .

The place in Honaunau we were interested in got rented for the whole month of March , so I've been combing websites for the past couple of days in search of a house on the ocean to rent for a week , and found a great place that we are going to try and book tonight . It is on Keauhou Bay , Kona Coast , and a short walk to Kahaluu Beach Park and White Sands Beach . I'll attach a pic .

If you can ( or feel so inclined ) , check in with us during your trip via this thread .

Unfortunately , the owner of the house never answered our mails or returned our phone calls . So , we have booked an oceanfront condo at Outrigger Kanaloa at Kona . $ 1995 inclusive for a 2 bedroom with loft for week . From the info I could gather this place has a very good rep . 8 months away ...yikes ! But psyched ! Go !

[ Edited by: sushiman 2007-08-06 15:41 ]

Just got back from the Big Island. So many things to do! I highly recommend doing a night dive/snorkel with the manta rays. It will blow your mind. We went with a company called Honu Divers(?)... Honu something- they seemed to be the best there was. We snorkled and the giant mantas came within a foot or two of us.
Also stop by Don the Beachcomber's in Kailua-Kona. We just went to the bar. Skip the crappy pizzas or salads and just stick to the fresh ahi sashimi(do this everywhere you go on the island). The "Don in the Coconut" drink was very refreshing. Look in the tourist books for coupons for "buy one, get one for a penny" mai tais( after 2:30). Also check out Lulu's bar- good drinks and some Elviki tikis.
If you go to the volcano park, bring a jacket. In some places it was cold(even rained) and others it was warm.
Rent snorkels and masks from Snorkel Bob's and snorkel as much as humanly possible.
Also eat as much local ahi, pineapple(esp. white), local mango, papaya, chocolate mochi(from KTA in Kailua), poi, and Kailua Wheat Beer by Kona Brewing. Buns in the Sun had some tasty kalua pork sandwiches.
The luau at Kona Village Resort is expensive, but worth it for its authentic buffet. They even had things that I haven't had in years. Get there EARLY though or you will be sitting in a seriously crappy seat in the back.
Have fun. I wish I was back there right now!

On 2007-08-22 17:54, TIKI KAIMUKI wrote:
Just got back from the Big Island. So many things to do! I highly recommend doing a night dive/snorkel with the manta rays. It will blow your mind. We went with a company called Honu Divers(?)... Honu something- they seemed to be the best there was. We snorkled and the giant mantas came within a foot or two of us.
Also stop by Don the Beachcomber's in Kailua-Kona. We just went to the bar. Skip the crappy pizzas or salads and just stick to the fresh ahi sashimi(do this everywhere you go on the island). The "Don in the Coconut" drink was very refreshing. Look in the tourist books for coupons for "buy one, get one for a penny" mai tais( after 2:30). Also check out Lulu's bar- good drinks and some Elviki tikis.
If you go to the volcano park, bring a jacket. In some places it was cold(even rained) and others it was warm.
Rent snorkels and masks from Snorkel Bob's and snorkel as much as humanly possible.
Also eat as much local ahi, pineapple(esp. white), local mango, papaya, chocolate mochi(from KTA in Kailua), poi, and Kailua Wheat Beer by Kona Brewing. Buns in the Sun had some tasty kalua pork sandwiches.
The luau at Kona Village Resort is expensive, but worth it for its authentic buffet. They even had things that I haven't had in years. Get there EARLY though or you will be sitting in a seriously crappy seat in the back.
Have fun. I wish I was back there right now!

Thanks for the info/recommendations ( especially the bars and drinks ...hehe ) ...Ahi ( yellowfin tuna ) is Hamachi in Japanese and one of my faves so I'll be sure to taste it on the Big Island ! Don's and Volcano Park on the " must see " list .

sushiman,

You and your family are going to have an amazing time on the Big Island. My husband grew up there, and I feel really lucky to get to spend time in Hawaii almost every year. I'll just echo some of the other posters when I say a meal at Teshima's Restaurant and a hike in Waipio Valley are absolutely, positively not to be missed!

A few years ago when we were back in Kona for a visit and were driving all over the island to replace my husband's local t-shirt collection, he came up with the idea to start a business that sells all his favorite t-shirts from all the local spots he loves to visit. Slowly it morphed into a way to spread the word about all of these cool local establishments. Fast forward a few years, and we now have a t-shirt shop in the Kona Inn Shopping Village.

I'm telling you about it because so many of the places with t-shirts on our shop walls are places that you'd no doubt love to check out. Not a day goes by that we don't have people come in and say, "I've been there and there, and oh, we've got to check out that place too." One of our Seattle friends just went to Kona on vacation with his family and ended up touring the island by visiting all of our 'Desteenations'—that's the name of our business.

Even if you don't buy a t-shirt, it's just a fun place to learn about some of the Big Island's cool, local places. You can check out our Hawaiian collection on our website—just click on a shirt to see pictures and learn more about the place. We're adding new places every week.

Hope you have a great time on the Big Island!

Melissa
Desteenation Shirt Co.
http://www.desteenation.com

[ Edited by: desteenation 2007-08-23 13:09 ]

On 2007-08-23 11:29, desteenation wrote:
Even if you don't buy a t-shirt, it's just a fun place to learn about some of the Big Island's cool, local places. You can check out our Hawaiian collection (www.desteenation.com/t-shirts_hawaii.html?Hawaiian+T-shirts) on our website—just click on a shirt to see pictures and learn more about the place. We're adding new places every week.

I applied to work for Cafe Pesto's when it first opened. Your webpage brought me back!

Aloha

Time has sure flown . We're off in three weeks . Getting more and more psyched as each day passes ! Ha !

We have an oceanfront condo w/ loft at Outrigger Kanaloa at Kona .

If anyboody has any last minute advice / suggestions they would be welcome .

Mahalo !

http://www.outrigger.com/hotels-resorts/hawaiian-islands/hawaii-big-island/outrigger-kanaloa-at-kona

[ Edited by: sushiman 2008-03-03 19:28 ]

Don't forget Kona brewing company for a pint. My wife and I always found it a great idea to ask a local where they eat. This has always worked no matter where we go. Enjoy and have fun!

Kona Brewing on the MUST DO list . Checked out their homepage yesterday - everything looks yummy yummy !