You’ve already found your airfare deal, now what? First is to ask what you want to do, how you’re going to get around, and finally where to stay.
What to do?
What are your interests? Do you like to go explore on your own or do you want guides to help explain what you’re seeing and keep you to a timeline? Do you want to get active and do some work on your vacation or just relax and enjoy the Hawaiian breeze?
I almost always start with Tripadvisor to find out the most popular activities and then figure out what I’m interested in. Their forums are a great resource to get current information, like making sure there are accessible lava flows before forking out $200+ on a lava tour.
Another great resource to have is Hawaii, the Big Island Revealed by Andrew Doughty. He has tons of local knowledge and input and the book is very helpful to have on hand just for finding little known spots off the side of the road.
If Volcanoes National Park is part of your itinerary (it should be!) then check out the National Park Service website for current conditions and activities in the park, as well as the current fees.
Getting around
Even though it is a small island, many of the most popular sites are spread all over, so renting a car is typically the easiest way to go. I have used Discount Hawaii Car Rental for every trip and haven’t been disappointed at all. They have great pricing and their rates typically include some extras. Based on what you want to do, figure out the type of car you need. Keep in mind that for Hawaii, rental agreements don’t cover if you take the cars on certain roads or unpaved roads, even if you rent a 4wd. If this makes you uncomfortable, then you can book with a tour company for those activities, like heading to the Mauna Kea summit, and save some money by booking a smaller car. If you do decide to risk it, make sure to read the find print on the rental agreement and understand what the risks are. Personally for me, I was comfortable with Mauna Kea since it is still a road, but there is no way I would have taken our rental out to Green Sand Beach.
If renting a car isn’t for you, or if you only want to drive for part of the trip, there are several companies that offer tours, ranging from small van type tours to the full sized buses that will take you all over the Island in a day. If you would rather have a guide take you around and leave the driving to someone else, I suggest using Tripadvisor to find the right company for you.
Where to stay?
Once you have figured out what you want to do and how you’re going to get there, you can figure out what sort of accommodation makes the most sense. If you want the resort style hotel with lots of amenities right on the beach, check out the Kohala Coast or Waikoloa area. It is the priciest part of the Island since it is mainly a tourist hub, but that is due to the beautiful white sand beaches. The rest of the Island you will find any kind of accommodations you like; hostels, B&Bs, economy hotels and several apartment style options.
We like to split our time to avoid too much driving back and forth, so our preference is to stay at a B&B in Volcano. I highly recommend both the Hale Ohia Cottages and Volcano Forest Inn, but there are lots of options, including a couple more traditional hotels and several vacation rentals.
On the Kona side, we found Kona Coast Resort, which is all apartment style accommodations, and allows us to do our own laundry and cook some of our own meals. Not only does it save us money, but they still have several resort amenities and the apartments are large and quiet. It’s also a great base if you plan on snorkeling or kayaking since you’re near some of the best spots on the Island. It is a bit outside the Kona center, so if you would rather be able to walk around town there are several closer options, the biggest probably being the Royal Kona Resort or the Courtyard by Marriott.
One of the biggest pieces to having a relaxing vacation is finding the right place to stay, so take your time and do lots of research to ensure you will be comfortable. Or you can reach out to me for more personalized advice and I will be happy to do the research for you!
avr adventures 