Big Island Of Hawaii Master Thread

[arid]

still waiting on an answer. googlemaps says all the hotels are about an hour walk away. looking for a metziah house/condo/apt that people have gone to

[Dan]

Try calling?

[ShlockDoc]

Dan,

The wife and I are planning our HI trip and will be spending two night in Kona.  We'd like to stay at the Courtyard by Marriot in Kona which is just a few steps away from Falafel in Paradise.  Everywhere else (Hilo, Maui) we'll be staying in homes from VRBO, Airbnb, etc.

The price that I got quote from the courtyard in Kona for two nights is 283.75 all in.  Can you think of a way to either bring that price down or to get upgrades even though we aren't Marriott Rewards members or frequent travelers....

Thanks for your advice!

[Ergel]

Dates?

[ShlockDoc]

Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel:  8/19-8/21

[MLM]

I didnt see a specific thread for this Island yet. So....

I am going next July for 3 days. It will be a boys trip leaving from LA. I booked tickets on BA 25,000 Avios and will be staying at the Fairmont Orchid. I am confirmed in the Ocean Front suite for $272/nt using suite upgrades.

Has anyone stayed there? What are the must do's?

[Dan]

http://pacificislandparks.com/2013/01/21/latest-lava-flow-photos-from-hawaiian-volcano-observatory/

[Cbs]

leaving tomorrow iy"h to the big island flying into hilo. - ill be landing at around 3pm and ill have 3.5 hours till sunset and then a full next day to tour and drive to kona for the return flight.

so far my plan is to go to the volcano national park and spend time there and then at night go to mauna kea . tuesday morning to drive along the north /west side of island to kona and go to captain cook and pololu valley lookout.

i really want to go to green sand beach and south point. but im wondering how to schedule it and see if its worth the long drive - cuz ill be driving a lot.
also im wondering how dangerous the drive up to mauna kea is at night?

if anyone can assist me with some advice that would be appreciated.

 

[Dan]

Bad plan IMHO.

Are you renting a 4x4?

If you have a 4x4 I'd go offroading and go for a dip into some isolated volcanically heated hot springs on the Hilo side followed by viewing the current flow at Kalapana (though recently some people have said you can't get too close unless you take a helicopter ride).

Tomorrow I'd go to Volcano Natl park.  You can play it quick there and also get in the green sand beach/south point/road to ocean or to Waipio Valley or you can take it easy and stay in the park on the spectacular devastation trail hike.  Top the day off with sunset at Mauna Kea (625pm and allow quite some time to make it to the top, ideally you should get out an adjust at the ranger station rather than drive straight up 15K feet).
Then haul @#$ to KOA to catch your flight.

Best of luck.

[Cbs]

Bad plan IMHO.

Are you renting a 4x4?

If you have a 4x4 I'd go offroading and go for a dip into some isolated volcanically heated hot springs on the Hilo side followed by viewing the current flow at Kalapana (though recently some people have said you can't get too close unless you take a helicopter ride).

Tomorrow I'd go to Volcano Natl park.  You can play it quick there and also get in the green sand beach/south point/road to ocean or to Waipio Valley or you can take it easy and stay in the park on the spectacular devastation trail hike.  Top the day off with sunset at Mauna Kea (625pm and allow quite some time to make it to the top, ideally you should get out an adjust at the ranger station rather than drive straight up 15K feet).
Then haul @#$ to KOA to catch your flight.

Best of luck.

i reserved a premium, so i hope theyll give me something good - ill ask for a wrangler i guess.

your plan sounds good, but the one issue is that my flight leaves KOA at 10:20pm and to go for sunset at mauna kea would be kinda tight because it looks like 2.5 hour drive. - and i have luggage to check in
also where are these lava springs you speak about? will i find them randomly or its a certain place?

isnt waipio valley on the other end of island (accross south point)? if i were to choose wither of the 2 which would you recommend - i mean just the drive from south to mauna kea says 3.5 hours!!

maybe ill go to mauna kea tonight and then tommorow go to the park and keep going down (instead of north) and around to south and on to kona for flight

[Dan]

If you went to HI without the revealed books you have nobody but yourself to blame. I don't remember where each hot spring is.

I don't think it will be that tight, google drive times tend to be long.

Google pics for Waipio and green sand and decide what to do.

[Cbs]

If you went to HI without the revealed books you have nobody but yourself to blame. I don't remember where each hot spring is.

I don't think it will be that tight, google drive times tend to be long.

Google pics for Waipio and green sand and decide what to do.

im not blaming anyone...im just asking
and ill google and see. will write up a TR later.

gtg see pali lookout before my flight... later!

[JewJitSew]

im not blaming anyone...im just asking
and ill google and see. will write up a TR later.

gtg see pali lookout before my flight... later!

On my first trip to the Big Island we didn't make it to Green Sands, we got down there but with an infant in tow we did not want to walk it, take a local up for a ride, and definitely were not going to make it in our rental. This last trip I really wanted to make it out there but had a Suburban as a rental (nice Avis President's Club upgrade from a mid-size). On our last day I exchanged the big truck for a 4-door Wrangler and headed out for the day.

The year that passed since our first visit made me forget how far that end of the island was from Waikoloa where we were staying. It was late in the day when we finally made it to the Southern Most Point in the US. I have played around off-roading before, but cannot say I know what I am doing. The sun was just beginning to set as we were heading down and since there was a local truck heading out I thought we could try to follow them. They definitely got a head start and as we were driving we began to lose them in the combo of dust and lack of driving confidence. More than once my wife and I looked at each other with concern. The thing is once you get going there was not much space to turn around and I kept thinking we are this far, we have to go all the way.

Once getting there, it really is unique and I am glad we went. We took some beautiful photos (even with sunlight escaping us). So realizing the sun was setting over a very rough terrain we started back as did the local who was leaving. We were ahead of them trying to blaze our own trail and pushing the capability of the Jeep. While I drove carefully trying to care for my daughter and wife, I glance and see the local is well beyond us and we are on own own.

Long story short, B''H we made it back despite our Jeep sliding sideways down a decent sized sand dune.

It is definitely a sight and experience, but I highly recommend going in daylight with plenty of time to enjoy the beach and return before sunset.

[Dan]

Pics?

[JewJitSew]

Don't have many on my computer here, attached is one that I had re-touched to brighten up, but the originals were a bit dark.

[Something Fishy]

http://blog.flickr.net/en/2013/03/15/man-braves-2000-degrees-lava-flows-the-adrenaline-is-insane/

[JewJitSew]

http://blog.flickr.net/en/2013/03/15/man-braves-2000-degrees-lava-flows-the-adrenaline-is-insane/

Let's be honest, do his adrenaline shots compare to my green sand beach photo?

Some really amazing shots he took including the moonbow - never heard of that.

[Cbs]

TRIP REPORT

Flew Hawaiian Airlines to Hilo as part of my Multi-City flight from LAX to HNL. Luggage was $17 a piece.
The Rental company - Hertz - was a PITA to deal with. They refused to give me a Jeep Wrangler (4x4) for the points i used -600 for one day - they made me put down 1800 points for one day. My plan was to rent for one day from Hilo and return it the next day as we drive around the north part of the island to fly out of Kona and we would pick up a one way rental full size for 1200 points. But G-d Had other plans (read below)….in any case we took the Jeep since everyone here said its a must, and it was. Just don't tell them that you plan to go off road with it because they don't allow it.

We drove 5 minutes out of airport and checked in at Hilo Seaside Hotel that we found for $89 total on priceline. Decent room, but all we needed was 2 beds for a few hours so it was good. the downside, Wifi only worked in the Lobby.

Moana Kea - We then went on the hour and a half journey to the Moana Kea - Tallest Mountain in the world from the bottom to top (32,000 feet)
Driving up is fine until 9,000 feet. At 9k there is a station to rest at and get used to the air. Its very cold up there so make sure you bring a warm sweater or coat.i didn't have one and i was FREEZING! Officialy you are supposed to wait at the station for anise half hour to adjust to the oxygen level but we saw we wouldn't make it in time to Sunset which is the highlight and purpose of driving up. so we only waited 10 minutes and went up. The Drive from 9k to top (13.5k) takes a nice 20 minutes and going 15-20mph NOT MORE, or you'll C"V go right off the mountain. The road is very bumpy full of rocks and sandy and no traction and you must be in Low gear. They only let 4x4's go up. Already from 9k i was feeling a little dizzy and on way up i felt a little more nauseous. So we stopped on side with a nice view and drank some powerade (sugar boost) and i took over to drive and felt fine.
We made sunset by literally 2 and a half minutes or so and it was GORGEOUS. your on the same level as the clouds and its about 10 degrees if not colder and the sun bright going down. A sight to remember!
Driving down at night is not such a big deal, just go slow.
At the 9k station ppl sit there and drink tea and wait for the stars to come out. They say you can see every star in the sky there, but we had a bit of a cloudy night but we still saw plenty and saw the moon and jupiter up close from massive telescopes.

Last day in Hawaii- One crazy day and many many hours spent in the car

4:30 am we woke up and started the day. Checked out of hotel and started down to the Volcano National Park.
Officially it costs to enter the park but early in the morning no one sits at the booth so you can go straight in. We entered the park about 6am and went straight down to the Jagger Museum which is about a mile or so down the road when u enter. There aren't really any signs how to get there when u enter but keep going straight till you see it. I would recommend to go to the park in the early AM because no one is there and its really nice and quiet. Only when we were leaving at 10 am all the tourists and busses started coming.
Jagger Museum - we saw Live Lava burning in a hole where you can't really get to but it looks really cool. If you go when the sun is up you prob  won't see it.
We then planned to go see Sunrise but we decided it was too far away and we wouldn't make it and we stayed to see the whole Park. - it all took about 4 hours or so and we did it pretty quick.
Lava Tube-  At the head of the park . its a tunnel where there used to be Lava flowing there.
Crater Rd. - Continued down the 20 mile road which has Craters every so often on the left and right. So we stopped at just about all of them. Each one is unique on its own. There are also miles of Dried up Lava fields which are really cool to see.

On the way down there is turn in to go down a road which is about 9 miles long in middle of no mans land and dried up lava. its a smooth path big enough for about a car and a quarter (maybe) - we decided to drive all the way down and hoped it would be worth it, since you have to drive back to get out. It was very worth it! first of all the view is gorgeous and you see the Pacific ocean all the way down. Secondly there was another Couple there that we met and the guy was Jewish, so we took the opportunity to give him an opportunity to do a mitzvah and put on Teffilin   - He hadn't put on teffilin in 5 years
Continued down the road all the way to the end where the view is again breathtaking! There is a really nice Arch there where we took pics with the blue water. - there is also something called "the end of the road" where dry lave crosses the road but you have to walk a half a mile to it and we had no patience.

We left the Park and drove towards South Point. its a nice 2.5 hour drive there. We stopped on the way at the Black Sand Beach which is really cool and you can see Massive Sea Turtles. Continued to South point……..

South Point - The Southernmost point in America facing Antarctica. Very nice View, and cliffs. People there have set up these boards that you can stand and fish there or JUMP OFF At first i was like no way I'm jumping off, but then i saw someone do it twice so i said the Hel* with it. and i jumped! its about a 50 foot drop into clear 30 feet water. i didn't fall in like a pencil exactly like supposed to so my shoulder got a bit hurt and was sore for a nice 2-3 weeks. Though my Friend wasn't as lucky.. he jumped and fell on his bottom back so he had some muscle spasm and it was very painful, so i had to take him to the nearest Hospital which was 30 min away. So we missed the Green sand Beach which is about 15 min away from there.
Driving to the hospital on a road that everyone is taking it easy and going 35 MPH and I'm cutting everyone off going 70 or so!
B"H nothing major happened and just some medication eased the Pain and we were out within 2 hours.
Now that messed up or drive back around the island because we had a flight from Kona that night. So we called Hertz and arranged wed return the Jeep in Kona and now they were nice about it since it was Medical Related., They even Drove us straight to the Terminal

Flew out of Kona - really nice outdoor airport - Upgrade to Business on AA non stop to LAX.

any questions feel free to PM or comment.

[Something Fishy]

Awesome  report!  Have any pics?

[Dan]

TRIP REPORT
The Drive from 9k to top (13.5k) takes a nice 20 minutes and going 15-20mph NOT MORE, or you'll C"V go right off the mountain. The road is very bumpy full of rocks and sandy and no traction and you must be in Low gear. They only let 4x4's go up. Already from 9k i was feeling a little dizzy and on way up i felt a little more nauseous. So we stopped on side with a nice view and drank some powerade (sugar boost) and i took over to drive and felt fine.

Meh, I did it in a convertible
Was scary as #$%^ though, very washboardy. My wife kept her eyes closed the entire time.
But that sunset...oh that sunset.  I'll never forget it.