Overnight in Kona from Honolulu - our planned itinerary. Suggestions? Critiques?

[mikeerdas]

We're doing an overnight trip from Honolulu to Kona. Here is a first pass itinerary. Does it sound feasible / anyone have suggestions / tweaks / constructive criticism? Food I have no idea about. Don't like seafood, but everything else is fair game.

 

Main objectives are: Mauna Kea for astronomy, hitting a Kona coffee plantation, and snorkeling in K. Bay. We'll be staying at the Hilton north of Kona but also may stay at the Courtyard by Marriott King K. in the town of Kona. We can stay free due to hotel points. Trying to make a decision there.

 

Day One:

* Fly to Kona with arrival time of around 10:30am.

 

* Pick up economy / compact rental car.

 

* What to do here? Early check-in at, say, Hilton? Chill out at hotel, then drive to Mauna Kea? Or would we have time to get in a visit to a Kona Coffee Plantation? Would be nice to do this on the first day. If so, what plantation has the most "wow" factor? Big fan of being at higher elevations if that helps--I'm a hiker.

 

* Drive to visitor's center at Mauna Kea. 2.5 hour drive? Will we need to book an excursion to get to the summit since we won't have a 4WD vehicle? The rental contract with Thrifty explicitly prohibits us from driving past the visitors' center.

 

* Do some sort of astronomy activity at the visitor's center but also see the night sky from the summit. Can anyone recommend a good tour operator for getting to the summit?

 

* Drive home to hotel. Not elderly but have pretty poor night vision. Heard driving is tough in the dark going down the mountain. Should we consider paying for a tour of some sort out of Kona? How bad is the drive from the base of Mauna Kea, say, back to the Hilton north of the airport?

 

Day Two:

 

* Get up "early" to head to K. Bay for snorkeling. We have our own gear (pseudo-prescription lenses). Read that it's best to get there "early" to have the best chance of seeing dolphins and avoiding (sorry) the large cruise ship tour groups. I love cruising. But hate being in large groups / being rushed.

 

* I've read to park at Napoopoo (?) Beach. But that to get out to the good snorkeling near Capt Cook Monument you have to either A) rent a kayak or B) book some sort of boat excursion. How long of a kayak trip would it be out to where the good snorkeling is? Who are some reliable vendors for both kayaking or a boat trip? What pricing can we expect? And are there showering facilities?

 

* After snorkeling, maybe hit a Kona Coffee Plantation if we haven't already. What is the Best of Breed for that along our route? Of course if there aren't shower facilities we may feel to "yucky" to want to do anything else. And head directly back to our hotel in either downtown Kona or the Hilton in the region north of the airport.

 

* The Green Sand beach in the extreme south of Kona sounds interesting. Is it too far out of our way? What's an approximate drive time?

 

* Fly out of KOA around 3pm.

 

Open to suggestions for inexpensive restaurants along the way. Tend to eat early. So I wouldn't mind grabbing some sort of lunch shortly after picking up our car rental on Day One at around 11am. What's available at, or close to, the airport. Or between the airport and... whatever folks recommend we do / go before heading to Mauna Kea?

 

Miscellaneous Questions about the Kona area:

 

* What are some not-to-be missed inexpensive restaurants in the area? We like ethnic food of various kinds (Asian, Indian, and it would certainly be fun to try some Hawaiian classics). And don't forget the shave ice (we don't know any good locations for that).

 

* Looking for reputable trike (powered hang glider) operators in case we don't get a chance to fly in Oahu.

 

* Please tell me if we should completely rule out trying to go further east toward Hilo on Day One before ascending Mauna Kea. Evidently sunset isn't until 6:30pm or 7pm. So we will have time to kill before summitting. Of course I wouldn't mind doing one or two short hikes (30 to 60 mins RT max) on Mauna Kea. Any waterfalls or interesting artifacts on or around the mountain? We wouldn't have time on Day One to get all the way to Hilo to see any waterfalls would we?

 

* Seeing turtles and/or dolphins would be a huge highlight. I swam with a sea turtle (kept my distance as is required, etc) snorkeling from a beach close to port / downtown Kona. My wife did not see one. And she absolutely loves turtles. What to expect for this snorkeling in Kona? And what would be the best chance to snorkel with turtles in Oahu if we don't see any in Kona? "Turtle Beach" on the North Shore? It would help if any of these beaches have shower facilities on premise or nearby.

 

I know we'll have a fantastic time no matter what we do. But I wanted to tap the brains of CCers so we don't have any huge regrets later--like oh crap, we were so close to X and didn't check it out.

 

Mahalo!

[Budget Queen]

You frankly, need to base your time in Hilo, not Kona, with the Mauna Kea priority. You can not count on viewablilty with only one day alloted. I had 6 planned in Feb, and none were clear. I split the time between Hilo and Kona with other activities. You are underestimating the transit times, especilally thinking you are going to be driving back to Kona after being at the Mauna Kea visitor center and summit? I would add at least a couple more days to your trip.

 

As for Cpt Cook, I greatly favor kayaking across, the mile distance. Easy kayaking. I rent from someone at the parking lot- first guy to come up. :) It's needed for the launching to have help. You'll see when you get there. You DO have to have permits, I find the access and landing on the right side the easiest. Be sure to have good water shoes.

Edited June 19, 2012 by Budget Queen

[kapoho2]

I think you may be trying to cram too much into what is basically about 30 hours on the ground. There is a reason it is called the Big Island....and it translates into a lot of driving. The Hilton is in an area about 30 miles from downtown Kona. It would be closer to Mauna Kea, but that much further from K-Bay and the coffee plantations which are at least another 30 or 45 minutes drive south of town.

 

I have not been to the top of Mauna Kea, so I can't comment on the drive up there. I would probably do a tour (although they are quite expensive) just to let someone else do the driving. It gets really, really dark here at night. There are no street lights because they would interfere with the telescopes up on Mauna Kea. The drive back from Mauna Kea to Kona (or the Hilton) involves driving on the Saddle Road which is narrow and winding and DARK. Honestly, we would not want to do it.

 

I'm sure you can narrow down your activities and enjoy at least a couple of things on your list. You just have to keep in mind that things happen slower in the islands!

[tommui987]

I think you may be trying to cram too much into what is basically about 30 hours on the ground.

 

Take Kapoho's advice - after all, he/she lives on the Island of Hawaii!

 

I have driven to Mauna Kea - had to know the kids what snow was all about - and it is a long drive. You will not make it under your time-table. I frankly would recommend a tour and let someone else do the driving.

[Kartgv]

Another vote for "way too much" to cram in to a very short visit. When you look at driving distances, keep in mind that there are no freeways in Kona. With the exception of a few miles, almost all roads are 2 lane, some are winding and subject to heavy traffic at certain times of day.

 

As for the Green Sand Beach, on the Konaweb Forum I mentioned on your other post about "trikes" (link: http://konaweb.com/forums/visiting.cgi ), there's a thread right near the top about it. You'd need either a REAL 4 wheel drive vehicle or the ability to walk about 2 miles on lava, then climb/descend a steep bank to get to the beach.

 

If you want to snorkel with turtles, you'd have a very good chance to see them at Keauhou Beach Park, just about 4 miles south of Kailua-Kona - much closer than Captain Cook and easier to get to. Very easy access, sheltered bay, paved parking, showers & toilets, excellent snorkeing - go early in the morning as it can get very crowded.

 

On your food questions, Kona isn't a big "foodie" town, nor are there many cheap restaurants. Again, the Konaweb forum is a good source - look at the Restaurant Reviews section.

[mikeerdas]

Thanks for all the advice. We'll try to kick the itinerary down several notches. But for better or worse, we've already booked our RT flights from HNL <> KOA. The hotel is easily changeable. We can cancel penalty-free up to three days before we arrive. The flights are award travel redemptions on Hawaiian Air. We may be able to get them changed. But I'm fairly sure there is a large fee involved. Will have to call them or re-check online. Given that we want to do a Mauna Kea astronomy trip--if that was the one Must Do--then we'd absolutely want to be based out of Hilo? So we would have to pick either Mauna Kea only *or* snorkeling and coffee plantation trip on the Kona side? Is that what's most advisable? Glad I am asking here well in advance so I won't be rudely self-awakened once in Hawaii by piss poor planning. :-)

 

I'd thought about flying into Hilo and out of Kona. But we decided it might be simpler to fly in/out of Kona. Hope that wasn't a mistake. But it's hard to think it would be a mistake to see more of the Kona area, no matter how little.

 

On the other hand, I'd been advised by some very well meaning people to *not* do a day trip to Death Valley from our hotel in Las Vegas on another trip. We left super early and arrived late afternoon. Let me tell you--that was one of the best decisions I ever made for me and my wife. Spectacular. I saw enough of Death Valley for it to have felt worthwhile, and not too terribly rushed, to know I want to return some day to take in other parts. Or parts we already saw more in-depth. So please keep that in mind. I don't know when I'll be back to Hawaii. So I want to sample what I can as a potential enticement for future trips. This has generally worked out well for me in my travels over the years.

 

As for Mauna Kea. Will really have to think about that. We were thinking either going back to Kilaeua and helicoptering over the volcano or a night lava walk. Or a night time Mauna Kea astronomy visit. But it was logically / logistically impossible to do both.

 

I'll re-read through this thread more closely and may have more questions. Just wanted to hop on any give a big thanks for now.

 

Given that we will be in Kona, I want to seriously investigate getting to/from Mauna Kea. Here's one question for now--if a night time return from Mauna Kea to Kona is out of the question (hope it's not, but let's presume it is), how worthwhile would it be to still make a daytime drive out there? Looks pretty spectacular in its own right, being able to observe the night sky there or not. But with the best amateur and professional astronomy conditions on earth, what a shame it would be not to do that. I am a science geek but have never seen a completely clear night sky. I always seem to run into cloud cover. But that may also happen to us at Mauna Kea from what it sounds like. No guarantee there.

 

I think the day time drive to the Mauna Kea visitor's center from the Hilton is around 2 or 2.5 hours each way. But would not care for the night drive home. That may be a big "oh *hell* no" given my poor night vision.

 

Again, thanks. Will be reading the replies here more closely later in the week or this weekend.

Edited June 20, 2012 by mikeerdas

[beachchick]

Wow. I agree that it's too much.

 

Notes about Mauna Kea: You must spend an hour at the Visitor's Center before going to the summit. Yes, you must have a commercial excursion unless you are renting a 4 wheel drive vehicle (from a company that allows driving to the summit). Commercial excursions do not leave from the Visitor's Center; they leave from Hilo or the Kona area and last many hours. Visitors may not remain at the summit itself after sunset. Your plan to drive to the summit after sunset will not be allowed. The University of Hawaii has stargazing at the Visitor's Center every clear night of the year. Poor night vision and night driving from Mauna Kea is a risky mix. Going to the summit of Mauna Kea is an all day activity.

 

Regarding your second day: Yes, trying to go to the green sand beach is too far with your flight time. It also takes time to hike in and out. Yes, you will need to kayak in across to the K-Bay snorkeling area or take an excursion boat. It's not a "drive down and hit the water" place. The drive to the place where you'd launch to kayak is about 1 hour, depending on traffic, from where you're staying. There are no facilities at all at the K-Bay snorkel areas. Don't forget that you need to be at the airport at least 1 hour before your flight and traffic in and around Kona can be a buggah.

 

I urge you to continue reconsidering your extremely aggressive (and IMO, unrealistic) schedule and decide on exactly what is most important to you. For us, the Mauna Kea summit was amazing and well worth the effort, but we were on the island for 5 days the trip we went up and did it with the UoH weekend tour where you must have a 4 w/d, meet at the Visitor's Center, have an hour orientation, and then caravan up with the UoH guides. Last trip, we finally made it to K-Bay and thought it was wonderful too. But with your short time frame, you might want to consider snorkeling up on the Kohala coast near and north of where you're staying or go down to Kahalu'u at the north end of Ali'i in Kona. It's super, super, super easy snorkeling, but turtles are almost guaranteed.

 

Regardless, I hope you have a wonderful time.

 

beachchick

Edited June 20, 2012 by beachchick

[Budget Queen]

I would first suggest you look into adding several days. I would not consider what you have planned with less than 5 days, ideally a week. Depending on the fees, it may well be worth the expense to change.

 

You are greatly underestimating Mauna Kea. I don't bother if there is any cloud cover, and I certainly don't bother if I don't have a nighttime view. Even from Hilo it is a haul and a lot of time on the road. The visitor center, isn't worth going to, if you don't summit in my opiinion. You are going to have to determine, what your "must do" means to you?

[Kartgv]

...If you want to snorkel with turtles, you'd have a very good chance to see them at Keauhou Beach Park, just about 4 miles south of Kailua-Kona - much closer than Captain Cook and easier to get to. Very easy access, sheltered bay, paved parking, showers & toilets, excellent snorkeing - go early in the morning as it can get very crowded.....

 

Sorry - I meant Kahalu'u Beach Park, as mentioned by Beachchick!

[oysterfiend]

Goodness me - we are going to Big Island for a week in September and I was considering that was too short-

I alway find flying in and out days a right off anyhow and don't know where you get all the energy from:)

[mikeerdas]

Thanks again everyone. Love the idea of snorkeling around the Kohala Coast instead. That could work. I'll see what I can cut back on. Can't add more days to a 6 night max trip to Hawaii total. Gotta also seriously rethink Mauna Kea. But I haven't given up hope yet. May be overly ambitious and that is why I am here.

 

While it may sound ridiculous in contrast, the overnight to Kona is an expansion from our original idea: to fly into either Kona or Hilo early, for just a day trip, then fly back. Sounds ridiculous until you consider that most cruise ship port stops are ridiculously short. I know it's a bit of a stretch for me personally--and a huge stretch / impossible thought to others here. So I'm still completely open to suggestions--except for adding days.

 

While I wouldn't suggest others do what I do--we all have our own travel styles, priorities, energy level, and senses of what is and is not possible--here are some things I've done in the past without any regrets:

 

* Pre-cruise, flew into Rome early AM arrival and hit the ground running seeing the Colliseum, the Forum, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain. I don't know about others. But jet lag to Europe, on the way over, doesn't bother me much. The adrenaline is flowing. It's coming home where it takes me about a week to readjust... On Day Two (just a one night stay in Rome pre-cruise), devoted embarkation day to Vatican City. Spectacular. Could Rome keep me occupied for two nights, three nights, or a week+? Easily. But we didn't have the time. Some would say "don't do this." I say: don't listen if it suits your style of travel. :-)

 

* Gone to Japan for about 7 nights. Maybe 6. That's further away than Hawaii. A friend of mine was teaching English there, had that particular week off, and I found a great price on a flight--~$700 RT circa 2001. Some would say that's crazy--how could you possibly see Japan in less than 7 nights? I did. It was fantastic. Had a local guide--my friend. And it was one of the highlights of my traveling life. Wasn't even very expensive since we cooked several meals and had picnic lunches, etc.

 

* The one day side-trip to Death Valley from Las Vegas. Some would say don't do that. You need at least X days. I didn't. :-)

 

* A well meaning friend told me, about the same trip to Vegas, that I shouldn't bother going to Zion NP unless I had at least 2 full days, preferably 3, to see it. Didn't listen. Flew into Las Vegas airport, hopped in a rental car, and drove straight to St. George, UT to overnight there. Got up early and had an incredible day, doing several hikes. Stayed the second night in St. George, got up very early again, and did the Angel's Landing hike. Then drove back to Vegas. Again, a highlight of my travel life. Had I listened to my friend I would have missed out.

 

There are probably a half dozen other trips where I've managed to squeeze extra value out of a trip and been very glad I did. And there are future "very short" trips I will probably take: e.g. one long day at Yosemite NP, Yellowstone NP, etc.

 

As you can tell I am big on "two fers" and making the most out of limited vacation time. I understand that weather is unpredictable, etc. We could possibly change our flight, pay the fee, and switch our trip to fly in/out of Hilo.

 

The main thing with me is that I'll go the extra "mile" to sample things I may not have had a chance to otherwise; in part to see if I want to return and explore things in more depth. Isn't that one of the great parts about cruising in general? It is for me. I find most port time in ports to be very superficial and too rushed. Incidentally, the NCL cruises to Hawaii seem to be an outlier with their overnights on both Maui and Kauai. I wish more cruises did overnight port stops.

 

When I'm retired I will "add more days" to trips. I'd really love to. But it's not feasible. For now, my strategy is to "see more places" and then decide which I'd like to revisit in the future. It's not for everyone. And it's not superior in any general sense to anyone else's style of travel. It's just how I like to do things.

 

Thanks again so much for all the help.

Edited June 21, 2012 by mikeerdas

[beachchick]

Sorry - I meant Kahalu'u Beach Park, as mentioned by Beachchick!

 

That's okay. I meant to write south end of Ali'i, not north. Duh.

 

beachchick

[mikeerdas]

I would first suggest you look into adding several days. I would not consider what you have planned with less than 5 days, ideally a week. Depending on the fees, it may well be worth the expense to change.

 

You are greatly underestimating Mauna Kea. I don't bother if there is any cloud cover, and I certainly don't bother if I don't have a nighttime view. Even from Hilo it is a haul and a lot of time on the road. The visitor center, isn't worth going to, if you don't summit in my opiinion. You are going to have to determine, what your "must do" means to you?

 

Have I researched incorrectly, or does the Visitor's Center not have the best amateur astronomy facilities on earth? Astronomy would be a huge reason to be there. And no one will let a tourist use the observatories at the summit from what I have heard. Unless it's the weekend UoH trips someone mentioned.

[mikeerdas]

Snorkeling isn't the main focus of the trip to the Big Island. But it's about equally important as getting to Mauna Kea--or seeing Kilaeua again if we change our flights to Hilo. We've read snorkeling at Hanauma Bay in Oahu can be a pain / let down, e.g. having to get up too early to get a parking space (ok with it, but friends traveling with us may want to go and they are not early birds). And "amateurs" (I say that as someone who has snorkeled a max grand total of about 5 times) swarming the place, kicking up the water, touching (e.g. killing) coral, etc. So snorkeling on the Big Island may be the only snorkeling we do. And that's one of the main reasons we're back in Hawaii. Loved the experience snorkeling near port in Kona on our last cruise.

 

So... if we flight into Hilo and overnight there, how do the snorkeling opportunities compare with what's found in Kona? About the same? Or significantly less spectacular?

 

I can eliminate the coffee plantation trip. That's just a "nice to do" and not a "must do." So we don't have to be Kona-based. Hate paying fees to rebook the interisland-flights. But it's a small price to pay for a better experience.

 

Would another advantage of being based in Hilo be this: if there's cloud cover at Mauna Kea, we could instead do a night-time lava hike? Or helicopter trip? That was one of our initial decision points--since we would be on the Big Island only one night, we couldn't possibly do both Mauna Kea stargazing and an evening lava walk.

Edited June 21, 2012 by mikeerdas

[Budget Queen]

Snorkeling isn't the main focus of the trip to the Big Island. But it's about equally important as getting to Mauna Kea--or seeing Kilaeua again if we change our flights to Hilo. We've read snorkeling at Hanauma Bay in Oahu can be a pain / let down, e.g. having to get up too early to get a parking space (ok with it, but friends traveling with us may want to go and they are not early birds). And "amateurs" (I say that as someone who has snorkeled a max grand total of about 5 times) swarming the place, kicking up the water, touching (e.g. killing) coral, etc. So snorkeling on the Big Island may be the only snorkeling we do. And that's one of the main reasons we're back in Hawaii. Loved the experience snorkeling near port in Kona on our last cruise.

 

So... if we flight into Hilo and overnight there, how do the snorkeling opportunities compare with what's found in Kona? About the same? Or significantly less spectacular?

 

I can eliminate the coffee plantation trip. That's just a "nice to do" and not a "must do." So we don't have to be Kona-based. Hate paying fees to rebook the interisland-flights. But it's a small price to pay for a better experience.

 

Would another advantage of being based in Hilo be this: if there's cloud cover at Mauna Kea, we could instead do a night-time lava hike? Or helicopter trip? That was one of our initial decision points--since we would be on the Big Island only one night, we couldn't possibly do both Mauna Kea stargazing and an evening lava walk.

 

There is no comparism to snorkeling on the Kona vs the Hilo side. It is grossly superior on the Kona side.

 

Lava flows are hit and miss, more miss. The last flow didn't even last a month, and there haven't been significant flows in years. Not to say there won't be, but nothing at this point.

 

My point wasn't clear with Mauna Kea, certainly the astromony is spectacular from the visitor center. You can spend hours there. The guided summit trips are equally so with no "astronomy" in my opinion.

 

With your limited time, you have some decisions to make. You are giving plenty of "examples" of how you travel and support for your current plans. Best may be to just go with what you want?

[kapoho2]

The drive to Mauna Kea from Hilo is definitely shorter. But, driving back after dark is still going to be an adventure in driving in the dark. There is work going on right now to straighten out parts of the Saddle Road on the Hilo side, but there is still plenty of twists and turns. During the day, this drive is quite nice, but after dark it will need your full attention.

[mikeerdas]

The drive to Mauna Kea from Hilo is definitely shorter. But, driving back after dark is still going to be an adventure in driving in the dark. There is work going on right now to straighten out parts of the Saddle Road on the Hilo side, but there is still plenty of twists and turns. During the day, this drive is quite nice, but after dark it will need your full attention.

 

A big Mahalo to both you, Kapoho, and Budget Queen. Are you both certain there are no organized tours that would take us from either the town of Hilo or Kona/the Kohala Coast area to Mauna Kea for a night time trip? This would be so we wouldn't have to negotiate the drive down Mauna Kea at night. If we could find a tour like this from Kona / the Kohala Coast it could be a "perfect" match (as in life, there is no perfection in travel; only a series of compromises and trade-offs). May have to pay a premium. But there are times for frugality (mostly at home) and times that it's clearly worthwhile to pay more, even for a disciplined saver.

 

Good point BQ about the lava flows. Here is a point of my own: mostly to remind myself of my experiences and travel style. It's fine if either the lava isn't flowing at Kilauea or Mauna Kea is cloudy. I spent a night in Costa Rica once waiting to see lava from Volcano Arenal. No dice. I had only one night planned for the potential of seeing lava there. The cloud cover over Arenal that night in no way ruined my trip. The approach by boat over a lake, and seeing majestic Arenal with its summit in cloud cover, was still spectacular. And there was the entire rest of the trip. One "miss" does not a bad trip make--not for me.

 

A few more questions:

 

1) How soon in advance would one likely to know about cloud cover on Mauna Kea? Is there any "lead time" such that we could make a Go/No Go game-time decision for a night time visit?

 

2) How soon in advance would be know about lava flows on Kilauea? Is that updated daily or hourly at the VNP NPS web site?

 

3) Ok, so snorkeling in Kona is what we'd want to do if we couldn't do #1 or #2. However... if we had to cancel snorkeling in Kona to do items #1 or #2, what would our best snorkeling opportunity be on Oahu? Haunauma Bay sounds overhyped and a bit of a hassle. Would you recommend... cannot recall the name... but the area where you kayak out by "Chinaman's Hat"?

 

I guess what I'm asking--what's the "best" snorkeling on Oahu other than Hanauma Bay. My wife would really love to snorkel with sea turtles in particular since she didn't see any last time. I've heard of Turtle Beach in the North Shore. But we would want access to shower facilities so we wouldn't feel "yucky" after snorkeling / exploring other parts of the North Shore.

 

Again, the turtles (and Mauna Kea / Kilauea) are on their own schedule and not ours. Just like to know how to increase the odds and prepare for some mild disappointment. It certainly could not possibly ruin our trip if we didn't see any turtles, etc. :-) I don't know if that's what folks are recommending here--e.g. "add days" because our trip might be ruined if we didn't get a chance to do X. That is not how we travel. Because there are lovely opportunities just being there and taking notice.

 

A lot of my favorite overland/non-cruise travel moments were not Happy "Accidents"--not even planned. I do like to "overplan". And then let things take me where they will when there. Being flexible is important to happy travel IMHO. My travel style is my own.

 

I know there are many who believe their trips will be "ruined" if they don't do X. And that's ok if it works for them. I learned a while back--possibly right here on CC--to not let, say, certain opinions on Cruise Critic ruin my experience of a certain ship, a certain cruise line, etc.

 

I can think of one experience in particular--the decision to travel with NCL America to, surprise, Hawaii. Folks on the CC reviews for the Pride of Hawaii were brutal and raving about how horrible they believed the service to be. Turned out we had the trip of our lives. One that has now led us eagerly back to Hawaii for a purely overland trip. The lesson we learned on that cruise and CC--there are facts and there are subjective opinions. Much in life is subjective opinion. And different folks have different benchmarks for judging one experience against others they've had. We're all different that way.

 

That Mauna Kea may have a great deal of cloud cover is a Fact. That one should add "more days" because it might be cloudy is an opinion. Unless a person had made a bargain with themselves to be miserable in the absence of a non-cloudy Mauna Kea. And I don't want to be That Person. :-)

 

Thanks again to all for the tips and conversation, sharing your personal travel styles, opinions, and facts.

 

Aloha.

Edited June 23, 2012 by mikeerdas

[mikeerdas]

After thinking about this, probably way too much, I am now considering ditching the side trip to the Big Island. You all may be right, as it applies to my style of travel specifically, e.g. save the Big Island for a separate trip and focus on exclusively on Oahu--considering we cannot extend our 6 night total trip between HNL and the mainland. We will very likely return to Hawaii in the next 5 years, where are friends traveling with us may not. And they're staying put on Oahu all six nights.

 

If we could find some really great snorkeling on Oahu that isn't Hanauma Bay, it would be much easier to skip Kona. I do see the wisdom in focusing on one island. And part of the Aloha Spirit should be taking it slower than usual, right? :-)

 

So how does Kona snorkeling compared to the best snorkeling spots on Oahu, whatever they may be? What spots on Oahu would you recommend? It would be a huge plus if there were showering facilities and the potential to see turles.

 

Thanks again for all the help.

Edited June 23, 2012 by mikeerdas

[Budget Queen]

After thinking about this, probably way too much, I am now considering ditching the side trip to the Big Island. You all may be right, as it applies to my style of travel specifically, e.g. save the Big Island for a separate trip and focus on exclusively on Oahu--considering we cannot extend our 6 night total trip between HNL and the mainland. We will very likely return to Hawaii in the next 5 years, where are friends traveling with us may not. And they're staying put on Oahu all six nights.

 

If we could find some really great snorkeling on Oahu that isn't Hanauma Bay, it would be much easier to skip Kona. I do see the wisdom in focusing on one island. And part of the Aloha Spirit should be taking it slower than usual, right? :-)

 

So how does Kona snorkeling compared to the best snorkeling spots on Oahu, whatever they may be? What spots on Oahu would you recommend? It would be a huge plus if there were showering facilities and the potential to see turles.

 

Thanks again for all the help.

 

Oahu- in my experience, has the crappiest snorkeling of the Hawaiian Islands. I have snorkeled in Kauai, Maui, Big Island- all way superior. :) I'm up to spending three weeks per year in Hawaii, a NCL cruise in the middle, this year, a week on Big Island, a week on Maui.

 

Turtles aren't that "easy" to find. This year, I had superb sightings, including a least an hour near a turtle in Hanauma Bay, the other hot spot was multipe turtles in Maui.

 

I go to Hanauma Bay, as "fill in" time. It is clean, good bathroom facilities and although they claim to protect it, I never fail to see countless idiots, walking on coral, feeding fish, etc. Nothing is ever done about it. This year, 4 people in the span of 20 minutes got up on top of the rock, which is loaded with some coral and sea life, and proceeded to walk right on top, with fins on, for several minutes. People in the water were yelling at them to get off, but none of the life guards said anything.

 

I'm not sure- but you are going with someone else, who is staying on Oahu?? If it is not your preference, then why compromise? You claim you are short on time, with several reference to this- that you can't "add " time, and you aren't going to have a "ruined" trip because of it??? A lot of words. But, perhaps ask yourself, with your "short" time, is Oahu how you want to spend it?? In my case- I would be certain, to have my priorities taken care of, and with your repeative snorkeling and Mauna Kea refernce, I would park myself on Big Island. I would wait around in the hope that within 5 years I may make it back? Only thoughts to perhaps consider. You have written a lot of reasons, for your priorities. Good luck in your decision.

[mikeerdas]

Thanks BQ. Here's the back story:

 

Our friends coming along with us want to stay put in Oahu for the whole six nights. We "purchased" their flights using frequent flyer miles. They are unlikely to get back to Hawaii any time soon due to budget. So I tried to pitch a short trip to another island to them--e.g. how can you go to Hawaii without at least seeing something grand like Kilauea on the Big Island or Haleakala on Maui (both of which my wife and I have already done)? But they think it would be too hectic to do that.

 

In pitching the Big Island side trip to our friends so vigorously, I think I over-convinced myself in the process that it was the Right Thing To Do. In talking things over with my wife, she's actually leaning toward staying on Oahu the whole time with our friends. And if that's her intution on what she'd like to do, it's probably better to save the Big Island for a separate trip. If we tried to spend most of the mid section of our trip on the Big Island, we'd have a lot less time enjoying whatever Oahu has to offer with our friends. And there are enough interesting activities on Oahu that we certainly won't be bored for 6 nights.

 

It's not financially difficult for us to get back to Hawaii since we have a ton of frequent flyer miles left. Mostly a limited vacation time thing (I ought to have been born in Germany, France, or nearly anywhere else that gets more vacation time than the average American does--retirement is a long way away). And we want to spend the next few years of travel going to Europe and other places less far away from North Carolina than Hawaii. That's the secondary reason I was strongly leaning toward a side trip to another island. But I think my wife is right and I am wrong. She typically is. :-)

 

Don't think the Hawaiian Airlines frequent flyer miles are refundable. But then we only paid a $79 H.A. BOA visa annual free + $10 for flight taxes. That's a Sunk Cost as they'd say in Behavioral Economics. The money is spent and gone. The smartest thing to do is whatever makes sense from the present going forward.

 

As part of participating in the Aloha Spirit, I think I'd rather stay on Oahu and get to know it better than make a rushed side trip to the Big Island. Any snorkeling on Oahu will surely be better than what we have access to on the beaches on North Carolina--namely squat. :-)

Edited June 23, 2012 by mikeerdas

[Budget Queen]

 

 

It's not financially difficult for us to get back to Hawaii since we have a ton of frequent flyer miles left. Mostly a limited vacation time thing (I ought to have been born in Germany, France, or nearly anywhere else that gets more vacation time than the average American does--retirement is a long way away). And we want to spend the next few years of travel going to Europe and other places less far away from North Carolina than Hawaii. That's the secondary reason I was strongly leaning toward a side trip to another island. But I think my wife is right and I am wrong. She typically is. :-)

 

QUOTE]

 

A suggestion to perhaps consider next time, would be to open jaw your flights. Don't bother round tripping Honolulu, and wasting valuable vacation time. Fly into one island, take an hour flight to another, then go home from the second (or third/forth) etc. :) I flew into Kona and out of Maui, with the $80 interisland flights back and forth Honolulu.

 

I am fortunate. I do work full time, but, I work in corrections, that has special waivers that allow work swaps with coworkers. I do get 8 paid weeks off per year, but block out numerous additional weeks with the swaps. This year I will be traveling 17 weeks. I was in Hawaii for 3 in Feb, and New Orleans/ Europe for 5 weeks April/May. NYC is a 4th of July week. August 3 weeks in Alaska. etc Problem is, I don't stay home. :) I'm always on the move, and it certainly is my passion. Final kick, is, I don't pay for any air, my husband is a retired airline employee. Again, I know I have it made and am very thankful.

 

It sounds like you are coming to the best decision for your plans. Many times you do have to go all over the place with thinking for the right choice to come "home". Enjoy your trip. :)

[mikeerdas]

A suggestion to perhaps consider next time, would be to open jaw your flights. Don't bother round tripping Honolulu, and wasting valuable vacation time. Fly into one island, take an hour flight to another, then go home from the second (or third/forth) etc. :) I flew into Kona and out of Maui, with the $80 interisland flights back and forth Honolulu.

 

I am fortunate. I do work full time, but, I work in corrections, that has special waivers that allow work swaps with coworkers. I do get 8 paid weeks off per year, but block out numerous additional weeks with the swaps. This year I will be traveling 17 weeks. I was in Hawaii for 3 in Feb, and New Orleans/ Europe for 5 weeks April/May. NYC is a 4th of July week. August 3 weeks in Alaska. etc Problem is, I don't stay home. :) I'm always on the move, and it certainly is my passion. Final kick, is, I don't pay for any air, my husband is a retired airline employee. Again, I know I have it made and am very thankful.

 

It sounds like you are coming to the best decision for your plans. Many times you do have to go all over the place with thinking for the right choice to come "home". Enjoy your trip. :)

 

I'm a huge fan of Open Jaws flights, esp. in Europe. Great idea. Thanks for the suggestion. Jealous of your work / travel situation. Good for you! :-)

 

Yup, definitely had to jump around a bit and tease things out online to get things "right" (for me). Thanks for supporting that process and not skewering me. Seriously! :-)

 

I've learned a lot, made the right choice, and am definitely considering a special-purpose, future trip dedicated to the Big Island. Will consider Open Jaws with Maui thrown in. Even then, I can see the wisdom of One Island Per Trip. Getting to see a lot of Oahu, I think, will be great. There were a ton of things I wanted to do there that I might not have gotten to do had I tried to shoe-horn in an overnight trip to the Big Island.

 

Thanks again to all who participated.

Edited July 3, 2012 by mikeerdas

[cr8tiv1]

With the "Back Story" I think you are making a wise decision to stay on Oahu for the 6 days. Sorry that you will take a loss on the Hawaiian Air fare. I have spent a week on the Big Island and did not find it to be enough time. I stay at a pleasant B&B in Hilo (there are many ranging from homey to luxurious) and stayed in Waikoloa. I don't know if renting a car for the entire week will save you any money. If you can get away without a car for a few days, you will also avoid parking charges. TheBus is really a good way to get around but will take you extra time.

 

Enjoy your time here.

 

Renee

[mikeerdas]

Just wanted to say "Thanks." Ended up doing Oahu-only, no side trip to Kona / the Big Island, and had a fabulous time. Will be going back to Hawaii soon--this time with 4 nights in Kona, 3 nights in Maui.

 

Will be staying at the Hilton Waikoloa Village for 2 nights, then looking for another place to stay for the remaining 2 nights in Kona.

 

My two choices since I'll be using Marriott points:

 

* Marriott Waikoloa (close to the Hilton)

* Courtyard King K. downtown

 

Some questions:

 

* For snorkeling at the hotel beach itself, which is the better property of the two Marriotts?

 

* Would it be better to stick to the Waikoloa Village area or experience downtown at the King K? Not interested in nightlight, and really prefer peace and quiet, but like the idea of being downtown in walking distance to restaurants as well as be a bit closer to some of the better snorkeling and one of the coffee plantations.

 

Also wondering which Marriott is closer and/or more convenient for an astronomy trip to Mauna Kea? May try to book an excursion due to the night time driving hazard mentioned here about Saddle Road. But both locations seem equidistant, well, close enough, to Mauna Kea. I realize Hilo is closer to MK, but I will be staying on the Kona Coast.

Edited January 29, 2014 by mikeerdas

[Cruisin' Chick]

Not sure if the astronomy center you're considering is the same one that my daughter wanted to go to during one of our Hawaiian cruises, but that one turned out to be closed on the day of the week we would be in Hilo. When we're narrowing down possibities of sites to see, I'll try to find the website for the place and find hours of operation. On our last cruise, we were going to be in Lahaina on Christmas Day, and between websites and Facebook pages, I found a place we hadn't seen in our two previous Hawaiian cruises that would be open, and a quick taxi or bus trip away, and we all had fun.

 

My hubby's requirement for the port days is no rental cars. So I get a bit creative on my recommendations. But then we went to Kauai and Honolulu on our honeymoon years before we went on these cruises, and did rent a car on Kauai and drove all over (Honolulu, we stuck with places we can walk to). And we each had gone to Hawaii before we met (I went on one of those 3 islands in 9days type of tour). So we were introducing our girl to Hawaii, but she doesn't need days to visit an area. And we go on our cruises (with lots of sea days such as the Hawaiian cruises) to relax so we obviously have different priorities than you do.