Hilo, Hawaii

[goldenone]

Should we rent a car or take one of the excursions offered by NCL?

We want to Visit Volcano National Park and the Macadamia Nut Farm. Also on Princess they did not stop us from taking beer on board, what about NCL?

Goldenone:confused:

[rebeljohn]

Rent a car..............you'll be able to do what YOU want to do.

 

Enjoy the Big Island..............the best one in Hawaii, IMHO.......

[glenneagle]

HELICOPTER TOUR OF VOLCANOES WAS OUTSTANDING.Also the fire and ice tour was great.

[GottaLuvCruising]

We rented a car in Hilo and went to Volcanoes National Park, the Macadamia Nut Factory, and Akaka Falls State Park. I pasted the Hilo section of my review below.

 

We had a great time and had no issues with renting a car or driving around. There are two drawbacks - you must return to the ship a little early to make sure you don't miss the sailing and you can't see the lava flow. I really wanted to see lava, so next time we'll probably do a helicopter or plane tour.

 

From review:

Hilo wasn't as scenic as Kauai or Maui. It was fairly easy to get around, but not as much so as Maui or Kauai. We rented our car from Alamo, which has only one shuttle running between the airport and pier - it wasn't a long wait, but less convenient than Maui and Kauai. First we drove to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park ($10 admission charge). We visited the Information Center and the Jagger Museum, then we drove the scenic Crater Rim, with several stops at different craters. It was amazing to see the steam vents and massive areas covered with magma. We also stopped at a "lava tube" where a trail led to what looked like a huge cave - you could walk all the way through it and follow the trail back to the starting point. But in order to see lava flowing, we would have to hike five hours or take a helicopter. That was a bit of a disappointment. On the way back to Hilo, we stopped at the Moana Loa Macadamia Nut Welcome Center. They actually had a sign up that read "Welcome Carnival Spirit"! We enjoyed a few samples and bought some items to take home. Next we drove to Akaka Falls State Park. They have a well marked trail leading to two waterfalls. It was beautiful and we took lots of pictures.

[Spikesgirl]

The nice thing about Hilo is that it is visitor friendly. Definitely rent a car and get on Hwy 11 (also called the Kamehameha Rd). This will lead you directly to Volcano National Park. At the entrance, continue straight and it will take you to Volcano House. Across the stree is the Visitors Center and the parking is a little easier there. Pay a visit to both before setting out into the park. The Center has a 30-minute movie about volcanos and VH has great vistas. A little further along the road will bring you to Jagger Museum. Not only does it afford some great views of the volcano, it also allows you to learn a bit more about the park. Then it's just a matter of following the road.

 

Do stop off at Thurston Lava tube and check it out. If you turn right and hike down that way, you'll have an easy walk back from the other end of the tube (it's only about five minutes inside, but if you bring a flashlight, you can continue further.)

 

For lunch, either bring a sandwich (there are tons of shopping options along Hwy 11) or stop into Volcano Village (it's across from the park entrance). Do fight the urge to eat at VH. It's crowded, the food is marginal and very expensive.

 

On the way back, stop at Mauna Loa Mac farm. There is a self guided tour for the factory, shopping, a snack bar and a small botannical garden. Mostly, it's just a shopping stop, but it is air conditioned and the bathrooms are really clean.

 

Once you return to Hilo, get on Hwy 19 and follow the markers to Aka Aka Falls. There used to be a little general store there that served the Island's best shave ice, but I think he's gone now.

 

I would also advise you to go to either your local library or bookstore and check out a series called "Hawai'i Revealed" - there is one for each of the major islands. These are without a doubt, the best guide book I've ever found and we have a ton of them on Hawai'i.

 

Have a great cruise and a fun time in our 'home',

 

Charlie

[trailhiker]

Don't even think about it. They are the strictest of them all. I've seen them take bottled water away from people. Occasionally we've brought a bottle of wine on board RCI ships, but NCL is cheap. They want to sell you their own, no exceptions.