Richardson or Punalu'u Black sand beach?

[plan2go]

My group wants to see a black sand beach. While in Hilo we are planning to do VNP. Which black sand beach do you recommend?

 

Is it possible to do VNP, a black sand beach, Akaka Falls and Mauna Loa Nut Factory all in the one day I have with Pride of America?

[CruisinMK]

I suggest just focusing on the volcano and starting there. Volcano is a big deal and really special, especially now with some new activity. If you have a bunch more time/energy left after then check out where the lava meets the sea. Ask at VNP whether the road is open to see it before you try. Falls isn't so compelling in my opinion, I suggest skippin it. Same with the mac factory.

[pastfinder]

We went to the Punalu'u Black Sand Beach when we were at the port of Kona. It was a nice drive and the beach was awesome. On our way back to Kona, we visited the Painted Church and the Place of Refuge. It was my favorite day in the islands.

 

Kathy

[beachchick]

Is it possible to do all four? I suppose so, if you don't care about really experiencing VNP and you don't mind rushing all day. I agree with MikeKaye to skip the falls (there are many, many others, but only one VNP; IMO, Akaka isn't the be-all and end-all of waterfalls). I also think the mac nut factory is a "whatever" event.

 

Given the choice between Punalu'u and Richardson, we'd select Punalu'u in a heartbeat. It is the quintescential (sp?) black sand beach. It's one you often see on post cards. Richardson simply can't compete (as far as we're concerned).

 

Here's the only place I differ with Mike Kaye: Head straight to Punalu'u early in the day. It's about 40 minutes, give or take, past the entrance to VNP. Visit there first and enjoy yourselves for a bit. Then head straight back to VNP and spend the rest of the day (the entire time you have available) at the park. Go down Chain of Craters (if it's open). Really take your time and take in how awesome it is. Then, head back and return your car. If by some chance you have a tad bit of time left at the end of the day, go to Big Island Candies in Hilo. Now that's a real treat!

 

beachchick

[plan2go]

Thanks Beachchick, this is exactly what I wanted to know!

[karatemom2]

I think if you have enough time in port you can make it work. We did. Our ship was in port in Hilo from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. We were ready to walk off the ship at 9 a.m., walked right out, caught our shuttle to Budget and were in our rental car and on our way by 9:30 a.m. We drove first to Punaluu Black Sand beach which IMO is well worth the time. It is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. We got there about 10:30 a.m. and spent about an hour exploring the beach and looking at the sea turtles. We then backtracked to VNP which is about twenty minutes away. We went first to Volcano House and had a nice lunch there looking out over the crater and then enjoyed the crater views from there, which are spectacular. After that we drove Crater Rim drive and stopped at all the scenic stops and hiked out to the overlooks to see the lava, crater and steam vents. We also spent quite a bit of time at Thurston Lava tube hiking there and when we returned to the visitor center we took time to watch the educational video. All of this took about three and a half hours. We didn't do Chain of Craters road this time, opting to save it for a future trip. It was nearing 4 p.m. when we left VNP which still gave us time to stop at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Factory on our way back to Hilo and do the short self guided tour, shop at the store and sit for awhile and enjoy some macadamia nut ice cream while watching mongoose run around the beautiful back lawn behind the store.

 

We got back to Hilo by 5:30 p.m. which still gave us plenty of time to return our car and board the ship. In fact we were back on board by 6 p.m. with an hour to spare. It was a full day, but I had planned it carefully and kept track of our time. We really wanted to visit those three places and we made it work without skimping on any of them.

[plan2go]

Maholo for the advice. I think we are in port from 8-6. I definitely want to see the BSB but think we want to drive all the way to the sea if we can (of course with the latest lava flows, we might not be able to, which will save some time!). I have definitely planned this as one of our full days.

 

Can you tell me a bit about Volcano House for lunch - menu basics, price, kid-friendly?

[karatemom2]

Here's a link to the dining information.

 

http://www.volcanohousehotel.com/Dining.htm

 

We ate in the more casual, snack bar area where they serve salads, sandwiches, hot dogs, etc. We had hot dogs, chips and a soda which I think was about $6 or $7 dollars per person. Pretty much the equivalent of the prices at the ballparks these days, not really inexpensive, but you are a captive audience! The buffet at the restaurant looked nice, but with all the food we had available on the ship we weren't really looking for a big meal. Just a quick bite to keep us going and a table where we could enjoy the view!

[Circman]

As of today, the lava flow was 750 feet from the shore. This is on the old Kalapana side of the flow and requires coming in through the town of Pahoa. In 2001 when the flows went through this area, the County of Hawaii created a road so people could see the flows fairly close up.

 

If the Kalapana lava flow is still going on during your cruise, you won't want to miss it. I have been to the Big Island 16 times and I have only able to walk up to the active flow areas four times. Other times, the access has been either blocked due to safety concerns or the walk to the flow has been a 6 - 8 mile round trip.

 

If you have the opportunity to see the flows, there is about a 40 minute drive each way from Kea'au to the flow. I would definitely miss going to Punalu'u to see the active flows.

[beachchick]

Maholo for the advice. I think we are in port from 8-6. I definitely want to see the BSB but think we want to drive all the way to the sea if we can (of course with the latest lava flows, we might not be able to, which will save some time!). I have definitely planned this as one of our full days.

 

Can you tell me a bit about Volcano House for lunch - menu basics, price, kid-friendly?

 

I cannot recommend that you eat at the regular restaurant at Volcano House for lunch, for one simple reason: This is where all the tour buses stop for lunch and it is usually a zoo on those days.

 

The little snack bar is a good choice and has the exact same view of the caldera that you get from the dining room. Or you could head over to the village of Volcano (not in VNP) where there are a few good places to eat.

 

beachchick