Vacation Planning

Question – Planning a Trip to Kauai, Molokai, Big Island

We received the following question by email: We, family of 4, are planning to visit Hawaii for the first time for 7 days in the first week of Mar'12. We have picked Kauai, Big Island & Molokai.We are interested in scenic areas, little bit of hiking,flora & fauna, whale watching sights,& anything that you can suggest. How much will the inter island air tckts cost at that time? We are also looking descent bargain accom, lodge,condo, with 2 full size beds, group tours etc.

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Question – How to Reserve Camp Site at Spencer Beach

We received this question via email: Hello, I`m looking for an email address from Spencer Beach Park to make a reservation for the campground. May you help me for this request? Thank you, wishes from Aniketa

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Question: Are weddings allowed on Punalu’u Beach?

We received this question via email: Are weddings allowed on Punalu'u Beach?

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Question – Side Trip to Kauai?

We received this follow-up question by email: Would a "side trip" to Kauai for 3 days be worth it or would you suggest we went there for a longer stay the next time we come through?

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Question – Which side of the Big Island is more Touristy?

We received this question by email: We are planning a trip to the big island, but cannot find which side is the most touristy. Is it the Hilo side or the Kailua side? should we just arrive and play it by ear? i.e hire a car and find accommodations?

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Big Island Tsunami Damage – Update 3/15/2011

The Big Island was hit by a tsunami on Friday, 3/11/2011, triggered by the massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake near the east coast of Honshu, Japan. As of 3/15/2011, many parts of the Kohala, Kona, and South Kona coasts are still damaged. Most major roads have been re-opened. Many rumors swirled following the tsunami as to the extent of the damage to hotels and public areas. Here is a summary of what is still damaged.

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Plan your Hawaii Vacation Online

There are many resources online that can help you book your tickets, find bargain accommodations, and plan all of your activities. Most people nowadays will use online airline travel reservation websites to search for cheap airfare. For a destination like Hawaii, what time of year you plan on visiting can impact the airline ticket price by as much as 50% or more. Using the right airline bookings site can help you forecast in advance when tickets are cheaper and help you find the dates and times that are most reasonably priced.

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Question – 4Wheeling with a Rental Car

The following question was submitted to us via email:

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Bobby,

The reason rental car companies forbid you (contractually) from driving on the Saddle Road is due to that road’s very poor state and poor overall driving conditions.  The Saddle Road is minimally maintained, has large deep potholes throughout, is winding with many undulations and blind turns, and is often plagued by fog or other low visibility.

There are plenty of other places to go 4-Wheeling on the Big Island that are much safer (especially in a jeep) such as down to the Waipio Valley, road to the Green Sand Beach, Kona Coast State Park, and up to the summit of Mauna Kea volcano.

The main factor with the rental car restriction is the issue of liability on roads that they consider “dangerous”.  Also, most of these remote areas do not have easy access by crash/rescue vehicles and/or tow trucks – so if you get stuck or wreck, you are on your own!  That said, you can still take your jeep off-the-beaten-track.  No one is out to spy on you and report your rental vehicle’s presence at any of these locations – however, if you return your vehicle and the undercarriage is damaged or the car is covered in red sand and mud – there is obvious reason to suspect you went off-roading.  We just recently took our 4×4 rental down into the Waipio and to Green Sand Beach – we simply rinsed it off, cleaned it up (inside and out) and of course made sure we didn’t damage it on the trails.  Voila!  It looked good as new when we returned it.

Big Island Adventures with Kids (Part 2 – Hilo/Hamakua)

Today, we were headed to Richardson's Ocean Center (a.k.a. Richardson's Black Sand Beach) in Hilo. This is one of the local Hilo-area beaches and happens to be a black sand beach. It is a small beach as far as sand goes, but the grounds here cover a vast area of tide pools (fed by the relentless Hilo waves pounding the shore) and a huge lava rock outcrop stretching out to form a perilous point that is absolutely obliterated by the southeastern swells.

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Question: Where to Stay on the Big Island

This question was received via email:

We would like a side of The Big Island where we can drive to the Volcano. Some of us want to do the helicopter tour, but we want it to be more tropical, more restaurants, and more things to see and do. Do we need to book a hotel in Kona or Hilo?  - Glenn A.

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Glenn,

We’ve written a few detailed articles that can help you decide:  Where to Stay on the Big Island, and an Overview of the Regions of the Big Island.

It is really going to depend on the exact activities you want to do.  If you want a lot of beach time then the Kohala Coast of Kona is probable where you want to be.  If you want to spend a lot of time at the Volcano and perhaps hiking/touring things such as the Waipio Valley, Akaka Falls, etc. then Hilo is for you.  You can still stay in Kona and visit the Volcanoes National Park – just factor in the 100 or so miles you will need to drive (each way) to get there…

If you have a list of specific activities you are interested in, let me know and I can help you answer your question.  Also, please take a look at our Big Island  itineraries section with ideas on how to plan your vacation depending on how long you have to spend on the Big Island.