I am travelling with my 19 yr old daughter and 18 yr old son in late November 06. We want to visit the volcanoes and telescopes .. would prefer a local B & B or homestay/backpackers? We would prefer to stay where we can meet other people rather that just be in a hotel room. .. We are from Brisbane australia..any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
2006-10-02 13:16:31 · 6 answers · asked by lOUISE T 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Honolulu
The volcanoes and the telescopes are on different parts of the island. The other people on this site have given great suggestions for where to stay already. If you want to meet other people then definitely stay at the B & B. The Volcano House Hotel is right in the National Park and has an upscale side and a cheaper motel side. There are definitely houses you can rent as well. If you're coming from Brisbane, I am assuming that you'll be flying from SYD to Honolulu. What might be the best option is that you should plan your interisland flights to two of the main cities on the Big Island. For example:
Fly from HNL to ITO (Hilo) - where the volcanoes are. Then hire a car and drive to Kona, near where the observatory is. Stay in Kona for a few nights and fly out of KOA (Kona) back to HNL for your flight home to Brissie.
The drive from ITO to KOA is about 3 to 4 hrs with lots of cool places to stop on the way. Do not underestimate how large the island is. The Big Island is large enough to fit all the rest of the other Hawaiian Islands and still have room.
The actual "live" part of the volcano is a long hike from the entrace to the craters. You need to bring a torch, old training shoes (because the lava will cut it up) and water. The hike is about 20km roundtrip. If you don't want to do that, the best option is to take a helicopter flight but it is pretty expensive.
On the Kona side, the best resorts and beaches are up past central Kona (heading north) but it doesn't sound like that's what you're looking for. In Kona, the King Kamehameha Hotel is very central, affordable and historic but be warned, there really are no swimmable beaches with white sand in town. For great beaches, you need to drive about 30 to 45 north to Hapuna Beach Park.
Have a great time.
2006-10-04 02:54:26 · answer #1 · answered by Michelle T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most airlines fly into either Kailua Kona or Hilo. As for where to stay, it really depends on what you want to do during your stay. Most of the nicer swimmable beaches, snorkeling and big resorts are on the western, Kona side of the island. Kona is also home to the world-famous Kona coffee so if you're a java junkie, it's worth a trip to check out how they grow and process coffee. There are hiking trails throughout the island. Volcanoes National Park is on the East side about 30 minutes' drive from Hilo (the major East-side town) and Mauna Kea is around 30-45 minutes' drive from Hilo and is most definitely worth a visit if you want to see some of the clearest star-gazing on the planet. It's about 2.5 to 3 hours to drive from Volcanoes to Kailua Kona so it's totally doable to drive around the entire island in a day - something I'd also recommend since our island is so diverse (it has 12 of the 14 climate zones found on earth). You don't say whether you're visiting any of the other islands at all. If you are and are limited on time, I would recommend staying in Hilo so you have easy access to Volcanoes Park and the lava viewing at night (which is outside of the park) since none of the other islands have an active lava flow. Good luck planning your trip! Aloha!
2016-03-27 02:41:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My favorite hotel on the big island is the Hilton Waidoloa Village. It is great, especially since you will be traveling with teens....as there is something for everyone.
Great resort on 62 acres...with a ton of things to do....for all ages.
Hilton Waikoloa Village is located within the Waikoloa Beach Resort area on the southern Kohala Coast on Hawaii's Big Island. Just 18 miles from the Kona International Airport.
More info on the link below. Have a great time!
2006-10-05 05:42:50 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I go to Volcanoes I stay at My Island B&B. You can rent a house, cottage, room in the main house. They have breakfast in the main house where you can mingle with other guests. I've met scientists from universities, toursists from Germany, England, New Zealand. The family has been there for generations and can recommend places to see while you are there.
Just a word of warning it's not a law, but drivers yield to cars making left turns. I nearly got into an accident because the other driver was expecting me to yield the right of way.
2006-10-03 06:52:06 · answer #4 · answered by Kainoa 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check out the Hawaii Island Bed & Breakfast Assoc. (808)75-7167 or the web site is www.stayhawaii.com
Also, the site GoHawaii.com. There are many places that you would probably love. We have made many trips to the Big Island, and it is our favorite! Have a great time. Rea
2006-10-03 01:07:47 · answer #5 · answered by Rea 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
at volcano national park, they have cabins that can be rented... however im not quite sure what the requirements are to stay there. you should give them a call and see if you can stay there. it's pretty nice, and you would be right in the national park...
2006-10-02 14:31:56 · answer #6 · answered by hOneY 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋