Okay, for anyone familiar with Hawaii

[SoCalCoug]

I'm going there in March for my honeymoon - we'll be on the big island.

What are the "must sees" or "must do's"?

Things that can't be done in the hotel room.

[Surfah]

Originally Posted by SoCalCoug

I'm going there in March for my honeymoon - we'll be on the big island.

What are the "must sees" or "must do's"?

Things that can't be done in the hotel room.

I imagine you'll be staying in Kona or somewhere along the Kohala coast. Lots of great beaches. My family is from Waimea/Kamuela on the Big Island.

Depends on what you like, but here are my suggestions:

If you both golf there is some great golf. I like Mauna Lani South, Hapuna at Prince, and the Mauna Kea courses. But when it's windy (which happens more often than not) it can play very difficult. Or you can do the King's Trail and get deals on 6 of the main golf courses there.

Beaches. Since when we go back we're not really tourists, so we usually avoid the resort beaches. These can be crowded and well filled with tourists. Hapuna and Anaeho'omalu are the two we usually frequent. These are public beaches with lots of sand but with all the amenities you will need. Hapuna has showers and bathrooms but no other services so pack food and whatever else you may need. Just north if you're willing to walk is the resort beach where you can find anything else you may need. Anaeho'omalu is just south of the resort beaches and the Kings Shops so you have several things available to you within a short walk. Hapuna is usually frequented by younger people and the bodyboarders. You can get some big waves there and this is one of the hotspots when the ocean is pumping. Anaeho'omalu is a tranquil bay. There are kayak rentals, windsurfing, etc. Nice place to snorkel. Here at this beach is where they used to reintroduce sea turtles back into the sea so there are usually a handful of them within 10 yards of shore. Lots of fun to snorkel with them. Just don't touch. These are both on the Kohala coast. Kona has some nice beaches with excellent snorkeling and diving. You can always check out the black sand beaches too.

There are lots of good restaurants especially if you like seafood. The Big Island Grill is a local favorite place in Kona. Just your typical Hawaiian style foods served here in generous portions. There are plate lunch places everywhere. Cafe 100 in Hilo is a dive type place where they claim to have invented the Loco Moco, a Hawaiian favorite dish with hamburger patties, eggs, served over rice with brown gravy. Tex's in Honoka'a is a must stop place. Order their malasadas. These are the hot, deep fried, sugary donut things you see sometimes like at a Chinese buffet. These are the best in the world. The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel used to have an amazing seafood buffet. It was pricey but there's all you can eat lobster and prime rib and everything else you can imagine. And this isn't the kind all-you-can-eat lobster type restaurant you see in Orlando or something like that. Most of the resorts will have some really nice, fine dining. Down on Ali'i Dr. in Kona you can find several nice restaurants.

I would definitely check out Mauna Kea. They have a great star gazing show at the ranger station just below the summit near the base camp for all the scientists that man the observatories. Get there early before the sunset and there is a short but lung exploding hike up to the top of the west ridge where you can watch the sunset. Then the rangers guide you through the stars with several fixed telescopes that you can see some amazing things. Dress warm as it will get cold though they do offer hot drinks.

Waipio Valley is incredible. The view from the lookout is unreal. But if you can get on a tour down to the bottom it is worth it. It will also be one of the more hair raising drives of your life as you travel down a ridiculous grade. Don't try and drive yourself down without being in a truck with some torque and wheels locked in 4 low. I saw some silly tourists start to descend in their rental mazda miata the last time I was there. At the back of the canyon you have the majestic Hi'ilawe falls. There are several other falls in the canyon also and a beautiful black sand beach. Not really a nice place to swim as the area is known for sharks and can have dangerous waves and currents.

Volcanoes National Park is usually a great place to visit. Walk through the Thurston lava tubes and check out some of the old eruption sites and visitor's center. I don't know where Kilauea is erupting right now but it's always active. The ranger stations can help you know where to go. Usually there is a hike across some lava rock but you can travel out to see where the lava meets the ocean.

Hilo is a nice little town. It's less touristy than Kona. It was decimated by a tsunami years ago. Lots of nice shops, little restaurants. I'd visit the candy factories or the macadamia nut farms. I don't know when Easter is this year but if it's in March and you'll be there the Merry Monarch Festival in Hilo is a huge event. This is a week long hula competition where the best halaus from all over the world come to compete.

Parker Ranch in Waimea is a nice place to visit as well. Waimea is my favorite place in the world. It's quiet and tranquil. It's lush and green and usually every afternoon the clouds roll in and it mists over the entire area. But this is where the paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) tradition started and the world's largest privately owned cattle ranch. You can check out the old estate and some great paintings there as old Samuel Parker was a collector.

Akaka falls is a nice little hike too to a fantastic waterfall. This path is all paved and within 5 minutes you're at a fall that plunges over 400 feet. This is on the Hamakua side of the island between Hilo and Honoka'a.

South Point is a very cool place to check out. You'll see guys fishing off cliffs here with trash bags used like balloons to carry their lines out to the ocean. They fish for marlin and sailfish here...from the shore. Speaking of fishing if you're into is, get on a charter boat in Kona as they have some of the best sportfishing in the world.

The City of Refuge is a great place to visit. This is a place where people fled when they trespassed the law. If they weren't caught and punished/killed and made it to one of these designated places of refuge they could be cleansed by a kahuna.

I'd try and get on a ghost tour or something too. Hawaii is a very spiritual place and there are great chicken skin stories about the night walkers and the ancient kings that still walk along the King's trail along the Kohala coast. There are lots of sacred heiaus and trails still there in Hawaii. Remember to be respectful and don't take anything from the island like rocks so you don't have a Brady Bunch like experience in Hawaii.

Anyway, these are just a few suggestions. But the opportunities on the Big Island are immense. Easily the most diverse of the Hawaiian islands. You can snowboard at times on Mauna Kea even. In fact March should be prime time for some skiing or snowboarding there. Mountain biking. Four wheeling. You can do pretty much anything there. Have a good time.

[il Padrino Ute]

I was just going to say to look at the volcanic rocks, but don't take one home with you because you'll be followed by bad luck for the entire time you have the rock.

Surfah's answer is much better.

[cougjunkie]

Originally Posted by surfah33

I imagine you'll be staying in Kona or somewhere along the Kohala coast. Lots of great beaches. My family is from Waimea/Kamuela on the Big Island.

Depends on what you like, but here are my suggestions:

If you both golf there is some great golf. I like Mauna Lani South, Hapuna at Prince, and the Mauna Kea courses. But when it's windy (which happens more often than not) it can play very difficult. Or you can do the King's Trail and get deals on 6 of the main golf courses there.

Beaches. Since when we go back we're not really tourists, so we usually avoid the resort beaches. These can be crowded and well filled with tourists. Hapuna and Anaeho'omalu are the two we usually frequent. These are public beaches with lots of sand but with all the amenities you will need. Hapuna has showers and bathrooms but no other services so pack food and whatever else you may need. Just north if you're willing to walk is the resort beach where you can find anything else you may need. Anaeho'omalu is just south of the resort beaches and the Kings Shops so you have several things available to you within a short walk. Hapuna is usually frequented by younger people and the bodyboarders. You can get some big waves there and this is one of the hotspots when the ocean is pumping. Anaeho'omalu is a tranquil bay. There are kayak rentals, windsurfing, etc. Nice place to snorkel. Here at this beach is where they used to reintroduce sea turtles back into the sea so there are usually a handful of them within 10 yards of shore. Lots of fun to snorkel with them. Just don't touch. These are both on the Kohala coast. Kona has some nice beaches with excellent snorkeling and diving. You can always check out the black sand beaches too.

There are lots of good restaurants especially if you like seafood. The Big Island Grill is a local favorite place in Kona. Just your typical Hawaiian style foods served here in generous portions. There are plate lunch places everywhere. Cafe 100 in Hilo is a dive type place where they claim to have invented the Loco Moco, a Hawaiian favorite dish with hamburger patties, eggs, served over rice with brown gravy. Tex's in Honoka'a is a must stop place. Order their malasadas. These are the hot, deep fried, sugary donut things you see sometimes like at a Chinese buffet. These are the best in the world. The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel used to have an amazing seafood buffet. It was pricey but there's all you can eat lobster and prime rib and everything else you can imagine. And this isn't the kind all-you-can-eat lobster type restaurant you see in Orlando or something like that. Most of the resorts will have some really nice, fine dining. Down on Ali'i Dr. in Kona you can find several nice restaurants.

I would definitely check out Mauna Kea. They have a great star gazing show at the ranger station just below the summit near the base camp for all the scientists that man the observatories. Get there early before the sunset and there is a short but lung exploding hike up to the top of the west ridge where you can watch the sunset. Then the rangers guide you through the stars with several fixed telescopes that you can see some amazing things. Dress warm as it will get cold though they do offer hot drinks.

Waipio Valley is incredible. The view from the lookout is unreal. But if you can get on a tour down to the bottom it is worth it. It will also be one of the more hair raising drives of your life as you travel down a ridiculous grade. Don't try and drive yourself down without being in a truck with some torque and wheels locked in 4 low. I saw some silly tourists start to descend in their rental mazda miata the last time I was there. At the back of the canyon you have the majestic Hi'ilawe falls. There are several other falls in the canyon also and a beautiful black sand beach. Not really a nice place to swim as the area is known for sharks and can have dangerous waves and currents.

Volcanoes National Park is usually a great place to visit. Walk through the Thurston lava tubes and check out some of the old eruption sites and visitor's center. I don't know where Kilauea is erupting right now but it's always active. The ranger stations can help you know where to go. Usually there is a hike across some lava rock but you can travel out to see where the lava meets the ocean.

Hilo is a nice little town. It's less touristy than Kona. It was decimated by a tsunami years ago. Lots of nice shops, little restaurants. I'd visit the candy factories or the macadamia nut farms. I don't know when Easter is this year but if it's in March and you'll be there the Merry Monarch Festival in Hilo is a huge event. This is a week long hula competition where the best halaus from all over the world come to compete.

Parker Ranch in Waimea is a nice place to visit as well. Waimea is my favorite place in the world. It's quiet and tranquil. It's lush and green and usually every afternoon the clouds roll in and it mists over the entire area. But this is where the paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) tradition started and the world's largest privately owned cattle ranch. You can check out the old estate and some great paintings there as old Samuel Parker was a collector.

Akaka falls is a nice little hike too to a fantastic waterfall. This path is all paved and within 5 minutes you're at a fall that plunges over 400 feet. This is on the Hamakua side of the island between Hilo and Honoka'a.

South Point is a very cool place to check out. You'll see guys fishing off cliffs here with trash bags used like balloons to carry their lines out to the ocean. They fish for marlin and sailfish here...from the shore. Speaking of fishing if you're into is, get on a charter boat in Kona as they have some of the best sportfishing in the world.

The City of Refuge is a great place to visit. This is a place where people fled when they trespassed the law. If they weren't caught and punished/killed and made it to one of these designated places of refuge they could be cleansed by a kahuna.

I'd try and get on a ghost tour or something too. Hawaii is a very spiritual place and there are great chicken skin stories about the night walkers and the ancient kings that still walk along the King's trail along the Kohala coast. There are lots of sacred heiaus and trails still there in Hawaii. Remember to be respectful and don't take anything from the island like rocks so you don't have a Brady Bunch like experience in Hawaii.

Anyway, these are just a few suggestions. But the opportunities on the Big Island are immense. Easily the most diverse of the Hawaiian islands. You can snowboard at times on Mauna Kea even. In fact March should be prime time for some skiing or snowboarding there. Mountain biking. Four wheeling. You can do pretty much anything there. Have a good time.

What he said.

[MikeWaters]

I know a lot about the Big Island, since I watched a travel show yesterday. But I don't feel like retyping what Surfah said.


I'd love to go to the Big Island. But if I can afford it, I will go to the more exotic isolated places. Since I am sort of an islander myself (mission).

[UteStar]

surfah knows the island much better than I do, but in my week trip there, I agree with what he has said. Waipai Valley is truly beautiful. We took the tour and the ride down the hill was scary and intense as it was raining a bit. I wouldn't feel comfortable just walking down that hill let alone driving down it. We took the horse ride while we were there and it was fun.

The Big Island Grill is casual and tasty. You obviously have to go to the Volacano national park. Very interesting. We went at night to see the lava flowing (glowing and dripping into the ocean). I was expecting probably a little too much out of that...you are quite a ways away but it was still cool.

I like Waimea as well. I wish I had surfah's thoughts on it all before we went. I loved the Big Island. Great time. Enjoy.

[Surfah]

One thing I also failed to mention was the temple now in Kona. Always worth a visit.

[SoCalCoug]

Thanks all (mostly Surfah)

We're staying at Waikoloa (we can get friends and family rate at Marriott, and that was one of the few openings.

[Surfah]

Originally Posted by SoCalCoug

Thanks all (mostly Surfah)

We're staying at Waikoloa (we can get friends and family rate at Marriott, and that was one of the few openings.

Waikoloa has decent golf as well. You'll be close to Anaeho'omalu from there. Maybe 20 minutes or so. The Kohala coast hotels and resorts are within a short drive also. You're kind of inbetween Waimea and Kona there. But you should have an incredible view of the sun setting there each night.

We stayed in the Waikoloa Village last time I was there as Grandpa thought it'd be more comfortable than his home.

[SoCalCoug]

Well, I'm back. The Marriott Waikoloa resort is actually right behind Anaeho'omalu Beach (I'm pretty sure - when you get past 3 syllables of vowels, I lose focus). There's a fish pond right next to the beach, and we could see the pond and the ocean from our room.

The snorkeling was great. You go right from the beach, and by the time you're 20 feet out, you're seeing fish and reefs.

I never realized that the most graceful ocean creatures would be the turtles. They just sort of slowly glide along - I loved watching them.

We were right across the street from the Kings Shops, and there was a Big Island Grill there - we had breakfast one day - pretty good. However, our favorite place to eat there was a little fish and chips place in the back of the shops - of course, we only found it on our last day, so didn't get to go more often.

We ate at a Mexican place, an Italian place, and at Taco Bell in Kona. We also found a Chinese place up in Waimea. We went in tons of touristy shops and got a few things for the kids.

We mostly hung out at the beach and the pool, even though it was cloudy most of the time. I think there were 2 days (of the 7) that were mostly sunny, and that includes the Saturday that we went home. It even rained on 3 days (most of the day on Wed.) on what I'd heard was the driest part of Hawaii.

We took a snorkel trip (3 hour trip) and saw some whales (from the boat, not snorkeling) and snorkeled in a bay just north of ours, and it was absolutely incredible - looked like canyons of reefs - I was hoping to see a shark, which they told us sometimes come around, but unfortunately, I didn't. Hot Babysitter was happy for that, though.

Even with all the lava rocks around, the big island is a beautiful place. We were disappointed that the donkeys were gathered up a few years ago, because we wanted to see them at the donkey crossings.

We were able to drive around the northern end of the island, which is a lot different than where we were.

It was a great trip, and it was sad to leave. And sadder to be back at work.