Hawaii - Big Island

Hello.
My extended family would like to spend a week on the Big Island. One
family has small children so staying in one spot near a great beach on
the sunny side of the island would be best. However, we also want to
spend time in Volcanoes National Park. Because the island is so large,
it seems that we might spend alot of time in the car which the kids
won't like.

Does anyone have suggestions of where would be good to "set up camp"
both for the kids and for sightseeing? Oh, yes, and golf too :-)

Thank you,
-Linda

"Linda" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello.
My extended family would like to spend a week on the Big Island. One
family has small children so staying in one spot near a great beach on
the sunny side of the island would be best. However, we also want to
spend time in Volcanoes National Park. Because the island is so large,
it seems that we might spend alot of time in the car which the kids
won't like.

Does anyone have suggestions of where would be good to "set up camp"
both for the kids and for sightseeing? Oh, yes, and golf too :-)


Again, I would recommend the Kona side. While the Big Island is large
compared to Hawaii Standards, it's not large compared to mainland standards,
so I doubt if your kids will mind unless they're really young. Still, the
scenery on the Big Island may very well be quite different from where you
live, so the kids might be gawking at the new surroundings and time will
pass quickly. Though, I should warn you, the Big Island is very laid back
and the traffic doesn't move as quickly as it does on the mainland. There
is ample golf around the Kona Side and the drive to Volcanoes National Park
is no a long one from Kailua-Kona. My favorite place on the Kona side is
Hilton Waikoloa, but, there are nice hotels in Kailua-Kona as well and there
are also coffee plantations, bed and breakfast locations and things like
that which are interesting. You are invited to visit my Big Island of
Hawaii webpage, where there are links to lodging, information about
activities and sightseeing and a lot of information about Kilauea Volcano
and volcanoes of the world as well as many 360 degree photos of many places
on the Big Island (browser must be Java-enabled). The URL for my Big Island
Webpage is:
~ http://keith.martin.home.att.net/page9B.html where you'll find no
pop-ups, no advertising, no cookies and nothing for sale. Bon voyage. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI or
CNN, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards & 150 foreign languages
Visit Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

"Alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Linda" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello.
My extended family would like to spend a week on the Big Island. One
family has small children so staying in one spot near a great beach on
the sunny side of the island would be best. However, we also want to
spend time in Volcanoes National Park. Because the island is so large,
it seems that we might spend alot of time in the car which the kids
won't like.

Does anyone have suggestions of where would be good to "set up camp"
both for the kids and for sightseeing? Oh, yes, and golf too :-)


Again, I would recommend the Kona side. While the Big Island is large
compared to Hawaii Standards, it's not large compared to mainland
standards, so I doubt if your kids will mind unless they're really young.
Still, the scenery on the Big Island may very well be quite different from
where you live, so the kids might be gawking at the new surroundings and
time will pass quickly. Though, I should warn you, the Big Island is very
laid back and the traffic doesn't move as quickly as it does on the
mainland. There is ample golf around the Kona Side and the drive to
Volcanoes National Park is no a long one from Kailua-Kona. My favorite
place on the Kona side is Hilton Waikoloa, but, there are nice hotels in
Kailua-Kona as well and there are also coffee plantations, bed and
breakfast locations and things like that which are interesting. You are
invited to visit my Big Island of Hawaii webpage, where there are links to
lodging, information about activities and sightseeing and a lot of
information about Kilauea Volcano and volcanoes of the world as well as
many 360 degree photos of many places on the Big Island (browser must be
Java-enabled). The URL for my Big Island Webpage is:
~ http://keith.martin.home.att.net/page9B.html where you'll find no
pop-ups, no advertising, no cookies and nothing for sale. Bon voyage. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI or
CNN, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards & 150 foreign languages
Visit Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/


Personally, I prefer the Hilo side. The way I look at it, there's almost a
line that bifurcates the island into the dry, almost desert, side, Kona
versus the wet and green side, Hilo. The prefer the latter because that's
where you will see the luscious forests and the waterfalls. Having said that
however, I would agree that the island is *not* that big and driving
distances and times between cities is not that big of a deal.

"Cesar Neri" wrote in message
...

"Alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Linda" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello.
My extended family would like to spend a week on the Big Island. One
family has small children so staying in one spot near a great beach on
the sunny side of the island would be best. However, we also want to
spend time in Volcanoes National Park. Because the island is so large,
it seems that we might spend alot of time in the car which the kids
won't like.

Does anyone have suggestions of where would be good to "set up camp"
both for the kids and for sightseeing? Oh, yes, and golf too :-)


Again, I would recommend the Kona side.
snip


Personally, I prefer the Hilo side. The way I look at it, there's almost a
line that bifurcates the island into the dry, almost desert, side, Kona
versus the wet and green side, Hilo. The prefer the latter because that's
where you will see the luscious forests and the waterfalls. Having said
that however, I would agree that the island is *not* that big and driving
distances and times between cities is not that big of a deal.

I agree the Hilo side is lushly, tropically beautiful, especially the
Hamakua coast. Love Akake Falls. But it's green because it gets 200 inches
of rain per year. Also there are not nearly so many resorts and hotels on
the Hilo side.

Probably the ideal place for your family group to stay would be Kona Village
Resort, but it's quite expensive. It has a beach, special activities for
kids, and you stay in grass huts, just my daydream picture of a tropical
vacation. (En-suite grass huts, some with whirlpool spas. Perfect! I don't
daydream of being on the 18th floor.)

Marianne

"Cesar Neri" wrote in message
...
"Alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Linda" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello.
My extended family would like to spend a week on the Big Island. One
family has small children so staying in one spot near a great beach on
the sunny side of the island would be best. However, we also want to
spend time in Volcanoes National Park. Because the island is so large,
it seems that we might spend alot of time in the car which the kids
won't like.

Does anyone have suggestions of where would be good to "set up camp"
both for the kids and for sightseeing? Oh, yes, and golf too :-)

Again, I would recommend the Kona side. While the Big Island is large
compared to Hawaii Standards, it's not large compared to mainland
standards, so I doubt if your kids will mind unless they're really young.
Still, the scenery on the Big Island may very well be quite different
from where you live, so the kids might be gawking at the new surroundings
and time will pass quickly. Though, I should warn you, the Big Island is
very laid back and the traffic doesn't move as quickly as it does on the
mainland. There is ample golf around the Kona Side and the drive to
Volcanoes National Park is no a long one from Kailua-Kona. My favorite
place on the Kona side is Hilton Waikoloa, but, there are nice hotels in
Kailua-Kona as well and there are also coffee plantations, bed and
breakfast locations and things like that which are interesting. You are
invited to visit my Big Island of Hawaii webpage, where there are links
to lodging, information about activities and sightseeing and a lot of
information about Kilauea Volcano and volcanoes of the world as well as
many 360 degree photos of many places on the Big Island (browser must be
Java-enabled). The URL for my Big Island Webpage is:
~ http://keith.martin.home.att.net/page9B.html where you'll find no
pop-ups, no advertising, no cookies and nothing for sale. Bon voyage.
KM

Personally, I prefer the Hilo side. The way I look at it, there's almost a
line that bifurcates the island into the dry, almost desert, side, Kona
versus the wet and green side, Hilo. The prefer the latter because that's
where you will see the luscious forests and the waterfalls. Having said
that however, I would agree that the island is *not* that big and driving
distances and times between cities is not that big of a deal.
Yes, I also prefer the Hilo side, but Kona is an easier drive to Volcanoes
National Park and the chances of golf-with-no-rain are much better on the
Kona side. If I move back to the Big Island, I'll pick the Hilo side this
time. Yes, each Hawaiian Island has a jungle side and a desert side. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI or
CNN, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards & 150 foreign languages
Visit Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

In article .com,
says...

Hello.
My extended family would like to spend a week on the Big Island. One
family has small children so staying in one spot near a great beach on
the sunny side of the island would be best. However, we also want to
spend time in Volcanoes National Park. Because the island is so large,
it seems that we might spend alot of time in the car which the kids
won't like.

Does anyone have suggestions of where would be good to "set up camp"
both for the kids and for sightseeing? Oh, yes, and golf too :-)

Thank you,
-Linda

Linda,

You have gotten some good recommendations on BOTH sides of Hawai`i. Each is
quite different, and aspects of both are well worth seeing.

For a largeish group, especially with children, the Waikoloa is a good base-
camp, with beaches, activities, and there is good intermediate-price dining
both on property, as well as very near-by.

Because of its size, relative to the other islands, it's a full day-trip to
Hilo, but I would not miss it. The "Saddle Road" is frowned upon by the auto
rental agencies, but is NOT a bad road at all (unless there have been slides,
or something, since I last drove it), and you can connect from Kona to Hilo
with some beautiful scenery in the meantime. One option would be a full-day
going from Kona to Hilo via Saddle Road, then driving back on the Southern
Route. The kids might find it a bit of a trek, but the adults will love it.

In a perfect world, 4 days in Kona, then moving to Hilo for about 3 would be
perfect!

Hunt

--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth

With the sunny side and beach comment, I would pick Kona or south of
Kona. I do like the "split the week" idea of the last poster.

In article .com,
says...

With the sunny side and beach comment, I would pick Kona or south of
Kona. I do like the "split the week" idea of the last poster.

Yes, Kona is much more likely to experience sunny, dry weather, but I do like
Hilo. Last time that I split the island, Hilo was rationing water during a
drought, and it rained on us in Kona - go figure! :-} I had planned on ducking
into quaint little shop-fronts with my wife, to escape the showers in Hilo,
but it wasn't to happen. Also, I find Hilo a "time-warp" in Hawaiian travel/
hospitality, plus the flora & fauna on the Eastside should not be missed. The
kids, that the OP refered to, might not appreciate the area as much, and dad
may wish that he'd booked a tee-time at the King's Course in Kona, but the
trip is worthwhile.

Last trip was spent in Kona and upcountry, and I wish I'd driven over to Hilo,
even if only for a day, or two.

Hunt

--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth

(Hunt) wrote:

Yes, Kona is much more likely to experience sunny, dry weather, but I do like
Hilo. Last time that I split the island, Hilo was rationing water during a
drought, and it rained on us in Kona - go figure! :-} I had planned on ducking
into quaint little shop-fronts with my wife, to escape the showers in Hilo,
but it wasn't to happen. Also, I find Hilo a "time-warp" in Hawaiian travel/
hospitality, plus the flora & fauna on the Eastside should not be missed. The
kids, that the OP refered to, might not appreciate the area as much, and dad
may wish that he'd booked a tee-time at the King's Course in Kona, but the
trip is worthwhile.

I've only been to Hawaii once ....and that was to Oahu

Would you guys agree that on my next trip there that
the Big Island is maybe a better choice?

wrote in message
...
(Hunt) wrote:

Yes, Kona is much more likely to experience sunny, dry weather, but I do
like
Hilo. Last time that I split the island, Hilo was rationing water during a
drought, and it rained on us in Kona - go figure! :-} I had planned on
ducking
into quaint little shop-fronts with my wife, to escape the showers in
Hilo,
but it wasn't to happen. Also, I find Hilo a "time-warp" in Hawaiian
travel/
hospitality, plus the flora & fauna on the Eastside should not be missed.
The
kids, that the OP refered to, might not appreciate the area as much, and
dad
may wish that he'd booked a tee-time at the King's Course in Kona, but the
trip is worthwhile.

I've only been to Hawaii once ....and that was to Oahu

Would you guys agree that on my next trip there that
the Big Island is maybe a better choice?

Up-island Oahu isn't too bad. But I hate Waikiki. My personal favorite is
Kauai, the Garden Isle. It's green and lush, but I stay in Poipu, the
sunniest part. Maui is very popular, so has more people, nightlife, etc. The
curvy road to Hana is getting almost too popular. The Big Island has lots of
variety and it has Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Some of the previous posters have mentioned Waikoloa on the Big Island.
That's a big resort, with multiple hotels plus condos, golf courses, a
shopping center, etc. The Hilton Waikoloa has an artificial lagoon with an
artificial beach, dolphins to swim with, canals, a tram. All smacked down on
an old lava field, so feeling totally artificial. I don't like this kind of
place. I did go on their free tour of the petroglyphs on the lava; it's
right adjacent to a golf course with an artificial pond. (Wonder how many
more petroglyphs were covered up.)

I seek out an experience that makes me feel like I'm living in the real
Hawaii. We stay in low-rise condominiums, buy fruit from the farmers'
markets. All this is probably just as artificial in its own way but not so
blinding so. Different strokes....

Marianne