Originally Posted by
Jon Maiman
...For dinning, we recommend Kilauea Lodge and Thai Thai. Enjoy your trip....
Just don't try Lava Rock Cafe in Volcano Village.
The responses you received are all on the mark except note: you can do helicopter tours from the Waikoloa side. Blue Hawaiian (the one I'd recommend) has a small heliport a couple of miles from the HWV. Iirc, prices for the volcano tour are a little more expensive than ex-Hilo, but if you're juggling other expenses (like a one-way car rental) this might be worth looking at.
You also might find this thread
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=284514
helpful