ozstamps

Joh and I are attending the FT "Pip" Honolulu October 24-27 - see my signature hotlink for all the details.

For a couple days before that we fly to HILO, as Joh read she can see a volcano there. Hope she is right?!

We arrive from HNL 5pm Wed Oct 22 and leave 3pm Friday Oct 25.

Have no idea if there is some decent deals on accom. there, or what to do, and how and where to see this volcano.

Prefer not to rent a car as insurance for ozzies is about 5 times the rental cost as we need to take the LOT, but we will rent a car if we need it and others recommend it. (Driving on the "wrong" side of the road is never fun of course!)

Not sure for instance how far airport is from downtown. Often if it is a $15-$20 type cab ride each way, a car for 2 days makes perfect sense. (If so if anyone can recommend a decent car rate I would like to read it!)

So if anyone has ANY suggestions on what to do and see on a short trip please add your input! We are clueless about this place.

We are big users of coupons for dining and touring etc. Is there a specific Ent. book for the Big Island or Hilo?

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Don't forget the FT Party In Paradise 'PiP' Hana Hou - in HNL Oct 25-27

pallensf

Ozstamps -

I went last year for my bday to Hilo and stayed @ the Volcanoe House. You'll love it there.

And, to boot - you can dine in the restaurant while looking at Kilauea crater as it steams...simply awesome...

Also, for that sweet tooth craving -in Hilo town is a factory and retail store called Big Island Candies - OMG, talk about sugar heaven. Stock up on goodies to bring back for friends and family. You will not be disappointed. Everything is handmade. Yummilicious.

One more place - it's a restaurant called Pat's that serves up the best Mac Nut pancakes with coconut syrup. AWESOME. This is in Hilo town near the hotels.

If you have any more questions, email me.

Aloha no ka kou...

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Patrick A. Inouye, LMT
volunteer trip reports moderator

lensman

Hmm. I was going to recommend renting a car just because I've never done it any other way.

Volcano House is definitely my top choice if you want to tour and hike around Kilauea. If you're the day hiking type, having a car will give you a lot more freedom to make your own schedule. Volcano House is a lodge inside of Volcanoes National Park.

My second choice is Kilauea Lodge: http://www.kilauealodge.com/
The restaurant there is one of my favorites. It is leagues better than the restaurant at Volcano House. The view from the restaurant at Volcano House during daylight hours is spectacular, however.

My third choice are the various bed and breakfast inns in Volcano (the town).

Last, but not least would be any hotel in Hilo. As I recall it's a 40 minute drive each way to Kilauea.

obscure2k

Oz,
Think a better resource would be the Ft Travel (Hawaii) forum. Lots of good info there.
Even a search would be productive on the Hawaii Forum. Your questions have been answered many times on the Hawaii Forum.
Aloha,
O2K

TA

I go to Hilo for research at the observatories, and I highly encourage you to see both the volcanoes (1st, easier) and the telescopes (2nd, harder) if you can! The volcano Nat'l park is about 45 minutes drive southwest of Hilo, and the telescopes are also about 45 minutes on the Saddle Road (west). take a look at this page (link expired) for some pictures of when I went where you're going.

Hilo is a small town, and the airport is like 3 minutes from downtown (if you can call it a downtown). You will definitely need a car to get to the Volcano park, unless you join a bus tour.

This page can tell you about current eruptions and things to see in the park: here and here One thing though -- obey park ranger signs and warnings. Lava is dangerous and the sad thing is that tourists each year get in over their heads because of the unfamiliar/non-obvious dangers. Don't walk on lava in the dark. Don't get anywhere near lava going in to the ocean. Usually a drive down the Chain of Craters road (in the park) leads you to freshly cooled lava, which is very impressive. Ask rangers lots of questions, they'll tell you good tips on what to see.

As for the telescopes, despite what the rental car companies say, there is nothing to stop you from taking your rental car on the Saddle Road. Just drive carefully, and there should be no problem. The reason they say no cars on the Saddle Road is for liability purposes -- it's very expensive to get a tow on this road. There are great views of both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on this road. If you want to drive to see the actual telescopes you will need a 4wheel drive though. some people have done the drive to the summit in 2wheel cars, but this is highly discouraged. Remember, gas in Hawaii is very expensive right now, maybe >$2/gallon(?)

It may sound strange, but I like the Hilo side of Hawaii much more than the Kona side, or Maui for that matter. It feels like a much less touristy place, and more like a comfortable home where you can live. Also, it's not crawling with tourists and newlyweds and price gouging. The hotels are a bit faded because they once thought that tourists would come, so they built hotels, but the tourists all go to Kona side now. There are no big chain hotels in town, only local stuff. try asking at the Naniloa hotel, the big hi-rise hotel: (808) 935-3000 I've stayed there, and nothing really special, but then no hotel in Hilo is really special. It's currently asking $75/night on expedia. Maybe they'll give you a discount if you ask over the phone. or you can stay in one of the lodges at the volcano as others have suggested

If you explore Hilo for an hour or two, just by walking in the streets behind the downtown, you'll see that it's a working class town, with poor but friendly people. There is a open air market near the waterfront, on a street perpendicular to the water. I forget the name and days of the week it opens, but if you ask shopkeepers/hotel, they can tell you. There are flowers, fruits, and clothing for sale here, all very interesting.

for food, there is a nice cafe on the main waterfront street of Hilo called Cafe Pesto, it has good pizza and sandwiches for lunch/dinner. Or for great seafood/fish, try Seaside Restaurant (1790 Kalanianaole St. Phone 808-935-8825.) I've been there, and it's very good - surrounded by ponds that stock the fish they serve. To get there you drive down a road that at first looks very industrial, and then very suburban until you come to the bright lights of the restaurant. In the $20-25 per person range, but family friendly and enjoyable.

have fun!

ps. as for me, I'm off to your home country this week -- Coonabarabran near Dubbo in NSW for observing with the Anglo-Australian observatory. Afterwards, a drive up to Brisbane with friends. Looking forward to "fine" days down under! unfortunately, all my flying is in coach though... earn the miles, but the hard way.

FlyinHawaiian

Moderator -

Could this thread please be moved into the FT - Hawai`i forum?

I'd hate for all the good advice given in this thread to be wasted. Moving the thread would ensure that someone doing a search would not miss out...

Mahalo and Aloha

ozstamps

pallensf, lensman, TA - thanks for the excellent input. EXACTLY what we were looking for.

Never even HEARD of Volcano before!

FT is an amazing resource at times.

Anyone else have any personal input to add?

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Don't forget the FT Party In Paradise 'PiP' Hana Hou - in HNL Oct 25-27

richard

This is a great thread. (personal note: I loved Hilo very much when I was there.)

I am moving it the Hawai'i forum in FT Travel which is a hopping place and where it really belongs.

See you over there!

--richard, moderator

dcmike

I highly recommend the crater hike in VNP - it was one of the most amazing things I've done in quite awhile. While you can get to a lot of the spots by car, the hike takes you across some of the most astounding terrain - which changes from scrub, to desert, to lava flow, to tropical forrest.

I just did this in July - the entire 12 mile hike took me about 5 and a half hours. You can see pictures (although they really don't do the hike justice) here:

http://staff.westlake.com/msnyder/ph...vnp/index.html

I didn't get to stay at Volcano House - but when I go back, I plan to - the place looked amazing.

Edited to add - if you do the hike, use LOTS of sunscreen and bring a good deal of water with you - I went through about 4 liters in the 5 hours.

One of the other things that was incredible was that the trail was pretty much empty the day I hiked it - for 10 miles of the 12, I didn't pass a single person. Only toward the end, when there were lots of parking areas near the trail, did I see other people on the trail.

[This message has been edited by dcmike (edited 10-12-2003).]

dhammer53

1. Bring lots of water. It's hot and dry.
2. Bring some goodies to eat in the car.
3. It's very dramatic at night.
4. I would suggest closed shoes.
5. Have lots of film or space available on your digital camera.
6. Don't take the first parking spot you see; as folks come and go quickly. Try for a closer spot. It's less walking.
7. If you have time, drive Chain of Craters Road.
8. Go into the Thurston Lava Tube (I think that's the name).
9. Don't rush.
10 Enjoy this truly breathtaking National park.

Dan

FlyinHawaiian

ozstamps, I think you might find having a car useful in getting around. The Volcano Park is sprawling and full of roads. While you can get around by a tour bus, I like the freedom of traveling at our own pace and spending time at the locations we find interesting. I've found that Budget or Dollar seem to have the best prices.

I'll second the advise of others on the Big Island Candy Factory - their chocolate-dipped macadamia nut shortbread cookies are sinful! I'll also second the Seaside restaurant - they serve really nice meals there. Hilo has very good and fresh seafood.

If you have the time, a drive to Akaka Falls, about 30 min north of Hilo, would be in order. The falls are reached by a short 10 min hike though a rain forest trail and are with the trip.

Finally, one of the BEST ways to see the Volcano is to take a helicopter tour. You will fly over parts of the volcano that cannot be easily accessed by ground. We hovered over an open vent and looking down into the molten earth was an awesome experience! If the lava is flowing into the ocean, that is another great sight seen from the air. The only thing that keeps me from giving a 100% recommendation is that there have been, over the years, some accidents involving helicopters. If you do a search in this forum, you will find discussion on that topic and you may draw your own conclusions...

The Kilauea volcano is a very sacred and spiritual place for many Hawaiians. I have always found my visits to be a very powerful and moving experience.

Hope this helps. Hope you have a terrific time!

Aloha

p.s. Whatever you do, DO NOT take any lava rocks from the park home with you!


[This message has been edited by FlyinHawaiian (edited 10-12-2003).]

cblaisd

The volcano-and-waterfalls combo helicopter trip from Blue Hawaiian Helicopters http://www.bluehawaiian.com/ was by far the highlight of our trip to the BI this summer. We still watch the video from our flight in awe.

The other must-have, imo, is the book The Big Island Revealed. http://www.wizardpub.com/bigisland/bigcontents.html

Would also suggest a stop (go down the road to the beach park) at Laupahoehoe Beach Park between Hilo and Honoka'a

If you simply can't or don't want to rent a car, you could try a tour like Roberts Hawaiian (have no idea how they are, but you see their buses everywhere):
http://www.robertshawaii.com/roberts...5HXXQ34C500439

I also second the suggestion of seeing Akaka Falls. And on your way in our out, stop in Honomu at the Woodshop Gallery Cafe; they do a very nice ahi sandwich.

Go see the Pacific Tsunami Museum in downtown Hilo http://www.tsunami.org/ Get a wonderful ice cream cone at Tropical Dreams Ice Cream in the Kress Building on Kamehameha St. in downtown Hilo.

[This message has been edited by cblaisd (edited 10-12-2003).]

slawecki

We stayed at and did like Kilauea Lodge. They cook very well also. If you see something on the chalk board menu that you like, reserve it.

We stayed at a B&B in Hilo. Had a 100 ft waterfall. Can't imagine a hotel to equal the place. North of Hilo is a park with a couple of very tall waterfalls. There is a private Tropical Forest park near. Both are well worth doing. visiting an orchid farm is enjoyable.

For the Tubes and the Volcano, bring flashlites. We bought ours at Costco.

cblaisd

Which one?

ozstamps

Wow, more great input from all - thanks!

This started off as an afterthought to burn 5000 UA miles on an award booking whilst we were in HNL. Joh had read abut a volcano somewhere, and seeing one was something she always wanted to experience.

Now it looks like it will turn out to be a REALLY fun side-trip.

She read in a book that if the volcano is active (wonder if it is right now - anyone konw??) that seeing it at night is a great experience. Any tips WHERE is best to do that from?

From comments above I am leaning toward seeing what rates are at Volcano House Hotel as all reports sound good, so that is likely where we will be.

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Don't forget the FT Party In Paradise 'PiP' Hana Hou - in HNL Oct 25-27