Hilo Hilo Hilo

Hey All,

I have a vacation booked for February to Hilo, Hawaii but im starting to get really scared about this trip.

I have posted a few things on here and I have been reading other peoples comments and Hilo is starting to sound NOTHING like a vacation spot??

I have heard negative things about the water, swimming, bugs, weather, dolphins, and much more.

I am making a huge mistake by booking a trip to Hilo??

Hilo Hilo Hilo

Winnie,

Hilo is a wonderful place for the traveler who understands its nature and wants just that. But it begins to sound like you didn%26#39;t read much about it before you booked? If you booked into Hilo expecting it to be just like South Kohala or Kailua Kona, then yes, I%26#39;m afraid you made a mistake.

This island is very diverse and each area has its pros and cons.

Questions that could help us answer your question:

What exactly are you expecting from this trip?

What made you choose Hilo?

Do you think you acted based on poor information, or what?

If you want mostly all sunshine and white sand beach you can walk to, in the middle of winter, you should be on the west side. However it will cost you 3 to 4 times as much money per night. Keep in mind that the pricing reflects supply and demand.

I think you need to start reading one of more books about the island and not to rely solely on comments. While guidebooks may have some bias, they do try to explain each area impartially. It will cost you money to change your trip, so it would be to your advantage to educate yourself in all ways that you can.

I am not going to write an essay on the good things about Hilo, because frankly it is a waste of my limited time to do so when other people have bothered to publish entire books on the topic... wishing you the best in making this work out for you.

Hilo Hilo Hilo

Aloha Winnieclark, Tell me more about your plans, where are you staying and for how long?

What would you like to do if life/vacation was ideal?

Will you have a car?

Let%26#39;s make some lemonaide for you!!

Well, I love Hilo. I think it is my favorite part of the island (except that the snorkeling isn%26#39;t as good). There are several museums to visit, the farmers market is so interesting, good med range food places to eat, close to the gardens and waterfalls, and the home of Big Island Candies. Also Volcano park is doable from here. I have been lucky to have nice days during my stay but even light rain days were great. What are you looking for vacation?

Winnie previously said she wanted to swim with dolphins and do other swimming. Thus my reality check post ...

If she is interested in Hilo side type activities, she%26#39;ll love it as some of us do. If not, and as she can%26#39;t change her plans, driving to the other side should be on her list.

Winneclark, when you say your trip to Hilo is ';booked'; we could help more if we knew exactly ehat you mean.

Do you mean:

(1) Round trip air to and from Hilo is paid for

(2) Lodging in Hilo is paid for

(3) You cannot drive or cannot afford a rental car at all

If it%26#39;s (1) then that is not that bad at all. You can rent a car, Stay in Hilo for a day or few to enjoy VNP and the other sights there. Drive to the sunnier and drier west side and stay there to swim and see those sights. Then drive back to Hilo to catch your flight. (Or you could reverse the order if your arrival in Hilo is early enough in the day (1 or 2 PM in the winter) to let you drive to the west side and get there before dark at 6. It%26#39;s at least a 3.5 hour drive without stopping.

If it%26#39;s also (2) then can you cancel some of the lodging stay? Either way, knowing the circumstances will let people be more helpful.

If (3) is the case then there are difficulties with the Big Island in general but people can try to help.

Round trip flight to Hilo has been booked and paid for.

Lodging in Hilo has been booked and paid for.

We have rented a car for the 8 days that we are in Hilo.

Winnie,

you still didn%26#39;t say what you want from a vacation spot, only that Hilo sounds like it might not be what you want.

A lot of people enjoy visiting Hilo, but will you? We don%26#39;t know enough about you to say. People have different ideas about vacation.

As you are locked into your trip, tell us what you want and we can try to advise you where to find it. You will have a car, so that%26#39;s good!

Winnie,

I have read your other recent posts and the responses within them. Basically as others have suggested it all depends on what you are looking for:

Hilo in Feb. will most likely be wet. It is the rainiest city on average in the entire USA...however on those sunny days it can be glorious.

Beach activities in Hilo are very limited but there are some area%26#39;s that you can enjoy like Reed%26#39;s Bay, Richardson%26#39;s and that beach right across from Seaside Resturaunt. There are other beaches that are ';hidden'; along that coast that can be fairly secluded and are ';OK'; for swimming/snorkeling. Kona (west side) of island is far better and has some awesome beaches (many have gained national recognition like Hapuna but I prefer a little less traveled like Kua bay).

I just a search and found this site:

http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/actbi.htm

They%26#39;re ';alternative'; is due to being ';ecotourist';. It has great information regarding things to do with [ictures and descriptions.

As for your ';hearing'; negative things...well weather is weather- you might get lucky you might not, odds of rain in Hilo is very high.

Bugs: All the islands have bugs, didn%26#39;t really notice so much more on any island to make it stand out.

dolphins: The dolphin quest beat down that I saw in your other thread is a bit confusing to me unless conditions of their pen have taken a huge turn down since the last time I saw it (granted a long time ago). While I have mixed feelings about this kind of captivity I firmly believe the ';good'; it has on the attitudes of people who experience it outweighs the ';negative'; of keeping them in captivity.

Water: well Hilo bay is not a great place to swim...water is usually murky as two rivers pour into it and it does rain often. As far as it being toxic...I%26#39;ve eaten lots of fish from there and I haven%26#39;t died yet. Sewage on the other hand does occasionally spill into the wailoa river but not that often.

No mater what you do visit Waipio Valley and Volcanoes National Park!

Hi Winnie, I was thinking about you with all this rain we%26#39;re getting and hoping this is NOT your week in Hilo!

there is a reason that no resort or major hotel has built anything in the entire east side. .....weather...up to 200 inches a year, Hilo is an industrial/suburban city...with no visitor services....a great container port. No beaches, mirky and dirty ocean. Dangerous beaches, an alternative group of persons, and super economy visitors. The town is in reality 2 blocks long the rest are strip malls and industry/ government offices.

And yes because of the rain the bugs really like it.

The population is very ethnic and you aint it....it is the exact oppsite of the Hawiian vacation idea...

Yes...you made a huge mistake...try to get out.