I am staying in Kohola, and plan to spend one night at Volcano or Hilo. My goal (overly ambitious?) is to drive the north route one way and the south route the other. But I am not sure in which order.
Here is waht I would like to see: South -- Punalu%26#39;u and South Point (maybe Honomalino). Volcano -- no long hikes, but enough time to go around the rim, down Chain of Craters, a couple short hikes like Devastation and Thurston Lava Tube. Hamauka Coast -- Rainbow Falls, Akaka Falls, Nanua Stream/Bridge, Waipio (probably overlook only due to time), Old Mamaloahoa Highway. I would also like to fit in a 50 minute helicopter tour of the Volcano.
I would appreciate your thoughts on: (1) which direction to travel, (2) whether to stay in Hilo or VNP, and (3) is this way too much to do in 2 days. I don%26#39;t want to just do drive by%26#39;s of the sights. I want to spend enough time to enjoy and experience them, not just check them off my list. But I also want to see as much as I can given limited time.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Which Route to Volcano -- Where to Stay
sadly... you can do it but only as a drive by... starting in Kohala with stops bridge, wiapio,akaka, rainbow to Hilo is a good 4 hours
a helo will eat up a good 2 hours for the 50 min flight as you have to arrive 1 hr prior to the flight for briefings so now 6 hours.... an hour to the park visitor center .75, drive rim .5, chain of craters 1.5
thurston .75, now at 10 hours add 2 hrs you hike so figure 12 hours for that day if you start taking detours in Hamakus add another 1 to 1.5 hours.......
Volcano house overnight
drive to Kona....with punalulu along the way....3 hours add 3 more for the drive to the south point parking lot....... check your rental as many cars are prohibited form the south point paved road
Id steer clear of Honomalino....its in a very locals area... all others need nor apply......... the area is noted for it...... and in your face residents.....'; you live here?... then why are you here'; Who suggested this place.. it has a history... not good.
Which Route to Volcano -- Where to Stay
Thanks for the help. I may add a day to see these sights.
HD:
One more question about your post: You seem to indicate that it would add 3 hours to see south point on my return from VNP. Isd that correct?
It%26#39;s about 11 miles down that road, from Highway 11 to Ka Lae (South Point). I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;d need three hours though. I%26#39;m fairly positive we drove down in around 30 min or a bit longer. It%26#39;s a very narrow road though and you have to take it slow.
Snorkelguy,
Well, it is a lot to fit in, especially given your desire to experience rather than just drive by. So some time savers you might want to employ:
Go early in your trip so your body clock is still 3 hours ahead. Get up really early – 5 a.m. is only 8 to your body the first few days. Going to Hilo take the North route. Do the Waipio overlook, quick stop at Tex’s for breakfast and a malasadas. Continue in to Nanua, Akaka and Onomea. I would drop the old Mamalahoa highway, except for the 4 mile scenic route.
Lunch in Hilo – up to Rainbow falls and Boiling pots first.
This would be when you would try and schedule your helo flight, keeping in mind generally speaking the afternoons aren’t the best time for these flights – but certainly would be possible. If starting at 5 it is possible to be in Hilo in time for an 11 a.m. flight, then lunch after. All operators offer both morning and afternoon flights.
After the flight a quick stop at Big Island Candies? Definitely get gas and supplies in Hilo. HD reports that the Oceanview gas station has good prices, but I don’t know their hours etc, and I would not want to rely on any gas station outside of the top 4 towns.
Suggest staying in Volcano for the night. Hilo would have more dining choices but Volcano would put you closer to the park and reduce driving back and forth. If this is the case, hele on to Volcano after the flight, get checked in where you are staying. You might be able to explore a bit before it gets dark. Dining in Volcano requires reservations.
The next day – explore the park from early a.m. until lunch, and then begin your return to Kohala. Punalu’u is easy, check out the bakery for sweet bread and ice cream. Ka Lae takes a long time, so I recommend dropping it, but you certainly can keep it. It would add about an hour and a half to your trip, depending on how long you stayed at South Point. Keep in mind ideally you would get into Kailua-Kona either before or after the p.m. rush hour. So before 4 or after 6, generally speaking. I recommend dinner in Kailua-Kona to allow traffic to ease, and then finish the drive to Kohala (if that is your final destination). Figure about 45 minutes to an hour from Kona to Kohala, depending on the hotel.
It will be a lot of driving and you might find a bunch of things you want to spend more time exploring so be a little flexible in your planning. There is enough to do between Kohala and Hilo to spend two full days doing if so inclined. However, I think you can do this and still get a decent feel, but it will be a lot of driving and require early starts to your days.
Good luck and happy travels!
3 hr to south point is driving, gawking wandering time.... because time will fly.... but you wont.
My times posted have tried to factor in what a normal visitor might spend + driving in worst case....rather than best.
Gives you a margin if things change lke weather..... Mac nut break....photo ops etc
Aloha snorkelguy ~
I made the two-day round the island loop, staying one night in Volcano, and it was exhausting and I didn%26#39;t have nearly the amount of things you have on your list! I started from Waikoloa, then stopped at Tex%26#39;s for breakfast anda malasada which I stupidly called a ';cream puff.'; I stopped at the tsunami memorial Lapahoehoe?, drove the ';old Hawaii'; roads, hiked to Akaka Falls, and blew thru Hilo after visiting the tsnuami museum and drove on to Volcano. I stayed one night at the Volcano Inn, outside the park, for a different kind of room and good price. The next day I toured the park, nothing long, but skipped the Thurston Lava Tube because two tour buses were there and it was like a disneyland line. Then went to the black sand beach, and stopped at south point. The second part of the road on the way down to the point made me think I was driving on 4 popped tires ~ it%26#39;s that bumpy, and I stayed there for a while talking to others. I made it back to Kona and ate at McDonalds there because it was the first place I recognized and it was dark. After that I drove back to waikoloa and fell out of the jeep at the curb in front of my condo door.
It was a full two days and it worn me out. I don%26#39;t know how you can fit it all in, especially the helo ride! You will want to spend more time in some places besides a drive-by, but good luck trying!
Just my .02.
jc
Thanks EL and JC for your help. I am reconsidering. Maybe save Waipio for another day pn my trip as a day trip. Also, may bag the heli trip is there is not much lava to see. Thoughts on these alternatives?
Aloha snorkelguy,
Thanks for trying to get some information about Ka`u, which the southern district on the island and includes part of Volcano, Punalu`u, home of the black sand, and Ka Lae, often incorrectly called South Point. This is the district I live in. So my comments are only about the drive south from Volcano to Kailua-Kona or the reverse.
It doesn%26#39;t really matter which direction. If you want to end your day doing a particular activity, choose that direction. Volcano is probably your best choice for lodging compared to Hilo. There are also options in Ka`u. Go to stayhawaii.com for those. The 11 mile drive down South Point Road takes about 30 minutes each way. It can be amazingly beautiful down there, especially in the summer when the winds are light.
Honomolino is a wonderful place. Although you are not likely to experience problems there, it is definitely off the beaten path, not secured by law enforcement, and a difficult place for tourists to recover from unforeseen events. All in all, you are better off saving this for a time when you are able to visit with a someone who is familiar with the area.
You are definitely better off trying to do less if you are serious about experiencing what you see. Try to resist the temptation to see it all. You are trying to fit a four day trip into a day and a half.
in addition to the above, the road down to Honomalino is long and steep.
My first visit to the Big Island, we spent a whole afternoon just hanging out there (this was ten years ago, the vibe was neither welcoming nor hostile, definitely isolated). Volcano/Punalu%26#39;u was one day. Waipi%26#39;o was one day. Hamakua coast was another day. At that pace, we were able to experience each place. I cant imagine rushing through all the stuff on your list. If you want to get the feel, just pick a few, and avoid the stops that require long drives in and out, i/e. Miloli`i, Ho`okena, Ka Lae -- not because they aren%26#39;t worthwhile, but because they each deserve a few hours total for that kind of drive in.
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