The Perfect (and Inexpensive) Hawaiian Getaway: The Big Island of Hawaii!

When you think about a Hawaiian getaway, you’re probably thinking about scantily clad hardbodies on white sandy beaches, tropical drinks at sunset, and killer waves to surf. You’re also probably thinking: “I can’t afford to go to Hawaii”! Well, with the economy down of late, and a few key tricks, you and your family can have the perfect Hawaiian vacation without a huge hit on your wallet. The bottom-line, if you’re looking for great weather, a variety of things to do, relaxation, and tons of fun, spend most (or all) of your trip on the Big Island of Hawaii. It has everything you’d want from a Hawaiian vacation with less hassle and much more variety. Rainforests and deserts; snow peaked mountains and volcanoes; whale watching and snorkeling; sun and relaxation; coffee and macadamia nuts; tropical fruits and drinks; and there are fewer crowds, less traffic, and it’s much cheaper than the rest of the state.

Book an airline ticket well in advance. A useful website to compare prices is here, and of course, all of the major travel sites (Orbitz, Travelocity, Kayak, Priceline) will find you good deals. You should be creative. Look into flying directly to Honolulu and then try a separate booking on Hawaiian or Go! for your flight to the Big Island—you’ll want to fly to either Hilo or Kona. Sometimes booking flights separately can give you a better price. If you can fly into Hilo and out of Kona (or Vice Versa), that’s ideal because you’ll be able to see it all and do less driving.

Car rentals. You’ll need a car to get around, period. Both airports have all of the major car rental agencies which can be booked directly. Although a significant cost, it’s not as bad as some places.

Buy the book: Hawaii: the Big Island Revealed. There are dozens of travel books about the Big Island, but this is the most thorough and easy to use. It has everything you need, and is well laid out according to your location on the island. It’s well worth the money if you’re traveling on the Island for a week or a month!

‘Winging it’. The great thing about the Big Island is that winging it can work well if you’re only going to be there a week or two. Because it’s not as touristy as the other islands, you can usually find a room in a local (nice) hotel on a spur-of-the-moment. Just make sure you’re near one of the bigger towns when you’re ready to find a hotel for the night, because it can be a bit of a drive. Kona and Hilo are the biggest towns with lots of hotels, but Volcano, Waimea, and a few other towns have a few places to stay as well.

The following are must sees for a week or two on the Big Island. The most amazing thing about the Big Island is the diversity. In a two-hour drive, you can go from tropical ocean to snow. From rainforest to desert wasteland and back to sunny tropical paradise. For this trip, I’m assuming you start in Hilo and move along the southern part of the island (if you start in Kona, reverse this).

Hilo—This is the biggest city on the Big Island, but doesn’t have that ‘tourist’ feel. Home to the University of Hawaii at Hilo, a great airport, and a comfortable culture to explore.

• World renowned Farmer’s Market. Reason alone to get a room with a kitchenette. All sorts of fresh fruits and vegetables, prepared food, etc. Some standards, and some very unusual things that you’ve probably never seen before.
• Rainbow Falls and other area waterfalls along the coast—spectacular!
• Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (http://www.htbg.com/). A bit north of Hilo and absolutely amazing rainforest plants.
• Queen Liliuokalani Gardens. Great Japanese garden to walk through along the bay.
• Several parks and beaches along the coast are great for watching sea turtles and whales (in season), snorkeling, and just hanging out.
• Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts. A great place to see how the world famous nut producer works in action (and buy some very yummy snacks).

Pahoa—great town that seems to be stuck in the 1960s (in a good way). An entry to many cool natural things, culture, and kitschy shopping and dining areas, etc.

· Currently, on the way to the active lava flows from Kilauea, one of the most active volcano’s in the world. For updates on where to see the lava flow, see the USGS maps (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/maps.html)

Volcano—a lovely town with cool shops and places for lunch/tea. And, a great entry into the National Park (http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm), which is a must see!

Waimea—If you’re heading back to Hilo, you can head up the north end of the island and check out Waimea. It’s home to a cool cattle ranch, nice restaurants, and a few places to stay.

Saddle Road and Mauna Kea—The saddle road is the most direct (and coolest) route between Kona and Hilo. Lots of tourists are a bit scared of it, primarily because of the guides and websites you read. It’s not that scary, and really quite safe (and heavily improved recently). It starts at sea level north of Kona or Hilo, goes up to nearly the top of Mauna Kea (you’ll often be in snow and see all sorts of very unusual and interesting plants and animals) and back down again. It’s only a few hours drive, really, and well worth it!

Kona—this is probably the most touristy part of the Big Island, but still easy to get around, find a place to stay, etc. Things to do in Kona include:

· Taking a coffee tasting tour. Beautiful views and awesome coffee!

· Go snorkeling. There are several places where you can just rent snorkels on the beach. If you want to spend a bit more money, there are also several companies that take you out to a few great spots.

· Walk, shop, and people watch downtown.

· Whale watching (in season Dec-April). The Humpback whales are amazing, and the activity and number of whales that you can see is unsurpassed. There are several companies, but my particular favorite is Captain Dan McSweeney.

Longer-term stays. If you have the luxury of being able to spend a bit of time in Hawaii, the Big Island makes a great home away from home (especially if you’re from cooler climates). Vacation Rentals can be very affordable on the Big Island, especially if you look outside of Kona, where most of the tourism industry is. There are great places that are really affordable in and near Hilo. If you want a bit less rain (but also a bit farther from the Ocean, check out listings in and near Pahoa, Volcano, Hawaiian Beaches, etc. Check out Hawaii Paradise Vacation Rentals, Big Island Vacation Rentals, or Vacation Rentals by Owner to name a few. You have to plan ahead a bit for these, but they can be a great value and a great home base for a longer and more relaxing vacation.