Things to do on the Big Island?

We are vacationing for two weeks in Hawaii. The first week on Oahu is all taken care of We need ideas for what to see and do on Kona.

This is our first trip to the islands.

Things to do on the Big Island?

Hi

We just returned. You can visit the volcano. We did this in a day trip from the Kohala coast area. We were staying at the Hilton. This hotel was fabulous by the way.

The volcano trip is about 3 hours one way and we stopped off to see some waterfalls along the way. The volcano itself was a huge area of black rock. It was neat to see, but not my thing. I would not bother to view it again. The best way to view it would be by helicopter. You would see it all in a shorter period of time. That is the only way I would recommend seeing it unless you are really into the geology thing.

Snorkeling is great and we liked Turtle beach in the Kona area for seeing fish and turtles.

Fairwinds is a good snorkel ship tour. They take you to Captain cooks monument area which is not accessible by land. It was like swimming in a fish tank. The fish were plentiful and very colorful. The ship crew was fun and lively. We did the afternoon tour which is cheaper and less snorkel time. This was enough for me. I understand the morning tour is more abundent with the fish.

Boogie boarding at Hapuna beach is fun. This beach is located just a few miles north of the Hilton. It is a very nice soft sanded beach with great waves.

The Hilton is a great hotel with it%26#39;s own lagoon where we also saw many turtles and the same fish as elsewhere.

The Big Island is rocky so be prepared. We had to drive north to our hotel and it is an eerie looking place with a zillion rocks. You will see when you get there.

Have fun.

Things to do on the Big Island?

Well, the volcano is a must see. It is different, but it is really neat, even for those of us non-geologist types! I have been there a ton of times and would go again in a minute!!

True, it is a bunch of rocks ... more than you%26#39;ll ever see anywhere else, though. The landscape is amazing. The hikes are well worth doing (where else can you hike into a volcano crater or through a tube made of hardened lava?!!) The views at the end of chain of craters road, out toward the ocean, are incredible.

Snorkeling is great on the big island, so factor in some time for that. Kealakekua Bay is great ... also south of Kona there is great beach-front snorkeling at Kahaluu beach park. Tons of fish, turtles, etc.

Check out Punaluu Black Sand Beach if you drive around the island -- you won%26#39;t see that on Oahu or in many other places.

Kona is a good place for doing some shopping.

Coffee and mac nut farms, waterfalls, good food, stargazing at Mauna Kea, beautiful beaches (Mauna Kea Beach is my favorite), enjoying a cup of Kona coffee on your lanai ... there is so much to do. You%26#39;ll love it!

Our favorite thing we did last summer on the Big Island, was the Manta Ray night dive and snorkel trip. We went with Kona Honu Divers, and basically you go out after dark with lights, and watch the Mantas feed on the plankton that the lights attract. We had 7 huge Mantas swimming all around us--really cool, and very ';other worldly'; . We also really liked the ';Feel the Heat'; helicopter ride over the volcano, which is done with the doors off--this allows for GREAT photos from above. We went with an outfit out of Hilo--I think it was called Paradise.