how do these plans look?

[KGmomoftwins]

Fly to big Island stay 3 nights in Kona at Holiday Inn express. Then transfer to Oahu for 7 nights at Aulani regular hotel room non-DVC. This trip will be the last week in August. I have not booked anything yet so it can be switched we are a family of 4 DH and twin DDs who will turn 8 on our trip. Planning on having a rental the entire trip. I'm so nervous about pulling the trigger mostly due to to the long flight from the east coast. Any tips or advice will be appreciated.

 

[moreisgood]

We are also going in August, and my kids don’t like really long flights. Me too! You might want to consider structuring your trip a little differently. We are flying to LA and spending a couple of days at Disneyland. It breaks up the flight and let’s you adjust to the first 3 hour time change. On the way back, we are stopping in San Francisco for a couple of days, but there are lots of options for a return city with the same benefits. Southwest has some amazing prices for Hawaii and the later August flights will be released next week.
I know you said you want to go to the Big Island, but if you are restricted on time you might consider just going to Oahu. There is so much to do there with kids.

 

[nkereina]

Where are you flying from on the East Coast? We flew from Buffalo and if we had wanted to fly into any city in Hawaii other than Honolulu, we would have had to have two layovers. Because of this, we decided to bookend our trip by flying into Honolulu, staying 3 nights in Waikiki, then island hopping in the middle, and returning to Oahu for 6 nights at Aulani at the end. By booking roundtrip airfare through Honolulu, it worked out to be a little cheaper and we only required one layover each way in Atlanta.

Keep in mind that coming from the east coast, you will need a solid 1-2+ days to adjust to the time difference. We were up at 4am and exhausted by 8pm those first few days. Its not a huge issue because there isn't a ton going on at night in Hawaii, but something to consider when planning excursions. We did some of the ones that required us to be up early those first few days (i.e. Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head). Depending on what you want to do on each island, this may factor into which island you do first.

I don't disagree with PP that you could easily spend all 10 nights on Oahu, but we did 3 nights in Maui and 3 nights in Kauai (which some people would say is too short), and we did all the main things we wanted to on each island. We certainly didn't do everything, but it worked out well for what we wanted to do. So I think you can still accomplish a lot in 3 nights.

Out of curiosity, why Kona and why the Holiday Inn Express? Is this your first visit to Hawaii or the Big Island? Kona is on the opposite side from Hilo, which is often where people like to stay to be closer to Volcano National Park.

 

[KGmomoftwins]

Where are you flying from on the East Coast? We flew from Buffalo and if we had wanted to fly into any city in Hawaii other than Honolulu, we would have had to have two layovers. Because of this, we decided to bookend our trip by flying into Honolulu, staying 3 nights in Waikiki, then island hopping in the middle, and returning to Oahu for 6 nights at Aulani at the end. By booking roundtrip airfare through Honolulu, it worked out to be a little cheaper and we only required one layover each way in Atlanta.

Out of curiosity, why Kona and why the Holiday Inn Express? Is this your first visit to Hawaii or the Big Island? Kona is on the opposite side from Hilo, which is often where people like to stay to be closer to Volcano National Park.

Hi thanks for the insight! We are coming from Syracuse I found a United flight that goes from SYR 8am leave to Chicago and then to HNL and then to KOA landing at 4:45pm. The one way fares are actually cheaper than booking it round trip.
I picked Holiday Inn based on price and really good reviews although it might be better to stay in Hilo since that's what we are going there for but it does not look like there are many choices. Do you have a recommendation?
We thought about bookending the trip but DH did not want to move hotels 3 times.

 

[cgattis]

I was going to ask why Kona as well. Not sure what you plan to do, but if you’re going to VNP or Hilo more than one day, I’d stay over there. Kona doesn’t have the best beaches either, and depending on what days you’re there, if the POA is there, there will be crowds.

But if you want to see a volcano, GO to BI! There definitely IS plenty to do in Oahu, but there’s no volcano. That was a priority for me and I don’t regret it for a second.

 

[abdgeek]

There will be plenty to do in Kona and the surrounding area on the Big Island. That is the area I stay in when I visit. You can also stay in Waikoloa, which is closer to Hilo but you have to go to Kona for anything. You are correct that there isn’t much in Hilo as far as accommodations are concerned.

Given the short time you will have there, you will want to plan your time wisely. You can take an island tour that will include Volcanoes National Park (VNP) or drive it yourself. If I remember correctly, the sites of note on the Hilo side are VNP, a botanical garden, macadamia nut factories, and Rainbow & Akaka Falls. In Kailua-Kona and nearby you have Hulihe’e Palace, the Painted Church, Mauna Kea, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, and Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach (further out—on the way to VNP). Your hotel should be about a block or so from Alii Drive, which is the main drag and where the beaches and shops are. While there are several beaches on that road, Magic Sands Beach may be worth checking out.

 

[dachsie]

Hi thanks for the insight! We are coming from Syracuse I found a United flight that goes from SYR 8am leave to Chicago and then to HNL and then to KOA landing at 4:45pm. The one way fares are actually cheaper than booking it round trip.
I picked Holiday Inn based on price and really good reviews although it might be better to stay in Hilo since that's what we are going there for but it does not look like there are many choices. Do you have a recommendation?
We thought about bookending the trip but DH did not want to move hotels 3 times.

We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the BI. There is also a Mariott and a few other resorts in that area and the beaches are great. We drove to Hilo area and went to see the waterfall tour. Take a look at my trip report for pics - the link in my signature

 

[KGmomoftwins]

We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the BI. There is also a Mariott and a few other resorts in that area and the beaches are great. We drove to Hilo area and went to see the waterfall tour. Take a look at my trip report for pics - the link in my signature

I loved your trip report! We are planning on doing the chocolate farm our girls will love that and also the waterfalls in the same the day. The next day we are planning on spending the entire day at VNP self touring. Our last day before our flight out we will explore Kona and hit up the farmers market there. The evening we get there I really don't want to have to drive an hour and a half to the Hilo side for hotel. I think we might just want to get dinner and go to sleep as it will be 11pm our time.

Also planning on a wild side adventure tour when we get to the Oahu! Thanks so much for the help!

 

[nkereina]

I picked Holiday Inn based on price and really good reviews although it might be better to stay in Hilo since that's what we are going there for but it does not look like there are many choices. Do you have a recommendation?
We thought about bookending the trip but DH did not want to move hotels 3 times.

I know many people here prefer to do Airbnb rentals on the Big Island, which is probably the best option for Hilo. If you stay in Kona but plan to spend most of your time in Hilo, its an hour and 40 minute drive each way. That doesn't account for traffic, but I'm not sure how big of an impact that is there. IMO, that's too far to do more than once and wastes a lot of time with only having 3 days there.

 

[jodybird511]

I know many people here prefer to do Airbnb rentals on the Big Island, which is probably the best option for Hilo. If you stay in Kona but plan to spend most of your time in Hilo, its an hour and 40 minute drive each way. That doesn't account for traffic, but I'm not sure how big of an impact that is there. IMO, that's too far to do more than once and wastes a lot of time with only having 3 days there.

Agree with this. We stayed in Kona last time and did not venture to the Hilo side. We had actually planned to stay near Hilo, but alas...a large volcano happened to be erupting, so plans changed. This year, we are staying on the Hilo side, near VNP. When we stayed in Kona, we rented a condo through Kona Coast Vacations--I highly recommend them. On the Hilo side, we have rented a house through Airbnb.

 

[wuzzles]

Another vote for hitting up Hilo. VRBO & Airbnb are plentiful there.

 

[corgi_monster]

Don't worry too much about the flight. Before my HNL <--> Orlando flight, I spent hours worrying about how my 2yo and 7mo would handle the long ride but found comfort in knowing that I would have a lifetime of spectacular memories and pictures - such a small price to pay for 12-15 hours on the plane.

Here's another vote for Hilo even though it's no where near as upscale as Waikaloa or tourist-friendly as Kona.

The Naniloa is the nicest hotel in Hilo, but it's far from nice - even after the renovation. If you get a vacation rental, check to see if it has A/C because Hilo can be very muggy.

Imo, Hilo is as close as you can get to "real" Hawaii. Hilo is the real life version of the laid-back, small-town life you see on postcards of Hawaii. The vast majority of residents are locals, most of the businesses are mom-and-pop or local chain stores, and the restaurants still serve classic, local favorites. None of that rice pilaf, kobe beef patty with pan gravy loco moco weirdness that's oh so instagramable and trendy lol.

Hilo has awesome parks, lagoons, and beaches for your kids to explore. There are also a number of community events such as the Merrie Monarch Festival, the craft fair at the tennis stadium the weekend before Thanksgiving, and the weekend farmer's market.

 

[KGmomoftwins]

Don't worry too much about the flight. Before my HNL <--> Orlando flight, I spent hours worrying about how my 2yo and 7mo would handle the long ride but found comfort in knowing that I would have a lifetime of spectacular memories and pictures - such a small price to pay for 12-15 hours on the plane.

Here's another vote for Hilo even though it's no where near as upscale as Waikaloa or tourist-friendly as Kona.

The Naniloa is the nicest hotel in Hilo, but it's far from nice - even after the renovation. If you get a vacation rental, check to see if it has A/C because Hilo can be very muggy.

Imo, Hilo is as close as you can get to "real" Hawaii. Hilo is the real life version of the laid-back, small-town life you see on postcards of Hawaii. The vast majority of residents are locals, most of the businesses are mom-and-pop or local chain stores, and the restaurants still serve classic, local favorites. None of that rice pilaf, kobe beef patty with pan gravy loco moco weirdness that's oh so instagramable and trendy lol.

Hilo has awesome parks, lagoons, and beaches for your kids to explore. There are also a number of community events such as the Merrie Monarch Festival, the craft fair at the tennis stadium the weekend before Thanksgiving, and the weekend farmer's market.

Thank you for the info! The last 3 days I have been looking at Airbnb and hotels in Hilo slim pickings especially ones with air. Doubletree is sold out the one other big hotel has room left and I’ve found a few B&Bs. Tough decisions

 

[corgi_monster]

@KGmomoftwins when will you be on the Big Island? It’s rare for the hotels to be completely full unless there’s a big event like Merrie Monarch or the basketball tournament going on. Festivals in Hawaii are getting cancelled left and right so you might want to keep checking.

 

[KGmomoftwins]

@KGmomoftwins when will you be on the Big Island? It’s rare for the hotels to be completely full unless there’s a big event like Merrie Monarch or the basketball tournament going on. Festivals in Hawaii are getting cancelled left and right so you might want to keep checking.

Looking at August 18-21.

 

[corgi_monster]

@KGmomoftwins The 21st is Admissions Day and lots of locals travel between the islands on 3-day weekends.

I took a look at the Naniloa’s availability calendar and it seems a chunk of dates surrounding your trip are not available which is strange. You might want to calll the hotel and see if they haven’t released the dates for some reason, they’re doing some sort of construction, or if they are truly booked solid.