Big Island: The Best Island

We're not talking luxury resort here, but since the two travelers became unemployed prior to this trip, The Orchid ($400 per night) just wasn't going to do. This hotel, after many months of research, was the best bang for the buck. Home to the annual grueling Ironman Triathalon, this hotel may seem to appear as a high-class outfit. It came equipped with a museum of native artifacts in the expansive lobby, tennis courts with a tennis shop, the only air conditioned mall selling Hawaiian goods, one of the best protected sand beaches for kids, and it was centrally located in Kona--as close as one can get to the luxury of Kohala without being in the Kohala lava desert. Not to mention, this spot is next to where King Kamehameha lived the last years of his life.

So, it's a motel room with a partial view of the ocean with a friendly staff and a full-service concierge. So, their main "dining room" offers decent fare, but since I'm always on the go, I have never sampled any more than breakfast. They offer a luau, but after experiencing quite a few in French Polynesia, I've decided to skip them. I stayed here for five nights at a wonderful discounted price under $100 and have had some lifetime memories from this trip. (Parking is an extra $5.)

You may not believe me when I tell you that I paid less for this hotel than King Kamehameha, but I did. I believe this to be the best hotel in Hilo regardless of what anyone else may say. This was built as the Grand Dame of hotels in Hilo. Half the rooms of the hotel have gorgeous views of the bay. I couldn't tell you about the dining here, since again I was always out and about.

Again, we're talking motel furnishings, but wonderful service. Parking was free. The hotel is surrounded by giant banyan trees planted by many prominent US figures before the 1960s.

Would I stay here again? Since I wanted to spend at least 2 days exploring Volcanoes National Park and didn't want to spend $200 per night at the inns in Volcano Village, this worked out for me perfectly.

I must warn you...Hilo is the wet side of the island. Expect rain and overcast weather 70% of the day. I think many travelers booked this hotel for a week not knowing. Well, at least you could always jump into a rental car and be whisked away to the sandy beaches of the west coast 2-3 hours away. Also, there isn't a beach at this hotel and there aren't any I really know of on the east side of the island. I've been told by an islander that chemicals from the volcano ends up polluting the water. This hotel has a pool and a grassy park a few steps away.

It is nearly impossible to get a reservation for dinner on X-mas, especially if you're not staying at the upscale hotel where the restaurant is located. It seems that on Big Island fine dining can only be found at the Kohala resorts! What about the Four Seasons? Well, they are actually located in North Kona, but I'm not pointing fingers.

The cuisine is Pacific Rim. Due to the holidays, they offered a buffet of everything one could imagine--steak, red snapper, stuffing, potatoes, rice. They have special stations for salad, Hawaiian fare, dim sum, and sushi. There are also stations for carving ham, turkey, and cheese with all the fixin's. For dessert? So many deserts to choose from...freshly made souffles, pies, cakes, cookies, parfaits... The best part is that we were seated as close to the beach as one could get. This is a beautiful locale with wonderful food. I am positive that dining here is always a wonderful experience.

Though this place has odd hours and looks like someone's kitchen rather than a restaurant; the food here is amazing. Perhaps it was my difficulty finding cheap eats on Big Island other than greasy fast food. Though the digs may put you off, don't let it! Either sit at the counter or take out...I don't think there are tables here.

The Philly cheesesteak is pretty good, but the meatball sub is to die for (if they have it on special). They also make ham and cheese sandwiches and offer subs.

If you're going to hike in or around the volcano, you'll want to stock up. Go by the General Store for a flashlight ($2) for a night hike to the lava, get some gas from their solitary pump, and eat at the cafe behind the store. They make a great ham and cheese sandwich and will even cook you up a burger at 8am--if that's what you're into. This place isn't fancy but it does have good grub.

I had read that if there was one dive I should do in my lifetime it was this. Wow. I'd say it's a 50-75% chance to see the graceful mantas (some with the wingspan of 16 feet)! There's not much else to see in these waters near the airport. Why near the airport? The lights are so bright at night they attract the plankton and the rays. Once the sun sets, all the divers from the dive boats go 30 feet maximum to the bottom and hold onto the rocks. The current is incredibly strong and when the mantas fly overhead, even stronger. This is the one dive where the more divers there are, the better the dive is. Holding underwater lights, we are attracting the plankton the mantas feast upon. We had 3-4 mantas that night and they performed a wonderful ballet. They truly come so close to touch the top of your head... This was such an amazing experience.

My husband and I originally booked the Manta Ray Night Dive three weeks in advance through an outfit called Manta Ray Divers for $75. Very few outfits do night dives. Well, oddly after we signed away our lives, they ended up transferring us to Neptune Charlie's boat which is the best thing that could have happened. Mark is fun and knows the mantas well. He knows the ocean well and is a great divemaster for the inexperienced and the experienced diver alike.

At the end of the trip we even had the option of purchasing a tape of the experience. Some boats take snorkelers as well.

Every rental car I'd seen seemed to be renting kayaks rather than shelling out $110 per person for a snorkeling/kayak excursion. Rent a kayak early in the morning, watch closely as they strap the thing to your rental car and you're on your way. Early in the morning you get the newest gear! I also recommend leaving early when the tide is low especially in the winter. It is very dangerous to launch the boat here with huge waves crashing against the manmade seawall.

This outfit offers a shower for a fee, Internet access, and even rooms for cheap! They rent snorkeling gear if you need it and sell underwater cameras.

This is the closest kayak outfit to Honomaumau Bay and Kealakeua Bay.

I''ve grown fond of National Parks, having explored Yosemite. This is a park far different for its live volcano. How often does one get to see land being born? I would recommend spending two days exploring this park . . .

1) Drive the loop around Crater Rim Drive. I would say the 11-mile drive has numerous scenic points and sights to see. Start at the Visitor Center and take a look at the informative movie. Jump in your car and drive counter-clockwise. Volcanoes House Hotel has wonderful views of the crater. Sulphur Banks is a place I avoided, since it just stinks there. Steam Vents is a quick stop. Jaggar Museum has some scenic vista points. Halemaumau Crater is a small crater within Kilauea Caldera. Thurston Lava Tube is an easy walk through a mostly lit cave . . . a flashlight is absolutely necessary for the last 300 feet of the journey. Kilauea Iki Crater Overlook is quite impressive. One couldn''t begin to imagine how this fiery pit looked in the 1800s when celebs like Mark Twain visited. There are numerous hikes at different points around the crater. Kilauea Iki Hike takes you from a rainforest atmosphere to the inside of a smaller crater.

2) I''d advise loading up on gas in Volcano Village before attempting the Chain of Craters Road (40 miles roundtrip). It''s best to drive this in the late afternoon so you can see the lava in the daytime and the lava after sunset. It is really important to bring one flashlight per person and to wear good shoes. There are no streetlights or park rangers out here after dark. Chain of Craters takes you to the active lava flow from Pu''u O''o. Most of the lava flows in underground lava tubes, so I would be careful when you go exploring through the lava fields. Definitely stop for a photo op at Holei Sea Arch before reaching the end of Chain of Craters Road. The park has roped off an area for the public, meaning that it''s the safest point of viewing the lava after dark. Due to the sulphuric steam plume and the chances that the lava could be thinner in areas than in others, the park advises to stick to this area. I must note that all adventure buffs, photographers, and the curious venture closer at their own risk. The trail is unmarked, so lots of time I lag behind to see where those who are more "in-the-know" are going. If you are lucky enough to see the flow, it is quite a memorable sight. At times the lava flows are strong, but other times you may just see it dribbling into the water. No one can predict the volcanoes temperament. Remember, when the sun goes down, it is pitch black and footing can be quite difficult (seeing that you are 1-2 miles from your car).

3) On the second day I highly recommend taking any of a number of hikes. The Kilauea Iki Trail is fairly easy with a number of switchbacks through a rainforested area. Start the hike at Kilaeua Crater Overlook and follow the signs counter-clockwise. You will end up walking along a faint train in the center of the crater. Small steam vents are present throughout the flat portion of this hike on the crater floor.

4) After leaving the park you can try to catch a glimpse of the lava flow from the eastern end of Hwy. 137. Flows from 1980-90s covered what was once a black sand beach and a few homes out here. Again, this involves quite a bit of walking on lava. Enroute you pass a natural lava swimming pool and the Kapoho tidepools.

We took our rental kayak to Kealakeua Bay to paddle over to Captain Cook Monument (where the man was killed by the natives years ago) and do some snorkeling.

It was a wonderful surprise to find ourselves surrounded by a pod of spinner dolphins on both sides of the kayak. They were twisting and jumping . . . it was wonderful . . . as we paddled the half mile across the bay. We pulled our kayaks onto a rocky shoreline to the left of Cook's Monument (as you approach it)--this is one of the best snorkeling spots on the island.

Later in the morning, hordes of boat tours arrive, so mark your territory by getting there early! Snorkeling is excellent here--bring a snack, water, suntan lotion, and an underwater camera!

As we returned to the boat launch at noon, I learned how difficult getting out of a kayak can be as 10-foot waves tried to pick up the vessel and slam it against the shoreline. Fortunately, some locals who were preparing to launch their own kayaks threw us a rope and helped us out to sea. We, in turn, helped them into the water . . . you really have to watch the waves when you're going in/coming out.

Located near the southern tip of the Big Island, this is by far one of the easiest black-sand beaches to access with a regular two-wheel-drive car. Surprisingly, I find that fewer people come to sunbathe and take a dip in the waters . . . most of the vistors armed with cameras spy on green sea turtles basking on the warm shore or in the tidepools.

With decent waves for boogie boarding in the winter, this is a relatively quiet beach for relaxing and getting some peace of mind.