Hawaii in August

We stayed at the Bay Club. I had spoken to other people and they told me to be careful because they have both new and older condo's. Unfortunately, we were booked in the older condo's even though I tried to relay to the booking agent that we wanted the newer ones. Also, I would have liked to try and stay a few nights at the Waikoloa Village just to see what it was like.

This is a great experience, and it only cost the price of admission to the park. I made the mistake of driving around the island and leaving only the second half of the day for the park. I recommend that you get there early and plan to make a day of it. Bring sandwiches and LOTS of water.

You can tour the caldera in your car, but just know that it is another 20-mile ride if you want to see where the lava reaches the ocean. When you park your car, if you are going to hike on the lava rocks to get a better look, take a backpack. Make sure that you have water for everyone, and I would even recommend snacks or sandwiches. This can be a tough trip, and remember, you are going to hike MILES over rough lava terrain. I didn't bring enough water and became dehydrated.

If you really want to enjoy it, go at night and see the lava in a spectacular state. Bring a jacket and a flashlight for everyone in your party. The lava rocks are jagged, so make sure you have comfortable shoes and the appropriate nighttime wear. This is a spectacular trip that is well worth the time and effort—truly one of natures wonders!

This was a great tour. We went into the Waipio Valley with our tour guide, who was great. We crossed streams, looked at unbelievable vistas, and swam in a pool with a waterfall. It was a very cold and rainy day, though, not the ultimate conditions. But we decided that we would take a dip because my son and I didn't know when we would be back. I do recommend a backpack with either sandals or water moccasins, because the entrance to the waterfalls is rocky and it HURTS! Other than this, we had a great time.

Our guide took us through unbelievable forests that used to be sugarcane fields. It is amazing the amount of history that surrounds this area. The lush tropical atmosphere is tremendous.

The tour provided water and a sack lunch; it wasn't Cordon Bleu, but when you're hungry after hiking a few hours, it tasted just fine. I would definitely do this tour again. It was pretty easy as long as you are in somewhat decent shape and are ambulatory. This tour is not tough, but not for anyone with heart conditions either. If you bring a camera that you value, either bring a waterproof case or a baggy that you can seal it in.

My son and I took a kayak/snorkeling tour with a guide in Kona. This was probably the most expensive outing of our trip and the one we least enjoyed. The guide was not bad; I just think that we would have had a better time if we kayaked and snorkeled on our own. The guide knew that we had kayaking experience and seemed to push us faster that we wanted to go. I would much rather just have gone at our own pace and think that I would have enjoyed this more.

We also snorkeled off the the kayaks. I had never done this before and it was new. My son did great, even as this was his first time ever snorkeling. What a place to learn! I, surprisingly, got seasick! This was weird, and at first, I thought that I was just having a bout of food poisoning. The guide told me that this was common and gave me ginger to eat as a local remedy to help counter the effects. It didn't help. I ended up losing my lunch in Kona Bay. I hope Captain Cook doesn't get mad at me.

We did see beautiful coral (don't touch) and a manta ray (one week before Steve Irwin's unfortunate demise), which were incredible. Overall, the experience was fine, but it could have been better. Anyway, my son and I can say we've been snorkeling off the Big Island. I don't recommend this trip if you have never been kayaking or snorkeling, AND if you are not in half-decent shape. It will get your heart pumping.

Luaus are always great, but some are better than others. The first luau I ever went to was on Oahu, and it was better than this one. This luau was fine, but the bar had only two lines, and they were each about 30 people deep each time you wanted to get a drink. The dancers were fantastic and the women were beautiful, which was greatly appreciated by my teenage son and I. He got to take a photo with a lovely Hawaiian woman who was just about his height, and the photo turned out great.

The backdrop was on the ocean of Waikoloa Bay, which was just incredible. The first part was a bit tough, though, because the blazing sun was just beating down on us with no reprieve. It wasn't until sundown that the atmosphere became more comfortable.

We couldn't upgrade like in other luaus, and everyone had to settle for buffet style. I always pay the extra for VIP seating if available, but that was not an option. This way, servers will bring your food and drinks and you don't have to wait in the lines. You also get to sit up front, though this was not really an issue, because the seats at this luau were fine. We did meet a nice family from New York and we had a good time.

If I were to go back, I would try another luau just to see if I liked it better.

We spent some time in the pool that was near our condo. The Bay Club has about three pools and they are good if you have small children. Unfortunately, my son is a teenager and these pools are about 5 feet at their deepest point. The snack bar by our pool was run by a nice lady, but she kept leaving her son to run around the pool, and as he latched onto my son, it seemed that we became babysitters every time we went to that pool. If we went back, we tried to go at a time when the child wasn't there, or we went to another pool farther away. These pools were not even close to better pools that I have enjoyed.