Hawaii Big Island

Depends on your budget. There are lovely places to stay such as the Mauna Lani but that’s quite expensive. If you’re on a budget probably find a condo and hit Costco in Kona. As frequently suggested on here, check booking.com for ideas on prices. We normally use VRBO for condos on Kauai but use hotels on Big Island so we’re close to the beach. As far as what to do, Volcano National Park, the Kona coffee plantations, take a day trip to Hilo, snorkeling tour boats to Captain Cook area, paddle a kayak across the Captain Cook bay or the amazing night time mantra ray snorkeling tour. We normally go for 10-12 days.

There is so much to see on the big island. I decided if we go back again i would spend half the time on the east side and half on the west side. Long drive from side to side.

East side is wetter, west side is dryer.

We tend to spend a minimum of 10 nights in Hawaii.

The Big Island is...well, big! The west side is the dry side of the island and really important in January.

The Kohala Coast/ Waikoloa is nicer resorts and condos; golf courses, beautiful sandy beaches. Fun to visit upcountry Waimea from there.

Kailua/Kona is less polished but nice. And lots to explore there.

Volcanoes National Park is interesting and worth a couple of nights stay to explore.

What psea said, split your time. The east side is a little less touristed, feels more “old Hawaii,” very green and lush, laid back. The Botanical Garden is delightful. We rented a house a stone’s throw from the ocean south of Hilo many years ago but I believe it was overrun by lava in the past few years. As others have said, Booking.com or VRBO are great sources for vacation rentals.

A couple of nights in Volcanoes National Park at Volcano House is extremely interesting giving you a chance to tour the park without a long drive.

A week at Kona is lovely as well. Lots of beach and snorkeling opportunities. We used to rent snorkeling equipment for the duration of our time so we had it whenever we wanted to go.

Consider a tour to the top of Mauna Kea. They will pick you up in a van in Kona and take you up, then after sunset, you settle in lower to see stars, planets. Extraordinary! Very $$$$ but worth it. https://maunakea.com/

The three major areas, not counting the volcano(s), are Kona, Hilo, and the center of the island. Kona is the dry side, Hilo is the wet side, and the center is cattle ranches. Kona is where most of the golfing is, and is where most of the tourists stay also. Hilo is more small town. My preference is to Hilo, but I've stayed in some cabins built in the 1930's within the national park. That was fanstastic.

Hilo has a great farmers market. And a very good micro brewery. If you walk out to Liliʻuokalani Gardens and stand on the bridge you will see turtles.

If you have a 4 wheel drive go to South Point Park, just remember the road is not good. From there you can walk out to the southernmost point in the USA, jump off the cliff (just know the climb back up is not easy), and climb out to the green sand beach.

In the Nat'l park you should hike out to see the Hōlei Sea Arch, and visit the lave tube cave. Plus see the crater and if there's an eruption going on at least stay until sundown as it make a very vivid impression.

The town of Volcano has a nice winery.

The first time I visited the big island I laid on a tour with a local guide. Strangely everyone else failed to show up and I basically had a local take me around to all his favorite places (we just ignored the planned itinerary). It was one of the best days ever!

With 2 weeks you could do 2 islands.

Where to stay is quite dependent on your budget, and what sort of experience you want.

Look not only at the airfare but at rental car costs and lodging costs.

The island with the cheapest airfare may not be the cheapest once car and lodging are factored in.

For lot less than $300 per person you can see sunset from the 9200 foot level.
https://hilo.hawaii.edu/maunakea/visitor-information/station

We used the picnic tables, saw sunset, then gazed skyward

I live here on the Big Island and respectfully disagree with many of KGC's suggestions.

You can easily drive down South Point Road to the end in a regular car and walk to the light house that marks the southernmost point in the United States. Please do not even think about jumping off the cliffs there; you have to be a very strong swimmer and able to climb the rope ladder to get out while fighting the waves and currents. While there you can walk to the green sand beach.

In Hawaii Volcanoes National Park there is a lot to do there in addition to Thurston Lava Tube and the drive down Chain of Craters Road. You can also hike Kilauea Iki through the crater. When you go to the park, stop and talk with the park rangers to get ideas on what to do.

I agree with what others said about splitting your time, half on the Kona or dry side and half on the Hilo (wet) side. Kona side has the lovely white sand beaches. You can stay in a condo in Kailua-Kona town or spend more and stay in one of the resort areas further north.

Rent a car through Costco or Discount Hawaii Car Rental. They arrange for a car through the major companies, and you get a second driver free.

There is plenty to do on the Big Island for two weeks. We spent 8 nights there in 2023 and could have easily spent another 5 or 6 nights. My trip report from 2023 (see link that follows), and the very helpful comments from others, might be helpful. As others suggest, I recommend splitting your time between the two sides of the island. I also recommend The Big Island Revealed's website for information about lodging.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/much-more-than-beaches-the-big-island-of-hawai-i-2023

roniporide,
I agree that you could fill up two weeks on the big island. We stayed on the Kona side for three days, then drove around the island in a counterclockwise direction, stopping at Pu'uhonua O Honaunau Natl. Historical Park, the green sand beach, innumerable beautiful inlets heading up the east coast toward Volcanos Natl.Park, the volcano area itself, crater rim drive, and arriving at Hilo for 3days there. Hilo is more like old Hawaii than any other place I have see on the three islands I have visited (IMHO). Yes, it is wetter, but oh, so lush because of that! Akaka Falls, Lili'uokalani Gardens, the laid-back feel of the town make it my favorite place to stay on the island. We drove north from there, finding lots of beautiful places to pull over and admire the beautiful coast with lots of waterfalls and cool places for a picnic. We drove through areas of sugar cane fields, found cafes serving only grass-fed beef and local produce dishes. At Kapa'au we had an ice cream and admired the statue of King Kamehameha. Alas, we didn't have time to descend into Waipi'o Valley. We drove through Waimea Valley (paniolo country) and to the Kohala coast, before heading back to Kona to fly home. Overall, we were there 9 days and we could have stayed another three days. I hope to make my next visit during the hula days competitions.
We love Kauai, and Oahu is special because of its WWII history and the Bishop Museum, but Hawaii island is the most "Hawaiian" to me, especially the east (weather) side. It is worth the rain!

Thank you naalehuretiree. I almost spit out my coffee this morning when I saw the suggestion to jump off the cliff on the South Point.

Yeah, jumping off that cliff and the consequences afterward is NOT a good idea. Almost like jumping into the “toilet bowl” near Hanauma Bay on Oahu. Just DONT do it

Thanks everyone for all of the great info! I love this Forum. We’ve booked our flight for 12/31/24 into Kona and leaving from Kona on 1/13/24. We are now considering taking a southwest flight to Maui for a few days. How would you divide the 13 days between the two islands?

Is it too late to do an open jaw ( aka multi-city) flight. i.e., into Kona and home from Maui.?
Having to get back to Kona to go home makes things messy, schedule wise.

What time is the departure from Kona back to home?

We leave Kona at 9:40pm

ronipride,
If you are flying Southwest, you should be able to make a change for your return flight to leave from another island (if Southwest serves that island), just in case you decide on two islands. You definitely want a full week on the big island, but I would pick Kauai for my second island. That is just my preference. Let's face it, all the islands are wonderful in their own way!
Enjoy!

hey hey ronipride
happy to see you're traveling to my home island. i'm from hilo/hamakua/waimea with family still there to visit. it's the youngest island and BIG!! there is a lot to do and see and spend your time on both sides (hilo/kailua kona or waikoloa/sough kohala). lots of driving for a day trip and could be 2-3 hours to get to either side. do your research and investigating to see what excites you.
coffeetimes.com
click LBD coffee times, hawaii guide, big island. lots of info about the towns and areas around the island
lovebigisland.com/hilo
lovebigisland.com/kailua kona
lovebigisland.com/kohala
konacoastvacations.com
click big island info, scroll down to printable maps. list hotels, condos, resorts along kailua kona up to waikoloa. know that kailua kona is about 10-15 minutes from airport (KOA) and waikoloa/south kohala is about 3-45 minutes north of airport. it's the resort area off hiway #19 (Queen K hiway). i prefer kailua kona and many other prefer the resort area, your decision. you will need a car.
not knowing your budget, it's nice to have a place with a kitchenette to have breakfast, take out back to place, buy few things to make picnic lunches for your day trips (many restaurants close about 2p-5p), parking is hard to find plus fees ($$$) are charged per day at many places unless one is allowed if renting condo
shakaguide.com
an audio tour of the island (order the bundle)
places to check:
luana inn B&B in captain cook area
vrbo or airbnb/kailua kona
volcanovisitorcenter.com
under volcano village, scroll down to bed&breakfast, charming vacation rentals
hawaii volcanos national park. click for much info
aarons cottage bungalow with kitchenette
arnott's lodge in hilo
hiloreedsbayhotel.net
under rates/policies, bayview. right on hilo bay
other places in hilo, not many hotels. it's a laid back "old hawaiian historic town"
always look at check in (3p-4p) and check out (10a-11a). either ask for late checkout or pay for and extra night if late flights. you do not want to leave luggage in car waiting for flights, safety reasons. it is end of holidays and snowbird season, along with whale watching. when you find something book it, look at cancellation policy.
after you've got these reserved come back for activities and attractions to see and do. here to help
aloha

Thanks all! I just booked 4 nights in Kona area at Kona Reef and 4 nights near Hilo. Now to book Maui condo for 4 nights. I’d appreciate suggestions on the best area to stay on Maui.

There are lots of options on Maui so you will get different opinions. We enjoyed 4 nights in a studio on Napili Bay in 2016 because the resorts there are on the smaller side with no high rises. We were at the Napili Surf, steps from the beach. That was part of a different trip, with 3 nights in Hana, one night at a B &B part way up Haleakala, and 4 nights on Napili Bay. But there are many choices on the western side of the island. The Maui revealed website should be helpful and will have a map of the many options.

I like the Kihei area ( more northernish ) . Centrally located making it fairly easy to explore other parts of the island.

hey hey ronipride
curious about where you are staying "near hilo"?
aloha

We are staying at somewhere a little eclectic,
Hulili Fruit Farm. It had great 5 star reviews. Since we are staying in a condo in Kona and on Maui we thought this would be something different for our middle stop.

hey hey ronipride
happy to hear you're staying along the hamakua coast in hakalau. grew up in this area from waimea to hilo which is beautiful country with small sugar plantation towns. i will gather some off the "grid" places for you to check out near here that most people don't stop to be on an adventure. i will send you a private message about the places which may interest you and it's up to you to decide.
years ago when the sugar plantation closed operations, much of the land was for sale. many people from all over bought up acre to acres and started there own type of businesses which i think what this farm is about.
aloha

Our favorite memory of Kona is the night snorkel with manta rays.