Big island, Hawaii

[the slow norris]

Just booked the flights for me and the missus for a week in Hawaii in the middle of our 3 month sabbatical. So, in age old nsc tradition - any tips? Volcano drive/ walk is a definite. We are staying in Kona but will have a car to go wherever. Cannot wait. Rest of the 3 months will be spent on west coast US.

 

[Bozza]

No tips, but I'd like to call you a lucky ****er.

Lucky ****er.

 

[Kemp]

Haven't been to Big Island, but Molokai is well worth a visit !
Pony trek down the highest sea cliffs in the world into an old lepa colony !

 

[smudge]

Might be predictable, but Pearl Harbor was well worth the visit.

 

[the slow norris]

No tips, but I'd like to call you a lucky ****er.

Lucky ****er.

Thanks bozza, I agree, once in a lifetime opportunity for me and the family, very lucky indeed. We've also got a week in Yosemite booked and a 10 day RV trip to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion national park booked too, so if anyone has any must sees in these locations it'll be great to know of them.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Not been to Big Island but I have been to Kauai which was magnificent.
Probably the most perfect place I have visited for climate, scenery, beaches/surf.
We also went to Oahu for 2 days staying at a hotel on Waikiki beach.
Pearl Harbour, Honolulu and Island tour all very nice but Kauai was far better.
A must is to go to a Luau. Don't forget to pack a flowery shirt.
I hope Big Island is as good as Kauai I really can't describe how perfect that island was.

 

[StonehamPark]

Thanks bozza, I agree, once in a lifetime opportunity for me and the family, very lucky indeed. We've also got a week in Yosemite booked and a 10 day RV trip to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion national park booked too, so if anyone has any must sees in these locations it'll be great to know of them.

I'd spend 3 days in Yosemite and give yourself the extra 3-4 days in San Diego and Lake Havasu (camp next to the Colorado River)
Squeeze in Salvation Mountain, Monument Valley & Arches NP if you can.

 

[FamilyGuy]

Not been to Big Island but I have been to Kauai which was magnificent.
Probably the most perfect place I have visited for climate, scenery, beaches/surf.
We also went to Oahu for 2 days staying at a hotel on Waikiki beach.
Pearl Harbour, Honolulu and Island tour all very nice but Kauai was far better.
A must is to go to a Luau. Don't forget to pack a flowery shirt.
I hope Big Island is as good as Kauai I really can't describe how perfect that island was.

What he said! Surely some of the best beaches I the world.

 

[crookie]

Stayed a few days on the Big Island. Walking to within a few yards of flowing lava was definitely one of the highlights of my year travelling. Make sure you get a proper tour, went with the hostel I was staying at, one girl fell and got a badly cut knee, I was handed the torch and asked to lead the group back to the minibus, it got pitch black very clearly and I nearly led everyone over the edge of a cliff !!

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Someone on here posts from The Big Island no doubt he will appear on here soon.
You could meet up on top of an erupting volcano and win the ' strangest place to meet an Albion fan' thread.

 

[crookie]

Stayed a few days on the Big Island. Walking to within a few yards of flowing lava was definitely one of the highlights of my year travelling. Make sure you get a proper tour, went with the hostel I was staying at, one girl fell and got a badly cut knee, I was handed the torch and asked to lead the group back to the minibus, it got pitch black very early and I nearly led everyone over the edge of a cliff !!

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

 

[crookie]

Stayed a few days on the Big Island. Walking to within a few yards of flowing lava was definitely one of the highlights of my year travelling. Make sure you get a proper tour, went with the hostel I was staying at, one girl fell and got a badly cut knee, I was handed the torch and asked to lead the group back to the minibus, it got pitch black very early and I nearly led everyone over the edge of a cliff !!

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

 

[Beach Hut]

Thanks bozza, I agree, once in a lifetime opportunity for me and the family, very lucky indeed. We've also got a week in Yosemite booked and a 10 day RV trip to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion national park booked too, so if anyone has any must sees in these locations it'll be great to know of them.

At the Grand Canyon we did the Skywalk which was OK but has an amazing feature where you cannot take your camera on it but they can take a photo of you for a massive price.

I wish we had done the trip to the bottom of it now but maybe another time.

 

[crookie]

Pearl Harbour was a good visit and the North Shore of Oahu had massive waves if you like surfing. Hope you have a great time. Sounds like a fab trip planned

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[Ken Livingstone Seagull]

Haven't been to Big Island, but Molokai is well worth a visit !
Pony trek down the highest sea cliffs in the world into an old lepa colony !

Ex-Brighton Maui lad here, reporting from the humble hammock outside the grass hut.

You can see our volcano (Haleakala) from the Big Island (BI as we locals call it) but ours isn't as big as yours. BI is well named cuz its huge compared to all the other Hawaii islands.

Kemp is correct about Molokai -- the essence of "old time" Hawaii, no traffic lights, pace of life delightfully slow. But they're mules, not ponies, and (pedant alert) lepers not lepas, and although the former sufferers of Hansens Disease (as leprosy has since been rebranded) are no more, the colony still has a population of about 85. It's in an isolated and totally stunning location on a promontory below the highest sea cliffs in the world.

Maui also worth a couple of days at least -- Road to Hana, Haleakala, historic Lahaina (former whaling capital of the world) and beaches galore.

On the BI, Hilo side (East) is wet as a very wet wetness, and Kona side (West) is dry but polluted by the volcanic haze that is really thick and been going on since the 80s. (The volcano nearby is still slowly erupting). If you have any respiratory probs, stay to the east. Waimea is a cowboy town (Parker Ranch is the 3rd largest in the USA). Volcano Nat Park is a must, beaches on Kona side, Kohala up north.

Finally: hope you like mai tais. They are the lifeblood and a must. But be warned, you may never return. Ping me when there if you need further suggestions. Have fun.

 

[the slow norris]

Ex-Brighton Maui lad here, reporting from the humble hammock outside the grass hut.

You can see our volcano (Haleakala) from the Big Island (BI as we locals call it) but ours isn't as big as yours. BI is well named cuz its huge compared to all the other Hawaii islands.

Kemp is correct about Molokai -- the essence of "old time" Hawaii, no traffic lights, pace of life delightfully slow. But they're mules, not ponies, and (pedant alert) lepers not lepas, and although the former sufferers of Hansens Disease (as leprosy has since been rebranded) are no more, the colony still has a population of about 85. It's in an isolated and totally stunning location on a promontory below the highest sea cliffs in the world.

Maui also worth a couple of days at least -- Road to Hana, Haleakala, historic Lahaina (former whaling capital of the world) and beaches galore.

On the BI, Hilo side (East) is wet as a very wet wetness, and Kona side (West) is dry but polluted by the volcanic haze that is really thick and been going on since the 80s. (The volcano nearby is still slowly erupting). If you have any respiratory probs, stay to the east. Waimea is a cowboy town (Parker Ranch is the 3rd largest in the USA). Volcano Nat Park is a must, beaches on Kona side, Kohala up north.

Finally: hope you like mai tais. They are the lifeblood and a must. But be warned, you may never return. Ping me when there if you need further suggestions. Have fun.

Thanks all for your replies. Yup, we are staying on the west side (Kona), looking forward to exploring the national park and volcano, and relaxing on the beach. How easy is inter island travel once we are there? I.e if we just fancy popping over to another island? Is it expensive? Also, want to do a luau, any recommendations?

Finally, we will have time to burn on the west coast USA (will be there for 3 months in total), any destinations recommended for a drive north from l.a. (We've done San Diego and Vegas before) We will deffo be going to the Bay Area, but wondering if other have any more must sees?

 

[portslade seagull]

Was in Hawaii when the storms hit a couple of yrs ago. Yanks overreacting as usual. Loved the place

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Thanks all for your replies. Yup, we are staying on the west side (Kona), looking forward to exploring the national park and volcano, and relaxing on the beach. How easy is inter island travel once we are there? I.e if we just fancy popping over to another island? Is it expensive? Also, want to do a luau, any recommendations?

Finally, we will have time to burn on the west coast USA (will be there for 3 months in total), any destinations recommended for a drive north from l.a. (We've done San Diego and Vegas before) We will deffo be going to the Bay Area, but wondering if other have any more must sees?

Obviously the guy in Maui is best to get advice but when we were in Kauai we was told to go to a proper Luau and not one set up by a holiday company, they are quite common and easy to find and a must do. Hawaiian music is great for setting the atmosphere with the ukuleles and the grass skirt dancers.
Also, at sunset they run down the beach, blow a conch shell and light torches while you are sitting there sipping your cocktail.
Regarding your West Coast trip, and this is only my opinion, avoid being sucked in to seeing LA just because of Venice Beach, the Hollywood sign, Beverley Hills etc, a worse city I have yet to visit I absolutely hated the place and everything about it, we visited after Vegas drove to LA and stayed in Newport Beach for 2 days before flying home, waste of time, I am sure there are hundreds of better options along the coast. I have never been to San Francisco but I would love to leave my heart there one day.

 

[the slow norris]

Thanks Raleigh for the info re a luau - will try and find one out. Reason for la is that my sister lives there and we will be using her place as a base during our travels. I've been to la5 or 6 times before, and love it. My sis lives in culver city, which is about 3 miles from Venice beach, 10 mins drive from Santa Monica so is very well placed. Your opinion is one shared by lots of people I've spoken too, maybe I've benefited from insider knowledge as I've found there is tonnes to see and do, climate is great and food excellent.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Exactly, if you have visited lots of times and have family there to guide you to the real city then it is always going to be better than a tourist who just headed to the usual places for 2 days, I always thought that it cant be as bad as this.