LetsGo-Hawaii.com

Question – Planning a Trip to Kauai, Molokai, Big Island

Letsgo-Hawaii — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:09:55 +0000

We received the following question by email:

We, family of 4, are planning to visit Hawaii for the first time for 7 days in the first week of Mar’12. We have picked Kauai, Big Island & Molokai.We are interested in scenic areas, little bit of hiking,flora & fauna, whale watching sights,& anything that you can suggest. How much will the inter island air tckts cost at that time? We are also looking descent bargain accom, lodge,condo, with 2 full size beds, group tours etc.

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Answer:

If it isn’t too late, I’d recommend against trying to visit three different islands all in one week. Typically, we recommend a maximum of two islands in one week – and even then, that can be a bit rushed. The last thing you want to do is spend more time traveling and packing/unpacking than actually enjoying your vacation.

For the islands of Kauai and the Big Island, we have many resources and articles available to help you plan your upcoming trip.

Activities that you might enjoy — take a look at our activities page: http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/activities/ . Take a look at the Sea Quest Rafting Adventure, Sunset Sail, and Horseback Riding adventures. For sightseeing tours, check out this page (scroll to the bottom): http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/sightseeing/.

Here is a great article that helps you decide where to stay on the island: http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/accommodations/where-to-stay.html. To help you in choosing your hotel, check out our Big Island Hotels page.

For help in pricing your airline tickets and inter-island tickets, check out our Discount Hawaii Airfare page.

For details in helping you plan the Kauai portion of your trip, visit our Kauai Vacation Planner website.

Question – Wedding at Kua Bay

Letsgo-Hawaii — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:56:36 +0000

We received this question by email:

I was wondering if you can get married on Kua Bay Beach??? My family lives in Hilo, they visit this beach frequently and would love to have our wedding there, but I don’t see any information on weddings/permits.

Thank You Kindly!

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Answer:

There are no permit or fees associated with a beach wedding. The parking lot is limited in size at Kua Bay and you must descend over the lava rocks to get to the beach (however, Kua Bay is one of the prettiest beaches on the Big Island!). Also, keep in mind this beach is part of the Kekaha Kai State Park and as such has operating hours of 9AM – 7PM (closed Wednesdays). Good luck in your wedding planning!

Question – How to Reserve Camp Site at Spencer Beach

Letsgo-Hawaii — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:19:43 +0000

We received this question via email:

Hello, I`m looking for an email address from Spencer Beach Park to make a reservation for the campground. May you help me for this request?

Thank you,

wishes from Aniketa

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Answer:

Aniketa, the best thing to do if you are interested in reserving a camp ground on the Big Island is go to the Hawaii County online reservation website. Once on this page, search for the campsite you are interested in reserving (Spencer Beach in your case) in the left margin of the page. By clicking on the name of the campsite, you can check its availability for the dates you desire. When you are ready to reserve the campsite, click on the PURCHASE PERMIT link at the bottom of the page and you can pay by credit card online.

Have fun on your trip!

Question – Visiting the Big Island to View the Lava Flow

Letsgo-Hawaii — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:02:46 +0000

We received this question by email:

I’m interested in the best way to travel to see the lava flows? We would fly out of Seattle.

1) Is it best to fly to Honolulu and then drive, or continue on to a different flight destination? (If it’s more than a three hour drive from Honolulu, I’d prefer to fly if that’s an option.)

2) Also, in what town near the lava flows would we stay overnight?

Thanks,

Dave B.

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Answer:

Dave, unfortunately, if you are flying to Honolulu (the island of Oahu) to view the Kilauea lava flow — you are headed to the wrong island! The active lava flow from the Kilauea Volcano is located on the Big Island of Hawaii (not on the island of Oahu).

That said, if you are coming from Seattle, you will need to fly to Honolulu, then take an inter-island flight to the Big Island (either the airport at Keahole Kona or Hilo). The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is located about 45 minutes outside of Hilo – so the closest airport is the Hilo Airport. However, many visitors will stay over in Kona (about 2.5 hours from the Volcano Park) because of the preponderance of mega-resorts and plentiful beaches on the Kohala Coast.

If you plan on staying late at the Volcanoes National Park (i.e. past dusk) and the 2.5 hour drive back to Kona doesn’t sound appetizing, we recommend checking into one of many hotels in Hilo. The next morning, you can hit one of several black sand beaches in the area as well.

Enjoy your trip!

Question: Are weddings allowed on Punalu’u Beach?

Letsgo-Hawaii — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:19:43 +0000

We received this question via email: Are weddings allowed on Punalu’u Beach?

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Answer: Punalu’u Beach Park is a operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation. There is no restriction that bars weddings from happening at Punalu’u Beach. Beach weddings are very popular in Hawaii – and specifically on the Big Island. Although, most Big Island weddings occur on the sunny Kona coast (at places such as Anaehoomalu Beach Park), Punalu’u is a very pretty beach – and weather permitting, can be a great place for a wedding. One thing to note – there aren’t many hotels nearby. The closest hotels are at the Volcanoes National Park or the town of Hilo.

In addition to the beautiful black sand beach, there is plenty of parking and full-service bathrooms.

Question: What Should I Wear at the Mauna Kea Summit?

Letsgo-Hawaii — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:53:47 +0000

We received the following question by email:

My wife and I will be visiting the Big Island in the end of July/early August. We plan on hiking around Volcano a bit and the Mauna Kea summit. I am trying to plan ahead and purchase things a bit at a time. I keep reading that in these places, a “light” rain jacket is needed. For me, a “light” jacket is not lined (generally with fleece). So…if we go to these places, will we need a LINED rain jacket, or un UNLINED rain jacket? Thank you. –Josh R.

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Answer: The light rain jacket we refer to on the website refers to an unlined waterproof “shell” such as a gore-tex jacket or other similar rain coat such as the Marmot Precip jacket. These are all perfect jackets to have when hiking or traveling on the Hilo (eastern) side of the island, including the Volcanoes National Park. At these locations, rain is almost a daily occurrence and unpredictable.

However, this unlined shell will not be warm enough for you if you visit either the Onizuka Visitor’s Center on Mauna Kea (at 9,300′ elev) and definitely not warm enough for the Mauna Kea summit (14,000′ elev). At the Visitor’s Center, you can expect the temperature in the mid-30-degree range at night; at the Mauna Kea summit, expect the nighttime temperature to be in the mid-20-degree range (Fahrenheit).

For these locations, I recommend several layers – starting with a good base layer such as the Patagonia Capilene3, then a good down jacket or insulated (lined) and wind-proof shell. Also, don’t forget gloves and a warm hat as well.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

Question – Best Beach for Wedding Ceremony?

Letsgo-Hawaii — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 05:06:20 +0000

We received this question via email:

Hello there,

My fiance and I will be in Hawaii (Hilton Waikoloa Village) Nov 13th-20th and would like to get married while we are there. It would be a very small, intimate ceremony only with 5 people (including us). Do you have any suggestions for a beach or park point that we should check out? Are there any licenses or fees other than the marriage license and officiant fees?

Thanks for your time and help!

Jen

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Answer:

Jen, although the Hilton Waikoloa Village is an expansive and beautiful hotel, the nearby beach (Anaehoomalu Bay) does not offer an intimate or romantic setting for a wedding. I recommend you hold your wedding ceremony at one of these beaches:

1.) Waialea Beach. This beach is a short drive from the Waikoloa Village, but off-the-beaten track and rarely crowded. The beach itself is more austere (no large hotels in sight, just beautiful white sand and azure waters.) There are a few picnic tables next to the paved parking lot.

2.) Kikaua Point Beach. This beach is situated on the Kohala Coast, not far from Waikoloa. The powdery white sand lies in a protected cove so the water is always calm. Although the beach is not that large, you can hold your ceremony to the north on the point that is surrounded by palm trees and a grassy lawn facing the adjacent bay (Kukio Bay).

3.) Makalawena Beach. This is our absolute favorite beach on the Big Island. You will rarely find more than a handful of people on this beach because it isn’t the easiest beach to get to… First you have to drive on a very rough dirt road for several miles, then you will have to hike about 20 minutes across the dried lava fields. But, once you get to the crescent white sandy beach, you will see why this is our favorite. In the late afternoon, the low sun turns the sand a pink color – perfect for your wedding ceremony.

All of these beaches are “public” beaches and no permits should be required. Makalawena is part of the Kekaha Kai State Park and is closed on Wednesdays. Also, double-check the hours of operation to make sure it doesn’t “close” in the evening. The County will lock the gate to the approaching road at close time. All three of these beaches are on the west-facing Kona coast, so the sunsets will be spectacular.

Good luck with your wedding!

New Lava Flow at Kilauea Volcano!

Letsgo-Hawaii — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 04:45:47 +0000

On August 3, just after 2:00 p.m., Hawaiian Standard Time, the floor of the long-erupting Pu`u `O`o crater collapsed and lava began erupting from new vents on the west flank of Pu`u `O`o cone, sending flows towards the north and south of the cone. Since that time, lava has continued to erupt from these west-flank vents, but the active lava flow has retreated closer to the vent area and is largely contained within a perched lava pond. A very small amount of lava has returned to the collapsed floor of Pu`u `O`o over the past week.

Tourists are flocking to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in order to catch a glimpse of the spectacular rivers of bubbling lava. There is a viewing point within the Park that allows for safe viewing of the lava flows. Additionally, helicopter tours have become very popular allowing tourists unfettered access to view the world-famous Kilauea lava flow.

Since the new Pu`u `O`o vents opened on August 3, the lava lake within the Halema`uma`u Overlook vent has dropped substantially over the past week as the summit deflated. As of Thursday, August 11, the Halema`uma`u lava lake was small, sluggish, and deep within the vent cavity.

Three earthquakes beneath Hawai`i Island were reported felt this past week. A magnitude-1.85 earthquake occurred at 8:59 a.m., HST, on Friday, August 5, 2011, and was located 1 km (1 mi) northeast of ‘Opihikao at a depth of 3 km (2 mi). A magnitude-2.1 earthquake occurred at 10:24 a.m. on the same day and was located 3 km (2 mi) southeast of Pahoa at a depth of 1 km (1 mi). A magnitude-2.2 earthquake occurred at 1:58 p.m. on Monday, August 8, and was located 5 km (3 mi) southeast of Kapoho at a depth of 3 km (2 mi).
Visit the HVO Web site (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov) for detailed Kilauea and Mauna Loa activity updates, recent volcano photos, recent earthquakes, and more; call (808) 967-8862 for a Kilauea summary; email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov

Question – Side Trip to Kauai?

Letsgo-Hawaii — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 03:31:20 +0000

We received this follow-up question by email:

Would a “side trip” to Kauai for 3 days be worth it or would you suggest we went there for a longer stay the next time we come through? –Max.

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Answer: It really depends on how long you plan to spend on the Big Island. I recently had a friend spend time both on Kauai and the Big Island on his honeymoon. I remember him telling me “if I’m going to fly all the way to Hawaii, then I better see more than one island.” Yes, that is true…. but only if you can actually spend enough time on each of the islands so that you can enjoy yourself. I recently did a trip to Hawaii from the mainland and spent one week on Kauai and one week on the Big Island – that seemed to be the perfect amount of time so that I could explore Kauai as well as visit family and friends on the Big Island without feeling rushed.

Remember to factor in checking into and out of your hotels as well as inter-island travel time. It is true each Hawaiian Island is unique and I recommend everyone experience each island while on vacation. However, it is easy to get caught up and feel compelled to “do it all” in just a few days.

To answer the above question, I would recommend you spend at least 5 days on the Big Island in addition to the 3 days on Kauai. Otherwise your trip may end up being a race around each island while trying to hit all the big attractions and take your souvenir photos. Take a look at our Big Island Travel Itineraries page to see some recommended itineraries for your Big Island vacation. The last thing you want is to travel to Hawaii for a relaxing vacation and end up rushing and unable to enjoy your holiday.

Lastly, remember, the Big Island is truly vast. You will not tire or “see it all” in a few days as you might on Oahu. The island is big, with contrasting climates, vegetation, and beaches. Enjoy your trip!

Please post follow-up questions or comments below.

Question – Which side of the Big Island is more Touristy?

Letsgo-Hawaii — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 03:52:20 +0000

We received this question by email:

We are planning a trip to the big island, but cannot find which side is the most touristy. Is it the Hilo side or the Kailua side? should we just arrive and play it by ear? i.e hire a car and find accommodations? –Max.

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Answer: The Kona-side of the Island (western shore) is more touristy. The Kona side of the Big Island is the sunnier side of the island and is where most of the big resorts and large beaches are located. Check out our “Where to Stay on the Big Island” article with descriptions of all the major regions of the island and the pros and cons to each.

We definitely do not recommend simply “playing it by ear” — make your reservations ahead of time or you may find yourself without a hotel room (depending on the season) or you may end up in a part of the Island where you did not wish to stay. Do your research now, book your hotel rooms online, and then enjoy your trip!

If you have any more questions, please feel free to post them as comments below.