Going to Hawaii on vacation–the big island. What are the best things to do for non-golfers, non-beach folks?
catlady asked:
We enjoy walking, bicycling, reading, the arts, nature and animals.
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on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 4:35 am and is filed under Big Island.
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We enjoy walking, bicycling, reading, the arts, nature and animals.
March 27th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
go see the volcano, you can actually go skiing if you wanted to at Mt Kiluea, we have snow at the top, there is a lot of sightseeing to do
March 28th, 2009 at 9:45 am
You could always go for a walk, ride bikes, and read.
March 30th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
There are many places you can visit orchid gardens, see the black sands, visit Volcano National park…it is fantastic. Visit a coffee planttion…have the time of your life.
March 31st, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Rent a car and drive around the island see the many beautiful waterfalls along the highway. Stop in Kona and visit the coffee plantation. Go to the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes (just wear well insulated shoes and don’t drop your camera like I did lol). Rent bicycles in Kona. Take a day excursion over to one of the other islands. Take a helicopter tour of the island. Go on a dinner cruise aboard one of the many yachts. Go to a Luau and a show
Talk to a travel agent about what’s available. Usually they can get you the best deals for your money AND you are gauranteed reservations.
Have fun it’s a great trip! But be prepared to spend big bucks, even at McDonalds lol.
April 2nd, 2009 at 11:53 am
Be sure to rent a car. You can see so much more on your own and at your own pace. On the big island – Go to the Volcanos National Park, go to the City Of Refuge, near the Hilo side visit the macadamia nut factory, visit Rainbow Falls (go about nine or ten AM to catch the sun hitting it), Go to Akaka falls, if you remember the song visit the little grass shack in Kealakekua, then visit the Little Grass Shack (don’t drive a long ways but if you are passing it stop in. There’s lots more, we are like you – no beaches or golfing.
Have a wonderful time.
April 2nd, 2009 at 11:43 pm
It’s gorgeous! You’ll love it. YOU MUST RENT A CAR!!!! There is lots to do. One of the things you MUST do is go to the Volcanoes National Park. It’s amazing. Take a jacket, and maybe even a pair of pants to layer; it’s much colder up there at high altitude, even though you were hot and wearing shorts earlier at sea level. You MUST take a helicopter tour of the volcano park. It’s expensive, but worth every penny! You will never get those kinds of views otherwise, especially if the volcano is erupting!!!
Make sure you get to see the Hilo side of the island. It’s very green; lots of lush vegetation because it does rain more. You’ll see lot of ferns, ginger. There are also beautiful nurseries and orchid farms. A beautiful Japanese garden in Hilo too. Hilo town is quite quaint but hip; several good restaurants and galleries. Up country you have the paniolo (cowboy) country, where the famous Parker Ranch is. Going up Maunka Kea and Mauna Loa also very beautiful. The coffee and Macadamia nuts are grown on the mt. slopes. L See if you can some “REAL’ Hawaiian hula. The Big Island is famous for hosting the most prestigious Hula competition every year, “The Merrie Monarch”. There are several good halaus there.
The Kona side of the island is much hotter and drier. That is where more of the resorts that cater to golfers are. The resorts are built on a huge ancient lava flow, so it’s not super green there, only where vegetation has been brought in and is watered (around the resort grounds). Visit Kona town and also the little town of Captain Cook.
You can contact the Hawaii Visitors Bureau for more information too. Read and research as much as you can before you go to maximize your time there
Have a great time! I miss my Hawaii very much! Aloha!
April 5th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Do you really want to go to an island if you are not a beach person? The big island has the fewest and least unteresting attractions, the Volcano being the major one.
I suggest Maui instead and if you do you MUST take the downhill bike ride, it is fabulous. If you go to Maui, you gotta do the downhill bike ride. I don’t recommend the sunrise one because you have to get up at 3:00 AM to get started up the mountain and its cold up there that early. If you are a romantic do it, but otherwise no. There are different bike companies and some don’t take you all the way to the top, and some don’t guide you back down. You can come down by yourself, there’s only one road with just a little traffic, but if you are squimish about riding in the street, a company that accompanys you down will help watch the traffic for you. I have been twice and prefer Maui Downhill to the others. These companies have web sites They will pick you up at your hotel, take you to their shop to pick out a wet-suit (for the cold and mist/rain shower maybe) and gloves and helmet; then take you up the mountain; then follow your group down so they can block traffic for your ride; then afterwards take you back to your hotel. Expect this activity to take 75-80% or more of the day.
Check out the following links also.