We are looking at an overnight package from Oahu to BI with Fishbowl tours that includes hotel and rental car. Our hotel choices are:
Hawaii Naniloa
Hilo Bay
Hilo Hawaiian (+20 dollars)
The price for the first 2 are about the same, but it is $20 more for the Hilo Hawaiian. We will be at the Volcano Park until dark to better see the lava, and then leave pretty early the next morning, so hotel isn%26#39;t so very important, I%26#39;d like it to be convienent location.
Any advice?
Hilo Hotels- 3 choices?The 3 hotels are pretty much side by side on Banyan Drive. Supposedly the Hilo Hawaiian is the ';best'; amongst all the Hilo hotels, but that is not saying much. All the Hilo hotels are quite run down. I only stayed at the Hilo Hawaiian, so cannot comment on the other two. Our Hilo Hawaiian room was big enough, bedsheets were clean, carpet a little old and tired looking, bathroom clean but was old. Place need a renovation. No night life at the hotel, small pool, no hot tub, did not eat at the hotel restaurant because we got back late from seeing the lava and woke up too late. Have you checked the TA hotel reviews? I would imagine that if you are only looking for a clean bed and bathroom, you would be ok.
P.S. If you have time, try breakfast at Ken%26#39;s House of Pancakes. They have a killer seafood omelette (if you like seafood).
Hilo Hotels- 3 choices?i think you%26#39;re going to be very unhappy with any of these hotels - they%26#39;re truely sub par - below motel 6 standards. it would be comparable to staying at a hotel near JFK airport - have you ever had that wonderful experience? discard the package concept and put together your own tour to the Big Island - you can stay within your budget and get a decent B%26amp;B in Volcano. putting together your own itinerary requires a bit more time and effort - but you%26#39;ll end up with a way better vacation...good luck with this and let us know if you%26#39;d like help putting toegther a better Big Island trip. sorry to get bossy but you%26#39;re coming all the way from Mayland and you sould have a great time if you plan well.
Aloha.......
I have stayed at the Naniola years ago and it was not the best... One trip advisor. Logophile, said they are all at the end of a lease and thus not in prime shape.
Go to the ';HIILO'; hotel section on this page and read others input on these and others. This is so you will not have to rely on just one source to make a choice.
I assume you are coming to Hilo to see the volcano. If that is so then why not stay in Vocano ?
The hotels , or rather Lodges and guest houses are, I think a far better choice.
It will be cooler but you will be out of the hown that is a industrial and container port , for the most part. It does not have much for the visitor to see and enjoy.
You will be 27 miles from Hilo and can still see its main sights.
Here again you can read reviews of others to determine their worth.
Places I like are the Kiluea Lodge......great food and room.
It feels neat too.
If you come all this way from North America then make your dollars count.........HawaiiDan
I%26#39;m glad for this advice!
We need to stay in a budget of $900 for the 4 of us.. my kids are 7 and 8. If the B%26amp;B honeymooners don%26#39;t mind the kids it is ok with me but i don%26#39;t want to disturb anyone. the package deal included hotel, car, and flights for this price. i understand you get what you pay for.
Is there a black sand beach we can squeeze into this quicky overnight? we wouldn%26#39;t spend alot of time there but wanted to see some different colored sand
we will have been 9 days on oahu and will have lots of beach time, we are wanting to see the Volcanos. we are limited since I%26#39;m 6 months preg and the kids and i wont be hiking over the lava but hope to stay afternight to see some of the glowing lava, and will hike the lava tube.
we have to decide if it is worth it at all to do this overnight trip, given the many limitations (money, pregnancy)
thanks for advice and help!
aloha pokemom - thanks for explaining your circumstances. it%26#39;s more complicated with the kids and the pregnancy..you may decide it%26#39;s a whole lot less hassle to stay put in Oahu than an overnight on the Big Island. most of the time will be spent in transit standing in long security lines at the airport, the flight, securing a rental car, driving from Hilo to Volcano, etc etc. but if you%26#39;re convinced that you want to proceed, I think you could do it within the $900 budget. start by reviewing the threads in this forum for places to stay in Volcano. then contact the inns and check for availability/prices, cancellation policies. then add in airfare, car rental, misc. good luck with this.
We love the BI and have visited several times. Last time we were in Hilo with our family about 3 years ago - 2 sons 12 and 15 at the time, my husband and myself - we stayed at the Dolphin Bay Hotel. We arrived in early evening and the wonderful person at the desk said, '; here%26#39;s the flashlights, get on your hiking boots and get up to the volcano! '; She also gave us a couple of bananas and papayas to tide us over and off we went. We had a terrific, unforgettable time. It did feature a long drive and a somewhat grueling walk over the lava after dark following the ';bot%26#39;s dots'; laid by the Park Service to the lava viewing site. With two boy scouts we were prepared with walking sticks, water and proper footwear - and the flashlights!
The two story hotel rooms are simple and clean - the ambiance is old Hawaii amid lush vegetation. We didn%26#39;t have air conditioning but a fan and did fine although it was muggy for us (we%26#39;re from southern California). The bathroom was fine and there was a kitchenette if we chose to use it.
Our family likes to experience differences in places rather than finding the comfortable same old same old or touristy places - as Hawaiidan and Mauna Kea Lady suggest we like staying in a condo in Waikaloa but if we had the funds we%26#39;d stay at the Kona Village Resort in a haole rather than a swank, high rise resort.
Personally we like the funky, down home nature of Hilo - shopping at Sig Zane%26#39;s great shop, and a wonderful old time shop with woven palm mats and hats, the tsunami museum, the open air markets, going to the falls etc. Coming from a desert climate it%26#39;s fascinating for us to see what a little or alot of rainfall will do. We love to visit the botanic gardens in the area. as a contrast to the other side of the island.
Aloha pokemom, believe me there are lots of sites to see in Hilo and the town is much more than a container port city as HD likes to refer to it. This city is full of true Hawaiian culture and My family and I have been there many times and had a wonderful time. All the above mentioned hotels are ok, maybe older but we have stayed in all of them at one time or another. They would be fine. They are grouped together around the bay and as you say you won%26#39;t be there that long. They are convienently located.
Aloha.......
Please note that 3 years ago the hike to the lava was slightly over a mile.........today it is at 3.5 miles......thats one way.
If you want to do the night hike instead of flashlights use a head lamp so that you can keep your balance and footing better on the uneven lava
An overnight here for $900 bucks is only going to frustrate you .Stay put.....and come back another time as the Big Island is larger than all the other Hawiian islands put together......too much to see in a week or 2.
I am not shure but they might have an air tour from Oahu flying around the Big island........
HD
Aloha Pokemom,
Almost all the hotels in Hilo are along Banyan Drive and there isn%26#39;t much difference between any of them. We (should we have to choose one) would probably go for the Seasider since it is the quietest one just because it is a bit away from the others. It doesn%26#39;t seem to be one of your three choices, but they are all basically side by side. They are all pretty old, though, and until they get their new leases figured out, it isn%26#39;t likely they will be renovated or upgraded. However, if all you need is a place to sleep, then they will probably suit your needs.
Try the Naniloa and ask for a room facing Coconut Island, that should be fairly quiet. Also the Naniloa is the closest to Queen Lilioukalani gardens which is a lovely Japanese walking garden facing Hilo Bay. There is a walkway out to Coconut Island behind the Naniloa as well. Lovely place for a stroll and kids (even some of us older kids) like to fish and swim there, too.
A hui hou,
Hotzcatz
%26lt;%26lt;aloha pokemom - thanks for explaining your circumstances. it%26#39;s more complicated with the kids and the pregnancy..you may decide it%26#39;s a whole lot less hassle to stay put in Oahu than an overnight on the Big Island. most of the time will be spent in transit standing in long security lines at the airport, the flight, securing a rental car, driving from Hilo to Volcano, etc etc. but if you%26#39;re convinced that you want to proceed, I think you could do it within the $900 budget. start by reviewing the threads in this forum for places to stay in Volcano. then contact the inns and check for availability/prices, cancellation policies. then add in airfare, car rental, misc. good luck with this.%26gt;%26gt;
I have to agree with Mauna Kea Lady on this one. We LOVED, loved, loved the BI but we hiked two and a half miles to the lava and back and still didn%26#39;t see it as it had changed directions from the day before. We left at 6:00 am and returned by 10:00 am. I would NEVER have hiked this while pregnant and not at night; the fumes are bad and the terrain very treacherous. Don%26#39;t want to scare you, maybe I was a wimpy preggo %26lt;G%26gt;. Just want to give you our recent personal experience. There is enough else there to make Volcanoes a once in a lifetime experience. Have fun no matter what you do.
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