[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by kathyspear

When we flew to Hawaii several years ago we stopped on the West Coast for a couple of days each direction to visit friends. I was glad we did that because it is a hellish long flight from the East Coast. I actually got us amazing first class fares on Hawaiian Air (we booked pretty far ahead) that were only a couple hundred more each way than coach. That is the only time we have ever flown first class and OMG what a difference!

Even with a stop over in LA I was majorly jetlagged for a couple of days in Hawaii. YMMV.

If you visit Kauai I highly recommend a helicopter tour of the island. You will see things you can't possibly see by land. We booked with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. It was ~ $200 pp [this was 7 or 8 years ago] and probably a lot more now but so worth it.

Good luck with your trip planning!

kathy

You did really well!!!!!

Just looked up the far in advance airfare on Hawaiian Air------coach---$929, "extra comfort"----$1238, first class----$4617. This is the non-stop fare, the 1 and 2 stop flights were actually MORE expensive

[sallyg]

Lucky you! Kona is my favorite place on earth. Be sure to visit the Volcanoes national park. And the stars are beautiful at night. It has been many years since I visited so I do not know what to say about the flight, just that is a very long trip, but worth it. Enjoy.

[rjn5656]

Helicopter tours are great.

Check car rentals, I have read they skyrocketed in Hawaii due to covid. Car companies sold a lot of their fleet off.

[pendi99]

Be aware that Hawaii is very covid closed. Before you go you need a negative test w/i 72 hours. plus you have to upload to your phone a load of info for the Hawaii DOH. It is not easy and very complicated.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by jakers

Let’s just be nice - they just want some advice on an expensive trip that, from personal experience, can be spoiled by a too long 2-legged flight in economy (our travel agent arranged) or other perils one might not be aware of.
Isn’t helping each other what this sight is about?

Agree. And I always try to help the blind. But I like posts that are helpful on this SITE

[ronjon309]

We booked AirBnB rooms on Oahu, Kwai, Maui, Molokai, and the Big Island. It’s easy to hop around the islands with local vendors. Renting a car was easy too except on Molokai but that was our favorite island. We rode well trained mules down the mountain to the Leper Colony ( very safe & we met one of the few survivors!) It is the last remaining island undeveloped which gave us a chance to see non-touristy areas.
On the Big island there is everything to do-volcano tour, bike ride down the mountain, coffee plantation tours, macadamia nut plantations, zip lining across Apopa Falls, snorkeling at night with manta rays, helicopter rides, and more. If you are a Pinterest user just search Things to do in Hawaii. Lots of good info. Enjoy!

[Marty94]

Originally Posted by Kerlampert

Aloha....I lived there for 20 years after retiring.
Kona weather very warm! And sunny!
Great for water sports....sailing, scuba, snorkeling.

Three bucket list things to do:

See the giant Ray's at night!
Trip up to Mauna Kea! At sunset!
Trip to Kilaueau crater for volcano lava flow.

Kona coffee, vanilla farms, macadamia nuts.
Heaven!

Have fun! Kerstin

Ditto Kerstin’s list.

I have flown to Hawaii 20+ times, both Coach and First. If you can afford to fly First, do so. You’ll arrive relaxed and refreshed. If you cannot afford it, then use the App SeatGuru by Trip Advisor when choosing your seat. I find it very helpful. Just remember that flight segments can be very long. The return flight is often at night. In the coach section you often have babies. So take along a good set of noise canceling headphones, such as Bose or Apple AirPods Pro and keep charging cables handy. On occasion, TV monitors go out. Downloading a few movies or books to your phone or tablet provides a backup. I also often pack a box of breakfast bars. Food in Hawaii is at a premium and I like having extra snacks in my room as well as on the flight.

[collie1228]

Originally Posted by nick demis

DO NOT - DO NOT - DO NOT fall for the suggestion to drive to Hana. All the flight crews recommend it. It is a long winding road with more pot holes per mile than any road in the world. It does have some beautiful scenic views, but the HOURS of travel is torture.
Strongly consider a stop on the way out and back. We stop at Vegas for 1 - 2 nights on the way out and 4 - 5 nights on the way back.
We used to stop in California or Washington, but the conditions there have stopped that.

Since the poster is staying on the Big Island, and Hana is on the island of Maui, I agree that they should avoid the drive to Hana. Over 70 miles driving on the ocean would be brutal, for sure.

[jimh123]

Be nice..one day you might need advice.

[jacRI]

Many years since I went but certainly thought the tour on the road to Hana well worth it. We flew direct from Boston at that time with a stop at O'Hare. Going was not bad. However I would highly recommend a few days on the west coast before you continue your return flight. Jetlag was incredible flying east.

[Rlheinz19@yahoo.com]

We stayed in Kona in August 2019. Because we had my Mom (87 at the time) with us we didn't do much that was very strenuous. We stayed in a condo so we bought groceries and ate a few meals there. We rented a car for the week and drove it all over the island. Volcanoes NP is a must but there were other day drives that we did. We did some snorkeling at a place called two step that we found on Trip Advisor. On the opposite side of the island is the macadamia nut factory. If you like chocolate, the chocolate macadamia nuts are awesome. And they sell a lot of gift boxes for you to take home.

I agree check on Covid requirements. One of my friends has a daughter in college out there and it has been difficult.

Beautiful place. Enjoy!

[Rlheinz19@yahoo.com]

I forgot to add we flew Southwest. They didn't fly from anywhere outside of California so we overnighted in Oakland both ways. It was tiring but not awful.

[bxmt54]

There is a web site called GypsyGuide.com that offers audio tours that work on GPS. We were in Hawaii a couple of years ago and downloaded a guide for each island. They are wonderful! You would have a rent a car but compared to guided bus tours they are priceless and so cheap!

[mrb9999]

When my wife and I took a 2 week long trip to 3 islands including the big island in 2018, most of my planning for the trip was on a website called govisithawaii. They give great advice for things to see and do. They even have a day by day 1 week guide of things to do which you can customize. They also have lots of tips on what to pack and wear while touring the island. That site made our vacation wonderful. I hope you have a great time.

[Mwhitbr1]

If you rent a car, download a phone app called Gypsy Guide. The app uses GPS and gives you turn by turn directions and describes what you are seeing, gives history of the area and suggests sites and restaurants to visit. You go at your own pace and stop to see what interests you.
We used this on Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island. All were great!!
Enjoy!!