Honeymoon in Hawaii

[SteveinIndy]

My fiancee and I are getting married in August and are going to the Big Island for our honeymoon (23. August through 31. August). Is there anyone on the forums from the Island (or any of Hawaii for that fact) that could point us to good things to do beyond what the normal tourist recommendations are? Any suggestions for activities or just places to go would be highly appreciated. I'm still trying to talk her into taking an air tour of the island but she's a bit hesitant about the helicopter operations out there.

 

[ScottM]

she's a bit hesitant about the helicopter operations out there.

As am I.

If oyu don't get any answers from the natives over there drop me line. I have been to the big Island a few times and can offer things that I have done.

 

[SteveinIndy]

As am I.

If oyu don't get any answers from the natives over there drop me line. I have been to the big Island a few times and can offer things that I have done.

I'm hesitant too, but I didn't want to turn this into a debate on the safety of helicopter ops in Hawaii.

Thank you for the offer of assistance. I'd like to hear what your experiences were even if people who live on the island respond. I figure the more opinions I hear, the better I can plan.

 

[CJones]

We did Maui & Oahu for our honeymoon 3 years ago, but never hit the Big Island. If it's anything like Maui, you want to rent a Jeep (or some other convertible at a minimum) to take in the sights. We 'discovered' a few beaches off of the beaten path that we could only get to with a Jeep.

My one recommendation for Hawaii in general is to not overplan stuff. Just go with the flow and enjoy the laid back lifestyle. On our flight back home, we were talking about WHEN we go back, not IF we go back.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

My fiancee and I are getting married in August and are going to the Big Island for our honeymoon (23. August through 31. August). Is there anyone on the forums from the Island (or any of Hawaii for that fact) that could point us to good things to do beyond what the normal tourist recommendations are? Any suggestions for activities or just places to go would be highly appreciated. I'm still trying to talk her into taking an air tour of the island but she's a bit hesitant about the helicopter operations out there.

Steve: I've gone to Hawaii several times, but not to the big island. They have a wonderful book about each Island that seems appropriate for you to look through to do your homework.
http://www.wizardpub.com/bigisland/bigisland.html

We've real their counterparts to the other islands and they were great! The discuss the places to stay; where to eat and things to do and many are not the main stream tourist stuff. Worth a look. They also had some discounts and gave tips--like what one must reserve early to get in--stuff like that.

Best,

Dave

 

[CJones]

Steve: I've gone to Hawaii several times, but not to the big island. They have a wonderful book about each Island that seems appropriate for you to look through to do your homework.
http://www.wizardpub.com/bigisland/bigisland.html

We've real their counterparts to the other islands and they were great! The discuss the places to stay; where to eat and things to do and many are not the main stream tourist stuff. Worth a look. They also had some discounts and gave tips--like what one must reserve early to get in--stuff like that.

Best,

Dave

I'll second this recommendation! VERY valuable guide to some out-of-the-way spots to check out. DEFINITELY worth a look! We used thier Maui book as well at the Oahu version. I didn't realize they had a Big Island edition or I would have mentioned it in my previous post.

 

[sba55]

Steve -

That book mentioned above is worth it. Unlike most guide books I've read, it's actually more than just a spreadsheet of places to see.

I've been to the Big Island a few times. If you're willing to "ignore" your rental contract, you don't really need 4WD. Even if you get a Jeep, you're technically not allowed to drive it on anything but paved roads anyways. There are some places on the Big Island that rent Jeeps without that restriction, but they're very, very expensive. I rented a regular mid-sized car for $19/day or so and I was able to go everywhere that I wanted to go to. There was some 2WD off-roading involved, but it wasn't bad.

Have you considered renting a plane instead of the heli tour? I just got a DA20 and a CFI and we did some sightseeing. It's got to be as good or better than the heli and, while it is expensive, it's cheaper than the organized tours. And you can fly yourself and go wherever you want. I rented from Tropicbird in Kona and had a great time. Really recommend them; Mike's a great guy.

There's lots of places I really liked. Sometimes, there are surface lava flows that you can get close to. When I was there, the county had set up a pretty elaborate operation near some lava that was flowing into the ocean. It was spectacular.

You'll get a lot of good ideas from reading that book. One of the highlights for me was driving up Mt Kea. If you like organized tours, there are a few to chose from. Very few tourists drive up the mountain themselves, which is too bad because it is a great experience. I took my 2WD Ford all the way up the dirt road to the summit of Mt Kea. How often do you get to drive a car at 14,000' and enjoy a beautiful sunset?

Enjoy!

-Felix

 

[stingray]

Steve,

I went last year and rented a 172 it was the best thing I did there other than the trip down Hanna hwy.

It does not cost that much because you are only renting the plane you do not have to pay for extra passengers. You can go where you like. I just took a CFI along so I did not have to take the check ride. It was like hiring a guide. Things I would have done different; Fly over the volcano and maybe Pearl Harbor. I stayed more over Maui. You can see so much more from the air.

Dan

 

[AuntPeggy]

My fiancee and I are getting married in August and are going to the Big Island for our honeymoon (23. August through 31. August). Is there anyone on the forums from the Island (or any of Hawaii for that fact) that could point us to good things to do beyond what the normal tourist recommendations are? Any suggestions for activities or just places to go would be highly appreciated. I'm still trying to talk her into taking an air tour of the island but she's a bit hesitant about the helicopter operations out there.

Here is a very long saga of our only visit to the Islands. While not a honeymoon, we are still enough in love to really enjoy the romance. You have made an excellent choice. You really should get a flight, though.
http://mcmath.home.att.net/Hawaii06/

 

[SteveinIndy]

I've been to the Big Island a few times. If you're willing to "ignore" your rental contract, you don't really need 4WD. Even if you get a Jeep, you're technically not allowed to drive it on anything but paved roads anyways. There are some places on the Big Island that rent Jeeps without that restriction, but they're very, very expensive. I rented a regular mid-sized car for $19/day or so and I was able to go everywhere that I wanted to go to. There was some 2WD off-roading involved, but it wasn't bad.

Duly noted.

Have you considered renting a plane instead of the heli tour? I just got a DA20 and a CFI and we did some sightseeing. It's got to be as good or better than the heli and, while it is expensive, it's cheaper than the organized tours. And you can fly yourself and go wherever you want. I rented from Tropicbird in Kona and had a great time. Really recommend them; Mike's a great guy.

I won't have my PPL by the time we go. I had to choose between finishing my flight training and paying for the wedding (unless we get my fiancee's grandmother to pay for it, which might still happen) and it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out the decision was basically made for me! LOL

You'll get a lot of good ideas from reading that book. One of the highlights for me was driving up Mt Kea. If you like organized tours, there are a few to chose from. Very few tourists drive up the mountain themselves, which is too bad because it is a great experience. I took my 2WD Ford all the way up the dirt road to the summit of Mt Kea. How often do you get to drive a car at 14,000' and enjoy a beautiful sunset?

That's on our list of things to do. I have no problem with driving up mountains as I've driven up Kitt Peak in Arizona twice previously so switchbacks, etc are not a problem.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I won't have my PPL by the time we go.

Note the recommendation to take a CFI even if you did - You don't need to even be a student pilot to rent a plane with a CFI and take your wife along.

I wasn't a pilot when I was there, so I drove around the island, which you might want to do anyway. Ka Lae (South Point) was interesting... It'd be a great place to fly a kite! Heck, you could probably tie a rope to a fixed point on the ground and launch a glider!

The whole "no beaches on the big island" thing is a total lie. There were plenty of 'em, but they only happen every couple of miles instead of being continuous! Take snorkels/goggles or rent them. The snorkeling there was great - My favorite thing to do was find a sea turtle and follow them around - They're really neat to watch in person, and they swim at the perfect pace that keeps you going, but doesn't make you tired. You could do SCUBA as well, but remember the limitations on flying after scuba!

Definitely check out Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Seeing volcanoes, sea turtles, etc. in person instead of on the Discovery Channel was definitely very cool.

I'd do the Jeep rental thing next time, and go camping in the Waipi'o Valley.

I need to find my pictures (back from the good ol' days of film! 1997) and scan them in.

 

[ScottM]

I'm hesitant too, but I didn't want to turn this into a debate on the safety of helicopter ops in Hawaii.

Thank you for the offer of assistance. I'd like to hear what your experiences were even if people who live on the island respond. I figure the more opinions I hear, the better I can plan.

The Big Island is like two places. The Kona side is dry and hot. Very nice to stay at as the ocean is somewhat shaded form the big waves. I have been to Kona 4 times now and love it more than any other island. I spent 4 week on Kaui on one trip, having been to that island 4 times, Maui I have been to at least 5 times.

Hotel wise on the Kona side I have stayed an the Mauna Loa, SWEET!!! The Hilton twice and an Outrigger. The Hilton is really big and you have to use trains and boats to move around the resort. The spa there is not all that nice compared to other places I have been in Hawaii and the rooms are average for a 4-star. The Mauna Loa is real ritzy. When I was checking in Steve Speilberg was checking out. It is a place that caters to rich and famous. Drew Barrymore is often there in the bungalows. Those go for 5k/night.

Ok but onto stuff to do.

Off the coast you head up to Waimea. That is up on the mountain. Nice little city good cafes some nice eateries with some good wines. It is a good staging point to head up to the observatory at Mauna Kea. I have never made it up that high mostly because of time and nitrogen (I am a scuba diver).

Along the Kona coast it is the beach, fishing, scuba, snorkeling, sun. The town of Kona has lots of little shops and restaurant but it is touristy.

The other part of the Big Island is Hilo. That side is rainy and colder than Kona. Lots of flowers and rain forests to see. Taking the saddle road (all paved) is a great way to see Kona to Waimea to Hilo. Then drive east and head to the Volcanoes National Park. Well worth the visit.

Some other things to do, rent bikes and ride. You can ride the same roads as the Ironmen do. The roads are real good for bikes too.

If you do scuba I recommend Dive Makai. Great boat and really good eco-friendly divemasters. I do not recommend Jack's Diving Locker. He runs cattle boats and has DMs that like to pull and grab the critters to show them off to the tourists. Also if you are a diver, a night dive with the Manta rays is a MUST!!

Roads on the Big Island are very good and not like Kaui where one does need 4-wheel drive. Nor are they like the road to Hana or the road FROM Hana for those that decided to press on forward. Sometimes the pavement is bumpy but nothing a regular car cannot handle.

 

[SteveinIndy]

BTW, we are staying at a bed and breakfast just south of Kona. I appreciate everyone sharing their advice and experiences here and in the chat room.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Taking the saddle road (all paved) is a great way to see Kona to Waimea to Hilo.

When we were there, all of the rental-car contracts forbade driving the saddle road, and if you got stuck up there, it was $600 to come get you out. So we didn't go that way. Was the paving recent (ie last 10 years or so)?

 

[sba55]

When we were there, all of the rental-car contracts forbade driving the saddle road, and if you got stuck up there, it was $600 to come get you out. So we didn't go that way. Was the paving recent (ie last 10 years or so)?

No, in fact, the road has always been paved since it was built in 1942. While it is now in significantly better shape than it was back then, it was never truly dangerous and there was certainly never any danger of getting stuck in a 2WD vehicle. In Hawaii, misinforming tourists is a tradition. This is one example, many of the "private property" signs are another.

I'm still disappointed that I didn't get to see the old LORAN station there. My 2WD made it there despite the pretty severe off-road conditions, but then I encountered some scary government signs and barbed wire

-Felix