Proposed Itinerary, Kona + Cruise, any suggestions?

[penngater]

Hi Everyone,

 

DH and I will be taking our first trip to Hawaii at the end of May and we really hope to see as much as we can and still not over do it...We are splurging on this trip since we know we might not be back for a really long time! Below is what we were thinking but ANY input would be GREATLY appreciated! Like I said we don't want to miss seeing too much, but don't want to try to get too much in and just be exhausted. DH is 30 and I am 28... THANKS!!!!

 

Mon- Arrive in Kona for my conference... staying at the Sheraton Keahou Bay Resort & Spa, a large part of my days will be filled by meetings but would love some options for DH to do, we are going one night to the hotel's Luau... Any other suggestions that are near by????

 

Saturday - Fly to Honolulu and board Pride of America

 

Sunday-Monday, Maui (Kahului)

Day 1- Rental Car... but still undecided what to do next?

Debating the Road to Hana

Day 2 -any shuttles to shopping?

 

Tuesday- Hilo

Rental Car

Tropical Helicopter- Feel the Heat Helicopter Ride

Spend the rest of the day driving around Volcano National Park:

Going around VNP clockwise, correct?

 

 

Wednesday- Kona

Robert's/Zodiac Rafting

 

 

Thursday, Friday - Kauai

Day 1- Rental Car

Probably Air Ventures plane trip

 

Day 2- Probably just taking shuttles out for shopping

 

Saturday- Honolulu

Leave Ship :(

Rental Car

Return flight is not until 10 pm, so would like to do Pearl Harbor and see what other options we have there

[PDAZ]

Maui -- Road to Hana is lovely! I'm personally glad that I took a tour rather than drive it on my own, but you'll get a lot of people here saying the opposite -- whatever works for you.

 

Yes, there are shopping shuttles at the port in Kahului, but if it were me, I'd go to Lahaina. I don't remember any shuttles to Lahaina -- there is a "Lahaina on your own" tour I think.

 

VNP -- we went counter-clockwise around the crater -- maybe we did it wrong!

 

Kauai -- yes, there are shuttles to Walmart and Hilo Hatties (right next to each other -- take either shuttle) and to Kmart (which is located at a mall/shopping plaza). You're also walking distance to a nice beach.

[DonahCBrown]

Hi Everyone,

 

DH and I will be taking our first trip to Hawaii at the end of May and we really hope to see as much as we can and still not over do it...We are splurging on this trip since we know we might not be back for a really long time! Below is what we were thinking but ANY input would be GREATLY appreciated! Like I said we don't want to miss seeing too much, but don't want to try to get too much in and just be exhausted. DH is 30 and I am 28... THANKS!!!!

 

Mon- Arrive in Kona for my conference... staying at the Sheraton Keahou Bay Resort & Spa, a large part of my days will be filled by meetings but would love some options for DH to do, we are going one night to the hotel's Luau... Any other suggestions that are near by????

 

If he golfs, there are courses very close by, or, the Fairwinds snorkel cruise is within walking distance at the dock at Keahou Bay. If you have a car, he could also do a deep sea fishing boat in the morning while you are busy.

 

Saturday - Fly to Honolulu and board Pride of America

 

Sunday-Monday, Maui (Kahului)

Day 1- Rental Car... but still undecided what to do next?

Debating the Road to Hana

Day 2 -any shuttles to shopping?

 

Road to Hana is pretty traditional, but is a long and fairly tough drive. Other possibles are Iao Valley, the top of Haleakala, again, lots of golf, and snorkeling at Molokini Crater.

 

Tuesday- Hilo

Rental Car

Tropical Helicopter- Feel the Heat Helicopter Ride

Spend the rest of the day driving around Volcano National Park:

Going around VNP clockwise, correct?

 

Keep an eye on the current activity level at the summit - lots of the road is presently closed.

 

Wednesday- Kona

Robert's/Zodiac Rafting

 

 

Thursday, Friday - Kauai

Day 1- Rental Car

Probably Air Ventures plane trip

 

Day 2- Probably just taking shuttles out for shopping

 

Saturday- Honolulu

Leave Ship :(

Rental Car

Return flight is not until 10 pm, so would like to do Pearl Harbor and see what other options we have there

 

Also Punchbowl and Arizona Memorial.

[milolii]

Aloha penngater

 

You will love Kona!

 

Check out konaweb.com, gohawaii.com, lots of good information.

 

Agree with MichelleP about Fairwind and Hula Kai, outstanding excrusions!

 

You might want to check out Maunakea.com for an evening trip to the summit of Mauna Kea, to see the rings of Saturn.

 

The Shearton has a nice pool area, too.

[penngater]

thank you everyone for the suggestions!

[beachchick]

Aloha penngater

 

You will love Kona!

 

Check out konaweb.com, gohawaii.com, lots of good information.

 

Agree with MichelleP about Fairwind and Hula Kai, outstanding excrusions!

 

You might want to check out Maunakea.com for an evening trip to the summit of Mauna Kea, to see the rings of Saturn.

 

The Shearton has a nice pool area, too.

 

I just want to clarify that the Mauna Kea trip mentioned has sunset at the summit, but stargazing is at the 9,000 ft Visitors Center. No one is allowed to stay at the summit for the evening except the astronomers and support staff. As any FYI, the University of Hawaii has stargazing at the Visitors Center with their very cool "portable" telescopes (as opposed to their telescope on the summit) every clear night of the year (about 310 to 320). Their viewing is open to the public. You'd still need to rent a car to get there, and if you want to go to the actual summit, you must rent a 4-w/d (Harper's is the only company that allows their 4-w/d vehicles to go to the summit). The stretch between the Visitor's Center and the summit is sort of graded gravel and dirt, and not at all appropriate for 2-w/d (not to mention not safe for them). As well, the astronomers and staff rely on the road and 2-w/d cars really damage it (ruts, wrecking the grading, etc.)

 

Anyway, Mauna Kea is fantastic and well worth the effort (no matter how you get there). Remember that the summit is almost 14,000 ft. You must acclimate at the Visitors Center and be extremely careful if you do go to the summit. Even healthy people can be subject to altitude sickness. (Pregnant women, children under 14 or so, and those with breathing problems are not allowed at the summit.)

 

The excursion listed is one of many. It sounds like a good one, although we haven't done any of the commercial ones and drove up ourselves in a Harper's 4-w/d. Even though they kind of make it seem like they stay at the summit for the evening, they don't. However, the stargazing at the 9,000 level is really excellent.

 

beachchick