Where to stay on the Big Island of Hawaii
Knowing where to stay on the Big Island is important. The island is so big (twice as large as the other islands combined) and diverse, many visitors often have no idea which side of the island, if not both, to stay on. The island offers a variety of choices in different locations, which can make the selection process even more challenging. We've often found ourselves in the same predicament... Do we stay in Hilo? Hilo and Kailua-Kona? Maybe a night or two in the Inns in Volcano since it's so close to the park? OK, let's talk about strategies now, and where the best locations to stay are on the island.
First, if you're coming to the Big Island, you'll want to make sure you allocate enough time to actually see the entire island. A week might cut it on Kauai, Maui, or Oahu, but the Big Island is, well, Big! It's going to take considerably more time to see all of the attractions here, and it'll take longer to get to each of them than on the smaller islands. We suggest one week minimum, and two or three weeks are preferable, which some folks may call overkill, but we don't think so. We like to take our time visiting each attraction, and stay on BOTH sides of the island during the long trips we take here.
Second, plan to divide your time between the two major halves of the island; Kailua-Kona on the west side and Hilo (or Volcano) on the east side. If you only have given yourself a week to visit the island, then four nights in Hilo and three in Kailua-Kona will suffice; use that same ration for longer visits. The main reason you'll want to stay on the Hilo side, whether in downtown Hilo or in the beautiful Volcano area, is because of its proximity to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The park is so large it takes about two days to explore, especially if there is any lava activity in the park worth seeing. The rangers at the visitor center can tell you all about what's happening in the park (you may even want to call ahead so you'll know in advance). If you plan to drive up to the summit of Mauna Kea, then Hilo is the best side to start your journey along Saddle Road from; not to mention the only legal way since most car rental companies prohibit the Saddle Road on the Kona side (if you saw the condition of the road you could guess why). Additionally, many of the north (Hamakua) sites and Puna attractions are best visited from Hilo. On the Kailua-Kona side, you'll have more time to explore the sights, beaches, historic and cultural locations, and attractions that exist on that side of the island, including day trips up to Pololu and Waipio Valleys. Depending on your interests in that list, you may want to give yourself more time in Kailua-Kona or Hilo, it's really up to you. But we still like the four to three ratio for Hilo and Kona respectively. Knowing when to visit the Big Island of Hawaii is also important.
Here's some tips on making this division work in your best interest... plus it'll save you some driving time.
1.) Fly into one of the major airports at either Kailua-Kona (KOA) or Hilo (ITO) and depart from the other. This may mean a slight fee for turning in your car on the opposite side of the island than where you rented it, but it's negligible considering gas prices on the island.
2.) We always fly into Kailua-Kona to start our trip, visit everything we want to see on that side of the island, and then we drive over to Hilo. However, if the volcano is doing something special (another reason to call the Park in advance) then it's worth staying on the Hilo side first so you can explore the park the first or second day/night of your visit. The park is open 24/7 and visiting at night gives you a chance to see the lava (if applicable during the time of your visit) glowing from either near or afar. The volcano is very unpredictable unfortunately, so if it's doing something at the start of your trip, make sure you go see it as soon as possible, because that same activity could end tomorrow.
3.) When driving from one side of the island to the other, always try and take the northern (Hamakua) coast route. It's safer and the speed limit is higher. There are also more attractions on that stretch of the island than if you were to take the southern route. We're not suggesting you never make the southern route drive, as it's also quite scenic, but only do so when the weather is good and preferably early in the day since fog and other weather conditions can make the drive hazardous later in the day. The drive from Kailua-Kona to Hilo is more scenic than driving from Hilo to Kailua-Kona when taking the south route.
4.) Avoid Waimea town and Kailua-Kona (especially north of town) during rush hour, traffic will slow to a crawl and can be very frustrating when trying to reach your destination.
When we're on the Hilo side we either like to stay in a small hotel in town, or preferably in one of the lodges or Inns near Volcano. We love the Volcano area not only because of it's proximity to the park, but because of the lush scenery. Both Hilo and the Volcano area are similar when it comes to weather, and both are lush and green for a reason - it does rain here a good bit. Be sure to read our Big Island of Hawaii weather article for more information. The contrast between this side of the island and the Kailua-Kona side is incredible. Stark and barren lava fields on one side and lush and verdant rainforest on the other. You surely have to appreciate that kind of diversity on an island!
When we're staying on the Kailua-Kona side we again prefer to personally stay in a small Inn or B&B, though there is an incredible assortment of accommodations available on this side of the island. Stretching from the Gold Kohala coast north of Kailua-Kona town to the areas south of Kailua-Kona town you'll find everything from multi-million dollars resorts to economic condominium rentals. Do your homework on sites like TripAdvisor.com before selecting your accommodations. One major benefit to staying closer to Kohala (or mauka [inland] on the flanks of Hualalai) is that you can avoid the volcanic smog that sometimes drifts around the island, especially during muggy Kona weather. Locals call this pollution from the volcano VOG and it's not something you'll want to experience if you can help it.
Now let's take a look what at the highlights (
) and detractions (
) are for each of the areas we noted above. We've ordered them vaguely from most to least popular, but this list could be ordered many different ways honestly depending on your preferences.
Kohala (Gold) Coast (including Waikaloa and south Kohala)
Vast variety of up-scale resorts available.
Great beaches available over much of the coastline.
Abundance of shopping and restaurants available.
No real budget accommodations available.
Much of the area is in a lava field, not especially scenic.
Kailua-Kona (including Kailua-Kona and nearby areas)
A wide variety of accommodations available, including budget accommodations.
Great assortment of beaches available just north of Kailua-Kona
Several historic sites in the area for history buffs
Great location to base from for west side attractions
Abundance of shopping and restaurants available.
Can be quite touristy in most places.
Can be very crowded in parts of Kailua-Kona town
Traffic can be horrible from 3pm-6pm north of town
May experience VOG (volcanic smog) at times
Hilo Town (including Hilo and nearby areas)
Great proximity to Hamakua and Hilo attractions
Good place to base from for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Decent selection of shops and/or markets available.
Very good access to Saddle Road and Mauna Kea attractions.
Lack of beaches.
Limited accommodations are available.
General area not as hospitable to visitors.
Can be quite wet in this area, especially at night.
Volcano Town
Great proximity to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Very lush jungle scenery
Can be quite wet in this area
Geographically isolated from most other attractions
Hamakua Coast (including all places on north shore)
Good proximity to many sights on the island (except Kailua-Kona).
Can be very wet over much of the north coast.
Lack of major accommodations.
Puna (including Kea`au and Pahoa)
Good proximity to Hilo and HVNP.
Very lush scenery.
Not hospital to most visitors.
Lack of major accommodations.
Very wet area.
North Kohala (including Hawi and Kapa`au)
Good proximity to many sights on the island (except HVNP and South attractions).
Good variety of shops and art stores.
Can be fairly wet in places.
Lack of major accommodations.
South (Kau) (including Punalu`u)
Proximity to South Point and Punalu`u Beach
Poor proximity to much of the island's attractions
Lack of major accommodations.
Waimea Town
Great proximity to many sights on the island (except HVNP).
Decent selection of shops.
Traffic can be very bad at times, especially during rush hour.
Lack of major accommodations.
Hopefully you now have a good idea of what's available on the Big Island of Hawaii, and can plan your vacation or trip accordingly. There are a lot of choices, but now knowing the ration of time to spend on either side of the island and which routes to take should hopefully clarify your options. Best of luck as you finalize your plans to the place of incredible diversity that is the Big Island of Hawaii.
Here's some tips on making this division work in your best interest... plus it'll save you some driving time.
1.) Fly into one of the major airports at either Kailua-Kona (KOA) or Hilo (ITO) and depart from the other. This may mean a slight fee for turning in your car on the opposite side of the island than where you rented it, but it's negligible considering gas prices on the island.
2.) We always fly into Kailua-Kona to start our trip, visit everything we want to see on that side of the island, and then we drive over to Hilo. However, if the volcano is doing something special (another reason to call the Park in advance) then it's worth staying on the Hilo side first so you can explore the park the first or second day/night of your visit. The park is open 24/7 and visiting at night gives you a chance to see the lava (if applicable during the time of your visit) glowing from either near or afar. The volcano is very unpredictable unfortunately, so if it's doing something at the start of your trip, make sure you go see it as soon as possible, because that same activity could end tomorrow.
3.) When driving from one side of the island to the other, always try and take the northern (Hamakua) coast route. It's safer and the speed limit is higher. There are also more attractions on that stretch of the island than if you were to take the southern route. We're not suggesting you never make the southern route drive, as it's also quite scenic, but only do so when the weather is good and preferably early in the day since fog and other weather conditions can make the drive hazardous later in the day. The drive from Kailua-Kona to Hilo is more scenic than driving from Hilo to Kailua-Kona when taking the south route.
4.) Avoid Waimea town and Kailua-Kona (especially north of town) during rush hour, traffic will slow to a crawl and can be very frustrating when trying to reach your destination.
When we're on the Hilo side we either like to stay in a small hotel in town, or preferably in one of the lodges or Inns near Volcano. We love the Volcano area not only because of it's proximity to the park, but because of the lush scenery. Both Hilo and the Volcano area are similar when it comes to weather, and both are lush and green for a reason - it does rain here a good bit. Be sure to read our Big Island of Hawaii weather article for more information. The contrast between this side of the island and the Kailua-Kona side is incredible. Stark and barren lava fields on one side and lush and verdant rainforest on the other. You surely have to appreciate that kind of diversity on an island!
When we're staying on the Kailua-Kona side we again prefer to personally stay in a small Inn or B&B, though there is an incredible assortment of accommodations available on this side of the island. Stretching from the Gold Kohala coast north of Kailua-Kona town to the areas south of Kailua-Kona town you'll find everything from multi-million dollars resorts to economic condominium rentals. Do your homework on sites like TripAdvisor.com before selecting your accommodations. One major benefit to staying closer to Kohala (or mauka [inland] on the flanks of Hualalai) is that you can avoid the volcanic smog that sometimes drifts around the island, especially during muggy Kona weather. Locals call this pollution from the volcano VOG and it's not something you'll want to experience if you can help it.
Now let's take a look what at the highlights (
) and detractions () are for each of the areas we noted above. We've ordered them vaguely from most to least popular, but this list could be ordered many different ways honestly depending on your preferences.Kohala (Gold) Coast (including Waikaloa and south Kohala)
Vast variety of up-scale resorts available. Great beaches available over much of the coastline. Abundance of shopping and restaurants available. No real budget accommodations available. Much of the area is in a lava field, not especially scenic.Kailua-Kona (including Kailua-Kona and nearby areas)
A wide variety of accommodations available, including budget accommodations. Great assortment of beaches available just north of Kailua-Kona Several historic sites in the area for history buffs Great location to base from for west side attractions Abundance of shopping and restaurants available. Can be quite touristy in most places. Can be very crowded in parts of Kailua-Kona townTraffic can be horrible from 3pm-6pm north of townMay experience VOG (volcanic smog) at timesHilo Town (including Hilo and nearby areas)
Great proximity to Hamakua and Hilo attractions Good place to base from for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Decent selection of shops and/or markets available. Very good access to Saddle Road and Mauna Kea attractions. Lack of beaches. Limited accommodations are available. General area not as hospitable to visitors. Can be quite wet in this area, especially at night.Volcano Town
Great proximity to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Very lush jungle scenery Can be quite wet in this area Geographically isolated from most other attractionsHamakua Coast (including all places on north shore)
Good proximity to many sights on the island (except Kailua-Kona). Can be very wet over much of the north coast. Lack of major accommodations.Puna (including Kea`au and Pahoa)
Good proximity to Hilo and HVNP. Very lush scenery. Not hospital to most visitors. Lack of major accommodations. Very wet area.North Kohala (including Hawi and Kapa`au)
Good proximity to many sights on the island (except HVNP and South attractions). Good variety of shops and art stores. Can be fairly wet in places. Lack of major accommodations.South (Kau) (including Punalu`u)
Proximity to South Point and Punalu`u Beach Poor proximity to much of the island's attractions Lack of major accommodations.Waimea Town
Great proximity to many sights on the island (except HVNP). Decent selection of shops. Traffic can be very bad at times, especially during rush hour. Lack of major accommodations.Hopefully you now have a good idea of what's available on the Big Island of Hawaii, and can plan your vacation or trip accordingly. There are a lot of choices, but now knowing the ration of time to spend on either side of the island and which routes to take should hopefully clarify your options. Best of luck as you finalize your plans to the place of incredible diversity that is the Big Island of Hawaii.
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