10 day Kona-Kauai Honeymoon

Hi all!

I%26#39;m planning my honeymoon and am elated that we can spend 10 full days in Hawaii! My sister spent a semester at University of Hawaii Hilo so she is all over me going to the Big Island. Since she did it student-style, and we want something a little nicer, I am looking for suggestions!

Where%26#39;s a good spot to stay in/near Kona? We figure we%26#39;ll be based out of Kona for 6 days and since it%26#39;s our first stop on the honeymoon, would like a nice hotel/resort/cottage to stay at. My first wish is for it to be on the beach. After that, we have no preferences, but cheaper is better.

We%26#39;re going to fly over to Kauai for 3 days - which might end up being two days of travel (back %26amp; forth) and one day to spend on Kauai. Is that enough? We want to go to the Na Pali Coast. Any favorite (affordable) lodging suggestions?

Then we plan on returning to Hilo, going to see some of the waterfalls, farmer markets, lagoons. Then we want to fly out of Hilo to return home. Any lodging suggestions in Hilo would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks!

10 day Kona-Kauai Honeymoon

It makes no sense to go to Kauai and than come back to the Big Island. Start with Kona, followed by Hilo and Kauai. The Big Island is not known for its beaches so you might want to save the ';staying on the beach'; for Kauai. Kona Village Resort and the Four Seasons are the ';ultimate'; honeymoon places, followed by the Mauna Lani and the Orchid. Should you prefer to stay in town, the nicest hotel is the Sheraton. I will let the East side LE give you recommendations for Hilo.

10 day Kona-Kauai Honeymoon

Thanks typicallytropical! I didn%26#39;t even think of not returning to Hilo. That%26#39;ll def give us more time in Kauai! Thanks!

to get a even a condo, let alone a hotel on the beach will cost you $500+ a night to $1200

Your choices are Four Seasons ( 1000+) Kona Village (600) Fairmont ( 500) Mauna lani (450), Marriott (350) Kolea condo ( 500)

No hotel has a beach in Kona....got to go up to kohala...30 miles north.

each travel day will use up an entire day.

Hilo is a good idea to miss...it is not set up for visitors....but is for industry and shipping port.

Lagoons in Hilo.....you gotta%26#39; be kidding....its a shipping port with no beach. Your sister has fond memories....that over the years, like flowers, grow in beauty in ones memory. There are plenty of farmers markets everywhere just as good or better.

Thanks hawaiidan!

Travel to and from Hawaii isn%26#39;t included in the 10 days we have to spend, only travel between islands. And, yes, she does have fond memories... I will aim to enjoy the best parts and skip out on anything not worthy of our precious time in paradise.

Would you recommend staying 30+ miles north of Kona just to have beach front access without paying a fortune?

Looks like the trip is shaping up nicely to be split between Kona and (someplace on) Kauai. :)

I for one would indeed recommend staying in S. Kohala, 30 miles north of the town of Kailua-Kona in order to have good beaches at my door or 10-15 minutes away by car. The town, though cute and touristy, is not a destination to fill the days.

If you want to go to Keauhou to catch a boat trip, it%26#39;s under 75 min in the morning from S. Kohala. Other trips are available from the beach at Waikoloa, at Mauna Lani, and at the Hobokohou Harbor, about 30-45 minutes away.

Going to Place of Refuge is another 75-minute trip, with coffee country on the way.

So, you ask, why not subtract 30 minutes from all these trips and stay in Kailua-Kona or at the Sheraton? Well: (1) lots of traffic down there--we mostly keep to north of the airport and have no worries on our vacations now; (2) no good beaches (Sheraton is on water bbut you can%26#39;t go in and hte pool is cold); (3) more crowded with tourists down there, the resorts feel uncrowded compared to town.

That said, if you want low-cost accommodations, want to walk to bars like Hard Rock and Lulus, want lots of low cost eateries, then that IS Kailua-Kona. But be aware the good beaches are not there.