The Big Island

Can anyone tell me what the Big Island is like? I was on the internet and the more upscale accomodations looked a lot more reasonable that Maui. Is that so? What are the areas to avoid as in larger volumes of humans and traffic? Are there any all inclusive places?

The Big Island

Not sure what you mean by what is it like...it is paradise. It has deserts, rain forests, snow and an active volcano.

Maui is getting crowded but then it is much smaller than the Big Island. I think most of the traffic is around Kona but even that is not bad when compared to the crowds in Maui.

I am not aware of any all inclusives other than the Kona Village Resort. We have never stayed there as we prefer to get out and about and not spend an entire vacation in one resort.

The Big Island

Hawaii is incredible, as the previous poster said. It offers a little of everything, and more! It would be my first choice to return to, but if it%26#39;s your first trip I would definitely try to squeeze in HNL also, as there are many wonderful sites to visit there also.

You can do a lot of driving. The Hilo side is lush but that is because of the rain. Great places to visit, filmed Lord of the Flies on that side. But, long drives if you are doing day trips.

Kona can be very touristy if your in town.

Volcano is a long drive, often you go at night to see the lava as it%26#39;s mostly steam during the day.

It is a big island. I think it has the best snorkeling of any of the islands. More turtles too.

I need to play golf or tennis to enjoy it more.

i was wondering the same thing about alberta. please tell me all about alberta.

Hi MKL,

I am from Ontario but have been to Alberta several times. The Banff/Canmore area is spectacular. We are not skiers so cannot comment on that, we go in the summer for the hiking. It is unbelievable. The Kananaskis area was our favourite,although it is very hard to pick. We did not make it to any of the other amazing areas such as the icefields. I still have our pictures posted on the ofoto site if you are interested but I would need an e-mail address to send you the link.

If you are interested in any more info, let me know and I will try to answer.

We can%26#39;t comment on all inclusive places, as we prefer B%26amp;B%26#39;s which seem a bit more private, and are generally off the beaten path a bit (the last one we stayed at near Kona was up the mountainside, and the road narrowed to a dirt track--my husband said ';well, we never would have seen this area if you hadn%26#39;t booked this place';--it turned out to be quite fun!). We do, absolutely, love the Big Island, and found only the area around Kona%26#39;s shops and restaurants to be congested and busy--also traffic on the main highway there is a bit stop and go at times, but we are from such a small town in Oregon that everything seems bigger and more congested to us. We loved visiting the Volcanoes National Park, and spent a couple of days there--stayed in a great B%26amp;B near Volcano Village called the Volcano TeaPot Cottage--very romantic, even for us old geezers who have been married 27 years--and also drove up the east side of the Big Island and loved it. Hilo is wet and lush--the waterfalls on that side of the island are lovely. The botanical garden near Hilo is worth a visit. The Saturday market is reported to be exceptional--we have missed it both trips, but did visit a smaller market in Hilo and saw some amazing tropical flowers. We bought The Big Island Revealed guidebook and they recommended some gorgeous drives on old highways--the ocean views from some of those spots were incredible. The snorkeling and swimming is fabulous on the Big Island--you will want to visit the Place of Refuge, and snorkel at the Captain Cook Monument, if that%26#39;s your thing. Drive up north and visit all of the small towns along the way, some have wonderful arts and crafts shops and fun restaurants to try. South Point is worth a visit, as is the black sand beach near there, where green sea turtles hang out. The Big Island is much bigger than any of the other Hawaiian islands, but we found the wide open spaces to be refreshing, and we enjoyed touring the whole island--some people think it%26#39;s too big, but we liked having the elbow room! Have a wonderful trip.

OregonSnorkelers;

Where is Keno, Oregon?

I was raised in Pendleton, lived in Hillsboro for years and spent a lot of time in Bend but I haven%26#39;t a clue where Keno is.

Mauna kea lady;

Alberta is spectacular. It is the reason I have lived there all my life.The rockies and foot hills are breathtaking and there are very few places in the world that can match that. The prairies are rolling with fields of wheat and canola with miles and miles of quiet solitude. Our two big cities, Edmonton and Calgary have lots to offer both unique and different. But I think what I like the most about Alberta and probably a good part of Canada also are the people! We are so ethnically diverse and that just makes our culture so much richer.

Come visit us sometime I know we will make you welcome!

froze, thank you for the kind words and thoughts. hawaii is also ethinically diverse and everyone seems to get along well and respect one another. the Big Island is So big, that parts of it feel like montana/wyoming - cowboy country with cattle and huge open ranges. other parts are primeval with volcanoes, waterfalls, lava flows, and lush tropical foliage. then there%26#39;s mauna kea, the highest mountain in the world - and covered with snow at the top - you can see it from the beaches where it%26#39;s 83 degrees F. there are black sand beaches, and some very upscale resorts, particularly on the sunny south kohala/kona coast. i think prices are comparable to maui - but it all depends on the time of year that you want to visit. but the resorts here have more acerage and space than maui - where all the properties are jammed next to each other. i%26#39;d suggest avoiding the town of kailua-kona as being more crowded and typically touristy. the only inclusive place i know is kona village resort, www.konavillage.com - and it%26#39;s Really wonderful - prices include all meals.

Mauna;

Are you, by chance, a moderator on the forum?

I just noticed your location.