Realistic Timetable for Ports?

[comfixit]

I am on the POAM 12/17/05 sailing. Stopping in Hilo, Maui, Kona, Kauai. I wanted to ask for help with my itinerary. I have a rental car from Thrifty reserved for each day of the trip. I have sloshed together a bunch of ideas of what me and my family might want to do, but I have no clue what the best order to do them is and if the time table is realistic. Please advice.

 

Hilo 8AM - 7PM

VNP (Chain of Craters, Thurston Lava Tube)

Lunch in Hilo

Rainbow Falls

Akaka Falls

 

 

I think Hilo is in the right order, but just need to know if were going to be comfortable with the timeline. We eat early, so realisticly we would probably have a 5:30 or 6PM reservation to eat. So we would need to have dropped off the car and be back on the ship.

 

 

 

Maui(2 days) 8AM – Overnight - 6PM

Road to Hana

Iao Valley

Ka'anapali Beach (Snorkeling)

Lahaina

Ho'okipa Beach Park (Watch Surfers)

Reefdancer (Glass Bottom Boat)

 

 

I have two days here, have absolutely no clue what order/days to do the activities in a way that makes sense. Not sure where the Reefdancer takes off from, but probably want to group that activity with something else that will be near by.

 

 

 

Kona 7AM – 6PM

Kahalu'u Beach (Snorkeling)

Ideas?

 

 

We are tendering in Kona and have a car rental. The last tender back to the ship is at 5PM (or so they say). I might be tempted to come back earlier for the Chocoholic Buffet if the activities are light on that side of the island. I need more reccomendations for good stuff to do on that side of the island. Shopping perhaps? Can someone advise me of ideas that could get me back on the boat by 3PM and alternative that might have me busy and leaving on the 5PM tender.(always good to have options)

 

 

 

Kauai(2 days) 8AM – Overnight – 2PM

 

Waimea Canyon

Wailua Falls

Shipwreck Beach (Snorkeling?)

Poipu Village

Spouting Horn

Kipu Falls

 

 

This is a wish list of things I would like to accomplish in Kauai. Once again have a rental car reserved and no clue what order/days to do things on and if it is feasable. Is the Snorkeling good on Shipwreck Beach? For Kipu Falls my father has a bad arm and its not a good thing for him to fall on it. Is the footing at Kipu Falls difficult or is it something that can be saftely traversed if done in a methodical manner?

 

 

Thanks for the help.

[mcteems]

Our day in Hilo said 7pm on our itinerary, but it ended up leaving at 6pm. They told us to be back on the boat at 5:30pm. They want you back on the boat 30 minutes before the ship leaves at each port.

 

In Hilo, you should definitely go to the VNP. If you choose to go down Chain of Craters Road, it will make your stay in the park longer. Check out the steam vents if you have time. I don't know that you will be able to do the VNP, get lunch, and see both falls. You may have to cut out one of the falls out, or both. It will depend on how fast your family coordinates things. The park is by far the best thing on your list.

 

In Maui, you should be able to do everything on your list. You will have two days there.

 

In Kona, DEFINITELY go to Kahulu'u Beach to snorkel. It is great. I could have spent several entire days there. When you are in the pier area, get some shave ice. We went to Scandinavian Shave Ice. It was superb! Get the ice cream in the middle. Service is odd, but the treat will help you make a fond memory of Kona.

 

In Kauai, you seem to have alot planned. But I think you get almost two days there. Waimea Canyon could be an entire day itself. Wailua Falls is pretty close to the port. That is the northern most place on your list. Go there first. The Poipu area is easy to navigate. Shipwreck Beach can be difficult to find though. It is not marked. It is the last street before Poipu Road turns into gravel. I don't think you can snorkel there. It is more of a swimming/laying around in the sun beach. The coolest thing about that beach is the nearby lithified cliffs. When you walk up to the beach, the short hike is to your left. You walk up a short trail through a small thicket. Then, you emerge out into the open air. It is a long way down to the sea floor. You can watch the Pacific Ocean pound the rocks below. Check it out if you have the time. Spouting Horn is nice, and easy to access. As far as Kipu Falls, it is a great place to picnic. You can swim if you want to. The hike is short, but it can be muddy and slick. We managed ok. You will just need to take your time getting there. Oh, and wear old shoes.

[cujosmom]

Just back from Hawaii Nov 6-20 on the Infinity.

 

Hilo - Just do Volcanos Park and if you've got lots of time left over then consider the falls. Rainbow Falls is real close to town and the pier but we were not impressed with Rainbow Falls at all. Akaka Falls is further away and a little better but I wouldn't cut my day short at the volcano just to see the falls.

 

Maui - We snorkeled next to the black rock by the Sheraton at Kaanapali Beach. It was OK there but snorkeling not as good as at Kona. Love Kaanapali Beach, though.

 

Kona - We rented our car from Dollar at the King Kahmeamea Hotel next to tender dock. Very convenient location since you don't have to waste time going to/from airport. A little more expensive than airport location, though. If Kahulu'u Beach is the place right next to the Place of Refuge, yes, the snorkeling is excellent there. Saw tons and tons of fish and the water was clear and not as rough as at Maui. The Place of Refuge is interesting, too. We parked our car at POR parking lot ($5) and walked over to snorkeling area....short walk. The Painted Church is interesting and I'd recommend seeing that, too. It's not out of your way.

[comfixit]

Thanks for the comments so far. Anything additional that comes to mind, as far as ideas, order etc... please post.

[beachchick]

I must agree with cujosmom about your Hilo day. If you try to do VNP in that time frame you are, IMO, wasting your time. Figure that you get the rental car and are on the road by 9 am (maybe a little earlier). It's 45 minutes or so to the VNP entrance. With the Visitor's Center, museum, Volcano House, and Crater Rim Drive, plus stops you are looking at a minimum of 2 hours. Add Chain of Craters and a stop down by the lava fields (even if you don't go walking), and it's another 1-1/2 hours.

 

If you get to VNP around 9:45 am, you need to plan 3-1/2 hours (and that's a minimum if you include Chain of Craters). You won't get back to Hilo until at least 1:30 pm. And again, that's if you spend time checking your watch.

 

In my opinion (and I stress this is my opinion), you are seriously short-changing yourself and the wonder of VNP if you try to cram it all into a short morning. Sure, you'll be able to say you went there, but you will have missed the awesome, mystical, and spiritual aspects of it. It would be like going to Paris, rushing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and then leaving to go home.

 

Again, I agree with cujosmom about taking your time with VNP and then deciding what to do with any day left over once you get back to Hilo. There are other spectacular waterfalls on the islands; there is only one VNP. DH and I have been to Hawaii numerous times, but did VNP for the first time last summer. We stayed at Volcano House for 3 days, and I feel we barely scratched the surface of the area. (Granted, one entire day was going to the summit of Mauna Kea. Even so, two full days at the volcanoes wasn't enough.)

 

As for snorkeling, Kealakekua Bay snorkel excursions are, of course, excellent. Place of Refuge (Honaunau) and Kahulu'u are very good for on your own stops. Black Rock is very good, but as with all snorkeling, it depends on the seas and the weather. We've been on the islands during and right after storms, when virtually all snorkeling is not that great. And we've been when conditions are perfect, and had the most amazing adventures. Words of advice: Go in the morning. The winds and waves kick up in the afternoon throughout the islands, so mornings are almost always best.

 

The Road to Hana is pretty much a day unto itself. You could easily do it and Iao Valley the same day (do Hana first, and Iao if time permits). Do keep in mind that the Road to Hana is the main thing--not Hana itself. Allow plenty of time, leave as early as you can in the morning (by 9 am and preferably earlier), and remember that whomever drives will be exhausted at the end of the day (and thus need much liquid sustenance in the evening). Lahaina and all westside activities should be in the same day. If you are avid snorkelers, you could also drive up to Honolua Bay/Slaughterhouse, which is a marine preserve with excellent snorkeling (no facilities though). Normally, I'd suggest Ke'e Beach on Kauai for snorkeling, but winter weather on the north shore is very iffy (as in often dangerous), so Poipu or other south or west spots would be better.

 

Plan to do Waimea Canyon in the morning. It's usually (I stress usually) clearer than later in the day. Well worth the time and effort. Spouting Horn is great fun in the winter (especially if the seas are high).

 

Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask us. Some of us just LOVE to talk about Hawaii, even if we are mainland haoles who only visit as often as possible.

 

beachchick

[comfixit]

Once again thanks for all the replys. Beachchick lots of good info.

 

Seems like it may be prudent to plan on spending more time in VNP. If thats the case do they have places to eat at?

 

What about the Kona side of the island. I tender there. Got a much tighter schedual and in fact may be willing to make it a half day and get back to the boat by 3 so I can catch the chocoholic buffet and then spend the rest of the day relaxing. What types of things do you reccomend if I am tendered on the Kona side of the island?

 

Thanks for all the great info.

[beachchick]

I'm glad I could help. For food at/near VNP, you do have limited choices. Volcano House has both a restaurant and little "cafeteria." Both overlook the crater so you view while you eat. However, tour buses stop for lunch there most days. Right around lunchtime is a zoo. Early or late lunch would be better. You can also drive over to the little community of Volcano. There are a couple of fun little places there for lunch. You could also stop in Hilo and pick up sandwiches and such for lunch to just take on the road with you.

 

With your time table in Kona (and the fact that you have to tender), you could consider a morning K-Bay snorkel excursion. Or you could do a rental car and drive to Kahalu'u and do some coffee farms. You might have time to drive down to South Point as well. As an alternative, you could drive up the Kohala coast and take in some of the beaches up there. I believe there has been a recent thread about "what to do on the Kohala coast" or something similar. It had some excellent info on beaches up that way.

 

It would definitely be a short day if you want to get back to the ship about 3, but should still give you time to enjoy part of the Kona area. Our favorite activities on the Kona side are beaching, snorkeling, and coffee farm touring.

 

beachchick

[Middleager]

A lot of good advise already, but to throw in my 2 cents.

 

In Maui, the road to Hana drive, and back, is a whole day by itself. It'll be unlikely to also do the Iao Valley in the same day. You want to enjoy the many stops along the way, and the beautiful scenery in the twisty road to Hana. We had 6 people so we were in a van (I drove). A convertable give a much better view. Consider driving full circle, which is what we did. The scenery on the south side is quite different.

 

Kona has the best snorkeling in all of Hawaii island, especially south Kona. Just to be sure, Kahuluu is different than the Place of Refuge. Kahuluu is 5 mi. south of the piere and the Kaleakekua Bay (with Capt. Cook's Monument) and Place of Refuge are quite a bit further south. K-Bay is supposed to have the best snorkeling. For the Kahuluu beach, you could take shuttles from the pier. To go to the K-Bay of Place of Refuge you'll need to rent a car. Dollars at King K hotel is convenient, but they close at 4pm and no drop-off. An alternative is Enterprise which is in town. Others are at the airport and you'll spend 20 min. just riding the shuttle to get there, so either rent from Dollars or Enterprise.

 

But in Kona, you could consider doing a coffee farm tour. There are several farms that give "full" tours. If you drink coffee or like to buy gifts, you can get freshly roasted, world famous Kona coffee there. We arranged with smithfarm.com to buy about 15 lbs from them, and they met us by the pier. Their coffee is good.

 

Since you'll be there in Dec., can also consider going on a whale/dolphin watching trip, perhaps adding deep sea fishing, in Kona.

 

Finally, in Kauai, I strongly encourage a helicopter tour. You'll see the stunning Napali coast, and yes Waimea Canyon. Everyone who's been on a Kauai copter tour, just loved it. My wife took about 150 pictures (remember to fully charge your camera every night and bring extra memory chips) in the 55 min. tour. Try to to the heli tour the first morning, to give you an overall look of the island. You didn't mention driving north. If you do the heli tour, then instead of driving to Waimea Canyon, could consider going north to Hanelei, Ke'e Beach, etc. which are also very beautiful.

[Suebee]

Good replies Beachchick....I agree....as for food, you can always take a picnic lunch from one of the many places in Hilo. Then you can eat when youre hungry and not worry about crowds. Of course, if youre military or a DOD civilian, you can dine at KMC.

[beachchick]

Just to further clarify Middleager's post. Kahulu'u is closer than Place of Refuge. It's also got a quite different water entry for snorkeling and different facilities. Both are good in our experience. As for K-Bay, it's not like the others where you can just drive there and then get in the water. If you drive and park, it's a long walk over dry/lava paths to get to the water and even then you will not be at the best part. Other options for K-Bay are snorkel excursion on a zodiak or cat; kayaking in either with rentals or through an excursion; and hiking/swimming the edge of the bay to get to the best snorkel areas. Let me stress that you cannot just "go to" K-Bay and snorkel. It requires a substantial amount of effort.

 

For the road to Hana, if you decide to do the "full circle" please, please check road conditions. After storms that unpaved and unimproved road area can be quite difficult. Even in dry conditions, it's a challenge. And some rental car companies still do expressly forbid it, so if you get stuck, you are on your own and liable for any damages--not saying it will happen, just FYI.

 

beachchick

[Middleager]

Thanks to beachchick to clarify. Yes, to go to K-bay one needs to park near it and kayak there, or take a boat tour. It is supposed to have the best snorkeling. The boat tours are not cheap in Kona.

 

In Maui, some car rental companies do not allow driving on the unpaved roads about 45 min. past Hana. As a rule of thumb, many people driving the road to Hana will go further to Oheo Gulch (and the 7 sacred pools). There is a park ranger's office and those who want to do the full circle will check the road conditions with them before continuing on. From the Oheo Gulch it is about the same time going back in reverse returning to Hana and taking the same way back, or onward with the full circle. Just be careful not to be driving on that road (full circule, clockwise) at sunset. It'll be difficult driving.

 

There are several Road to Hana CDs you can buy and listen in the car while driving. It'll tell you places to stop and what to see on the way.