Visitor Info, Late check Outs, and other FAQ's
***Let Us Know If You Have Any Questions Not Covered Here***
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Info on Late Check Outs, Activity Recommendations & Other FAQ's
Late Departure / Late Check out:
Do you have a late flight back home ?
If available when booking with us, you may purchase the last day till 10 PM lock out for half your daily rental (i.e. your rent is $400, you can purchase a late checkout for $200). Otherwise the check out time is at 10 AM.
If a late check-out is not available, its not the end of the world. You can still go to the beach the last day. We have a fairly new million dollar public aquatics center in town. It is free and open to everyone. The showers are clean and neat and available to everyone that uses the pool. Use the outside shower before going into the pool. Take some laps, splash the kids, dunk your wife, then hit the showers. Buy a couple of HAWAII beach towels for souvenirs that you can use after showering. Take a couple of garbage bags from your rental home. Pack your damp towels and wet swimwear in the garbage bags and your off to dinner and the airport fresh and clean.
So... Should we get a late check-out? That is up to you, but we strongly recommend it the later your flight leaves and the more people in your group (especially if there are a lot of kids). It's also nice with a large group to not have to rush showers and packing in the morning if you have a later flight. Bottom line: if you're on the fence, go ahead and get a late check-out.
Local Activities
Rental Cars – all the majors are at the airport. There is a good discount place in town that rents 2 yr. old KIA’s, but that’s only worth your while for an extended trip of a month or more. Keep in mind you’d have to take the cab for $40 both ways, which tends to eat up the savings. I’d stick with someone at the airport if you’re only staying a week or two.
Fishing Charters – here are several good fishing charters we recommend:
Snorkel Equipment – If you’re going to Snorkel a lot, you can buy a set of mask & fins for $20 - $40 at Wal – Mart. Their “U.S. Diver” brand is popular. Otherwise, there is a good rental place on Ali’i Drive at Banyans called Miller’s (about half way between town & Kahalu’u- look for the boogie board with the “last stop” painted on). They also rent Surfboards. (808) 326-1771.
Volcano Info – Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is about a 2 hour drive South from Kona. Lots to do and see along the way including coffee mills and South Point. Entry is $10 per car load and you could spend all day here if you wanted to. For a half-day trip, try to do the afternoon and head to watch the lava flow into the sea just before sunset. There is a 24 hour information recording at (808) 985-6000.
Kayaks – a popular activity involves renting a Kayak and taking it to Kealakekua Bay. For those who don’t want to fool with getting a rental car you can tie a kayak onto, tying the kayak on, etc., check out Ocean Safaris located near town at Keauhou Bay. They have Sea Cave, Dolphin Quest, and other Kayak tours for under $70 that we’re told are pretty good. They also rent Kayaks (& snorkel equipment) if you insist on tying one to your car. (808) 326-4699. Remember that much of the best snorkeling is free and easy to access… See our beaches page.
Diveboats / Snorkel Outings – We recommend the Fairwinds and Body Glove boats. Fairwinds offers a popular snorkel tour of Kealakekua Bay (gear & mean provided). Fariwinds is (808) 322-2788. Body Glove is 1-800-511-8911. Remember that much of the best snorkeling is free and easy to access… See our beaches page.
Luau’s – We recommend the Luau at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel, which is run by Island Breeze Productions Sunday and Tue. – Fri. It’s $65 ($29 kids 5-12) and includes food, beverage, and live entertainment. Typically, you get there at 4 and stay til 9 or 10 pm, so the ticket price is well worth it. Call (808) 326-4969. ALSO the luau Royal Kona Resort is pretty good – call (808) 946-1000.
Shopping Tips...
This is just our take. If you spend your time figuring out where everything’s the cheapest by 5 cents, you’ve wasted half your vacation and then it’s time to go home! Hopefully this will give you a little guidance, but if you need something and it’s close we recommend you just buy it and head to the beach.
Costco – Most people won’t be able to even use what they buy during their vacation without a very large group – i.e. saving a little doesn’t help if you buy 5 times as much and end up spending more. There’s also a ‘time factor’ involved in going there as opposed to a regular grocery. That said, some people love Costco anyway and we can’t blame them.
The BEST groceries are at (#1) KTA Keauhou, (#2) Foodland / Sack’n’Save near Longs in town. The best produce, meats, fish, etc., by far. Safeway will work for some things as well, plus they’re open 24-7.
Healthfood – Natural Food Stores in Keauhou Shopping Ctr and near Safeway.
Wine & Spirits – Longs Drugstores, and also K Mart.
Hawaiian Leis - there are flower farms right across from the airport that sell lei's $ 3 for plumeria ...orchids for $5. What a deal ! ... ... Also in Longs.
Souvenirs – plenty of small shops along Ali’i Drive in town. There is also the really nice Kona International Market with the big blue roof just off the highway when you get into town. For a less pleasurable (?) though cheaper experience, go to Wal Mart, which has a souvenir shop just inside.
Farmer's Markets and Produce -- We recommend the Farmer’s Market at the Keauhou shopping center on Sat from 8 a.m. to noon. It is the only ALL locally grown Farmer’s market in Kona. While you will see other markets in town, the fruit is often from the mainland or South America.
There is a local supermarket chain called KTA that buys all the local produce that they can use; the same for a lot of their meat, dairy, and most of their fish. Foodland / Sack'n'Save also has a good selection of local fish. Other groceries do not do this. Only Foodland / Sack’n’Save and KTA. (I’ve also seen fresh local produce at Long’s.)
Guidebooks
GUIDEBOOK - If you have a bunch of questions about everything, or even if you don't, pick up a guidebook. They are $20 and worth every penny. The popular favorite is "Hawai'i, the Big Island Revealed" by Wizard Publications. Available at Border's or Amazon.com. Also, Lonely Planet puts out a pretty good book on the Big Island.
From Those Who Came Before...
*** Here are some activity suggestions from other guests that you may find helpful. ***
If we were to suggest one thing for people to do for fun it would be hands down go Snorkeling with Manta Rays. It was $70 per person and worth every penny. It's very intimidating and a little scary jumping off the back of the boat, in the dark, into the ocean with nothing but a flashlight, mask and snorkel, but so worth it! We also enjoyed the Luau at King K-Something hotel. We paid $10 for the perferred seating and it was worth it. We sat closer to the stage and were first in line to eat! - Doug & Sally Hoffmaster, Hopkins MI, Apr 08
Activities we loved the most Sea Quest Snorkel excursion, very close to the house and a great trip/dive. Most expensive but worth every penny was a doors off Helicopter ride with Tropical out of Hilo. Then a fascinating trip into the Volcanic National Forest. We ate at Bubba Gump’s twice in our 5 days, table right on the surf. Watching a few locals boogie board on the water doing all kinds of tricks. We also enjoyed a lunch being entertained by some rivaling geckos. - Tanya Sisson, Aloha OR, Mar. '08
Saw the seahorse farm, and my kids loved it, a bit spendy maybe, but it was one of their highlights. It was very genuine and my kids are of the age where they really get into the save the animals thing. -- The Hughes Family, Calgary AB, Feb./Mar. ‘08
My all-time favourite was the walk into the petroglyphs at Mauna Lani. I'd recommend that walk to anyone interested in petroglyphs!! -- Shirley McGill, Qualicum Beach BC, Apr. '08
The best part was the tour around the island in the plane. It was just myself and my son. We had a great pilot who took a lot of time to show the areas well. - Syed & Hena Mohsin, Dublin OH Aug. ‘08
Our days were filled with 4 wheeling all over the island and discovering amazing beaches (like the Green Sand Beaches on the southern part of the island). We did an incredible night SCUBA dive with the Manta Rays which I highly recommend! If you snorkel or dive, you MUST NOT MISS IT! - Erika Marchino, Los Angeles June/ July ‘08
[We were] lucky and swam with over 50 dolphins in Kealakekua Bay. I would always go back to Place of Refuge and Two Step for snorkeling. - Patty Hammett, Omaha NE Jun '08
Our favorite beach was Mauna Kea Beach, up in Kohala -- very beautiful, good snorkeling, good swimming, and the softest sand we ever felt. - Cathy Brill & Louie Carlat Baltimore June ‘08
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