Visiting Hawto Hawaii

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spikemn

Registered
Messages
7
Reaction score
1
Location
Canton, Ohio
# of dives
50 - 99
I am starting to plan a trip the big island of Hawaii. I am thinking that renting a VW camper will be my best bet to see a lot and to not end up paying a fortune. The other thing is I want to go to the Arizona and check out the memorial also whil there.

  • So I am wondering if anyone else has done the VW hippie type deal and what they thought. That being said I grew up tent camping, unfortunately my girl friend is not very crazy about the idea but also understands saving $$.
  • any recomendations on dive sites, operations, ect. I plan on taking our own gear except for obviously tanks and weights.
  • any recommendations on how to get from the Big Island to the Pearl Harbour memorial preferrably with out going broke.
  • I guess lastly any recommendations on dry land activities that shouldnt be missed.

I look forward to reading any advise that you have to give.
 
To go from Big Island to the Arizona, your only option is flying. Hawaiian airlines and mokulele are the only two carriers doing inter-island flights at the moment. I've lived on Oahu now for five years and still have yet to go to the Arizona Memorial.
 
You can get a condo in Kona for $100 a night if you're not picky and then cook all your own food. This is how we do Hawaii on a budget.

Shore diving is the only inexpensive way to go, as the dive ops charge $120 for 2 tanks from a boat. We dove with Big Island Divers last time and had a good time. Be sure to book the Manta dive, its a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Don't know anyone who has rented a camper.

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk 2
 
any recommendations on how to get from the Big Island to the Pearl Harbour memorial preferably with out going broke.
go!Mokulele - Hawaiian Inter-Island Airline Flights

The Arizona Memorial tour is 75min including the boat ride and a 20min theater presentation but you can often wait up to two hours or more in line - it's pretty popular - especially in the summer. So plan your flights accordingly unless you spend the night on Oahu. IIRC - it's about a 20min. ride from the Airport to the Memorial also. Not counting traffic which there will often be in Honolulu. World War II Valor in the Pacific - World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument

Volcanoes Nat'l Park is obviously the must do on the Big Island besides diving. Plan it on a non-dive day as the drive is to elevation.

Are you looking at this: http://www.happycampershawaii.com/Meet_Our_Campers.html - for $125 day you can easily rent a condo instead.

You might not save anything camping since you're still going to be paying for food - pricey. And boat diving is also pricey - generally around 2dives/$100+. However there are about a dozen shore dives: Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: The Big Island, Hawaiian Islands - several operators in Kona have tank rentals.

You might look at renting an inexpensive condo on the Kona Coast instead. They're cheaper if you stay off the beach. We found some last summer that were in the $600-700/wk. range near a golf course. Several mentioned that business was down so they were offering better deals than in years past. vrbo.com lists a bunch of them. http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/hawaii/big-island/kona-coast/kailua-kona

There's also a shuttle that runs all along the Kona Coast area - from the Kahuluu area north to Kona/Kailua. Because car rentals are also pricey.
 
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You can get a condo in Kona for $100 a night if you're not picky and then cook all your own food. This is how we do Hawaii on a budget.

Shore diving is the only inexpensive way to go, as the dive ops charge $120 for 2 tanks from a boat. We dove with Big Island Divers last time and had a good time. Be sure to book the Manta dive, its a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Don't know anyone who has rented a camper.

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk 2

I am starting to plan a trip the big island of Hawaii. I am thinking that renting a VW camper will be my best bet to see a lot and to not end up paying a fortune. The other thing is I want to go to the Arizona and check out the memorial also whil there.

  • So I am wondering if anyone else has done the VW hippie type deal and what they thought. That being said I grew up tent camping, unfortunately my girl friend is not very crazy about the idea but also understands saving $$.
  • any recomendations on dive sites, operations, ect. I plan on taking our own gear except for obviously tanks and weights.
  • any recommendations on how to get from the Big Island to the Pearl Harbour memorial preferrably with out going broke.
  • I guess lastly any recommendations on dry land activities that shouldnt be missed.

I look forward to reading any advise that you have to give.
I see rentals from these guys at several places I dive: Hawaii Camper Rentals, Big Island Camper Vans | Hilo, HI $125 a day.

My wife is running and educational farm and retreat, great rooms in an amazing house down in Ocean View for $50 a night as her introductory offer.

Best shave ice on the island, half a mile south of Hookena (mm 102) on highway 11.
 
My wife is running and educational farm and retreat, great rooms in an amazing house down in Ocean View for $50 a night as her introductory offer.
I'm not moved there yet but I am VERY intrigued; would you kindly PM info to me?
 
I'm not moved there yet but I am VERY intrigued; would you kindly PM info to me?
Actually, if you've got a link, post it! I'd love to share it with my son as well....
 
My wife is running and educational farm and retreat, great rooms in an amazing house down in Ocean View for $50 a night as her introductory offer.


Can you provide more information about this offer? thanks
 

I did this, didn't like it. I will NOT recommended. There are just better ways to enjoy the scenic. The thing is that you are NOT biking on a bike trail in the forrest, natural trail ... Nothing like that. You are biking on the main road to the top of the mountain. There is no difference if you are just driving. And because biking tour take a few hours, you are not likely to spend enough time at the top of the mountain. Probably not long enough for the fog to clear up before you have to head down. So unless you like biking, I will spend my time doing something else.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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