Made my first reservation at King's Land!

Thanks for everyone's input and help on choosing King's Land, we made our reservation for 6 nights arriving on 7/5 -- the only day I find available with reasonable points. Still, costed us 7,400 points for a one-bedroom.

This was our first reservation with HGVC, and first time to Hawaii! Can't wait!

I understand it's a huge island and many of the off-site activities require shuttle bus services? Do we need to rent a car?

What are some of the things/places that are must-do and must-see for our first trip on the island?

Thanks!

I would rent a car! There are so many things to see bu the must see is the volcano. Takes about 6 hours to get there from kings land but it is worth it. Unless you plan on doing the helicopter tours

valadezm said:

I would rent a car! There are so many things to see bu the must see is the volcano. Takes about 6 hours to get there from kings land but it is worth it. Unless you plan on doing the helicopter tours

Click to expand...

This is good advice -- I would definitely rent a car because the Big Island is well named.

The volcano is a must, and it is 3 hours each way, 6 hours round-trip, but worth it. Some people will spend the night on the east side of the island to chop up the trip (and to look for lava at night).

Good luck and enjoy it!

Best,

Greg

I think there is a car rental place right on site.

Just rent a car for the days you need it. You'll spend some days just taking in the resort area and won't need a car.

I would say all the outside activities you book through the concierge, or directly from brochures, include shuttle pick up. You may only need a car for a couple of the days if you just go out exploring. For first timers, we always recommend the Roberts island tour right away, that way you visit a lot of places and hear entertaining facts from the guides. There is a stop at the volcano observation area. You can return in your rental car to the ones of most interest.

If anyone is playing golf, it's a short walk to the clubhouse. They serve a nice breakfast or lunch in the Clubhouse Grille.

9 weeks until we return

Definitely get a car to explore

Just a suggestion....If you can, stay a night or two on the other side of the island to visit Volcano National Park and Hilo before or after your stay in Kings Land. There are lots of B&Bs and Specialty Lodgings - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g60607-Volcano_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii-Vacations.html

See these old threads from the TUG Hawaii forum for ideas:
Volcano on Big Island Questions (2012) - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174500
Volcanoes National Park (2013) - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186969

TIPS & other websites:
(1) There are two airports on the Big Island. One in Kona and the other in Hilo. Keep this in mind if you decide to stay on the Hilo side so you can fly in/out of the closest one.
(2) It will be cooler at the Volcano so bring layers (see table below).
(3) Big Island Map with distances - http://www.spotlighthawaii.com/spotlightPDF/WebMap/BigIsle/BigIsleGold-IsleOverview-web.pdf
(4) Hilton Waikoloa Island Guide - http://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com/hawaii-island-guide
(5) Tripadvisor: Things to do - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g29217-Activities-Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html
(6) Tripadvisor: Sightseeing Tours - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g29217-Activities-Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html
(7) Big Island Guidebook - http://www.hawaiirevealed.com/books-apps/hawaii-the-big-island-revealed

The following pictures are from - http://www.hawaiigaga.com/WeatherGuide.aspx#big

We just got back from the Big Island last night, and we had a great time. You'll love Kingsland - it's worth the point splurge, especially if you have rescued points to use this year.

We travelled with another family, and spent 2 nights at the Marriott Waikoloa through a good Hotwire deal so we could be ocean front a couple of days. Hotel was nice enough, but boy does it make you appreciate all the time share space. We spent the next 3 nights at Kingsland, hanging out by the pool in the AM then doing activities booked through the concierge in the afternoon. (Blossom at the concierge desk was really helpful). And then we spent our last 2 nights in the tiny cabins at the volcano booked through the Volcano House website. It's rustic - kind of like very easy, very comfortable camping - but a lot of fun if you like that sort of thing.

IMHO, the volcano is a must-see. With the new Saddle Road open, it was about 2.5 hours each way, so I second the recommendation of spending a night on that side of the island if you can so you're not rushed or driving in the dark. The lava is not flowing right now, but it's pretty spectacular anyway. We did some hikes/drives and then went snorkeling at the black sand beach (the current is strong, so be cautious). Lots of sea turtles, which was a pretty amazing sight.

brookberry said:

This was our first reservation with HGVC, and first time to Hawaii! Can't wait!

I understand it's a huge island and many of the off-site activities require shuttle bus services? Do we need to rent a car?

What are some of the things/places that are must-do and must-see for our first trip on the island?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Hello Brook,

My opinion for what it's worth....it all depends

Is this a family trip? Is it just you and your husband?

What do you all like to do? Adventure, hiking or enjoy the beaches, snorkelling, etc.? Or how about driving to the various coffee farms or do some local shopping, check out the farmer's markets.

Figuring this out will help shape your decisions.

I would recommend getting Hawaii: The Big Island Revealed book. They have an entire series of books, one for each island and they are excellent.



Lots of great information in there.

There are some great beaches on the big island, some easy to get to, others off the beaten path that require a 4wd but they are gorgeous.

Tip: You can get great rates on rentals from HawaiiJeeps.com, book early, you can cancel anytime. You'll end up getting the reservation through Thrifty or Budget but cheaper than you would have gotten if you booked directly. If you wait too long, rates can get ridiculous.

If you only have six nights, it will take a big part of your trip getting to the other side of the island. It is definitely worth spending the night on the other side and to explore the hilo side but then you've wasted a night at Kingsland.

You'll definitely want to spend time at Kingsland and even the Waikoloa itself has plenty to do from the lagoon and its many turtles, the pools and slides for the kids, the main pool is great too. Especially the area by the slide with the waterfalls, great place to have a few drinks, relax.

KPC @ Waikoloa Village is a very nice restaurant for a romantic sunset dinner.

Speaking from experience, dont pack too much in on your first trip. You'll leave exhausted because there is so much to do.

Seeing as this is probably the first of many, you have plenty of time to go back and explore the other side of Hawaii and plan your trip accordingly.

As someone mentioned, Kona is the volcanic side, not too much greenery, you'll see this as you drive from the airport to make your WalMart & Costco run and return to the hotel.

The Hilo side is the lush green side with all the beautiful waterfalls, botanical gardens, etc. But I can truly say that you can look at waterfalls and gardens only so many times before you want to just get in the water and enjoy all the beautiful beaches Hawaii has to offer, but then again, that's just us....:whoopie::whoopie::whoopie:

Again just my .02 from experience and several trips to the Big Island, we love it, hope this helps!

buzglyd said:

I think there is a car rental place right on site.

Just rent a car for the days you need it. You'll spend some days just taking in the resort area and won't need a car.

Click to expand...

This is EXACTLY what we do when we go to HHV, but there it's been a good option because the shuttle service from HNL airport is a quick and easy trip to HHV, with the added benefit of avoiding the cost of parking for a week @ HHV.

Is there a decent shuttle service from the Kona airport to HGVC to help facilitate this option? I only looked at this once a while back. From whatever I found I remember thinking the cost of the shuttle from Kona, made a rental car with free parking @ HGVC Waikoloa/Kingsland a reasonable option.

I'm just wondering if anyone has found otherwise.

feed the otter said:

This is EXACTLY what we do when we go to HHV, but there it's been a good option because the shuttle service from HNL airport is a quick and easy trip to HHV, with the added benefit of avoiding the cost of parking for a week @ HHV.

Is there a decent shuttle service from the Kona airport to HGVC to help facilitate this option? I only looked at this once a while back. From whatever I found I remember thinking the cost of the shuttle from Kona, made a rental car with free parking @ HGVC Waikoloa/Kingsland a reasonable option.

I'm just wondering if anyone has found otherwise.

Click to expand...

I don't know about shuttles but there are plenty of taxis waiting. It's only about 15 miles from the airport to the resort.

With the rental cars, it's the fees and taxes that kill you. You think you're getting a car for $35 a day but by the time the gov't is done with you, it's almost double.

DonnaSF said:

IMHO, the volcano is a must-see. With the new Saddle Road open, it was about 2.5 hours each way

Click to expand...

Since the road has been improved have the car rental companies changed their stand driving on it?

DonnaSF said:

We just got back from the Big Island last night, and we had a great time. You'll love Kingsland - it's worth the point splurge, especially if you have rescued points to use this year.

We travelled with another family, and spent 2 nights at the Marriott Waikoloa through a good Hotwire deal so we could be ocean front a couple of days. Hotel was nice enough, but boy does it make you appreciate all the time share space. We spent the next 3 nights at Kingsland, hanging out by the pool in the AM then doing activities booked through the concierge in the afternoon. (Blossom at the concierge desk was really helpful). And then we spent our last 2 nights in the tiny cabins at the volcano booked through the Volcano House website. It's rustic - kind of like very easy, very comfortable camping - but a lot of fun if you like that sort of thing.

IMHO, the volcano is a must-see. With the new Saddle Road open, it was about 2.5 hours each way, so I second the recommendation of spending a night on that side of the island if you can so you're not rushed or driving in the dark. The lava is not flowing right now, but it's pretty spectacular anyway. We did some hikes/drives and then went snorkeling at the black sand beach (the current is strong, so be cautious). Lots of sea turtles, which was a pretty amazing sight.

Click to expand...

I was there in November and loved it. As others have said, the volcano is a must see. I was fortunate to see "lava glow" - amazing. We also hiked down into one of the volcano floors - great memories.

We did the round-trip (6 hours) - not too bad, but we left early in the morning and enjoyed the short road trip around the island and took the Saddle Road back (it was dark and foggy in places - a little freaky), but it was quicker getting back.

Enjoy your vacation!

jlr10 said:

Since the road has been improved have the car rental companies changed their stand driving on it?

Click to expand...

Yes you can now drive your rental car on saddle road...

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk