Dumb question re: volcanoes, but just making sure.....

[ConnecticutFlea]

You don't need a tour. Fly over to Hilo and rent a car. It's a short drive to Volcano National Park. There is a cost to get into the park....I think it's $20 for the entire car. Stop in the visitor center. The rangers will tell you if there is any surface flow. (Lava can flow under ground in tubes. When that happens you can't see it until it flows into the ocean. At other times it is visible on the surface. It can vary from day to day and isn't seasonal. It's just luck.) I have seen lava flow from the chain of craters road and from Kalapana. One time we hiked out and it took 5 hours for the round trip. Both times the lava was visible from a distance after dark with minimal hiking. There was no charge to go on either road. We just followed the directions the ranger gave us. I've done the helicopter twice and it is a great way to see the volcano and lava. I don't like helicopters either, but it was worth it.

There is no charge for the Jagger Museum. No charge for the Thursten Lava tube. No charge to walk in the cauldera.

If I wanted to tour Oahu, I would stay in Waikiki and then go to Aulani. Aulani is beautiful and a great place to relax and get your Disney fix, but not convenient to Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, or Haunama Bay.

 

[nkereina]

If I wanted to tour Oahu, I would stay in Waikiki and then go to Aulani. Aulani is beautiful and a great place to relax and get your Disney fix, but not convenient to Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, or Haunama Bay.

Agree with this. We spent 3 nights in Waikiki and saw all the sights in that area, and also did Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor. We then spent 6 nights at Aulani with a rental car and were able to do the North Shore, Kualoa Ranch, Kailua, etc. It worked out well for us.

 

[squirk]

Thanks. We are staying at Aulani 100% on DVC points, so we are kind of locked into those accommodations - no overnights elsewhere in the middle of the trip. I know that might make for a very long day if we try to look for lava on the BI, but I am thinking I'd rather do that vs. breaking up the reservations or otherwise "burning" a night's worth of points in Aulani if we sleep somewhere else.

 

[alohamom]

How many days are you actually at Aulani? If you are staying 6 or less nights I honestly think the trip over to Big Island is overkill. I would equate it to someone going to WDW and deciding they needed to fly down to Key West for the day. It is do-able and fun but is it worth spending a full day from early morning till late at night doing it? Another thing to consider is the VOG conditions on the day you go. Kids with asthma or breathing issues probably shouldnt go to Volcanos NP if the VOG is bad that day, just an fyi..http://www.konaweb.com/vog/ gives you idea of what it is etc... We have always stayed in Waikoloa which is on the other side of Big Island and one year the VOG was so bad you could see it as you drove down into Kona.

 

[squirk]

We're staying seven nights. No asthma/breathing issues with the kids.

I can't even book the rooms until July, so I have plenty of time to plan and figure logistics. But I am glad I am asking these questions now. Thank you!

 

[wanderlust7]

I can't even book the rooms until July, so I have plenty of time to plan and figure logistics. But I am glad I am asking these questions now. Thank you!

Since nothing is booked yet, how about adding a night (or 2) on the Big Island at the front or back end of your trip? You can cost out a multi-city flight: mainland - HNL - KOA or ITO - mainland. If you do ITO - mainland, there'll probably be a connection at HNL.

 

[squirk]

Since nothing is booked yet, how about adding a night (or 2) on the Big Island at the front or back end of your trip? You can cost out a multi-city flight: mainland - HNL - KOA or ITO - mainland. If you do ITO - mainland, there'll probably be a connection at HNL.

Well, there's a thought. Thanks for the great idea. I will look into that.

 

[Midoria]

Since nothing is booked yet, how about adding a night (or 2) on the Big Island at the front or back end of your trip? You can cost out a multi-city flight: mainland - HNL - KOA or ITO - mainland. If you do ITO - mainland, there'll probably be a connection at HNL.

I agree that this is a great idea. It's good that everything is not yet booked because it allows for flexibility.

 

[pam95]

Since nothing is booked yet, how about adding a night (or 2) on the Big Island at the front or back end of your trip? You can cost out a multi-city flight: mainland - HNL - KOA or ITO - mainland. If you do ITO - mainland, there'll probably be a connection at HNL.

This is what we're doing. We're spending a week at Aulani and then flying over to the Big Island for two nights near the volcano park.