Hawaii-How to get To, and Get Around On, The Big Island

The Big Island of Hawaii's beauty is legendary and it has the most diverse landscape on earth-but it can be as challenging texplore as it is charming. From the icy heights of snow-covered volcanoes, tsteamy jungles and tropical beaches, flowing fields of lava, flower choked canyons and wide-open tropical grassland, its scenery is unsurpassed. By and large the quality of your trip tthe Big Island will depend on how much of it you choose tsee and how you set about discovering your own Big Island adventures. Below are some ideas on the options for getting Hawaii and for getting around Hawaii, once you are here.

Another key tthe quality of your time on the Big Island has tdwith the spirit of aloha. The people you meet in Hawaii, by and large, tend tbe more open and friendly-quick thelp or befriend-than elsewhere. This is the tradition of "Aloha". When you meet local residents, whether task for directions and advice or thire services or just in casual conversation, treat them with respect, humor and openness-return their spirit of aloha and you will find your journey, and yourself, deeply enriched for it.

In Hawaii, your smile is your passport.

Getting THawaii
The standing joke among residents of Hawaii when dealing with the time, inconvenience and hassle of traveling tthe mainland is: "This used tbe smuch easier before the bridge blew down"! Of course, there never was a bridge spanning the roughly 2500 miles between the Big Island and mainland USA, but the humor tends tunderline the commitment, planning and time it takes ttravel tand from Hawaii.

Flying tHawaii: Certainly the most common, quickest and least expensive (note I didn't say "inexpensive") way tget tHawaii is tfly. Many major US and international carriers fly tHonolulu on Oahu and and a host of local and international carriers offer flights from there tall the other Hawaiian Islands, including the Big Island. Kona's airport is the only one on the Big Island that has direct flight connections tthe US Mainland, Canada, Japan and Australia. Despite styling itself as "HilInternational Airport", flights tand from HilONLY connect tother Hawaiian islands.

Although both airports have similar facilities and services, including onsite rental car agencies and access tpublic transportation, shuttles and taxis, it makes a big difference tthe traveller where they land. By far the vast majority of visitors tthe Big Island stay in either Kona or the Kohala Resorts which are all on the west side of the island and are between 20 t45 minutes from the Kona airport. If you are staying in Hilo, it's fine tfly in there; however, Hildoesn't have the resort facilities, fine beaches and great weather of the Kona side and few tourists opt tstay there anymore. Many people booked intresorts on the west side mistakenly take flights intHilo, due tthe misleading airport name, unaware (or even misinformed by ignorant but well-meaning travel agents) that they now, at the end of an exhausting day of travel and in the fading twilight of the early tropical sunset, face a drive of almost 3 hours, across high mountains and on narrow, winding, unfamiliar roads tget ttheir resort. They just better hope it doesn't start raining, too.

So-know where you are staying, fly intthe appropriate airport.

Whether you are flying directly intKona or flying tHonolulu and getting a connecting flight intKona or Hilo, you want tbe sure treserve a seat sthat you see as much of the incredible scenery as you can. Since 90% of the flight is over open ocean (which just isn't as riveting as one might expect) you want twring the most enjoyment out of those portions of your flight which dfeature scenery. If you are first stopping in Honolulu, sitting on the port (left) side of the aircraft for this leg of your trip affords the best views as the plane screams in past KokHead and over the top of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach, turns around directly over Pearl Harbor and settles in tland at Honolulu International Airport. Sitting on the starboard side is not as spectacular, however, it offers views of Moloka'i and Maui islands, as well as views of Pearl Harbor, the Wai'anae and Ko'olau Mountains of O'ahu and downtown Honolulu just before landing.

Flying intHilfrom O'ahu, one alswants tsit on the port side of the aircraft. The flight path crosses over the islands of Moloka'i and Maui, skims along the eastern margin of Hawaii Island presenting a rich, fascinating panoply of soaring sea cliffs, jungle canyons and volcanic mountains, jaw-dropping waterfalls and crashing surf along the coast. Flying intKona either directly or from Honolulu is nless wonderfully scenic than flying intHilo, but one wants tbe on the starboard side. This offers the traveller great views of the islands of Maui, Molokini, Lana'i and Kaho'olawe, as well as incredible views of the Big Island, Kohala Mountain, Mauna Kea, Hualalai and, on clear days, Mauna Loa as the jet cruises in over the Kohala Coast, making land right over Makalwena Beach and on tKona International Airport at Keahole.

Cruise Ships and CargShips: There are several cruise ship lines which ply the waters of the Hawaiian Archipelago, however of the ones that service the Big Island, most require passengers tbook for an entire cruise, meaning that although you may make one or twstops on Hawaii, you will only remain in port for a day, overnight at most, before sailing on. Generally, you cannot arrive on one ship, disembark for a stay, and catch another ship out.

Of increasing popularity, however, is cruising Hawaii on cargships-cheaper than a cruise line and with a completely open and adjustable itinerary, this is a great alternative tflying. It is both more expensive and more time consuming (average sailing is 3 days from Los Angeles tHonolulu, and times are variable for getting from there tthe Big Island) than flying, but it is restful, peaceful and unique. Cargships offer spacious passenger cabins and, while not the floating feed-lots that cruise ships tend tresemble, the food on cargships is wonderful and plentiful. Perhaps the biggest drawback of riding cargships tthe Big Island is that on the east side they dock in, let us say, the less desirable part of Hilo; on the west they dock at Kawaihae, halfway between Kailua Kona and the resorts of the Kohala coast-in other words, out in the middle of nowhere. Both land many miles from resorts and car rental agencies. However, both docking facilities are serviced by taxis and public transportation; if you plan ahead, it should present nproblem.

Getting Around Hawaii
Shuttles/Taxis/Limos/Tours: Taxis, of course, service both Big Island airports, the metropolitan regions and all the resorts. The taxis, while not cheap, are not as usurious as one might fear and the drivers generally are knowledgeable, friendly, HONEST and genuinely nice-it's that whole aloha thing. Taxi drivers are happy tanswer your questions, even the silly ones you are kind of shy task; they will freely give advice about what tdand see and where teat and generally try tbe as helpful as possible. However, many speak in pidgin English that can be nearly impenetrable tthe newcomers' ear. Don't be shy about respectfully asking him trepeat himself, and again if necessary-he hears that on nearly every fare he carries. Ask him twrite down place names, restaurant names and such-many Hawaiian words dnot look at all like they way he's saying them and you'll want tbe able tread the words on maps and signs, or be able task another person, later.

Both Kona and Hilairports are serviced by point-to-point shuttles and limos, whose prices are actually quite reasonable and certainly less expensive than the taxis. The drawback here is that there will be many people aboard going tmany diverse destinations-sit takes a bit longer than a taxi.

Many of the larger resorts offer a free limservice tand from the airport and some will even arrange thave your rental car waiting for you on-property when you arrive from the airport...check when you make reservations. If available, this is the least personable, but quickest, easiest and least expensive way tget tyour lodgings.

Some boutique tours offered by Hostels and the smaller tour companies will alspick you up at the airport at the beginning of their tours, if your arrival time is convenient tthe tour schedule; thus, the cost of getting tyour resort is absorbed intthe cost of the tour. This option is worth looking intif you are not planning trent a car during your stay.

Tipping tour, taxi, limand shuttle drivers is not only encouraged, it's their main source of revenue. Remember treturn the aloha they showed you.

Rental Cars and Driving Tips: Although some people opt tnot rent cars during their stay, relying on tours and public transportation tget around, you should bear in mind that there is a reason they call it "The Big Island". Distances between attractions can be long, public transportation schedules are not always convenient and, face it, it's just a lot freer, easier and more independent thave your own wheels. Be sure tthoroughly research the online booking agencies before you arrive-ofttimes great deals bundling airfare, room and car rental can be found, especially in the slack seasons.

There are twtypes of car rental agencies on the Big Island. The major, international car rental agencies are available on property at both airports, giving the visitor a wide selection of corporate deals and specials-particularly flight-room-car combdeals--as well as a diverse palate of available cars. The other option, frequently much less expensive particularly for long term rentals, are the off-property rental agencies. These folks won't generally pick you up at the airport syou must make your way ttheir in-town offices, but the selection of vehicles, and rates, are generally wider ranged.

If you are under 21, the rental companies won't rent tyou. If you are between 21 and 24, they may add a surcharge tthe rental that can be as much as twenty-five dollars a day on top of the regular daily fee.

The first question the traveller must answer for themselves is what kind of vehicle they will want while on the Big Island. Some rental agencies specialize in luxury and exotic cars--Mercedes, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce and such. Others offer Volkswagen Campers and RVs. Many people arrive and decide they want tflash around the island in a Mustang or Camarconvertible-which are great and fun, but they offer nsecurity for your personal items and they severely limit the kinds of roads you can drive on, in addition talmost guaranteeing sun and wind burn. If you are coming texplore the island, you should consider going tthe extra expense of renting a four-wheel drive vehicle-either a jeep or an enclosed SUV. Much of the mountain country and many of the more interesting beaches and canyons require four wheel drive. I suggest an enclosed SUV syou dnot have tshout tbe heard, as you din a jeep, and have some more protection from the elements and from thieves.

Briefly mentioned above, RVs and Volkswagen Campers are excellent ways tsee the island and obviate the need for an expensive hotel. However, RVs are not common on Hawaii and there are nRV parks as such; outside of the towns of Hiland Kona there is nowhere tdrain the waste tanks, syou have tbe sure tuse public facilities as much as possible. But you can park and camp free virtually anywhere, although most campgrounds will charge a camping fee for an RV, even if you are camping in the parking lot.

Motorcycles and scooters can be rented in both Kona and Hiland are a fun way tsee the island, until it rains. Which happens. It is alsdifficult ttravel with any amount of luggage on a motorcycle. You will notice a burgeoning fraction of the local population zipping about town on scooters (locally, and incorrectly, referred tas "mopeds"). For bikes with engine sizes smaller than 50cc, nmotorcycle license and ninsurance are necessary. The "moped" class vehicle has the same license and road regulations as a bicycle, sit is not surprising tsee them zip along the the roadside, passing cars stuck in traffic, or pop up and run down the sidewalk. If you rent a moped in Hawaii, please don't drive them the way the locals do; it just isn't safe. I use a moped almost exclusively tget around Kailua Town where I live-dnot ride your scooter the way you see me ride mine.

The cost of gas in Hawaii is even worse than you've been led tbelieve, swhen selecting a rental car, bear this in mind. Costcin Kona has the absolute cheapest gas on the island (and it's handy, near the airport); the gas station off the Akoni Pule Highway in Kohala near mile marker 76 has the cheapest gas in Kohala and the Chevron Station at the Airport turn-off in Hilhas the cheapest gas in East Hawaii. Remember that the Big Island is largely rural-gas stations, particularly in the far north and on the south side of the Island, may not keep regular hours or even stick with their posted schedule-especially if the surf is up or the fishing is good. In general, outside of the urban areas of Kona and Hilo, gas is hard tfind after about 6 in the evening. I personally don't ever let my gas tank get more than half empty, ever, just for this very reason. Certainly, you should never let it get more than half empty when on the south side of the Island; you should make a point tfill up before late afternoon when you have the chance, definitely before you gintHawaii Volcanoes National Park (you'll stay longer and use more gas than you planned because, trust me, it's the coolest place, ever) and before crossing the Saddle Road.

Driving times between attractions on the Big Island are longer than you might expect, given the actual mileage between points of interest. This is in part because much of the "highway" system is composed of winding, narrow, two-lane blacktop with a speed limit of 35 miles an hour. Another reason drives take longer than expected is because you are going twant tpull over and look, stop and explore, take your time and enjoy. As the bumper sticker says: "Slow down, Brah-dis ain't da mainland!" On this note, many local residents will pass on hills and blind corners, even intoncoming traffic; they know the road, you don't-don't follow their lead. Trying tdrive like the locals drive is like jumping intthe ocean and trying tsurf like they surf-it just isn't a really bright idea. Local custom is teschew use of turn signals and horn; this is another custom you shouldn't emulate.

The police on the Big Island are well-trained, serious professionals. However, most cruise around in their personal cars (with a blue light on top) and can be very hard tspot (a Ford Mustang or Toyota Rav4 with a light bar? It happens...). They are particularly serious about drunk drivers, speed limits and child restraints/seal belts. Aloha, respect and honesty ga long way toward making any interactions with the Hawaii County Police more pleasant. This isn't Louisiana or some Third World banana republic-dnot even think of offering a bribe if you are stopped by a Hawaii County Police Officer. On the topic of police, it is local custom tflash your brights at on-coming traffic if there is a cop behind you. Participate in this at your own discretion, but this is the reason all those people are flashing at you.

There are feral goats and sheep (feral donkeys along the highway in Kohala!), wild pigs, feral cats and dogs that present driving hazards, especially at night. Fruit such as mango, avocadand guava frequently fall, en masse, intthe road and produce a slimy hazard, particularly tmotorcycles. In town, watch for cyclists, pedestrians and skateboarders (check out those guys skateboarding tthe beach with their surfboards under their arms!). Kailua Kona is the proud home tthe Iron Man World Championship Triathlon and many runners and cyclists fully utilize, and rigorously defend, their rights of way; smile, wave and yield, OK? You came thave fun: relax. The Big Island is alsBig Sky country...driving east intthe sunrise or west intthe sunset is painful and hazardous; try tplan your day tavoid this.

Dnot leave valuables in your car, not even the trunk. Ever. The locals are friendly, but but some are frisky and high value items will evaporate from your car with alarming alacrity. Consider any spot frequented by visitors tbe at risk for theft, even if you only are going a hundred feet from your car.

Many roads, intersections and attractions are poorly marked and what signs exist are in Hawaiian, which is hard tread, harder tremember exactly the name of the place you are searching for. When you ask directions, have the person write down the name of the place. Many residents are in the habit of giving directions in terms of landmarks that mean nothing tyou ("Remember where Uncle Kealea had the fruit stand 20 years ago? You want tgjust across Aunty Tutu's pig farm from there where the coconut grove used tbe...") shave them show you on a map. Be sure they start by pointing out where you are, right now. Respect, humor and aloha will help get you where you are going.

Along these lines, many tourists bring their GPS from home thelp navigate-be sure tdownload the maps for Hawaii before you come; some brands of GPS dnot offer Hawaii coverage. A few of the rental car agencies have GPS units for rent at reasonable prices. The best solution, however, are the folks at Tour Guide Hawaii (808.557.0051; http://www.tourguidehawaii.com) whoffer a hand-held computer with an onboard GPS at very reasonable rental rates. They have stuffed intthis device over six hundred points of interest (did you hear that? 600!) of recreational, cultural and historical importance. They have produced a short audio/videpresentation for each site, telling you all about it, the history and culture, what tbring, what tdwhile there; they even have the public restrooms listed! These presentations play as you approach the points of interest, or can be searched for at any time or location. Thus, the device can be used tpreview all the sites around the island in the comfort of your hotel room, pre-plan trips or tget information and turn by turn navigation on the road. Combining cutting-edge technology and old-fashioned story-telling, the unbelievably easy tuse, fabulously informative and terrifically fun Tour Guide Self-Guided GPS Tours are an amazing bargain and a great way tsee Hawaii. They are now offering a pared-down version (45 of the top sites-iAND the restrooms!) that is downloadable tiPhone and iPod.

Commercial Tours: Whether or not you rent a car, commercial tours offer a great way tget oriented tthe island and hear a bit about the history and about the culture of our home. Tours come in all sizes and description, from the taxi driver whmakes it up on the fly as he takes you tdinner, tpersonalized taxi tours lasting a half ta full day, tspecialized van tours and large, full day, round the island tours in full-size motor coaches. There are bus tours tthe summit of Mauna Kea, tours through the coffee country of Kona, tours tsee the volcano, historical tours-tours of all lengths and covering just about anything and everything you want tsee. Some tours include meals-one even takes you ta real, working ranch for a barbecue! Then there are the highly specialized tours: fixed wing and helicopter tours of the island, whale and dolphin watching tours, snorkel tours, sunset cruise tours, organized bicycle tours, powered hang-glider tours, tours of Kailua Bay in a submarine and even boat tours tsee the lava flowing intthe ocean. Although they can be fairly spendy, most are fully worth the price. Be sure tshop around for the right tour at the right price tsuit your interests.

Bicycle Rental: There are several places where you can rent bikes on the Big Island-and it's very pleasant tspend the day pedaling through Hiland Kailua Kona. However, problems of weather (hot sun, torrential downpour!), the long distances between points of interest and the ever-present, enormous volcanoes (think: "HILLS!") preclude this as a major method of exploration, except for the most avid bike tourer.

Public Transportation: The Hawaii County-run Hele-on Bus travels most of the Island, and makes pretty good time-the good news here is that riding the bus is free...the bad news is that it is scheduled tget workers between the large resorts in Kona and Kohala and the small towns all across the island where they live. As such, the bus schedule may not be convenient for the visitor nor conducive texploration. However, it's very handy if you just want tgsomewhere and spend the day there. Be sure you understand the bus schedule, however, as many places only are serviced twice a day by bus (one in-bound and one out-bound trip per day) and if you miss your return ride and have tfind an alternate way back tyour hotel, you will quickly learn why they call this "The Big Island"!

Walking and Hitch-hiking: Twwords here: BIG ISLAND. It is possible thike across the Big Island (I've done it both west-to-east and south-to-north; heck, in 2008 a wheel chair athlete rolled his wheel chair from sea-level in Hil37 miles and 13,800 feet in elevation up tthe summit of Mauna Kea-did you catch the part about "wheel chair athlete"?), but the long distances, rural nature (it's an impracticably long way between places tget food, water and tcamp) and intense sun make this an epic adventure, not a restful sight-seeing vacation. Both Hiland Kailua Town are comfortable and safe twalk around, but getting tbeaches, waterfalls and other points of interest is difficult on foot.

Until very recently hitch-hiking was a common and respectable way tget around the island-if you were a local, everybody either knew you, or your aunty; if you were a visitor, your uniqueness made you interesting and sit was very safe, as well. Although probably just as safe today, with the explosion of mainlanders moving tour island (whmay be reluctant toffer rides), I notice a sharp decline in the number of hitch-hikers on the roads now. Hitch-hiking is legal from the roadside, as long as you are not in the road, presenting a hazard tyourself or an impediment ttraffic. If you hitch-hike use your judgement, be home before sundown and refuse tride with drunks or folks of questionable character or cleanliness. Dnot ride in the backs of pick-up trucks.

So-armed with this information, you are now better prepared tevaluate your options for exploring the unique and varied landscapes, experiences and delights of Hawaii-your adventures are limited only by your imagination. Remember that attitude in Hawaii is important tthe quality of your vacation-the spirit of Aloha is pervasive. When angry, lonely, confused, frustrated, tired or bored, recall what I said: "In Hawaii, your smile is your passport"


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