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Big Island AreasThe and Hawaii ... Travel Ezine, dated 04/14/01, by Lisa Weber
++++ In this Issue ++++ 01. Title Article - Areas of the Big island 02. Travels deals - hotels, and package 03. Hawaiian Word - 'omaka 04. Hawaiian article - FF miles for interisland tickets 05. Website - Digital City Honolulu Aloha everyone. Teachers are still on strike, I am very glad to have our armed service members home, and we still have beautiful weather. -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 01. ---Areas of the Big Island--- The Big Island is much larger than any of the other islands, in fact it is large enough that all the other major islands, including Molokai and Lanai could fit inside of it. The Big Island has 11 of the 13 climates of the world on its soil, so it can be a little hard to decide where to stay. I'll go over the major recognized regions and the qualities of each. Kona Kona is host to Kailua-Kona (a small tourist town) and surrounding areas like Holualoa, Keauhou, Captain Cook, and Kona Paradise. The area extends from around Manuka State Park in the Kau desert to past Kiholo Bay heading towards Kohala. The area is very dry and sunny, and famous for its sportfishing, but not so famous for its beaches. There are a few - but they are sometimes rocky, and usually small. Kohala Coast (the Gold Coast) The Kohala Coast runs from above the Kona Coast all the way to Upolu Valley (where the road ends). This is where the large, luxury hotels are: like Kona Village Resort, Hilton Waikoloa Village, and the Hapuna Prince Hotel. This area also include Puako, which is a sleepy town that averages about 7 inches of rain per year - pretty good odds. The beaches along the Kohala Coast are some of the best in Hawaii: such as Kaunaoa, Hapuna, and Anaehoomalu. Kau Kau is the southern area of the island and runs from Volcano Golf Course to Manuka State Park. It is dry, hot, and sometimes windy. It includes South Point, the Green Sand Beach, Punaluu Black Sand Beach, and the small towns of Naalehu and Pahala. Very good lodging deals can be found here. Puna Puna is a large area that covers very wet and pretty dry regions. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is in Puna, as is the town of Volcano. 40 miles away at the ocean is the active lava flow, the buried village of Kalapana, and vacation areas such as Kapoho Vacationland and Beach lots. There are many small communities that offer inexpensive bed and breakfasts here. Hilo Hilo is the largest city on the Big Island (about 40,000). It has a beautiful bay, a deep-water harbor, ocean parks, and waterfalls right in town. It is near the Onomea scenic drive and Akaka Falls. The beaches are usually rocky, but the water is gorgeous and good for snorkeling and kayaking. It rains a lot in Hilo, but that just makes it all the more tropical looking. No one plants palms and cocunut trees in Hilo - they grow like mad and give the whole area a look of paradise. Hamakau Coast The Hamakua Coast starts above Akaka Falls and runs to Waipio Valley. The ocean views are amazing on this drive, and Waipio Valley is a destination unto itself. There are small bed and breakfasts dotted along the countryside and even a country club. Kohala Kohala can include the inland areas of the Kohala Mountain Road, Waimea and Waikoloa. This is where the Paniolos (cowboys) rule, as Parker Ranch here is the largest ranch in all of Hawaii. The weather ranges from dry and hot to dry and cool (at elevation). Waimea is another good place for lodging deals in a central location. http://www.volcanoalley.com/ebook/internet_guide_to_hawaii.html?ezinep My E-book, The Internet Guide to Budget Hawaii Travel contains links to over 60 lodging choices in Hawaii under $100 a night. -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ ---Internet Travel Deals Watch--- ** check the web sites for details and restrictions http://www.travelscape.com/hotdeal_detail.cfm?ID=2050& Honolulu - Outrigger on the Beach, $132 --------------------------------------------- http://www.travelscape.com/hotdeal_detail.cfm?ID=2055 Aston Islander on the Beach on Kauai, $75 --------------------------------------------- http://www.costatravel.com/Suntrips.htm 7 nigh Hawaii hotel and air from $489 --------------------------------------------- ---Hawaiian Word of the Week--- 'omaka - (oh mah kah) - budding, beginning, source 04. ---Hawaiian Article/Information Watch--- http://hawaii.epinions.com/trvl-review-5DB8-4F4186D-39E5D710-prod2 Using Frequent Flyer Miles for InterIsland Tickets One person's advice on saving money this way. 05. --- Hawaiian Website Watch --- http://home.digitalcity.com/honolulu/ Digital City Honolulu Actually, this page features information about all the islands, and has some decent information and user reviews. Have a story or a question you'd like to share? E-mail me at ezine@andhawaii.com . Until next week, Lisa. http://www.andhawaii.com Was this article useful? I would love if you signed up for my email list (free guides on that page). And I always recommend my most popular articles, and my page on hawaii lodging reviews, lists, and booking. |
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