We have been in the tourism industry on the Big Island of Hawaii for over 20 years and there have been some common growing issues to consider when vacationing to the Big Island of Hawaii.
Honolulu is not on the island of Hawaii
As odd as it may sound, many people are relatively unfamiliar with the islands and what is on which island. Oahu is the most populated of the Hawaiian Islands and where Honolulu airport is. If you are traveling to the Big Island of Hawaii, you will either want to fly into Kona Airport or Hilo Airport. Most of the vacation destinations are closest to Kona Airport so you will want to fly into there.
Get a Rental Car
The Big Island of Hawaii is just that, a big island. Pretty much everything on the island is spread out. If you plan to stay in Kona and not leave Kona, you can easily find some taxi services to get around. Most people stay on the Kohala Coast at either Hualalai, Waikoloa Beach Resort, Mauna Lani, or Mauna Kea. All of these resorts are a descent drive from one another so unless you plan to stay in one resort your whole stay, Uber costs will rack up pretty fast.
All that being said, the Big Island of Hawaii has a lot to offer from waterfalls, to beaches, to a volcano so it is highly recommended to take a day or two to check out all that the Island has to offer.
If you choose to truly see all that the island has to offer, you may want to consider getting a Jeep or a large SUV as there are some great spots to visit that you may need a 4 wheel drive for or just a little more power than a standard car can offer.
The Beaches Are Public
Often times when guests come to Hawaii they choose where they stay based on the thought that they have to stay there to access the beach. While some hotels do offer easier access to the beach or offer some amenities such as chairs on the beach that are limited to their guests, everyone has access to the beaches in Hawaii.
If you are a person that loves beaches, I would highly recommend not just checking out one beach during your stay, but checking out a variety of beaches. The Big Island of Hawaii is unique in that there are some very unique beaches from green sand, to black sand, to amazing snorkeling, and the list can go on.
