Hawaii: The Big Island for Families

It’s hard to find a bad thing to say about the Hawaiian islands. Over the years we’ve tried Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii but we've grown to love the Big Island both for its diversity and incredible natural beauty.

It also is one of the few trips on United where I can consistently use my frequent flier miles.



Where to Stay

The most important question to answer for a Hawaii trip is where you want to stay. The Big Island has a variety of choices and you’ll want to decide if you want the resort experience or a vacation rental. While we have enjoyed the Mauna Kea Resort in the past (great beach access from ground floor rooms), for the last two trips we opted for a lovely little house near the beach. The benefit of course is two bedrooms, a kitchen and a nice hang out area for the family all for a price that doesn’t hit the nosebleed rates for the hotel villas.

There are many home and condo options on the Big Island. We choose the Kolea resort at Waikoloa in the Kohala area as it is walking distance to the beach (no roads to cross), walking distance to restaurants, and has a nice pool as well. The beach is down a short path and you can either use the Marriot resort beach or walk across the Marriot beach to get to a nice wild stretch of beach complete with resident sea turtles. This beach is known as A Beach, short for Anaehoomalu Bay

Other spots I’ve heard friends recommend are Kona Village and condos near Kahalu'u Beach Park which is a very kid friendly snorkeling spot. For a great high end resort experience, try the Mauna Kea or the Four Seasons.

Last time we were on the big island we also noticed significant differences in weather. While it was raining almost everyday around Kona, we had sunny skies up in Kohala. Note that most of the national weather services report Kona weather and may not be accurate for the other areas of the island.

What to Do

Once you’re ready to do some exploring, there is no shortage of things to do. The Hawaii Volcano’s National Park is worth seeing but be warned—it is a long drive. The landscape is changing constantly based on recent lava flows so stop in at the ranger station to find out the best things to see that day. The Thurston Lava Tube hike was a hit with the kids. I also recommend the Kilauea Iki hike that takes you from the Kilauea Iki Overlook through a rain forest and down to the crater floor. It is a moderate hike about 3 miles long.

We stopped at Akaka falls on the east side of the island on our way back from Volcano National Park and it was an unexpected trip into primordial rain forest on the way to the falls. I highly recommend it. The paths are paved, it is a short walk and the kids loved the giant ferns and falls.

I hear the best spot for snorkeling is Kealakekua Bay, south of Kona and while I haven't tried it, it is on my list for the next trip. The water near Captain Cook Monument on the north side of the bay is supposed to have excellent visibility and marine life. You may even bump into the occasional dolphin out on the bay. The best snorkel spot for families with young kids is Kahalu'u Beach Park.

As for the best beaches, there is a lot of personal preference here. Hapuna beach is generally considered the "best beach" and it has bathrooms and a snack shack with shaved ice. From Hapuna Beach you can hike north and spend some time on the also lovely Mauna Kea Beach or grab some lunch at the Mauna Kea beach restaurant. The beach path is a bit rough in spots so I wouldn’t attempt it with kids under 5.

Where to Eat

Finally the food. We had a number of our meals right around Waikoloa as we could walk to the shopping areas. If you want to eat in, there is a nice, upscale market in Queens marketplace—we especially liked their Japanese bento boxes to go. Merriman’s café has a good selection for the family and there are a variety of other quick and easy family eating options. My kids liked Island Fish and Chips which has outdoor tables over a little lake.

We always make a trip up to Merriman's Restaurant in Waimea. Most people don’t bring kids to this pretty upscale restaurant but we generally go early with the kids in tow and they are always very welcoming and will pull together some kid options. They didn’t bat an eye when our kids both fell asleep at the table last time we went.

Daniel Thiebaut is the other high-end restaurant in Waimea. It is French-Asian cuisine and like Merriman’s. We haven’t gone yet but reviews are very positive. Not a place for kids.