Are you looking for a resort or a home/condo to rent? I can't help much with home/condo but if you're looking for a resort I've stayed at a couple on the Kona coast. The Four Seasons Hualalai is spectacularly nice, and spectacularly expensive. Further up the Queen K is the Fairmont Orchid, which is 90% as nice for ~20-30% of the cost. That's our usual family vacation spot when on the big island. In between there's Waikoloa. We've been to the shops there but that whole development seems REALLY crowded and busy and we generally avoid it.

As far as things to see, here are our favorites (in no particular order): make a trip up to Hawi and explore the shops and restaurants. Drive a little bit further up to where the road ends at the Pololu Valley lookout and if you have time hike down to the beach. Take a day trip to Hilo. Drive to Volcanoes National Park. Drive up to the summit of Mauna Kea and check out the Keck Observatory. I've also rented a bike from Bike Works in Waikoloa and ridden to Hawi and back. Go check out the Kona Brewing Company and do a tasting and lunch. I could go on and on... I love the big island.

I've spent about three weeks in Kona the last couple of years. I love that place.


I've not been there during WC race week though. Staying just south of Kona in that area from Kahaluu-Keauhou to Kealakekua will keep you out of the hustle and bustle of most of the Ironman craziness and would allow a bit easier access to Kona on race day for spectating since the bike course doesn't go south. You will however not be able to traverse Ali'i Dr. since the run course does go south down Ali'i. You can take 11/Kuakini into Kona from the south though.


Now the issue with staying south of Kona is the lack of restaurants as they're in Kona. If you don't mind driving back and forth to Kona from the south or you're going to eat in all the time (where's the fun in that?) then you will be okay.


The other area you mention up near Waikoloa has most of the nicer and newer resorts and a bunch of restaurants. But you're 30 miles from Kona and the bike course goes right through there so my guess is that getting to and from on race day would be quite a chore, and impossible while the bike course is open.


IMO, the east side/Hilo side of the island kind of sucks. We did a couple of day trips over there, and while zip lining was fun and I'd recommend it, I probably would never go back to that side of the island. Yes, it's green and rainforesty looking with a few waterfalls over there but it also rains a shit ton and Hilo itself is a dump. So find a couple of things to do over there if you want to check that off the list but I didn't care much for that side of the island.


Must do's, IMO, are the Volcano National Park, Fair Winds snorkel trip, finding a spot to see sea turtles, dolphin swim/snorkel, Puuhonua O Honaunau National Park.
Mauna Kea summit/star gazing if you're adventurous and have the time.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

I pretty much ate there every other night for dinner. I love that place.

My credit card bill more or less looks like this when I go to Kona:

Kona Brewing Company
Island Lava Java
Kona Brewing Company
Island Lava Java
Kona Brewing Company
Island Lava Java
Kona Brewing Company
Island Lava Java
Kona Brewing Company
Island Lava Java
Kona Brewing Company
Island Lava Java
Kona Brewing Company
Island Lava Java
Kona Brewing Company
Island Lava Java
Kona Brewing Company
Island Lava Java

:-)

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Great info - thanks. didn’t think about the bike close closing the road north so that might make a difference on race day.

We have been looking at houses but not ruling out a resort either. Thanks for the info I will check those out.

I got a great 3 bedroom townhome in Waikailoa one year and the family loved it. Easy drive to Kona if you want to go that way, and easy if you want to go east or up to Havi or other parts that way. Great sushi place in Havi and lots of restaurants in the Waikailoa village and beachside between there the big resorts going away from Kona.

I would stay there again as the cost was super reasonable compared to the surrounding hotels and you have your won kitchen and usually lots of personal stuff like surf/boogie boards, beach toys for the kids, sand chairs, etc. And the managers are super helpful in pointing out things to do, although you will get most of them from this thread..

Have fun, 10 days will go by in a blink, so take sometime and just chill on a nice deserted beach and swim in the clean, clear water...

Thanks Monty I will add Waikailoa to the list to check into. Guess that we might have to crash the Slowtwitch party if you’re throwing a gathering again this year.

I have been a bunch of times and stayed at different places around the island. The island has most of the world's eco-systems all rolled into one place, so you can pick what you like the most as the place to stay and then travel around the island depending on what you feel like and weather.

I am going to bet that you (and particularly the wife) want to island paradise vibe. My favorite part of the island for that is around Keauhou Bay, which is about 6 or 7 miles south of the Kona pier. Quiet, some good snorkeling options, close to a grocery store.

I really get tired of eating out all the time and restaurants aren't cheap, so we do the condo thing. Last year we tried a VRBO and it was a total disaster. There are lots of absentee landlords, so if you have a problem there isn't much they can do from the mainland. Don't even think VRBO is going to do jack. They are just a middleman. Once we bailed on the VRBO, we ended up in a condo at Holua resort. Very nice, recently remodeled, clean and well maintained. Kona Coast resort is also nice and its an easier walk to the grocery store, but I would ask for a unit in the older part. They are more like a townhome than the "condo-esch" newer buildings.

The one area I would stay away from is the resort area north of town. They basically went out to the lava fields and tossed up really fancy resorts. The resorts are nice, but you are still surrounded by lava field, which is nobody's idea of paradise.

Must do:
Go to Hawi over the top of the island and then do the hike at the end of the road down into the valley.
Holuakoa garden cafe is one of the cooler restaurants I have ever been to. Go for a nice dinner.
Jackie Ray's is always solid food
Killer Taco's
Stop into Bike Works and get ride suggestions. You have to do the "pedal-till-you-puke climb" and I didn't get to ride it, but there is a new section of paved road up one of the volcano's off the saddle road.
Dog beach by the Marina for snorkeling and just getting away from the crowds. More of a locals spot though.
Take a surfing lesson from Kahalu'u bay (great beginners snorkeling there.
Paddle across the bay to Capt. Cook.
Jump off the "End of the Earth".
Lava Java.
Drink beer and relax. I really like the Wailua Wheat.

Another thing to keep in mind since you are there during race week is that you better book all this stuff right now. And of course the traffic in town is horrible this time of year and the restaurants are all booked or lined up every night. It was the main reason we stayed out of town, the vibe out there is much more mellow and you get that Hawaii feel, not the ironman race week freek out vibe..Unless of course that is what you are going after, then by all means stay in Kona somewhere and be prepared to walk a lot of places.

Waikailoa was easy for us and I was even able to book it 8 weeks out, only a few athletes go out there, usually the ones that want quite and or got skunked on a place in town because they qualified so late..

I've only been once. Not during race week. We stayed at Kona Coast Resort. Condo that was a good 2Br with full kitchen and laundry inside. We were able to bring less clothes and have clean clothes going home.
Usually had breakfast in the condo, made lunch to go and ate dinner out. Can even keep your leftovers for later.
Our favorite thing was seeing Manta Rays.
You can scuba, snorkel or even see them from shore.
We saw them from shore at the big resort south of KCR, Sheraton maybe? Word is you can also see them at the old airport.

BikeWerks is how I think it was spelled was a great spot for bike rental, totally reasonable price.

My wife and I really enjoyed our one day trip to Hilo. OK, we got lucky and had perfect weather. Anyway, here's what we did: drove across saddle to Hilo; drove around Hilo exploring waterfalls, etc.; did helicopter ride with Blue Hawaiian (more waterfalls, volcanoes, etc.); drove to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park; ate lunch at Volcano House (giant picture windows overlooking caldera); went to visitor center and got suggestions for the rest of the day which consisted of -- hike including a walk through a lava tube, driving to various points of interest (steam vents, sulfur vents, etc.), ending up at the Jaggar Museum & Overlook at dusk where we stayed for more than an hour just staring at the light show of lava spewing into the air; then the long drive back to Kona.

Have fun.

I did not see anything related to budget so I will assume you don’t have one. Stop your searching and book a room at the Four Seasons Hualalai or find a vrbo within the Hualalai grounds and you get access to the FS with a daily resort fee. Good thing about October is that it is low season so both the hotel and resort fee (if choose to stay in a condo/home) is cheaper than normal.

I love the Big Island, and have been lucky enough to stay there twice so far (sadly never on WC week). We stayed in an Air BnB apartment about 3km outside Kona, towards the north, right on Ali'i Drive. I'm guessing it would probably be hard to get something similar in race week but it was a perfect place. Far enough outside to be quiet but a super quick drive in to town to eat etc.

We were actually meant to stay in Hilo the second trip there but we ended up leaving after a few days because we really didn't like the feel of the place, far too many sketchy characters around and it's not particularly attractive. Instead we found the apartment in Kona and just took the hit in moving.

In terms of things to do, watching the sun rise over Mauna Kea is incredible and well worth it and a trip to Volcanoes National Park is an absolute must. If you want to do a trip up Mauna Kea booking well in advance is essential. I've also done a visit to a coffee farm which was really fun, especially if you love your caffeine. Snorkelling is incredible and you can quickly get to see dolphins, turtles and a huge array of fish.

Man, I'm jealous. It's one of my favourite places in the world :)

Thanks to everyone for all the info so far. I have crossed off a few places we were looking at North of town and am leaning towards a private house somewhere a few miles south of Kona. I would love to book the Four Seasons and while we don’t have a budget for the trip, my bank account will not be happy.

Sounds like a trip to Hawi and hike the cliff is a must. We will probably spend a day at the volcano, and a day or two scuba/snorkeling.

And it sounds like a few mornings at Lava Java and afternoons at Kona Brewing Company are in order.

Have a great trip!

Given that you'll be there for a good period of time, I'd suggest staying on the Volcano side for several days. We rented a place in Volcano (called Volcano One), which was incredibly convenient to the park and to Hilo. The place itself was terrific with a good host. We stayed there only two nights, the rest of the time in Kona. If I were to go back, I would devote at least three full days to the Volcano side, specifically to the park. The park is incredible, and I would never be confused for a nature lover. There's also some pretty good eating in Volcano town, and in Hilo. It is a couple hour drive to Kona going around the south side of the island, but it's a nice drive.

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Attacking this day with enthusiasm unknown to mankind.

i don't think you'll be disappointed wherever you stay on that side of the island. Others have already mentioned a lot of the great things to see and do. Some of the smaller things i remember are seeing the turtles on those quiet beaches on the south of the island. if you stay south of Kona this maybe too far, but one of the resort complexes north of Waikaloa had a deck on the shore and it was nice to go down there after dinner and watch the mantas a few feet away.

we stayed one night at the Volcano House which may be a bit of an extravagance if you already have somewhere to stay; but it was one of those memories that will last forever. Sitting at night watching the glow from the crater and walking around there the next morning when no-one else is there. Definitely worth being on the volcano side of the island at least one evening to watch the lava going into the sea. i think the places where you can do this change but when we were there it was somewhere between Hilo and the volcano.

i didn't take a bike and i understand the almost religious attraction of riding in Kona......but it generally didn't seem particularly cyclist friendly and i didn't miss it at all. Windy and busy roads (except maybe for the highlands up towards Hawi but in-land)

enjoy the trip

The hike down at the end of the road past Hawi is better than going down at Waipio. If it's wet, be careful and don't wear white tennis shoes.
Manta Ray night dive/snorkle in Keauhou is fun.
Paddle across Capt Cook is a must but don't go on a day when the cruise ships are in.
IM week I would stay up in Waikoloa Beach. For your money I would get a condo. Kolea, Hali'i Kai are nice. Keauhou is 5 miles south of the pier and downtown Kona and away from the hustle and bustle. No beach but there are some units at the surf and racquet that are right on the water. Fairly inexpensive, older but right on the cliffs. get a 2nd or 3rd floor unit
Costco is a must - case of beer, cooler, and Maui chips and I'm set for any beach.
I've been to the Four Season and have eaten at their private dining club a few times. When I drive the golf cart past Schwab, Dell, the the founder of Kohlberg Kravis, I realize this place is way out of my budget.
If your budget is higher I would stay at the Mauna Kea - beach is the best on the island. Fairmount isn't bad and the Hapuna Prince is nice as well

We end up on the Big Island several times a year and my wife has raced there the last 6 years. Lots of good advice on this thread. For accommodations you will generally get the best return on your dollar with the condos in the Waikoloa Beach resort area. This area will provide the best access to nice beaches. But it is quite a ways from Kona and the traffic in/out of town has been terrible during the QK highway expansion project. The area has fewer restaurant option, but there are some cool options to try in Kawaihae, Hawi, Waimea and Honokaa. There is also a Lava Java up the hill in Waikoloa Village now.

Anything you want to see to the north, northeast or even east side of the island is pretty easy to access from WBR. Hawi, Pololu, Waimea, Honakaa, Waipio, Akaka Falls, etc. Hint - use the Saddle Road link for Hilo or Puna. Volcano and South Point are the only locations that make sense to hit from South Kona because the drive that way is so slow.

Staying up along the Kohala Coast does limit how many day to day Kona activities you can participate in, but during IMWC it can be kind of hectic in town. If you are ok with this then the Keauhou area recommendation is good. There are some nice condos available in this area around the Kam III intx. We always stay in WBR area and then spend a few nights in Keauhou each side of race.

Check the road closure link at IMWC to see where you would be limited on race day. If you are staying up north you can come in early before the roads close and head out later. With the QK upgrade there should be more options (lets hope it's actually finished in Oct. '18) for traveling north when the bike course has closed and runners are still out after dark.

You mentioned snorkel and scuba. Must do's south of Kona are two-step and Captain Cook. Kayaking over or hiking down to the monument will offer some great snorkeling. The Keauhou manta dive was already mentioned. The manta dive off the airport is the greatest dive I've ever done! Nothing else like it.

Taking the Saddle Road to Mauna Kea or the Mauna Loa observatory is very cool. Depending on the eruption activity the access from Puna in the southeast allows viewing lava flowing into the ocean. You can rent a junker mtb and knock out the 4 miles each way pretty easy.

Have a great anniversary trip!

Recommend you buy the app or the book Hawaii Revealed, Big Island. Great resource for all the island.
When we go, we split up the housing. We spend half our time at a B&B outside of Volcano National Park. With the "new" "saddle" road (as I recall the name) it is highway from N of Kona to Hilo. Hilo Farmer's Market is the best on the Island, especially local fruit / veggies. It is a day trip from Volcano, easy. The other half my wife attends a conference, so that portion on the Island is fixed. Aloha.

Oh yes, that book was invaluable for our trip.

Replying to last post but commenting in general. Thanks again for all the replies and tips.

We found a VRBO on the Kona Country Club about 5 miles south of town. Should be a good location as a base to scuba, hit the beaches, travel up north and east, and enjoy the town and Ironman events yet still be able to escape that as well.

Also I downloaded the Hawai’i revealed App so thanks for that advice as well.

Love the Kona Brewery beer, drink it all the time and everywhere when I'm there, but there are so many other great places to eat in Kailua!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Have been to the Big Island 20 plus times over the years going back to the early 80's, the last visit being last year. We usually stay at the Kona Reef, getting an ocean front unit. Over the years we have stayed at other locations in Kona but like the Kona Reef for being handy to just walk into Kona. We also book a night in Hilo as it is more relaxing if you tour that side of the island and the Volcano not to have to rush back in one day. Cheers LA Rob

I have a house on the Big Island (near Waimea) but have also stayed all over the island (my wife is a travel writer). One thing about staying south of town is that the construction on the Queen K has created a traffic mess extending south and north from Kona. Keauhou, while lovely, often leaves you kind of trapped, so getting north is often not so easy. My personal preference these days is to either stay really close to the pier race week or to be far north (Waikoloa, Mauna Lani, Mauna Kea, my house now that my renters moved out), which lets you enjoy the great parts of the IM course and the island without the hassle of getting north through Kona every day. Race day you can get into town using the upper road.

Re: manta dives, the ones near the airport are also very good, and a number of companies go there - I like Kona Honu Divers, which is located in the same complex as Bike Works. But the diving is also really good north out of Kawaihae (Kohala Divers is the company to go with up there), especially if they're going to Puako, which is sea turtle (honu) central.

The restaurant selection up north is also very good - I like it better than Kona. There is an Island Lava Java in Waikoloa Village, but there are many other great choices - check out Big Island Brewhaus in Waimea for fantastic beer and reasonably-priced food.

For riding, if you're up there do the Kohala Mountain Rd ride to Hawi - that's the last part of Day 2 of Ultraman. That is an adventure compared to the route IM uses, especially if the wind's up. :-)

On the east side, find a VRBO in the tidepool area of Kapoho (south of Hilo). It's on the famous Red Road, and it is the polar opposite of the west side. The nearby village of Pahoa has a couple of decent places to eat, and you're a quick drive to where the lava is flowing and to Volcanoes National Park.

Ian