So now i’m in for Kona 2005. I’ve paid my registration fee, validation race accepted, flights booked. Not sure where to stay as I don’t really know where everything is? I see I have a large selection to choose from, but I don’t know where these addresses are in relation to the whole race start area?
Where does the swim start and where is transition area?..addresses that is. I’ve never been there, so I don’t know where to begin.
Thanks…i’m pumped!! :-))
hey I am going thru the process… But I have been there twice before so it helps a little. check my post on where to stay in kona. also, I just reserved a car rental (in case i want it) on alamo for 238$ for 10 days with taxes. call anthony’s travel (on ironman website) and they will send you a map with everything plotted on it. let me know what else i can help with 
The swim start, transition area and race finish are all at the Kailua Kona Pier, next to King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. Kona Seaside Hotel is across the street, Uncle Billy’s just down a couple hundred yards, and the Expo is on the other side of that. Most condos in Kona are on Ali’i Drive. Anything that sayd Keauhou is 5-6 miles away, not far by car but certainly not walkable (beware: traffic gets very congested race week). Both of the reputable bike shops are both in the middle of town. Try doing a Google search for a map of Kona, some of the visitor bureau websites have a half decent one. I remember finding one with some of the condos listed on it which would help you with booking accomodations.
Thanks!! Now what happens during race week? What is there that I absolutely shouldn’t miss on the island?
Other than race activities - Volcano National Park is not to be missed. It’s a couple hour drive, but the scenery is spectacular. Plan on spending the entire day. A good thing to do after the race.
Support Crew
Here’s the map again. For reference, the race expo is close to “Kona Islander Inn”. Transition, race meeting, awards, morning swims, etc are at the King K and the Pier.
As usual support crew has great advice. DO NOT miss the Volcano National Park. It is unlike any other place on the planet. You won’t be dissapointed. There is a TON to see there, more than you can do in a day. I reccomend staying a night at the Volvano House which is the only hotel in the park and is built right on the edge of the Kilauea Crater, spectacular. Three things not to miss there are: 1. Kilaueu Iki trail, a 4 mile hike through tropical rain forest and then through the bottom of a steaming live volcano crater! Unbelievable! 2. Thurston Lava tube. Make sure you go all the way to the end of it, through the unlighted part. it’s spooky. 3. Drive to the end of chain of craters road at sunset to watch the flowing lava entering the sea. If it’s flowing well you will never forget it.
I’m only scratching the surface. There are several other great hikes to do in the park. One day we hiked 20 miles in one day (including my 6 year old). Not good for my legs pre race but well worth it. I can’t wait to go back.
ps If you go to the Volcano park bring flashlights.
I was there last fall for the first time with my family (9 and 12 year old girls and my wife). We stayed at the Kona Makai on Alii and loved it. As mentioned by others the Volcano National park is a must see. We also went to the Luau near the race start and it was a lot of fun. One of the other highlights was a catamaran cruise out to snorkel.
Volcanoes National Park is excellent as everyone else has said and the drive there is pretty nice. Another don’t miss is to rent a kayak and paddle in Keleakekua Bay out to Captain Cook’s monument. Nice snorkeling at the monument and a good chance of seeing the spinner dolphins playing around in the bay.
Volcano National Park cannot be missed, but definitely stay over at least one night and two if you can swing it. Volcano House is far from the only lodging available: I have stayed at the Volcano Rainforest Retreat (google it) twice and loved it; there are many other B&B’s in the area to choose from.
In Kona, I recommend the Kona Seaspray, located down Alii about 5 miles from the pier right before the marathon turnaround. It’s just about the perfect locale if you have a car or don’t mind riding your bike into town. Good set up at a fair price.
Congrats and enjoy!
Paul
Another scenic site that I think is pretty cool is South Point. You pass near it enroute to the Volcanos Park. It’s a bit off the main road, but well worth the drive. It’s the southern most tip of land in Hawaii( and the US). There are spectacular cliffs, with a 100 foot drop down to the ocean, usually with a massive south swell coming in. It’s an impressive site. You will pass by a wind farm on the way down there.
Fleck
What about Hawi? I was told that I should drive out there and supposedly there is a huge hill I should try going up and down? Does anyone know where I might find a profile of the bike course? I tried surfing the net and couldn’t find anything?
Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend looking for big hills to go up and down until after you race As for Hawi, we did a drive over to see it and it is pretty cool to see how different that coastline is from the Kona side. There is so much green “tropical” looking scenery compared to the “moon surface” of the lava fields that you’ll bike through.
All this thinking about Hawaii is making me want to go back! Unfortunately, the Visa bill and family committments for the upcoming year mean that it will have to wait a couple of years … at least then I’ll get to try a new age group
Volcano House is far from the only lodging available
Volcano House is the only lodging available inside the park. If you have gone all the way to Hawaii and made the drive to the park why stay outside it. The Volcano House has a lot of charm and provides a very convenient base for a full day of activities there. Also the restaurant in the V House is excellent. Waking up in the morning and watching the sun rise over the Kilauea Crater is a priceless once in a lifetime experience. Don’t miss it in order to save a couple bucks.
Also while in Kona you want to be staying right in the middle of the action, not five miles away. There is a lot going on in town every day and it is a pain to get in you car evey time. There isn’t much parking and it gets very congested traffic wise race week. Stay as close as possible.
Just as a note. I can’t believe how booked up Kona accommodations are already. We make our reservations for the next year before we leave in October, but I was trying to help some friends find a condo close to town and didn’t have much luck. Aren’t most of the qualifying slots still out there? Are all these places taken on speculation?
Support Crew
Maybe that’s the case. A couple years ago I had no trouble getting a room at the King Kam in July after IMLP. Luckily this year I qualified at Wisconsin so getting a room wasn’t an issue. Someone posted earlier that rooms were available still at the King Kam. I think you have to go through Anthony Travel to get them (if available). We bring our three kids every year so being right at the pier is a huge advantage.
Volcano House is the only lodging available inside the park. If you have gone all the way to Hawaii and made the drive to the park why stay outside it. The Volcano House has a lot of charm and provides a very convenient base for a full day of activities there. Also the restaurant in the V House is excellent. Waking up in the morning and watching the sun rise over the Kilauea Crater is a priceless once in a lifetime experience. Don’t miss it in order to save a couple bucks.
Also while in Kona you want to be staying right in the middle of the action, not five miles away. There is a lot going on in town every day and it is a pain to get in you car evey time. There isn’t much parking and it gets very congested traffic wise race week. Stay as close as possible.
Hey, it was just my $0.02. Wouldn’t trade my experience there for anything, and it sounds like you wouldn’t either.
As they say, that’s why there’s chocolate AND vanilla.
Best,
Paul
had a blast and it helped to lighten things up a bit. Don’t want to take it all TOO seriously…hard to do when you’re running around in your skivvies with a bunch of crazies doing the same. Plus it raises money for the Boys & Girls Club.
Why not? 
G
No offense, just wanted to throw in a different point of view for considerstion.
Just as a note. I can’t believe how booked up Kona accommodations are already. We make our reservations for the next year before we leave in October, but I was trying to help some friends find a condo close to town and didn’t have much luck. Aren’t most of the qualifying slots still out there? Are all these places taken on speculation?
Support Crew I found last year that a number of the condos were all booked in January-Feb (I qualified at IMFL so I thought finding space would be really easy) and that I couldn’t book them online but if I went through a package offering by tour companies that they had all kinds of units available. I guess they are the ones that book them on speculation and then the price gets hiked up quite a bit I booked the Kona Makai through www.Hawaii-Kona.com and it was a great place to stay.