u/Brugton_30

I wanted to share my thoughts on our itinerary to the Big Island. We went May 2026 so prices might have changed.

• Flight - We flew with Southwest Airlines, which went over well. We had a layover in Sacramento (SMF), which is a good-sized airport. Our layover was short, but the gates were close by so no issues.
• Lodging - We stayed at the Kailua Village Condos. It was a nice location and the condo was nice. Middle tier, but it was only a week.
• Dining
  • Papa Kona Restaurant & Bar - Great location and good food. We sat outside and enjoyed the ocean breaking.
  • Island Lava Java - We went there for dinner and breakfast. Dinner was so good! I had the fish tacos, and my wife had the fish and chips. Great seating and service. For breakfast, I had the macadamia nut waffles, which were a little rich. I was hoping to get a cinnamon roll, but they were out. They said to call ahead and "reserve" one. It's hit or miss how fast they sell out.
  • Punalu'u Bake Shop - This is a cute bake shop in Naalehu (south side of the island). They have fresh bread, baked goods, and a deli. They also sell taro and guava bread.
  • Cafe 100 - This restaurant has your order at a kiosk, which was fine by me. It's open air seating. Good food but nothing crazy.
  • Lele's Bakery & Restaurant - Such a wonderful bakery! It's close to the Kona Costco. Get there early because they will sell out fast. We went on a Sunday and Mother's Day. It was VERY busy, but we still got great pastries. Just writing this makes my mouth water!
  • Ken's House of Pancakes - A long-standing restaurant in Hilo that has great food and service. It was a little warm, and I don't believe they have AC, but they have ceiling fans.
  • Lava Lava Beach Club - I heard wonderful reviews about this place, but I wasn't inl ove with it. We made reservations and had about 1.5 hours to kill. I reached out to them, and you can only text the host stand. Sent a message to see if we could get in early and didn't hear from them. We showed up and asked. They thankfully could get us in early. It was very busy but still a pretty place. It was more expensive than other places on the island (about 2.5 times what we spent elsewhere) and had smaller portions. I wouldn't go back.
  • Tex Drive-in - I heard alot about their malasadas, so we decided to visit since we were close. Their malasadas are big! I wasn't a huge fan of them and think they were over hyped. As for their food, it was average priced and nothing to write home about.
• Activites
  • Honoka'a Chocolate Farm Tour ($90/person) - This was a fun chocolate tour that allowed us to see a cocoa farm and learn more about the chocolate-making process. The tour shows the farm, how to taste chocolate, and a tour of the store. Has this changed how I look at chocolate? Yes. Will I still buy Hershey's even though there are additives? Of course 😄
  • Waipio Valley Lookout - Quick stop and pretty views. Free parking. It does require walking down a paved, steep hill if you want to get a little closer.
  • Day Snorkel Tour (Sea Paradise $188/person) - The day snorkel with Sea Paradise was amazing! The crew was so helpful and nice. We had zero experience. They were eager to give us tips and tricks. They offer a little breakfast of some fruit and pasties. For lunch, it was cold cut sandwiches and chips. Free drinks are available the whole time. Alcohol can be purchased. I would HIGHLY recommend using this company again.
  • Ali'i Gardens Marketplace - An open market that was similar to all the other markets.
  • Hilo Farmer's Market - We went on a Saturday, so it was a popular day. They have a big section of fresh foods, which didn't interest us. There were tons of other vendors though. If you plan to go to Hilo, it's worth the stop.
  • Tropical Botanical Garden ($35/person) - This garden was so pretty! You get lost in all the beauty and forget where you are. It has great ocean views and tons to see. The only downside is the step (100 ft elevation down), long (about 500 feet) entrance. They do not allow wheelchairs, walkers, etc., for that reason. They do have little stopping points along the way if you need to take a break going back up.
  • ‘Akaka Falls ($10 for parking and $5/person) - This fall was so crazy cool! It drop was so far and crazy. We parked right outside the park so we didn't have to pay for parking. Also, people are checking to ensure you pay for parking and have a ticket. Right away you can either go right to see the Kahuna Falls and loop around to Akaka Falls or go left and see Akaka Falls then loop around to Kahuna Falls. It's not one way so you could always just see Akaka Falls. Honestly, Kahuna Falls wasn't worth it so I'd just go see Akaka Falls and backtrack.
  • Rainbow Falls ($10 for parking and $5/person) - We went on a overcast day so we didn't see a rainbow. The falls were cool but nothing crazy. Was it worth the $20? Not really.
  • Kaūmana Caves (Free) - I've been to a few caves before. These were my favorites! The caves are more natural and have not been touched by humans like others. Both caves are worth a visit. Take a flashlight for sure. Your phone flashlight isn't bright enough, but it would work in a pinch. I would HIGHLY recommend going here.
  • Big Island Candies - Quick stop but we went close to closing so we didn't get to see chocolate being made.
  • Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center - Quick stop and more of a shop of all things macadamia nuts. They do have a small garden in the back where you can see a macadamia nut tree and other plants. Worth going to Hilo for it? Nah. Good stop if you are already over there? Yeah.
  • Maunakea Visitor Information Station - We didn't have a car to go all the way up to the top, but it was still very cool to visit the visitor's station. We hiked up a viewing hill just across from the visitor's station. I was wearing shorts and a rain jacket. You don't even realize that you are in Hawaii on top of the hill!
  • Night Snorkel with Manta Rays ($150/person) - There is so much talk about doing a night snorkel with manta rays, so of course, we had to do it. Our first night, we didn't see any manta rays. Thankfully, the company allowed us to come back another night. The second night, we didn't see any manata rays. The third night, we saw two or three manta rays. Overall, it wasn't as cool of an experience as I thought it was going to be. On our tour, it was a lot of just floating in the water and waiting. Nothing to do with the tour company because all the other tours had the same experience. It might have just been our timing and I get it. It's nature, so it's unpredictable. I was concerned about being a big guy (6 ft 2 in 380 lbs) because of wetsuit sizing. They had one in my size. I overheard them saying that there was a bigger guy in a previous tour that they didn't have a suit for. A wetsuit isn't required but helpful.
  • The Vanillerie Tour ($25/person) - The tour was super cool! Our guide was very knowledgeable and fun to listen to. We learned how vanilla beans are grown and harvested. It ended with ice cream, which is always good. They have a small shop with all things vanilla. It's on the Kona side and well worth it.
• Beaches
  • Black Sand Beach - We visited two black sand beaches. The first was 49 Black Sand Beach. This is a private club, but they allow a certain number of passes for the public. We went later in the evening and watched the sunset on the beach. It was so cool, and there were only two other people. You have to go through a gate to get there. Don't be afraid! Pull up to the gate, and the gate attendant will let you in (if there are openings). The second beach was the typical Punaluu Black Sand Beach. Of course, it was busy with people. We were hoping to see turtles or something but no luck. Honestly, the 49 black sand beach was worth it more than Punaluu.
  • Waialea Beach & Hapuna Beach ($10 a vehicle and $5/person) - A pass will get you into both of these beaches, which are right next to each other. Hapuna Beach was really pretty, but no shade. We visited Waialae Beach and loved it more! There are trees and plenty of shade. The trees encroach on the beach, which allows people to separate better. We snorkelled and enjoyed it so much we went twice 😄 My wife even found some sea glass.

I hope this helps someone, and apologize if it's a tad disorganized.

I met with my sleep PA this week, and he mentioned something interesting about traveling with a CPAP. If you don’t want to bring distilled water, he said there was a study comparing bottled water options. According to the study, Smartwater ranked the best alternative, followed by Dasani.

I haven’t been able to find the study myself via Google. Has anyone else heard of this? Of course, distilled water is still the best option.

I've seen the book The Fourth Monkey being popular on here. I started it, and it's a little graphic at the point I am at (see below). Does it continue to be very graphic or stay about the same? I can handle some and get through it.

SPOILER BELOW

>!I'm only at the part where the daughter talks about her missing her ear and knows that her eye and tongue are next. I had to pause it, but it was grossing me out. I fear I might have to DNF it.!<

I've seen the book The Fourth Monkey being popular on here. I started it and it's a little graphic at the point I am at (see below). Does it continue to be very graphic or stay about the same? I can handle some and get through it.

SPOILER BELOW

I'm only at the part when the daughter talks about her missing her ear and knows that her eye and tounge are next. I had to pause it, but it was grossing me out. I fear I might have to DNF it.

This is my first time playing OoT (playing it on the Switch via Nintendo Online) and just got to the bio-electric anemone, Barinade (creature boss inside Lord Jabu-Jabu). I think it’s crazy ridiculous that the game is like “Hey defeat this monster that can shoot electric stuff, zap you to death, and move! Oh but you have to do it with a boomerang!” 😂

We got a GoPro for our trip to the Big Island. We are going to do the night snorkel with the manta rays. What accessories would y’all recommend for recording? Many have said the wrist strap is good for snorkeling but is that the case for manta ray snorkeling? I worry because you are holding on to the buoys so would a head strap or chest strap be better? We have the waterproof case already.