Aloha from the Big Island of Hawai’i, which is now easily my second favorite island (after Oahu)! I’m wrapping up a 7 night stay at the Marriott Waikoloa Resort, reviewed at the bottom of this post. But first, I wanted to share many hours of research for anyone who is planning their own trip to the Big Island. I found one particular website to be most helpful – Love Big Island. Definitely go to that site and browse like, every page. They keep it nicely updated and unbiased.

You can also download GyPSy app for the Big Island to hear a lot of the history and know the story behind the sights you’re seeing.

****As usual, my most highly recommended items will be denoted by lots of asterisks. My general recommendation for planning itineraries is to add stuff that sounds interesting to you to your Google Maps, and then put together an itinerary that groups things in the same area for the same day. Keep in mind driving times and how long you’d like to spend in each!

Kailua-Kona

• Kanaloa Octopus Farm (reservations required, $30)
• Ocean Rider Inc Seahorse Farm (reservations required, $43)
• Kona Brewing Co (must reserve tours, can do so on their website, $15pp)
• Kona Farmers Market (small, has free parking)
• Honokohau Harbor and Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park
• Kahalu’u Beach Park (turtles, see below)
• ****Broke Da Mouth Grindz (best Hawaiian food I’ve ever had)
• Umeke’s (famous, and was on Diners Drive-ins and Dives, but I thought it was just ok, in fact I liked the larger variety and freshness of poke at Safeway more)
• Safeway (one of two Safeways on the island; GREAT place to spend your Safeway rewards points as the poke selection here is large and fresh, and they do poke bowls with rice for $8.99 regular or $10.99 large, both with very generous servings of fish)
• Da Poke Shack
• Hiyashi You Make The Roll Sushi (not actually make your own, you just customize it)
• Daylight Mind Coffee (an often highly recommended café)
• Kope Lani Coffee and Ice Cream (recommended by my friend Chantal, who likes the macadamia nut, kona coffee, and toasted coconut – sounds good to me!)
• ****Coffee tours in Kona-Kailua Coffee Belt – https://www.lovebigisland.com/kona-coffee-tasting/ (see further down for specific recommendations)
• ****Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (City of Refuge)
  
  • Explore the grounds including the Great Wall, wooden images of gods, a sacred temple that housed the bones of 23 chiefs, and a black lava rock shoreline that hindered those who broke kapu from approaching by sea
  • You might see spinner dolphins playing in the early morning!
  • Great for snorkeling too @ Two Step (see snorkeling section)

Makalawena Beach (Hidden Beach)

Why you should go here: https://bigislandguide.com/makalawena-beach

Directions: http://www.best-big-island-hawaii.com/makalawena-beach.html

The easiest is to drive to Kekaha Kai Beach and from there to walk North and approach Makalawena Beach from the South. Start out on Highway 19 and turn towards the ocean between mile markers 90 and 91. You will see a sign for Kekaha Kai Sate Park. This road is mostly unpaved, but just about any car can handle it. Just take your time. It will take you about 5 minutes to drive to the end of this road where you’ll likely see other cars parked on either side. Find a spot and unload your stuff. Remember that you’ll be carrying everything for 20-30 minutes, so pack accordingly.

From this parking area, you’ll walk North, through a gate and along the path towards the trees that you’ll see a couple hundred yards ahead and on your left. These trees form the back of Kekaha Kai Beach. The path will take you to the North end of Kekaha Kai Beach where you’ll continue on the path, through the lava field for about another 20 minutes until you get to the sand dunes. Don’t worry, it’s not a mirage, you’ve arrived. At this point just head towards the ocean.

Best Big Island

****Mauna Kea

Best stargazing in the world. Amazing place to watch the sunset.

You will see the sun dip below the clouds in a spectacular explosion of color, framed by (snowy) peaks, old volcanoes, and futuristic world class telescopes.

You can reach the visitor center where there are free stargazing programs offered just after sunset with any rental car but you’ll need a 4WD if you want to visit the summit. There are also professional tours organized from Hilo that will take you up the mountain.

To reach the visitor station you have to follow Hwy 200 (Saddle road) until you get to the Mauna Kea access road (around mile marker 28, across the street from the Pu’u Huluhulu Cinder cone parking lot) and follow that road up. The visitor center is located ~halfway up the Maunakea volcano at 9.200 ft elevation. Make sure that you have a full tank of gas before you start the ascent as the nearest gas stations are ~35 miles (50 km) from the visitor station.

Love Big Island

Bucket list someday: http://kamaainaobservatoryexperience.org/

Coffee/Tea Plantations

Two major regions: Kona (the most) and Ka’u. You can do a full day of farm touring if that suits your fancy. Most of them have free tours (some by reservation only) and free samples. We did 3-4 and they’re all different!

If you’re going to be on Big Island, my favorite tour spots are Hula Daddy in Kona, Rusty’s Hawaiian in Ka`ū, and Greenwell Coffee in Kona (just as others have mentioned). But also definitely check out Big Island Coffee Roasters in Puna. Rusty’s and BIRC don’t regularly run tours so just make sure you reach out via email or social media to set-up a visit beforehand, both of these two tours are going to be way more personal and less “touristy” than what you will experience at any of the other farms. For beans to take home, if you prefer a medium to light roast the only options are Daylight Mind Coffee Roasters, Rusty’s Hawaiian, and Big Island Coffee Roasters. All three of them source coffees grown from all around the state.

There are two primary regions on the Big Island; Kona and Ka’u. You can certainly string together a day touring as many farms as you are interested in as they are in a manageable area. Ka’u is the newcomer and has enjoyed some recent success. Stop in at Ka’u coffee mill. If you are a roaster, grab some green Natural to take home.

As for service, 100% go to Daylight Mind in Kona. Amazing coffee, free cupping classes, solid knowledge base, and amazing view overhanging the ocean.

Reddit (Tattooslittleshoes)

Choicemart: little convenience store in Captain Cook area where they sell over 20+ farms Kona Coffee

Hula Daddy Kona Coffee: is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. Tours of the orchard and the roasting room are free. More information on the website. (this was okay)

****Greenwell Farms: organizes free tours throughout the day. More information on their website. (this is the best one)

Buddha’s Cup: Winners of the 2010 Kona Coffee cupping competition, 3rd place in 2014.  Complimentary Kona coffee tastings and tours are available at their farm, which is open Mon-Fri between 9 am to 4 pm, and Sat between 10 am and 2 pm. See their website for more information.

Ueshima coffee(UCC): Famous in Japan. Organizes tours on their estate, reservations are needed and can be made on their website.

****Heavenly Hawaiian coffee farms: Organizes free tours from Monday to Saturday between 9am and 4pm. The tours are “farm to cup” and are concluded with a tasting on the lanai. More information on their website. (this is a really great one)

****Ka’u coffee mill: organizes free ~30 minute tours of their orchards 3 times a day. Find out more on their website.

Tea plantations:https://www.lovebigisland.com/mauna-kea-tea/on the way to Waipio Valley and Hilo

****Turtle Sightings

Quoted from Viator and confirmed with locals.

****Kahalu’u Beach Park (Kona side) – One of the Big Island’s most reliable turtle-spotting destinations, this beach park right in Kailua-Kona makes an easy pit stop during a day of sightseeing. While not an official marine sanctuary, the protected, shallow lagoon is a big draw for novice snorkelers as well as the sea turtles and fish they come to admire.

****Kiholo Bay (Kona side) – Visitors who tackle the hike down from the highway to reach this rocky lagoon in Kohala are often rewarded with excellent, uncrowded views of sea turtles. Bring snorkeling gear, as you may be able to get a close look if water conditions are calm.

****Honaunau Bay (aka Two Step, Kona side) – Bordering a former place of refuge for ancient Hawaiians fleeing persecution, today this historic site south of Kailua-Kona offers shelter from sea swells. The protected, clear waters are a big draw for snorkelers, and sea turtles are often seen swimming in the bay. Try to arrive early to beat the crowds.

****Punaluu Black Sand Beach (South) – If you’d prefer to glimpse sea turtles without getting wet, try Punaluu Beach. Keep an eye out for turtles bobbing in the surf or sunning themselves on the distinctive black sand and lava rocks. No snorkeling mask or fins required.

****Carlsmith Beach Park (Hilo side) – This is my addition to the four Viator-suggested beaches above. Probably was my favorite, actually, due to the absolutely clear lagoons, mostly smooth floor, and shallow waters, making it safe for kids. The turtles here are extremely friendly and might come straight up to you. It is illegal to touch them and you should move away to comply with state law.

****Honokohau (Kona side) – This is my addition as well, although when I went it was too late and the turtles had left already. However, it was recommended by multiple people. It’s kind of a secret so go google it instead, I’m not going to be that blogger who ruins it for everyone even though it didn’t work for me. 😀

****Manta Rays – MUST DO

https://www.lovebigisland.com/big-island-manta-ray-night-dive/

MANTA VILLAGE (SOUTH OF KONA)

• Original location
• Highest rate of sightings (~96%)
• ~4 mantas/night

MANTA HEAVEN (NORTH OF KONA)

• ~90% rate of sightings
• Highest volume (~11 mantas/night)

KOHALA COAST (NEAR WAIKOLOA)

• Less crowded
• Least reliable – fewer mantas, less frequent

We did Manta Heaven with Kona Diving Company and had FOURTEEN manta rays swooping and swirling and somersaulting just inches away from our faces! They each have names and the divemasters know and recognize them by the unique spot pattern on their bellies. They will share all the names of the ones you saw with you. Absolutely incredible experience, one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. Incidentally, it’s also one of the safest animal experiences in the world, since they’re gentle, don’t have a stinger, and they only eat plankton.

Snorkeling

1. **** Kealakekua Bay is an underwater marine sanctuary where you often can find dolphins and sea turtles. The bay is also known as “Captain Cook”. The center of the bay is deep, and you can often find a pod of spinner dolphins playing around here in the early morning. There are plenty of good spots for snorkeling in the bay, but the best snorkeling spot is on the opposite side of the bay from the parking area, close to the Captain Cook monument. It is the best because there is no wind, no sand (100% visibility), and no surf. The only ways to get there (because you can’t park there) are:
   1. Hike to Captain Cook monument (3.8 miles roundtrip – challenging and exposed to full sun)
   2. Boat tours
   3. Rent a kayak (mandatory permit) or join a guided kayak tour from licensed operator. 15-25 min one-way. We rented kayaks from Ehu and Kai for $65 (tandem; they take credit card via Square) from a little bay next to Kealakekua Bay, and kayaked all the way to the monument.
2. **** Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (also known as the city of refuge or Honaunau Bay) – one of the best snorkeling on the island, Two Step (at 300 ft. from the park entrance). This spot is often rated the second best place on the Big Island for snorkeling after Captain Cook. The waters are usually clear and the average depth is about 20ft. Often you can see pods of dolphins swimming close to shore. 
   1. There is a very easy place to enter the water called Pae’a or “Two Step”. It is at the end of a finger of lava and easy to find because you will see lots of people getting in the water. 
   2. The north (right) and south (left) side of the bay are very different because of their difference in depths. We recommend swimming to both so you get the complete picture of the bay. The left-hand side is the shallower side and tends to be where you can see most turtles.  The depth averages from about 10 to 25 feet. The right-hand side starts out shallow and slowly descends to over 30 feet, and then again quickly to well over 100 feet.  This deeper part of the bay is where the spinner dolphins like to hang out.
   3. To get to the city of refuge, drive 23 miles south of Kona over highway 11. There is no dedicated parking lot so you have to leave your car along the road. Because of this, and because the sky will often become cloudy later in the day, mornings are the best time to snorkel here. If you can make it early, we recommend that you get in the water no later than 10 A.M. There are no concession stands or showers.  Remember to bring your own food and water.  There are port-a-potty restrooms available.
3. Kahalu’u Beach Park – ask lifeguard for sandy entrance to water, great snorkeling

^ First two were semi-quoted from Love Big Island with my own additions.

Volcano Village and Volcanoes National Park

• Parts of this section are quoted from Love Big Island. We did not go on this trip due to the lack of lava flow from the 2018 eruption and government shutdown of 2019. It is often recommended to stay overnight, and since we were staying in Waikoloa, we decided to do this on a future trip when there is lava and we have time to stay overnight. However, we did do half the drive up to Punalu’u Beach and Ka’u Coffee Mill from Waikoloa. I will share the rest of my research as well.
• 2 hour drive from Kona, make a couple stops on the way:
  • ****South Point (most southern point of Hawai’i and the second-most southern point in the United States, also has 50 foot cliff diving and a ladder back up the cliff)
  • Papakolea green sand beach (must hike/hitch a ride to it)
    • “Green sand beach is one of two green sand beaches in the US, and not easy to reach. It’s remoteness guarantees that you will have most of the beach for yourself, and the bay is calm and good for snorkeling. The hike to and from green sand beach is 5-mile round trip (see directions below), so be prepared and take plenty of water. This is one beach that you will not easily forget in the coming decades!”
    • “Take the road to ‘South Point’ between mile markers 69 and 70 on Hwy 11 (between Kona and Volcano Village), and drive to the small harbor at the end. Here you find a parking lot where you can leave your car. Although it is possible to take a 4WD car all the way to green sand beach using the car damages the road and environment and is heavily frowned upon by the locals. Walk to the ocean and take the road to the left (facing the water, East direction). Follow this road with the ocean on your right hand for about 2 1/2 miles and you will get to the cliffs above the Green Sand Beach. Climb down along the lava cliff on the west side of the bay, and wear plenty of sunscreen!”
    • Locals can give you a ride in AWD for $10 per person each way ($20 total per person), supposed to be illegal.
  • ****Punalu’u bake shop – second best malasadas on the island and great sweet breads. If hungry, Hana Hou restaurant across the street is recommended.
  • ****Punalu’u black sand beach (turtle nesting area)
    • “The turtles basking in the sun are Hawaiian green sea turtles (Honu). You can sometimes also encounter the more rare Hawksbill Turtle (Honu’ea) in the water but not basking on the beach. Fun turtle trivia: sea turtles almost never bask on the beach. Several species of green sea turtles do this but only at a few locations worldwide. Hawaii is one of those!”
• Volcanoes National Park
  • PLEASE BE AWARE: beginning in May, 2018, the lava lake that existed inside Halema‘uma‘u crater disappeared and lava flows from Puʻu ʻŌʻō crater have ceased. There is no molten lava to see anywhere in the park.
  • Start your visit at the visitor center and plan your day in the park from there. 
  • Watch the 30-minute educational video in the auditorium and talk to the park rangers about the current situation in the park, ranger-led (free) hikes, and tailor-made advice. 
  • Some “must see stops” in the park are the Kilauea Caldera, Thurston Lava Tube, and the Chain of Craters Road. If you feel up for it, we recommend you hike the Kilauea Iki trail, which descends from the beautiful Volcano rainforest into the caldera where you can see firsthand the effects of millions of years of volcanic activity.
    • 1/16/19 from Reddit: “I was at VNP yesterday, Chain of Craters road is closed, as are most of the trails, including the lava tubes. There is no glow at all after last year’s ‘eruptions’, all the lava is spent. The steam vents and sulphur trails are open, and you can drive to the Kilauea iki lookout, that’s about it. Jaggar museum is closed permanently, they expect it to fall into the crater eventually. The visitor center and Volcano house are open.”
  • Devastation Trail – day hike
  • Mountain View – old growth lava forest
  • Lava Tree State Monument
  • Costco helicopter tour $170 https://www.costco.com/Hilo-Lava-Adventure-30-minute-Helicopter-Tour,-eVoucher.product.100392570.html
• Pohoiki Beach/Hot Springs (NEW!)
  • “The 2018 LERZ eruption has changed Pohoiki Beach Park significantly and now it is home to the newest black sand beach on the Big Island! This is a beautiful beach and well worth a visit. It also created four Natural Ocean Thermal Ponds that are contained by all the new black sand. The Department of Health warns that these ponds are not disinfected and that, due to the risk of bacterial infections, the public should not enter these ponds if they have open wounds. Enter these ponds at your own risk.”

Kohala Coast Loop Drive

• ****Hapuna Beach – rated one of the best beaches in the world. Super soft powdered white sand with no rocks, huge parking lot. Costs $5 to park, free for locals. Very popular beach and would be great for families. There are rentals and a café (Three Frogs) on-site.
• Pu’ukohola Heiau – sacred site of sacrifice, home of the submerged temple in the bay that has sharks swimming around it. To be honest, I didn’t see them. But look it up on Youtube and you’ll see videos from others who have.
• Kawaihae Kitchen – recommended by my friend Chantal (“highlights: spicy ahi bowl, Nori chicken, Korean chicken”)
• ****Hamakua Macadamia Nut Factory – tons of free samples of many flavors of macadamia nuts and also coffee. Free tours.
• Lapakahi State Historical Park – ruins of old village, mainly just the rock foundations. Fairly quick stop to walk around.
• Hawi Artist Village – old town with art galleries, has the first statue of King Kamehameha that was originally ordered, shipwrecked, and then recovered. They got another one with the insurance money and that one is displayed in Hilo.
• ****Pololu Valley Lookout – there’s a 15 min hike down (40 min back up) to the black sand beach with amazing views along the way of the majestic valley and cliffs. Don’t swim in the ocean. Also, don’t cross the river if it’s high.
• Drive back through Waimea, which is the cowboy town. There’s Anna Ranch which you can wander around the grounds for free (pay to tour the historical house).

Hamakua Coast to Hilo Loop Drive

• Pass through Waimea (see Kohala Coast above)
• Tex Drive In – hot malasadas (best on the island, has guava and lilikoi filled ones)
• ****Waipio Valley Lookout – look down the drive to see how steep it is (can’t actually drive down – requires 4WD and a tour guide)
• ****Laupahoehoe Scenic Point (5 min detour)
• ****UmaUma Falls – you can pay $5 per person at the visitor center if you’d like, or just drive through and park at the viewpoint for the falls (here’s a property map I scanned)
• ****‘Akaka Falls – most popular, short paved walk 1/4 mile ($5 parking but free for kama’aina)
• ****4 mile scenic drive
  
  • Donkey trail
  • **** Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden ($20 admission, pay $10 to get driven back up in golf cart, we didn’t have time to go)
• Hilo Farmer’s Market (7am-4pm most days)
• **** Two Ladies Kitchen – fresh mochi (10am-4pm, closed Sun/Mon)
• **** Banyan Drive (enter from Banyan Drive and drive all the way around, park at the gardens):
  • Coconut Island
  • **** Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens (Japanese water garden; free)
  • Suisan Fish Market – fresh poke (order and enjoy in the gardens)
• **** Carlsmith Beach Park – friendly turtles and shallow lagoons, very safe for kids
• Richardson Ocean Park – popular for snorkeling and turtles as well (we didn’t have time to go)
• Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens – free entrance (we didn’t have time to go)
• Ken’s House of Pancakes – open 24/7, call the waitresses “auntie” (local custom of respect)
• Safeway / Safeway Fuel – one of only two Safeways on this island, this one is newer, bigger, and has a gas station, but has a smaller poke selection (doh!). Again, great place to use Safeway rewards and fill up on gas for much cheaper.
• Big Island Candies (free samples, but not many)
• **** Mauna Loa Mac Nuts (free samples, didn’t have time to go)
• **** Rainbow Falls – if you go early, the rising sun creates many rainbows in the falling water, but definitely go any time of day before sunset. Really nice waterfall falling in front of a cave. Be sure to go on the side trail into the twisted and tangled trees as well.
• Boiling Pots – meh but it’s near Rainbow Falls so drop by for a few minutes
• **** Kaumana Caves – 25 miles long lava tubes, bring a flashlight or headlamp!! Also cold/wet, so wear a windbreaker/waterproof jacket
• **** Mauna Kea Lookout – watch the sunset, park in the lower parking lot (“additional parking”) and go through the tunnels and hike up to the top of the hill where everybody is watching the sunset
• Drive along Saddle Road back to Waikoloa – nothing much to see along here but you can drop by Mauna Kea on the way, especially if it’s almost sunset!

Scenic Drives

Suggested Unique Tours to Book $$

• ****Manta Ray Dive/Snorkel
• Swim with wild dolphins (my friend Chantal recommends this company)
• Kealakekua Bay snorkel boat
• Mauna Kea sunrise or sunset/stargazing tour (there are some tours that will do astrophotography portraits, i.e. you in the middle with the magnificent Milky Way behind you)
• Helicopter tours over volcanoes and waterfalls (check Costco for cheaper package)
• Sheraton Kona Haleo Luau (best luau on the island according to a local who has bartended every luau)
• Flumin’ Kohala kayak tour (“110 year old system of hand-wrought tunnels, elevated flumes, and concrete channels that once supplied millions of gallons of fresh water to the vast sugar cane plantations of Kohala”)

Random

• Lava Lava Beach Club is pricey but has good food, great for romantic fancy meal
• Visit Hilton Waikoloa for free by parking in the public beach access parking next door, walk down the beach access path, and then approaching the Hilton from the beach. Or you can approach from the front lobby as well. They have an impressive property with an on-site tram, water shuttle, and dolphins you can see for free at Dolphin Quest. Also, their entire walkway is lined with artifacts like a museum. Well worth a visit to this property.

Marriott Waikoloa Resort

We used a 7-night certificate here. They also offer kama’aina rates.

The Waikoloa Beach Marriott (review) sits on 15 acres overlooking Anaeho’omalu Bay (“A Bay” to the locals) in a village with a few other resorts and timeshares, including Marriott’s timeshares, the Hilton Waikoloa, and the Hilton Grand Vacations. Kings’ Shops are across the street from the Marriott, while Queens’ Marketplace is about a 5 minute walk away. Both offer many dining and shopping opportunities, with Queens’ being slightly more down to earth and more my style. There’s a food court and movie theater at Queens’ as well. When you feel like being more frugal, grab your dinner from the huge and impressive Island Gourmet Markets in Queens’ Marketplace. Here you can get a fresh poke bowl, hot foods, like the Japanese curry, the loco moco, or the spam musubi (try the kimchi fried rice spam musubi!). The sushi is made by Sansei! There are so many options here. The Marriott also has discounted meals at certain times of day/week and happy hours.

Breakfast at the resort changes slightly every day in the format and meat used (i.e. loco moco benedict or salmon benedict, brown rice or fried rice, hashed browns or roasted potatoes, etc). The juices are always the same – guava juice and orange juice. Don’t miss the fruit section, especially the pineapple, it’s very sweet. Pro Tip: Ask the bartender at breakfast to give you some li hing mui (housemade) powder to sprinkle on your pineapple. 

The mandatory resort fee of $30 plus tax per night per room included:

• Enhanced high-speed internet access (eh, it wasn’t that high speed…)
• International long-distance calls (60 minutes per day)
• Calls to US and Canada
• A 45-minute photo session with souvenir digital photo (We never had time to do this, though we did a similar thing at Andaz Maui and it’s pretty nice. Obviously they’ll try to sell you overpriced packages but at least you get the one free photo.)
• Daily one-hour snorkel-equipment rental for two (never used this as the snorkeling is not too good along the coastline here)
• Daily beach yoga class for two at 8 am (this was pretty nice)
• Daily pool fitness class for two at 9:30 am (to be honest, geared more for seniors)
• Daily cultural activities (like ukelele lessons, lei making, etc – never had time to attend these)
• Shell lei upon arrival
• Waikoloa logo insulated cooler bag (this came in pretty handy!)
• 20% off regular luau prices (you can watch the luau without paying, so I didn’t think getting the food even for 20% off would be worth it)
• 15% off daily car rental with Enterprise, when booked online or at the lobby Enterprise desk (National is located at the Hilton next door – both were completely sold out of cars the entire week I was there)
• 25% off regular breakfast buffet (free for Platinum and higher if you choose it as your amenity)
• Two coupons for a special house mai tai drink (this was pretty yummy; can be redeemed either at the Aka’ula Lanai shop in the lobby or at the restaurant where the breakfast is held)
• Two coupons for coffee at Aka‘ula Lanai (this is the lobby coffee shop; ended up never redeeming this as we had coffee at breakfast anyways)

Parking: $21/night for self-parking. What a rip-off. Some hotels like Fairmont Orchid and Four Seasons have free parking.

Laundry: One benefit of the resort sharing space with a Marriott Vacation Club property. There are self-service laundry machines on the first floor of the Ka’ahumanu Tower. The cash price ($1.75) was much lower than the credit-card price ($3.75) for these machines, so it was worth using the change machine to get quarters instead of using a credit card. Laundry supplies like detergent could be bought through a machine for four quarters each.

8:30 AM island briefings every day with a complimentary continental breakfast (not the same as the breakfast buffet). You only need to go to this once, but GO ON THE FIRST MORNING. Take good notes! (my notes are below) The orientation is hosted by a concierge who is a local expert and grew up on the island. Although she does promote paid tours and activities, she also tells you how to give yourself a tour and the driving routes, and this is what you need to get yourself oriented to the island and help you plan your stay. She will tell you a secret beach to see turtles. The whole orientation is 90 minutes and totally worth it. It’s part of the concierge, not part of the timeshare sales, though the timeshare people are the ones who will contact you before your arrival to tell you about this concierge orientation, again at your arrival to remind you of the orientation (and also try to get you to sign up for a timeshare sales presentation in exchange for some stuff), and before you depart to try to sell you another timeshare sales presentation for a return vacation (see below).

Luau on Monday & Wed evening – you can attend the imu viewing at 9:30 am to watch the underground oven being prepared and the pig placed in. Luau tickets are only checked when getting food. So people without tickets can get drinks from the open bar and enjoy the show.

Sister hotel Mauna Kea Marriott has a nice beach similar to Hapuna Beach since it’s right next to it. You can also go snorkeling at night for manta rays (free, just need to rent wetsuit and dive light, but they turn on their dive lights at night). Note: Hard to find parking during the day in the free public beach parking, so you might end up having to pay for valet parking. Pick up a beach pass from the lobby.

Aloha Center (timeshare office): They’ll call you before your stay, on the day of your arrival, and before you leave. But they’re very nice and friendly. Even if you don’t plan to attend a timeshare presentation, do drop by the Aloha Center and pick up your free gift (for me it was either a large tote bag or a small zipper canvas bag) and bring the paper that they slid under your door for 1000 Marriott points (no strings attached, write your Marriott number on it). They’ll also give you a packet containing a discount card for various discounts around the island (PDF below). I didn’t end up using any of these discounts, but some of you may find them interesting, such as 15% off dinner at Shiono at Mauna Lani. If you sign up for their 90 minute timeshare sales presentation (if you do, remember to hold your ground and SAY NO), you can get one of the following gifts(PDF below), of which I personally would choose the luau tickets. We didn’t have time to do this as we had a packed schedule.

Timeshare return/welcome back offer: If you visit the timeshare office and put down a $99 deposit, you can return anytime within 24 months for $799 (regular hotel room at the resort), which includes 6 days/5 nights, resort fees, taxes, AND parking. Another option is $499 for 5 days/4 nights for staying in a 1-bedroom at the Waikoloa Ocean Club (the timeshare property, on the same grounds). They also give you a gift of 20k Marriott points or a $100 gift card with either option. Alternatively, you can use the return package at any of their other 21 timeshare resorts within 12 months. Requires attending a timeshare presentation during that return stay, which is 90 minutes.