Hawaii- The Big Island
I visited The Big Island with my family of 4, a few years ago. I loved this island because there was so much history and beauty. We stayed in a condo on the Kona side of the island to take advantage of good snorkeling. Then we found a reasonably priced hotel on the Hilo side of the island and went to see Volcanoes National Park- we wanted to see the lava night glow! (it was cheaper to rent a condo for a week and just not use it for the one night we went to the Kona side of the island).
What I can do for you:
Help in finding an affordable, well located place to stay
Advice on rental cars
Knowledge of really fun things to do and see
Point you in the direction of amazing hikes.
Budget:
Flights will be about $875 (from DFW) non stop flights will be around $1100
Condos will run $225 + a night for a well located condo
Food is always expensive in Hawaii- but I can help you stick to a food budget. Food will run about $50-$60 a day pp- if you eat out....about $20-$40 a day if you do some cooking.
Rental car- a must have- will run about $50 a day depending on car type
Kona side of the island- see King Kamehameha museums (there are 2 really good Hawaiian History and Culture museums). Make sure you find the painted church-stunning!.
Go swimming at secluded beaches and parks. Find a great waterfall hike. Or go whale watching from shore during the winter months.
Visit Mauna Kea Observatory for a great sunset experience and then stay for the free star party. There is an option of going up to the observatory (expensive)
Volcanoes National Park is awesome. You need to stay the night on the Hilo side of the island so you can see the night glow from the lava and do a few hikes. The National Park is open 24/7.
