Planning a Trip

Most people arrive on the Big Island at Kona International Airport, on the island's west coast. From the airport, Kilauea volcano is to the right (counterclockwise), and the ritzy Kohala Coast is to the left (clockwise). (If you land in Hilo, of course, the volcano is clockwise and Kohala is counterclockwise.)

Arriving

The Big Island has two major airports for jet traffic between the islands: Kona International Airport and Hilo International Airport.

The Kona Airport receives direct overseas flights from Japan on Japan Airlines (tel. 800/525-3663; www.jal.co.jp/en) and Vancouver on Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.com). Carriers from the mainland include American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), with flights to Los Angeles; Delta Airlines (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com), with nonstop flights from Salt Lake City (originating in Atlanta); Northwest Airlines (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com), with flights from Seattle; U.S. Airways/American West (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com), with flights from Phoenix; and United Airlines (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com), with nonstop flights from Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and a direct flight to Chicago.

Hilo Airport has a direct flight from Oakland via ATA (tel. 800/435-9282; www.ata.com), which code-shares with Southwest Airlines.

If you cannot get a direct flight to the Big Island, you'll have to pick up an interisland flight in Honolulu: Hawaiian Airlines (tel. 800/367-5320; www.hawaiianair.com) and go! (tel. 888/IFLYGO2; www.iflygo.com) offer jet service to both Big Island airports. All major rental companies have cars available at both airports.

Visitor Information

The Big Island Visitors Bureau has two offices on the Big Island: one at 250 Keawe St., Hilo, HI 96720 (tel. 808/961-5797; fax 808/961-2126), and on the other side of the island at 250 Waikoloa Beach Dr., Waikoloa, HI 96738 (tel. 808/886-1655). Its website is www.bigisland.org.

On the west side of the island, there are two additional sources to contact for information: the Kona-Kohala Resort Association, 68-1310 Mauna Lani Dr., suite 101, Kahala Coast, HI 96743 (tel. 800/318-3637 or 808/885-6414; fax 808/885-6145; www.kohalacoastresorts.com); and Destination Kona, P.O. Box 2850, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 (tel. 808/322-6809; fax 808/322-8899). On the east side, you can contact Destination Hilo, P.O. Box 1391, Hilo, HI 96721 (tel. 808/935-5294; fax 808/969-1984). And in the middle, contact the Waimea Visitor Center, P.O. Box 6570, Kamuela, HI 96743 (tel. 808/885-6707; fax 808/885-0885).

The Big Island's best free tourist publications are This Week, the Beach and Activity Guide, and 101 Things to Do on Hawaii the Big Island. All three offer lots of useful information, as well as discount coupons on a variety of island adventures. Copies are easy to find all around the island.

The Beach and Activity Guide is affiliated with the Activity Connection, Bougainvillea Plaza, Suite 102, 75-5656 Kuakini Hwy., Kailua-Kona (tel. 800/459-7156 or 808/329-1038; fax 808/327-9411; www.beachactivityguide.com), a discount activities desk offering real savings (no fees, no timeshares) of up to 15% on activities including island tours, snorkel and dive trips, submarine and horseback rides, luau, and more. The office is open daily from 7:30am to 5:30pm.