Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
reservations must be made seven days prior to check in. The maximum length of stay per
permit is five consecutive nights.
County park facilities and upkeep range from good to minimal. Some parks are isol-
ated.
Camping permits are required for county parks, and can be obtained (up to a year in
Hawaii_County/camping/exe/campre.cgi
)
. Daily camping fees are $6/2.25/1 for adults/teens/
children 12 years and under. Details about facilities at each county park are available at
See the table opposite for information on campsites and facilities. Apart from those
specified (backcountry), all of the campsites listed are drive-up.
Getting There & Away
Most interisland and domestic US flights arrive in Kona. Most visitors to the Big Island
will enter through Kona International Airport, but if you plan to stick to the east side of
Hawaiʻi or are booked into tours based in that area, consider flying into Hilo, a 2½-hour
drive from Kona. Continental is the only carrier serving the mainland to Hilo; many
flights route through Honolulu first.
There are two major interisland carriers:
Hawaiian Airlines
(HA; 800-367-5320;
terisland flights daily, though go! has more direct flights, while the majority of Hawaii-
an's flights require a stopover in Honolulu. Fares range from $70 to $90 one-way, al-
though advance-purchase fare wars can cause prices to be slashed by nearly half.
flight between Kona and Maui, and direct flights daily from Kona to Honolulu and
Kaua'i. Fares are typically $90 to $120 one-way.
Kona International Airport at Keahole
(KOA; 327-9520;
http://hawaii.gov/koa
;
73-7200
Kupipi St, Kailua-Kona)
On Hwy 19, 7 miles north of Kailua-Kona.
Hilo International Airport
(ITO; 961-9300;
http://hawaii.gov/ito
;
2450 Kekuanaoa St, Hilo)
Off Hwy 11, just under a mile south of the intersection of Hwys 11 and 19.
Getting Around
The Big Island is divided into six districts: Kona, Kohala, Waimea, Hilo, Puna and Kaʻu.
The Hawaiʻi Belt Rd circles the island, connecting the main towns and sights. It's pos-
