Dear Big Island visitors, Aloha and Welcome to the Big Island!

Most of you who are preparing their Big Island vacation already know that this Hawaiian island is definitely different to all the other islands. The facts are that the Big Island is the largest, the youngest and the least populated one in the Hawaiian chain. It has the highest peaks in the Pacific and the most volcanoes, with Mauna Loa still rated as an active volcano and Kilauea's eruptions and hot lava flow attracting thousands of visitors from around the world to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park each year.

Hawaii Big Island geography, climate and weather

Hawaii Big Island weather has an unmatched diversity of 11 micro climates and terrain: from white, black & green sand beaches, over tropical rainforest to upcountry rolling hills of cowbow land and meadows and snowcapped mountain peaks. Draw a line down the middle of the Big Island, and you will define the East coast with Hamakua Coast, Hilo and Puna/ Kapoho area as the wetter part of the island with lush green tropical rainforest and beautiful black sand beaches.
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The West coast of your line, the Kona and the Kohala Coast, is associated with very dry, hot tropical weather all year around. This steady sunny weather on the Kona Kohala Coast and the existence of stretches of white sand beaches, was the reason for building big beach resorts like Kona Village, Waikoloa Beach Resort, Mauna Lani Beach Resort and 5-star Mauna Kea Beach Hotel (first hotel ever built on the Big Island some 40 years ago) and Hapuna Beach Hotel.
>>>Read more on Kona Kohala Coast Resorts

Big Island Activities

There are no limits to your Big Island activities. The Pacific waters provide a stunning array of colorful marine life. Watersports like scuba diving, snorkeling, whale watching and big game fishing are attracting Big Island visitors all along the West Coast when on their Big Island vacation. Hiking into remote valleys like Waipio and Pololulu valley or within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, mountain-biking or upcountry horse back riding are favorite Big Island activities as well. A visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with watching red glowing lava running into the ocean and a visit to Mauna Kea summit with stargazing through one of the telescopes at the Vitors Center are probably the two biggest Big Island attractions and things to do on your Big Island vacation all year round.
>>>Read more on Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
>>>Read more on Mauna Kea Summit Stargazing
>>>Plan your Big Island Activities with HawaiiActive.com

Big Island Golf Courses

These fancy Kona and Kohala Coast beach resorts cater to Big Island visitors who have come for a relaxing beach vacation and maybe playing some rounds of golf occasionally or daily, provided they are a passionate golfer. Golf courses like Mauna Kea and Mauna Lani and Hualalai Four Seasons are world championship golf courses.
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Big Island Events

Then there are those special Big Island events which attract the crowds from the Mainland and from around the world year after year. The annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo, Big Island of Hawaii, is a week long festival of cultural events including Hawaii’s most prestigious hula competitions at Edith Kanaka’ole stadium. The hula festival takes place the week after Easter.
>>>Read more on Merrie Monarch Hula Festival

The biggest Hawaii event, not just for the Big Island, is the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. Every October, on the Saturday closest to the full moon, about 1,500 of the world's fittest people tackle one of the toughest endurance events, the Ford Hawaii Ironman Triathlon World Championship. The Ironman is a day-long event. It starts with a four-kilometre swim, followed by a 180-kilometre bike race, topped off with a 42-kilometre marathon run.
>>>Read more on Hawaii Ironman Triathlon

Big Island Vacation Accommodations

We are happy you have found our Hawaii Affordable Vacation Rentals Guide, which offers over 100 Big Island vacation rentals at different island locations: Kona, Puako, Volcano, Hilo, Hamakua Coast, Waimea & Kohala Coast. Not everybody can afford the rates at 5-star beach front Kona or Kohala Coast Hotels. Big Island hotels can be a great option for a short 1- or 2-night stay. For longer stay, a fully equipped vacation rental is the way to go. Believe us there are plenty of great places to stay on your Big Island vacation.

We have put together this free Big Island accommodation guide - it's free for Big Island vacation home owners and it's free for you to use it! We hope you find a nice comfortable and affordable Big Island rental matching your budget and expectations.
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Big Island Revealed

Prepare your Big Island vacation with 'Big Island Revealed' and take this book along for the ride. Still, don't take everything for granted you read in the book, chefs at restaurants change and so can many other things, to the positive or the negative! But the book will be a great help for your Big Island adventure.
>>>See Big Island Maps

Hawaii Vacation Blog

Last but not least, visit our Hawaii blog Best Hawaii Vacation which is about Hawaii, Big Island, Maui, Kauai, Oahu & Kohala Coast: vacation rentals, activities, air fares, beaches, car rentals, events, golf, hiking, hotels, real estate, resorts, restaurants, weather, wedding and lots of fun like Hawaii youtube videos and more. Sign up for email updates. Mahalo!

When making your reservation with the rental owner, please, tell him/her that you found their listing on Hawaii Affordable Vacation Rentals. We'd also like to hear from you about your Big Island vacation experience, what you did, what you liked best on the Big Island and places you stayed. Please, email us your Big Island Trip Report. Mahalo and aloha.

>>>Read more on Big Island weather
>>>Read our Big Island Trip Reports
>>>Read more on Big Island Things To Do
>>>Read more on Big Island Golf
>>>Read more on Big Island Events

Big Island Vacation Photos

Much mahalo to Kona Ocean View Vacation Home for these Big Island photos.

Four Seasons Beach, Kona Coast	Waipio Valley Lookout Hamakua Coast
Hawaiian Cruise Kona Big Island	Hawaii Ironman Triathlon Kona
Kahaluu Bay Beach Park Best Snorkel	Resting Hawaii Green Sea Turtle
Mauna Kea Summit Star Gazing	Hawaiian regatta outrigger canoes
Waipio Valley Wagon Tour	Learn how to hula Keauhou Kona

Big Island rental owners are invited to submit their vacation photos. When published here, we will include a link to your Big Island vacation home. Big Island visitors are also invited to email us photos from their Big Island vacation.

Big Island Vacation Tips

Big Island temperatures average in the high 70s all your round. The island temperatures are considerably warmer at sea level, on the Big Island beaches, and quite coller at higher elevation areas.

There is no public transportation on the island for visitors to get around and explore the island. Big Island car rentals are among the lowest in the nation. Call a few Hawaii car rental companies for quotes to compare before renting a car. The major Big Island car rental companies have services at Kona International Airport and Hilo Airport. Drive with aloha, local style. This is not the mainland. Stay away from honking the horn at other drivers' or tailgating. Yield to other drivers by handsigns.

Dress code at Big Island resorts or hotels is always resort casual but pack a sweater or light jacket for trips around the island. Upcountry hiking, visits to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and visits to Mauna Kea summit require even some more extra warm clothes in a backpack.

Always respect the ocean and read the warning signs and ocean conditions on the Big Island beaches. Breaking shore waves, undercurrents and riptides can put you and your family at danger for your lives. Better be safe than sorry.

Resist the temptation to take lava rocks from the volcanoes. The legend is that Madam Pele, the goddess, of the Volcano, won't like it and taking home lava rocks will bring you bad luck. The Hawaii Visitor's Bureau receives lava rocks each year, which were sent back by Big Island visitors, who seemed haunted by them when back home from vacation.

The Big Island offers a huge variety of vacation accommodations from luxury resorts on the Kohala Coast to budget condominiums in Kona, vacation rentals in Waimea, upcountry inns and Volcano bed and breakfasts. Start your search right here at Hawaii Affordable Vacation Rentals.