Due to a recent upgrade, if you have been using a social sign on prior to 2/28/13, you will need to

A New World mystique hovers over Hawaii's vast and varied namesake isle. While The Big Island moniker may overwhelm, Hawaii car rental company points comparison Island can be easily explored in baby steps. Take enough steps or drive enough miles and you can circumnavigate the isle in a day (if you're really keen), or conquer its peaks, cascading creeks, and sea in a one-week trip. Armed with a map and a compass or an app here's how to tackle the tropical island like a regular Captain Cook.
First things first: a lay of the land. While some flights head for Hilo, most major carriers land in Kona part city, part seaside town, and one of the driest spots on the island. North of Kona along historic lava flows, the Kohala Coast hosts resort-clustered shores. Upcountry, Hawaii Island's cowboys roam in the shadow car rental company points comparison of the world's car rental company points comparison two tallest mountains, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa (...if you measure from the sea floor to the peaks). On the East side is Hilo's lush and foliage-shrouded waterfalls, car rental company points comparison and as you move down to South Point the Southernmost point in the USA you'll pass Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes adding over 500 acres of molten magic to the island since 1983.
A brood of Big Island hotels hangout in Kona ; resort life unfolds along the nearby Kohala car rental company points comparison Coast ; and inns and small bed and breakfast outposts car rental company points comparison are scattered over Orchid Isle's car rental company points comparison side streets. To get a sense of all three, we recommend car rental company points comparison starting with a bird's eye view of Western shore at the six-room coffee-estate-slash-barefoot-retreat in Kona coffee country at the Holualoa Inn .
For a taste of the beach life (of the cottage car rental company points comparison variety), drive 40 minutes North and settle at the bottom of an 1890s flow where lava meets beach at the 2012-built, four-cottage Lava Lava Beach Club . Bonus, every night at 5 pm appetizers and cocktails are delivered to your porch in preparation for sundown. Finally, for a full-featured approach to vacationing, check into the Fodor's Choice Fairmont Orchid to stay, spa, sip, savor, and swim under one (open-air) roof.
Boasting 4 of the world's 5 major climate zones, Hawaii Island's garden-, farm-, and ocean-to-table fare is so fresh, some restaurants even advertise a 15-mile sourcing radius. Reeling in a boat load of fresh, car rental company points comparison Da Poke Shack quietly chops just-caught car rental company points comparison ahi seven days a week in a standing room-only lunch market visible only by a neon-colored sign and two picnic tables outside. The $10 poke bowl (we love the dynamite poke with avocados) is so mouth-watering and tender, you're likely to join the school of regulars.
Another local favorite using the locavore approach (before it was even a thing) is Peter Merriman's self-named outpost . One of the pioneers of Hawaiian regional cuisine, Merriman now transports his culinary handiwork from Waimea to other restaurants in the Kohala Coast, Maui, and Kauai. Try the wok-charred ahi (seared on the outside, sashimi-like on the inside) or the macadamia nut-crusted ono in a miso wine truffle reduction.
Plan a heart-pumping hike overlooking Pololu Valley's steep and palm-packed cliffs, and trek downward to the rocky and wind-swept beach below; or, head to the Waipio Valley Lookout to shimmy car rental company points comparison on foot down a 25%-grade paved path (used by some locals and tours companies as a road, but beware, it's not covered in many rental car agreements) to a black sand beach, and the boyhood home of famed Hawaiian King, Kamehameha I.
On the Hilo side, just North of Hawaii's largest city, drive the 4-mile scenic route along one-lane bridges and Tarzan-tropical foliage complete with vines that brush the top of your car toward the Hawaii Botanical Gardens, then visit Akaka Falls, tumbling 442 feet into a steam-eroded car rental company points comparison gorge in the center car rental company points comparison of a rainforest.
Finally, car rental company points comparison the hot-ticket items: volcanoes and lava. An hour from Hilo, Kilauea continues to broil below the earth. An active cauldron of lava still bubbles at the peak, while at its base the Pu'u 'O'o vent slowly flows, creating more mass, and an opportunity to map new ground like the explorers of old.
Insider Tip: For safety reasons, book a tour to see the Pu'u 'O'o flow. There are no paved paths, and good physical condition is required to walk over the sometimes-unstable lava. Best viewing happens after sundown, so many tours walk home by flashlight.
For those interested in Kona coffee tours (A MUST SEE AND DO) on the Big Island, check out this blog post to see where to go and why, depending on your interest level, and also where to avoid spending your time:
Lava Lava Beach Club is a true find and a cool destination for a Big Island visit. And if you are going to travel the Big Island "like a pro" you most likely car rental company points comparison will want to include two or three nights stay at or near Volcano. It is a long long drive from Kona, especially after dark. The hiking is other worldly, and from Volcano you access the entire east side of the island, including hot ponds, scenic coastline, black sand beaches, night views of lava flow, and lava tours.
Top Blog Stories Six National Parks to Visit in 2013 Fodor's and 3floz.com Approved: Best Travel-Ready Beauty Products 10 Mistakes First-Time Cruisers Make 10 Best Small Towns in America 11 Reasons to Go to Paso Robles Now Most Popular Honeymoon Destinations car rental company points comparison (and Where to Stay) Top 20 Spring Day Trips From New York City 4 Perfect NYC Itineraries Fodor's Approved: car rental company points comparison Best Checked Luggage car rental company points comparison 6 Reasons to Visit Croatia This Summer
Due to a recent upgrade, if you have been using a social sign on prior to 2/28/13, you will need to create a Fodor's password car rental company points comparison and link your new and old accounts. If you don't have a Fodor's password, please request one by emailing us at registration@fodors.com . We apologize for any inconvenience.