Where to stay on the Big Island
Where to stay on the Kohala Coast
Thirty to forty-five minutes north of Kona airport, this is resort country: Hapuna, Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani, Waikoloa. The beaches are the best on the island. Evenings are quiet, and the rates are not.
Stay here if
The trip is mostly sand, a pool and snorkelling, and the budget can take a resort or a condo nearby.
Skip it if
You want to walk to a town for dinner. Waikoloa Village is inland and ordinary; the beaches are a drive from there.
Waikoloa Beach Resort
Two big resorts, a shopping area, and a layout made for golf carts. Convenient. Not local.
Mauna Lani
Quieter shoreline and more space between properties. Worth it if the beach is the whole point.
Waikoloa Village
Cheaper, inland, dry and windy. Fine as a bedroom if you drive to the coast each morning.
Hotels and rentals
Live availability around this base. Prices update on the booking site.
The map and the Booking.com link are affiliate links. If you book through them I may earn a commission, at the same price you would pay anyway. It does not change which base I recommend.
Other bases
- Where to stay in KonaThe default base. Sun, restaurants, snorkelling and the manta boats.
- Where to stay in HiloA real town on the rainy side. Close to waterfalls and the park.
- Where to stay in VolcanoSleep at the park. Cold nights, one or two of them is enough.
- Where to stay in North KohalaSmall towns at the end of the road. Only if the north is the point.