-If you have to split up the time, and seeing the volcanoe is a primary concern, then 5/3 is OK. Remember the first night you will be exhausted and the last night you will be packing, so you only really have 6 nights to deal with.

-If you are staying in Kona, then fly into Kona. The west side has more variation in accomodation than Hilo

-At the current time, there is no flowing lava to be seen, and no flowing lava entering the ocean. If that is what you want to see, I'd reconsider visiting The Big Island because you are likely to be disappointed. The prior lava viewing area was more like a 4-5 hour drive back to Kona at night. You can visit the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park more easily, but what you can see will be more limited.

-The town of Volcano is a better choice to visit the park.

-You are getting very late to be chosy about accomodation. What is your nightly accomodation budget?

-The Pacific Beach Hotel is in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. Do you mean the Kona Beach Hotel?

-Time for a guidebook

-You can easily drive to the park. Please take time to visit the park website where you will find more information:

http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm

Many people recommend taking a helicopter tour of the park. You'll have to see if it fits in your budget.

Thanks for your reply. We have 8 days, not counting the day of arrival. Our return flight is booked from Kona, not sure that can be changed. So would it be an easy drive from the National Park to Kona? The helicopter tour is probably ruled out because of fear of heights!

We will need to stay at least one night at Royal Kona Hotel, not Pacific Beach. Does it make sense to split the 3 or 4 days in Big Island between Volcano and Kona? We are looking for a moderate hotel.

How old are the kids? What do they like to do? Do you envision one trip to the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park or more days?

If you want beaches, you are going to have to stay in the Kona or south Koahala or Waikoloa areas.

Suggest you fly into Hilo and from there - it's a short drive up to the Volcano - and plan on staying there for the night.

The next day - spend the morning sight seeing around the Volcano and then take the two hour drive over to Kona and spend a couple of nights there - where it's easier to get a direct flight back to Honolulu and then home.

If you have time - when landing in Hilo - drive up the east side a bit to Akaka Falls - which is very beautiful - about 30 minutes north of Hilo and then from there - it's about an hour back to the Volcano area.

Check the availability around Volcano Village - and our favorite is the Volcano Village Inn - but have to say our friend the owner did sell a short time ago.

Think this might be a different webpage - but the map is helpful. http://www.volcanoinnhawaii.com/

BTW - I like the drive from the Volcano to Kona - very pretty - and I make good time - but with the kids you might want to stop a time or two - but should still be able to do it in 3 hours.

You can drive to volcano from kona. I did it from the kohala coast. As Tomsd says, its a beautiful drive. With only 3 days there there is no point in doing a split stay. You would be wasting time packing up and moving, unpacking all over again when you can instead enjoy a leisurely drive. You visit a black sand beach, Or south point too. Have a great trip!

Thanks for your replies. Our boys are 14 and 8. We plan to make only one trip to theVolcano Park.

We really liked Hanauma Bay at Oahu. Is there something similar in either island?

Spending one night in Volcano Inn is a great idea. I will check to see if lodging is available at this time. Also, we have tickets from Kona to LA and back home(no stopover at HNL).

On another note, are there any roads in either island with sheer drop offs? We have fear of heights and don't enjoy such views and would like to avoid those if possible.

Thanks again.

Hanauma Bay has probably the best snorkeling In Hawaii. However, there is good snorkeling on both Kauai and Big Island. South of Kona is Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (also called City of Refuge) and in Kona itself is Kahalu’u Beach - both places have very good snarling.
As for Kauai, you will likely get people recommending the North Shore, but it is too rainy for me in the winter, so I'd recommend staying at the South Shore, specifically Poipu. There, the best snorkeling is in front of the Beach House Restaurant.
I would not miss going up to Waimea Canyon on Kauai- although the road is windy, I don't recall it being near a drop off and the viewing areas for the canyon and the Napoli Coast have railings.

We spent two nights in Hilo and ten in Kona.

The Volcano is absolutely wonderful. We spent the best part of three days in and around it and could have spent more. There are a huge variety of walking tracks.Go at night to see the glow in the main crater. They also have telescopes out for star gazing.Even when it was flowing to the ocean the viewing was about 1km away so all you saw was steam and the occasional small explosion with red in the steam. At night you could see the red glow on the hills but again far away.

It is a long drive from coast to coast for two reasons one it is very windy and secondly the legal speed limit is very slow. I'd say the drive was more like 4-5hrs. Can you not fly out of Hilo?

Kona was great. Night snorkel with the Manta Rays is a MUST DO. We went with Jacks diving locker. They were excellent, especially with the non swimmers - buoyancy vest and foam "noodle". Wonderful.
http://www.jacksdivinglocker.com/charters2/mantanight.htm

Kona Coffee is delicious - likened to fine scotch - drink it straight (no milk or sugar) or not at all.
http://www.greenwellfarms.com/

Some good info here.
http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/captain-cook-kealakekua-bay/

and here
http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/hikes_day.htm

The Green Sand beach is well worth the walk, but talk plenty to drink. Mauna Kea was a great evening trip as well.

Driving on Kauai and BI is not white knuckle stuff.

On Kauai - K'e Beach at the end of the road - past Prinveville/Hanalei - on the North Shore - is our favorite - and mid-island - Lydgate Park is also very good - both far better - IMO - than in front of the Beach House - which is also fun.

"The helicopter tour is probably ruled out because of fear of heights!"

My wife, who won't go out on a lanai that's higher than the 2nd floor, recalls a helicopter tour of Kaua'i as one of her most memberable Hawai'i experiences. And she sat up front in the seat next to the pilot.

thank you so much for all your replies. I am checking to see if they have any lodging available at Volcano. If not, we'll just stay at Kona and take a leisurely drive as tifa suggested.

tango: We loved the helicopter ride of the Grand Canyon, but sitting next to the pilot did freak me out a little and not sure I want to do it again.

Definitely, time for a guidebook. Thanks for all the awesome suggestions and ideas. It probably will be hard to squeeze it all in 8 days.

There are no direct flights that I am aware of between Kauai and Hawaii so travel that day will take a few hours. Personally, I'd do 5 nights on Kauai and 3 on Hawaii. I would try to fly into Hilo, but really you should let interisland flights guide you in time management.

What we liked about staying in Volcano Village was early mornings and after dark. The park is open 24/7. However the glossy travel idea of seeing lava flow into the ocean is neither realistic, but a crap shot. Getting to those spots, if they exhist will require time, driving and hiking. Or a helicopter. No way would I do a boat tour to lava flowing into the sea. If you've ever seen footage of a lava shelf collapsing into the sea, you will understand.

Your trip requires time management. Would you be better of taking an early morning flight, or an evening flight? These are things that are hard to advice on.

You are trying to do too much in too little time.

Since you already have your flights booked into Lihue and home from Kona, and I presume you can't change those, let's see what options you have.

IMO you have time for Kauai OR Big Island. Choose where to stay just one night -- going out or coming back. Kauai is *tiny*. Big Island is HUGE. If you choose a week on Big Island, yes, fly into Hilo and stay overnight. See the volcano the next day, then drive north to see Waipio Valley. I would stay Kohala; you say you must stay Kona, but just one night?

The north shores of Kauai will be wet and windy in December, as will Hilo and the volcano area of Big Island. (I'm not sure Hilo *ever* dries out completely.)

You do not want to drive anywhere on Big Island after dark. This is also the only island where we routinely rent a larger car.

The best sealife among the four major islands is off the shores of Big Island; Maui comes in second, but has more easy-access beaches. Kauai has the least good; Oahu is next-to-last.

IMO - you have plenty of time to visit two islands. You could spend four or five days kicking back on Kauai (which is not "tiny" - but rather has a lot to see and do) - and then fly into Hilo - spend a night up at the Volcano area - and then wind up in Kona for the last two/three days and then take advantage of the direct flight back to Hono.

The flight from Hono to Kauai takes 20 minutes, and the only flights that will take a little time is if you go into Hilo - which usually takes a change of planes (actually - think you also have to change from Kauai once to get to Kona).

Good advice to start early - and if you wind up coming from say from Maui - it takes you down the beautiful northeast side of the Big Island/Waipo Valley, etc - and then it's less than a half an hour up to the Volcano from the Hilo airport.

And in the winter - it can be iffy snorkeling anywhere - but usually better on the south ends of the islands - and if it's a clear day - go early when it's the calmest with the best visibility.

And no idea how someone can rank Maui second for snorkeling/sealife - and it is good - but also Kauai has very good snorkeling at K'e beach on the north side - again depending on winter surf, etc - and mid-island - Lygate Park is also very good, and there are also some spots down by Poipu.

I/we have dove/snorkeled all over the Islands many times - and they each have some great spots.

"The flight from Hono to Kauai takes 20 minutes, and the only flights that will take a little time is if you go into Hilo - which usually takes a change of planes (actually - think you also have to change from Kauai once to get to Kona)."

Please disregard this post as the poster clearly has ignored the original post and information shared and is going rogue with random thoughts that simply do not apply to a person who already has flights direct to LIH and flying out of KOA.

That time of year I would stay south in Poipu and look for a condo with two kids rather than try and squeeze 4 into a hotel room. Look into Kiahuna Plantation, right on a great beach. Lawai Beach and Poipu have good snorkeling, Ke'e is good but the surf has been up lately per another forum, and it was even closed for a few days. You might get lucky though.

Define "moderate" in dollars so folks can help more.

agree with jamie99, southern Kauai will offer you the most dependable beach access in December.

It is unlikely that you will be snorkeling any north beaches on Kauai in winter.

Kauai is 'tiny' compared to Big Island, and a huge portion of the island is inaccessible by anything other than helicopter or boat. (Neither is a sure thing in winter.)

"Define "moderate" in dollars so folks can help more."
We would like to keep it around $225 per night. The best flights we could get cost us quite a bit and we don't want to go overboard with the hotels.

"you say you must stay Kona, but just one night?"
We have a reservation for 3 nights but to get the package, we are required to stay a minimum of one night there.

"That time of year I would stay south in Poipu and look for a condo with two kids rather than try and squeeze 4 into a hotel room. Look into Kiahuna Plantation, right on a great beach."
Great idea. Any vacation rental websites you can suggest? Is booking through VRBO safe? We have usually stayed only in hotels.

Also, we don't have to stop at HNL for either the onward or the return journey. We have direct LA-LIH and KOA-LA tickets already booked. I see that the inter-island air does need to stop at HNL, but those are pretty quick stops. We are flexible with either morning or afternoon departures. Still looking into availability at Volcano Village, but most seem to need a minimum 3-night stay over the Holidays.

However does splitting it into 4/4 (days) make sense? We could keep the 3-night Kona reservation, stay only 4 nights at Kauai, fly into Hilo from LIH and stay one night either at Volcano or Hilo. We got a sizable discount at the Royal Kona with the package and any change now increases the price. We do realize that we can't see it all in 8 days, but want to make the most of it.

Viewing of sea life would be exciting and a great plus. Finally, are the grand circle tours (12 hour tours from Kona) worth the time? We took a couple "all-day" tours at Oahu and they were very good, but the "all-day" part was a stretch - more like 10-4:30, with leisurely lunch breaks.

Thanks again for all the ideas.

Really, it's all good. You could easily fly in and out of Kona, stay two nights there, snorkle around Captain Cook/Place of Refuge area and then head to VV for two nights. And still have a leisurely drive back to Kona for an evening flight.

How is the drive in BI? Is there some kind of road side assistance available for car breakdowns etc? Is the island very desolate? We imagine there would be lots of tourists around. Some of the tours look inviting, we do not have to drive around. Just sit back and relax.

Have had the pleasure to drive around the Big Island at least 4 times and never had any car trouble or really worried about it - and the main roads are well traveled in any case.

And do find the road north of Waimea - going toward Hawi - where you travel through the hills/parts of Parker Ranch? - and have a great ocean view - and it's tree lined in places. See this page for more info about driving on BI: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Hawaii_State_of/Hawaii_Big_Island/Things_To_Do-Hawaii_Big_Island-Drive_around_the_Big_Island-BR-1.html

And there are calm days on the North Shore of Kauai during the winter - just ask Songdoc about that (BTW - he has by far the best posts on Kauai/North Shore especially) - but staying down at Poipu is the better idea in the Winter.

Naturally - if the surf is up - don't venture out - and perhaps have to be rescued as LookingGlass had to be.

Do be sure to drive up to the North Shore though (a little over an hour if you don't hit "rush hour" traffic in Kapaa - and then use the detour - shown on all the maps in the tourist mags you can pick up at the airport/from the rental car agency) - and see the beauty that is Bali Hai, http://tinyurl.com/ -

first depicted in the Rogers and Hammerstein award winning movie - South Pacific (1957 - a WWII love story/musical) - and later parts of Thornbirds, Jurrasic Park and of course - the Descendants with George Clooney were filmed there.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052225/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gcm_2EO0N58

And also drive one day over to the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" (bestowed by none other than Mark Twain) - Waimea Canyon and on up to the top - where you can also hike if it's not to muddy. http://www.gohawaii.com/kauai/regions-neighborhoods/west-side/waimea-canyon

Finally - I think splitting 4 days on Kauai (since you are flying directly there and back out of Kona) would be perfect, especially since you have a 3 night deal in Kona - and great idea to spend a night up at the Volcano Village area. (Note - just keep checking around for a place to stay there - as it's in a rain forest/very pretty - but if all else fails - you could go back down to Hilo for the night if you have to - which is about half an hour away).

Uno mas - when you get over to the Kona side - it's not that far to drive up to Waimea town - and the north tip of the Island - at Hawi and the roads are good. So - I don't think you need a tour group - but you can do it on your own.

Here is one page with maps that might help: http://www.hawaiihighways.com/big_island.htm

Uno mas mas: I believe the great scenic drive/road I am thinking of - from the town of Waimea up to Hawi - is called the Kohala Mountain Road. If you have the time - it's a great drive.

Tomsd, I have never had to be rescued. You do tend to get your stories and facts jumbled.

Oh - I remember my facts usually quite well - but may once in a while confuse a place - at least temporarily - but usually get that corrected fairly quickly. However - I sure as heck would not confuse a sotry about someone being rescued from Big Surf.

Uno mas - a few months ago - when you were chastising moi about giving snorkeling advice - you did say you had to be rescued - after going out into big surf - and after that - you then became good buddies with the Kaui search and rescue team, non?

CityGuy, never used VRBO myself, but many have. I took a look there and it appears that Kiahuna and Poipu Kapili are out of your price range (although sometimes owners will negotiate).

There are 2 bedrooms in your price range at Prince Kuhio and also Waikomo Stream Villas (pretty new place) but use a local company such as Parrish Realty, etc. Pro of booking thru owner is you know which unit you are get. Pro of booking with agency is if condo has problems, agency can usually move you to
another condo.

Thanks again.

Regarding the Waimea Canyon drive, we heard the roads are steep. Are there any good tour companies that do the trip?

Up early again - so guess I am still on daylight savings time?

Anyhow - while I don't think driving up Waimea Canyon is necessarily that challenging, there are some companies that take you up Waimea Canyon and then you bicycle back down - much like in Maui. Here is one page and there are others: http://adventureinhawaii.com/kauai_bike.htm?gclid=CM7UidSf07MCFYN_QgodAmwA9Q

We met a bike group where we had stopped at a lookout - and the young blond leader/surfer type - was very impressed with my wife's Niihau necklace - hand made on Niihau - consisting of tiny seashells that are harvested on the isle of Nihau. http://www.niihauheritage.org/niihau_shells.htm

As you may know - Niihau is not open to anyone other than the natives - who can leave once - to go to high school - but then have to return - or forever cannot return to live on the island.

BTW - you can see Niihau when you go up into Waimea Canyon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niihau

Our friends/hosts in Waimea town - had a friend of theirs who was originally from Nihau - and this woman worked at the same hospital as our hostess - and she got a necklace for our friends who - gave it to my wife way back in '77? - during our first trip to Kauai. My wife worked with our host's niece - at UC Hastings SF, and the then - 67 years young Aunt and Uncle - wore us out showing us around their beautiful island, which we also fell in love with and later bought a timeshare at Princeville - during our Honeymoon.

When we met the bicycle group a few years ago - the tour leader said the Niihau necklace was a true classic - and probably worth over $1,000 now.

Who wudda thunk, eh? We now keep it in the safe.

Are you renting a foot operated flintstone car?

We started visiting Kauai 6 years ago to visit family and I've grown to love it after thinking for many years Maui was the best. Also suggest you stay on the south side of the island and definitely visit Waimea Canyon. DH loved Kauai Coffee Plantation on the drive back from the canyon.

We haven't done this yet, but you might want to take your boys tubing: www.kauaibackcountry.com/tubing. I am hoping to do this when my nephew is older.

Kauai is beautiful and low key. It's become a very special place for us to relax and recharge.

You can easily drive to Waimea Canyon overlook. Try to pick a clear day. It is often completely socked in with fog with visibility of two feet. Summer is the best time to visit Kauai.

I can only comment on the Big Island portion, but we loved it there. It was so unique looking as an island. Rocks everywhere. Like being on the Moon version of Hawaii.
We stayed on the Kohala coast at the Hilton which was great, large, lots to do.
The Kona area has some great snorkeling. The largest turtles you have ever seen just swim by. The colors of the fish are magnificant.
We did not care for the volcano. We drove all day and saw very little. Just rocks, rocks and more rocks. My family was not happy with the volcano mission, but we went. I would never go again, except maybe in a helicopter to see lava and go home!
We saw beautiful waterfalls on the big island and boogie board on hapuana beach.
I think your family will have fun on the big island with whatever suits your family's needs.
We found driving easy and the car was reliable that was rented.

Girl - to each their own - and appreciate your comments about other attractions on the Big Island - which we also love to see/do - but to me/us - the Volcano is the highlight of going to the BI.

And while we loved out helicopter flight on Kauai (years ago with Jack Harter - but not sure Jack is as active as he used to be) - our heli flight on the Big Island was just incredible - and that was mainly to the North Shore - where they have 3 of the 6 longest free falling waterfalls on earth - and of course - the legendary Waipo Valley.

FYI - here is a page about the top 10 waterfalls in Hawaii, and there would be more from Big Island if they were more accessible - and not deep in the hills. http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/top-10-hawaii-waterfalls.html

As I posted previously, my wife has a fear of heights, but didn't have any problem on the drive up to Waimea Canyon. And I'd suggest, after you've stopped at the main canyon overlook, that you continue on up to the Kalalau Valley overlook as well.

Adding to the volcano debate, I've been to the BI 3 times, and have yet to see the volcano. If/when I do, like girlonthego, it'll be from a helicopter.

The first time I went to the Big Island, one could walk out and watch the lava flow into the ocean. It was pretty amazing.

We went back to the Big Island this last spring, and we skipped Volcano Nat'l Park because we couldn't get close to the flows, and our 8 year old daughter would not have appreciated spending most of the day in the car and not at the beach.

Volcano Nat'l Park is great, but it might be somewhat of a disappointment to your kids if you can't the lava flow.

Unfortunately - some people don't really know what they are missing - and I for one totally disagree about the wonders of VNP - which is also interesting for kids. You can go hiking over a volcano floor, go into a lave tube (assuming they are still open) - walk out to see the big cauldron on the drive around the park, go to great IMAX shows at the visitor's center, listen to a very interesting Ranger talk - or maybe take a walk with them, and on and on.

Check out this webpage: http://www.nps.gov/havo/forkids/index.htm

And who wouldn't enjoy this film: Born of Fire - Born of the Sea.

http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/featurefilm.htm

Or touring the revamped Visitor's Center:

http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kvc.htm

And hey - even forgot about a nice walk/hike along the Ka'u desert trial.

Or if you stayed at Volcano House - enjoy the view from your room of the main cauldron and also take a steam bath - which is warmed by heat from the underground lava flows. They also used to have a great evening movie at the Volcano House - which showed many of the eruptions over the years.

See this map for more ideas, and zoom in and out.

http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kvc.htm

Yes, you can do all those things at Volcano Nat'l Park, and they are great things and may be of interest to you or to others.

I do know that my kiddo, who lives near Yellowstone and Glacier but does not live near the ocean or a beach, would have been pretty annoyed if we spent a day or two of our vacation driving to and from and visiting Volcano Nat'l Park. The Park is great, but it doesn't compare to being at the beach (to my kid).

Anyway, I'd keep as much flexibility as you can in your plans. You may be tired and worn out from driving. You may want extra snorkel time. You may want to spend a couple days at Volcano. Either way, it will be a great trip!

Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions.

Looking at the driving distances, we are OK with spending the 2nd night at the Volcano Village (even though we have 3 nights already booked at Kona). There are two available units at Volcano Village - Tara Firma and Singing Volcano (plus one at Hilo). This will allow us to drive leisurely from Kona to VNP to Hilo and back to Kona. Is this option better? Or given our tight schedule, should we just stick to a one day tour of the VNP?

Also, we do have a vacancy at the Popiu Crater Resort and a couple around Lihue for our dates. Which one is a better option?

Spending time at the beach is awesome, and we do plan to spend a lot of time on the beach, but do want to visit the VNP.

Also, any opinion on the wagon tours at Waipo Valley? Or can we skip it altogether?

Thanks.

If Poipu Crater resort is in Poipu = or close - would recommend that - as it's closest to the best beaches for that time of year.

I have yet to take the highly regarded tour of the Waipo Valley - mainly because that will take the better part of a day. Hope to do so on one of the next visits to BI.

If you arrived at the Volcano area by say noon or so - I think an afternoon there and then a monring the next day would give you a decent appreciation of it - and you could decide to stay another day - or head on for more beach time at Kona.

I am coming late to this topic, but wanted to give you my suggestions for the Big Island. We spend a momth there every year, and have for about 15 years, so I am pretty familiar with things.

First, do spend four nights there!! Fly into Hilo if you can, and try to getthere early enough to spend part of that day seeing VNP, and spend a night there in Volcano town. Then drive to Kona the next day, The road is winding in places, but not dangerous. It will take about three hours including a couple of short stops to look at views and see the black sand beach.

There is an excellent snorkeling beach right in town at Kahalu'u. Lots of shallow water and easy access. I would do that the day you arrive. There are tons of rental condos in Kona. We always stay in a condo. Mever had any problem. I say you should not worry about safety. They are as safe as hotels. VRBO is an excellent source. We use it all the time.

For another excursion the next day, take the coastal road north from Kona all the way to Hawi, at the extreme northwestern tip of the island. This will take about an hour and a half, along a perfectly safe road -- no cliffs to worry about. The reason you should take that road is that in the winter you are very likely to see whales jumping offshore, especially the last half hour. Take binoculars if you can! When you get to Hawi, have lunch at Bamboo restaurant, a fun and funky place with friendly staff. Then drive back south along to coast to look for whales again, ending at Waikoloa, and go to the public access beach for a while before heading back to town. There are good bathrooms there with room to change into bathing suits. The snorkeling will be so-so, depending on how rough the waves are. But there is plenty of shallow water for you. Then back to Kona.

The next day, either go snorkeling again at Kahalu'u or drive back down the coast to Honaunau to see the City of Refuge and have a nice picnic at their picnic grounds, and if you wish, try snorkeling there at two-step beach. Although it is not as easy to get in the water, so you may opt out. I think the kids will find the whole idea of the City of Refuge kind of cool. Or on this day go back north to one of the other beaches.

The. fly home. And don't worry. This is a safe itinerary and not scary at all!!

Good post Charnees - and forgot about the Bamboo Restaurant. I bought their cookbook I liked it so much. http://www.bamboorestaurant.info/

Another good/decent snorkeling place on the North Kona side is the bay/rocks in front of the Mauna Kea - but you have to check now about getting there early enough to get one of the 50? spots they allow to non-quests, or maybe even call ahead.

http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/mauna-kea-beach-hotel/index.php

We did the wagon tour of Waipio a few years ago and enjoyed it. Our guide and wagon driver lived in the valley and had lots of interesting information. It took most of the morning. That said, with your limited time in Hawaii, I would not do the wagon tour. Please do drive out to the overlook and view the valley, though--it is really spectacular.

as far as the wagon tour - - - look at my profile picture!

First time poster in this forum wanting to thank Tomsd for all his wonderful advice. Very useful.

Poipu Crater Resort is in well...a crater with the units built down inside the crater so the units can get sort of steamy. In that price range in Poipu, try looking at Poipu Kapili or Waikomo Stream or some of the units at Kiahuna that are further back from the beach. vrbo has lots of Kiahuna units at discounted rates. Try to get an end unit as the air flow is better.

Thank you colduphere. Definitely do appreciate your note and hey - hope you are staying warm up there.