Hawaii's Big Island offers crisp invigorating tropical breezes, salty sea air, panoramic views, crystal clear waters, and endless pristine carpets of soft sand.
If you want to fly anywhere from the island, you can use either the Hilo or Kona at Keahole international airports. Keahole is situated on the west side of the island, while Hilo is found on the eastern coast. With frequent commercial flights daily, you'll have plenty of options to and from the island. A word of caution though: Be sure to do a little research, as many services will be slightly less frequent during the off season.
While still on the subject of airlines, note that there are three main air services available on Big Island: Go Airlines, Aloha and Hawaiian. These all have budget offers, as well as discount promotions, so check out their websites and see what they have to suit your needs. You can save a bundle by doing your reservations on the Internet, as many airlines offer service charges for booking tickets over the phone.
To get around the island, there are an assortment of options, the first being your own two feet. You can walk to various areas of Big Island, heeding basic safety procedures. Do not travel on your own if at all avoidable, as muggings and assaults happen all over the globe. Don't place yourself in harm's way unnecessarily.
There are numerous shuttles, taxis, limo services and car hires, as well as motor scooter and push-bike hires, available at the airports. All taxied services provide safe travel to the various vacation rentals around the Big Island, in addition to various hotspots like Kailua-Kona. There are numerous guided tours available as well; simply ask at the information office at any bus terminal.
When walking the island remember to put on a hat, slap on the sunscreen and wear sunglasses. This will protect your from the strong rays of the glorious, but extremely harsh sun's rays. Take bottled water and do not allow yourself to dehydrate. Rest frequently and insure that you let someone know where you are heading in case you get lost.
There are more than 260 miles of beautiful coastline to see, and well over 480 miles of paved road to explore on the Big Island. Whichever way you choose to see it is your prerogative, yet do so with safety in mind. Don't speed, do not walk on the roads, and do not take unnecessary risks.
BY CAR
If you do need to rent a vehicle note that all the major car rentals agencies are either at the airports or bus terminals and also found along the Kohal Coast. The Hawaiian Belt Road is the road which circles the entire island.
You have two options for sightseeing by car: the Mamalahoa Highway (highway 90), called the "upper" road, or the "lower" road, Queen Kaahumanu Highway (highway 19), which is a good deal quicker.
BY TAXI
These are available at both airports. Call Ace-1 (808-935-803) if you are in Hilo. If you are wishing to catch one from Kailia-Kona, dial Kona Airport Taxi service (808-329-7779). These will take you anywhere you wish - just remember a long journey could be very expensive!
BUS & SHUTTLE
You have three options if you are traveling from the Kona Airport: There are two shuttles which arrive on demand and a shuttle service which departs the airport every hour on the hour. and SpeediShuttle (808-329-5433), which will come to you. The fare from the airport to Kailua-Kona is $19 per adult. A one-way ticket to Mauna Lani is $42 per adult.
There is a rental car medium strip at the airports. The downside of hiring one of these is that there is only a one-bag-per-person policy; extra bags will incur a $1 fee each. You must pay in cash so don't think you can put this on your credit card.
There is a bus service, Hele-On, available but it only takes passengers from Kona to Hilo and vice versa, and does not stop at the airport. It departs from the Kailua-Kona from the popular Lanihau shopping center which is located at Pal-ani and Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
This tidbit of real travel advice was contributed by Shenni Bubb.