Aulani - if you could day-trip to another island...

[spleen]

Do you know how long it is to drive from Kona to the volcanoes? We are in the very early stages of planning a trip to Aulani and I have decided that seeing Volcano National Park is a must do so we'll probably spend a couple of days on the Big Island but my husband would like to stay in Kona.

It will take you a good 3 hours if you don't stop anywhere along the way (and there are sights to see along the way). When we are in Hawaii we always stay near Kona and when we drive to the Volcano Park we leave early in the morning and don't get back until dark. The roads outside of towns are not well lit so we try to do the trip in daylight.
An advantage of staying in Kona if you are there for a few days is that Kona is sunny while Hilo is rainy. Also, you can drive the other direction (not towards Volcano Park) from Kona and see totally different sights--lovely beaches and, if you go far enough, Parker Ranch. Depending on the time of year, there are places to see whales when you head north from Kona.

Jean's right - about 2-3 hours one way (it always takes longer than i give it time for!) if you go by Waimea/Parker Ranch. I've screwed up many a dinner reservation back in Kona because of this It's quicker if you take Saddle Road but not recommended for rental cars (or at least not until recently - it's supposed to be a lot better now but we haven't been back since the repaved road/highway opened).

But this is the way that we typically do Hilo - drive in from Kona in the morning and drive back in late afternoon/early night. It's a pretty long day.