Going back to Hawaii after 9 years in October. Staying 6 days in Kona and then 1 night at the Volcano House and flying out of Helo for home. In-laws and now us own a timeshare there and have visited many times. Just looking for new things that might be offered. Taking my FIL who will be 100 who has good health for that age but is getting more hard of hearing and uses a walker if there is much walking to do.

Nothing to add other than wow 100 years old and still able to go on that trip! That's awesome.

Not sure if the FiL can do this, but the Big Island is one of I think only 2 places in the world where you can snorkel/dive with manta rays. There was an 80+ year old brother/sister who did it with us. Sister snorkeled, and brother did the dive. The snorkel is pretty easy because there is a makeshift platform you hold onto. All you have to do is kind of float/gently kick your legs.

Sunset and stargazing at Mauna Kea.
https://maunakea.com/

We took a boat from Hilo down the coast to see the eruption. I wanted to see lava going into the ocean, but we missed it by about a day. Views of the lava fountains were great, but it was rough and people all around us were getting sick. And a couple weeks after our trip, a boat was hit by a lava bomb and several people were injured.

The tsunami museum in Hilo is very good (and scary), and the Japanese garden is very pretty. Tour of the candy/chocolate factory (can't remember the name) is also interesting.

There are some guided tours of the lava tubes in the park, if it's safe (ie, no eruption). We were booked for that but it was cancelled.

Best Poke I've ever had at "Da Poke Shack"

I put a detailed itinerary in this thread - good stuff here!

https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/2951416

Look up Epic Lava if you want guides to get you fairly safely close to the current eruption and lava flows.

+1 on da Poke Shack. It's the best poke/sushi I've ever had also. You could see them bringing in the fresh caught Tuna while you were ordering.

My wife and I did the Seaquest South Kona Snorkel Expedition. We've gone on a lot of snorkeling expeditions (mostly in the Caribbean and the virgin islands) and this is still the one we talk most about today.

"https://www.seaquesthawaii.com/snorkeling-tours/expedition-south-kona/"

Unsure if your FIL could do that but it could be worth checking out.

For white sand beaches "Manini'owali Beach (Kua Bay)" is wonderful. Great lounging and great boogie boarding if you're into that.


"Kona Brewing Co." has the best beer on the island and fantastic pizza.


"Quinn's Almost by the Sea" has great fish and chips (get the ahi tuna option) and fantastic burgers.


"Kona Joe Coffee LLC" has an awesome coffee tour, hands out free mugs, and fantastic views of the island.


"Kahalu'u Bay Surf and Sea" has great surfing classes in a very beginner friendly area.

TXTransplant said:

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Not sure if the FiL can do this, but the Big Island is one of I think only 2 places in the world where you can snorkel/dive with manta rays. There was an 80+ year old brother/sister who did it with us. Sister snorkeled, and brother did the dive. The snorkel is pretty easy because there is a makeshift platform you hold onto. All you have to do is kind of float/gently kick your legs.

Sunset and stargazing at Mauna Kea.
https://maunakea.com/

We took a boat from Hilo down the coast to see the eruption. I wanted to see lava going into the ocean, but we missed it by about a day. Views of the lava fountains were great, but it was rough and people all around us were getting sick. And a couple weeks after our trip, a boat was hit by a lava bomb and several people were injured.

The tsunami museum in Hilo is very good (and scary), and the Japanese garden is very pretty. Tour of the candy/chocolate factory (can't remember the name) is also interesting.

There are some guided tours of the lava tubes in the park, if it's safe (ie, no eruption). We were booked for that but it was cancelled.

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My mother in law was 84 and she did it !

Consider doing a chocolate tour at the Puna Chocolate Company Farm. My wife and I did that last year and it was a fun, informative tour with really good chocolate and coffee tasting. It may be a bit too much walking (I think it was about 300 yards total but there is a bit of a slope. If you are not able to do the tour, go to one of their shops in Kona. There is one that has a chocolate themed bar in it with fun cocktails.