The first secret to enjoying the Big Island is to rent a car. The second is to stay more than three days. With 266 miles of coastline made up of white-coral, black-lava, and a dusting of green-olivine beaches, and with its cliffs of lava and emerald gorges slashing into jutting mountains, the Big Island is so large and so varied that it is easiest to split your stay and your sightseeing into excursions from Hilo and Kona when planning a visit.

If your schedule allows a week or 10 days on the island, you might want to spend a night in the historic town of Hilo, followed by two nights at a bed-and-breakfast near the unique Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and another night in Waimea before finishing up your vacation at a resort on the sunny side of the island. It's best to follow this in east coast-to-west coast order so you won't go home with memories of Hilo's often gray skies. If you're short of time, give Hilo the once-over lightly and then see Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on your first day, traveling the Hamakua Coast route and making your new base in Kailua-Kona that night.

Touring the Big Island is appealing at any time of year. There are seldom traffic jams, and the weather remains basically stable year-round. It's a rare day when Kailua-Kona and the Kohala Coast are not sunny and warm; however, deluges can occur in January and February. It's difficult to predict weather in Hilo. If you are traveling in winter, you are apt to get wet on the Hamakua side. The volcano area is always cooler because of the higher elevation, so bring a sweater or light jacket.