Planning stay on the Big Island, and I have a bunch of Questions!

by Roni
(Port Angeles,Wa)

Hi David, I am planning a trip to the Islands and don't know where to start.

#1. What is the best airline where you can actually breathe real air, not recycled sludge on board?

#2. Is Pahoa a good place to land? Heard about the Vog. Found a place on craigs list and already spoke with the guy who has a two room rustic cabin for $350.00 a month. Is that good? People seem so laid back no deposit, credit checks, etc.

#3. BUGS! What do I need to protect myself from skeeters, centipedes,spiders . you get my drift. I am concerned that this cabin might not be as bug proof as I would like.

#4. I want to work at an organic farm in Hana, Maui a few days a week and travel back to Pahoa to chill. Will that be expensive to go from one Island to another? Are there boats I can work on to get across?

And last but not least, which Island is the friendliest, most beautiful and is it really Paradise?

Hope I haven't given you too many questions to answer , but I would really appreciate all the info I can get. I am excited and a little nervous about the flight and of course not knowing anyone, yet.

Thanks David, Roni

P.S. Great website. Aloha


Aloha Roni,

Those are all good questions, and I will do my my best to shed some light on them, and I invite all other residents to do their best to help out. You can leave comments by following the link at the bottom of the page.

#1

As far as I know, all airlines use recycled air to some degree. At 30,000 feet the air is so thin that you cannot breathe it so they have to pressurize the cabin and recycle the air, and introduce oxygen into the system at a steady rate. I don't know this for a fact, but I do know the planes travel at a height that you cannot breathe the air. That being said, United has been the best all around experience for me. The air never really tasted or smelled to bad to me. Of course my sense of smell is not the most sensitive.

#2 Pahoa and Puna are nice. Good communities, and beautiful aina(land). They have not been having the vog to bad, as long as the tradewinds are blowing. If the tradewinds stop, the whole island gets bad, and if you have respiratory difficulties, a long term stay is something I do not suggest at this time. Kauai is probably the best for air conditions as it is the furthest from us. Oahu has even been getting it pretty bad when the tradewinds slow.

#3 Bugs and pests are definitely a concern. not only do we have ants, roaches, and rats that are scavenging for any food they can find, but then you have centipedes, scorpions, mosquitos, and some very dangerous spiders. The centipedes and scorpions are not deadly, they hurt a lot, but the bites usually clear up pretty quick. Unfortunately now we have Brown recluse spiders and black widows. These spiders can screw you up for a long time! What you can do about it, is keep you place clutter free, be careful of what you bring in. Sleep off the ground, either on a cot or bed with frame. Burning sage thickly in the house seems to help not only with the bugs, but with the energy left from others. Mosquito nets are good also

#4 There are very few boats that cross the Alenuihaha Channel(Channel between Maui and the Big Island) regularly, it is a very rough passage. The freighters and tugboats are about the only ones that do it every day. Interisland plane fare has gotten expensive with the rising price of gas, so I really don't know how to help you on that one. Maybe you could post a notice at the harbors.
One more thing, Pahoa is on the east side of the island, and Maui is west of the Big Island, making your route even more complicated. Mokulele Airlines( www.mokuleleairlines.com ) is worth a shot for a good price.

The final question, is the hardest. I like the Big Island. But that is because it is home. I don't think I could fit in anywhere else. I have a niche here. I think about moving sometimes, my wife and I toss it around, but I don't know. It is what you make of it. If you want a deserted beach, we got it, if you want a disneyland type hotel, we got it, if you want a life, where you will meet real people that will look you in the eye and speak their mind, we got it.

Let me know if I can help more.

Aloha David