Howstuffworks "Where to Stay and Dine in Big Island "

When choosing where to stay on the Big Island, it's all about location. Lodging near the volcano is generally limited to inns and bed and breakfasts, but you won't exactly be roughing it. The charming cottages at Hale Ohia (11-3986 Hale Ohia Road, Volcano Village, 808-967-7986, 800-455-3803; www.haleohia.com) have private baths and pretty gardens. The only hotel-style accommodations nearby are at Volcano House (808-967-7321; www.volcanohousehotel.com), the lodge inside the National Park. Twenty of its 42 rooms have views of the lava-spewing Kilauea crater. The downside of staying in Volcano Village is there aren't many restaurants in the area; most people usually eat in their inns or cook their own meals. Hilo has a wider assortment of lodgings and restaurants, but it's about an hour down the hill from the volcano. Plus, Hilo is really rainy.

On the Kona and Kohala coasts, you have your choice of where to stay and dine. Luxury resorts like the Mobil three-star Kona Village Resort (Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway, Kailua-Kona, 808-325-5555, 800-367-5290; www.konavillage.com) or Mauna Lani Resort (68-1400 Mauna Lani Drive, Kohala Coast, 808-885-6622, 800-367-2323; www.maunalani.com) pamper their guests with everything from guava juice served upon arrival to private hot tubs and hammocks on each lanai. These resorts long ago snagged the best beaches, so if sand and surf are what you seek, you'll want to shell out big bucks for these spots. And if you want to go all out, reserve one of the luxe private bungalows at Mauna Lani; with it, you get your own butler, who will pick you up from the airport. More affordable hotels and motels center around Kailua-Kona, but while the snorkeling here is excellent, the once-charming town feels encroached-upon by cruise-ship crowds.

Where you stay will largely dictate where you eat. The dining options at the deluxe resorts match the accommodations, with some of the finest Hawaii regional cuisine available. You'll savor the fresh seafood at open-air restaurant Brown's Beach House (1 North Kaniku Drive, Kohala Coast, 808-887-7368) at the Orchid; Tom Cruise and Clint Eastwood go to Donatoni's (69-425 Waikoloa Beach Drive, Waikoloa, 808-886-1234; www.donatonis.com) at Hilton Waikoloa Village for some Italian eats; and at Pahu i'a at the Four Seasons (72-100 Ka`upulehu Drive, Kailua-Kona, 808-325-8000; www.fourseasons.com/hualalai), island dishes get a contemporary kick, such as red pepper-coconut sauce and prosciutto-wrapped "Kona Blue" kampachi. These hotel eateries are joined by standalone standouts like Roy's (250 Waikoloa Beach Drive, Waikoloa, 808-886-4321; www.roysrestaurant.com) and Merriman's Restaurant (65-1227 Opelo Road, Waimea, 808-885-6822; www.merrimanshawaii.com), two pillars of the Big Island's foodie scene.