Arnott's GREAT SAVINGS

Mainland Flights (Continental US.) & Inter Island flights

Car Rentals

First word of warning....because of the amount of resident inter-island travel on weekends DO NOT ASSUME you can breeze into Hilo and just pick up a car, make this your No.1 priority.....also if you do find yourself stuck, get creative, many of the local car renters also rent pickups, dumps and cargo vans.  Locally owned Ainoa Car Sales also rents out used cars and provides pick up and drop off service 808-935-9958

As with the Airline Industry there is constant competitive action in the Car and Van rental scene.

Enterprise Car Rentals has a good selection of vehicles and a free shuttle to their off airport site. Enterprise also has a growing fleet of 15 passenger vans at reasonable rates for your group or team.

A new company on the island is Island Discount Rentals. They offer older cars at greatly reduced rates by the day, week or month.

Beware of "insurance" for 4x4 vehicles allowed to go up Mauna Kea....even "full" insurance has high deductibles....be warned. We have received many complaints against one rental company for lack of warning on high deductibles and aggressive charges in case of even minor damages.

Several Car Rental companies have free shuttles, we recommend that you patronize these companies to save yourself a $15 taxi fare..

Enterprise, Alamo, National, Thrifty and Aiona a local company, will all pick you up and drop you off at our Lodge.

Caution on renting cars on the Big Island

Due to our mountainous terrain and narrow roads in some remote areas, almost all Car rental companies have restrictions on where their cars may go and remain insured.

Most rental companies ban travel on the Saddle Road Hwy 200/220) which leads to Mauna Kea Mountain 13,796ft 4200m, (strictly banned). South Point access road is also banned by most companies due to it being extremely narrow and the grass sides hiding large rocks.

We actually began our Mauna Kea Tours 15 years ago, in response to the number of cars our guests wrecked due to steep 20% grades and thin air. You also must consider that all commercial tours have oxygen on board whereas if you violate your rental contract and go up, you may suffer Oxygen deprivation and pass out, or a family member may pass out leaving you to drive and tend to them at the same time. The summit is remote and there are NO SERVICES.

Some rental companies  will rent you a 4x4 cleared for Mauna Kea and you still have the Oxygen problem. Signage at the Visitor station at 9000ft (2740m), warns against taking children under 16 up the remainder of the mountain, and of potentially life threatening consequences to certain people with medical conditions or weak systems. These companies have high deductibles even when you take their "full" Loss damage waiver and we advise caution in renting any 4x4 vehicle.

Some other Rental companies have 4x4s but do not allow off road or Mauna Kea use. Be sure to be specific when booking your vehicle and when picking it up, some mainland reservation centers are not fully aware of local restrictions.

While this is a very large Island with a relatively small population of 195,000 it has only one belt highway, which apart from occasional passing lanes, is one lane in each direction. Allow for average speeds point to point of only 45mph (72kmh). Kona to Hilo for instance at 120 miles (193km), will take a good three hours without much sightseeing.

For our Aussie guests, a special welcome and some tips.

The strong dollar and a huge increase in seats on new airlines has created a boom in Aussies visiting Hawaii. Doug Arnott, Sydney Boy originally, great grandson of bikkie William, and owner of Arnott's Lodge, has some advice for you. First, a lot of people give out negative info about Waikiki and Oahu, the Island it sits on. The thing is, its different from OZ with stores, restaurants and things you have never seen before, and while people whine about the traffic and parking charges at Hotels...there is a very good bus system and cars can be rented as needed in Waikiki. What we do is fly in from Hilo, catch the bus from the Airport to Queen Kapiolani Hotel, which is mid priced and has an uninterrupted view of Diamond Head and Kapiolani Park. And its about 150 yards from the Diamond Head end of Waikiki Beach allowing you to enjoy walks into the thick of Waikiki or the peace and tranquility of Kapiolani park. After your done with the Oahu scene and have exhausted your guidebook...its time to come on over to the Big Island of Hawaii. Here in Hilo we have things you haven't seen, 4200m Mountains...two of them, an active Volcano, Green and Black sand beaches, Tall waterfalls and no traffic. Our Lodge is a few minutes walk from the coastline, beach parks, Turtles and Whales in season....there is hourly daytime bus into Hilo Town except Sundays. Families should probably get a car except for our Mauna Kea summit tour while couples and singles can take all of our tours. We are seeing a lot of OZ families and our "Suite" style accommodation with two bedrooms, kitchenette, bathroom and living room allows you to packem in..!! Or what some do...Mum and Dad in the Deluxe with private bathroom....kids (over 15) in the dorms. Email if you need more info.....but come and visit the BIG Island...!!