Volcano Watching Info Update Jan 30 2026

Volcano Watching Not as hard as you might think

A CHEAP 8^TH WONDER

I kept seeing videos about the erupting volcano in Hawaii from Mount Kilauea on the big island.

Seeing as its kind of a rare event in the global scope of things, I decided to visit and had high hopes I would be able to view an erupting event.

I thought it would be a cluster of crowds and lines complete with humongous expenses to get and stay close enough to see it but, to my surprise, it was way less than I thought.

The flight to the closest airport is the Kailua-Kona International Airport and they fly direct from Sacramento. The Kona flight used to stop in Oahu, but the direct flights have existed for some time. It’s a 5.5-hour flight and the round-trip costs around $300-400. We had an uneventful flight on a Boeing Max 8 aircraft so that was a relief. (Don’t get me started on Boeing as I have covered that before in a few articles and, needless to say, I would rather fly on an Airbus).

But having arrived dry and in one piece, we rented a car and headed out. We stayed at a friend’s house for the first three days. Having erupted the day before we left (☹), the mountain unfortunately stayed quiet during our entire 11-day trip.

I booked the Volcano House 3 months earlier and to my surprise, there were plenty of rooms available back then and I selected a “crater view” for a few dollars more. Compared to the resorts on the Kona coast which started north of $500 a night with luxury resorts pushing $1,000/nite, the $399/nite Volcano House price was what I thought a bargain. The Volcano House is right at the rim of the crater and a mile or two from the active vents. You can walk out of your room and see the crater and when we got there all we saw was steam coming from two vents from afar.

A 5-minute drive around the right side of the rim road brought you to an easy to park viewpoint which had but a few onlookers and offered a decent better view than the hotel.

Journey left from the Volcano House and in about 15 minutes you came to another viewpoint where you had to walk about a mile from where you parked, which got you closer with an even better view.

We stayed two nights and the hotel only got crowded during the day as daytime visitors and tour buses stopped in. Even though the eruptions come every few weeks, the crowds were surprisingly light and maneuvering around was easy.

Keep in mind, the Volcano House is the only lodging on the crater and is 30 something miles from Hilo and a good 2.5-hour drive from the Kona side. The little town of Volcano is less than a mile from the Volcano House and somewhat unknown. Or at least it was to me and I have been up there twice before this visit. The town of Volcano was virtually empty and had a few restaurants and even some lodging. We had a lovely breakfast there and thought next time perhaps we would hang out there if we were really determined to wait for an actual eruption, which of course is unpredictable.

What we learned from talking to our friends in Kona and visitors at the volcano was that volcano watching was much like witnessing a rocket blast off on Cape Canaveral. Its hit or miss and case in point, although a stunning place to visit, all we saw was steam. We were told by park employees and our friends who did travel up when it was erupting that because the location is pretty far in, the crowds stay light until an eruption begins. Then some make the trip to see it and the lucky ones that just happen to be there, but for the most part, it’s not like you think.

We left to continue our trip and to our chagrin, after we left the vents started glowing red. Two days later lava started pouring out and soon the illustrious fountains are expected to begin again.

When they do, the lines might get a little longer and forget getting a room up there then as they do sell out weeks in advance but it ain’t Disneyland.

Being an 8^th wonder of the world and something, I am told, is one of the most incredible things to see on this great planet, it’s not as difficult as you may think to witness. But you have to have either a little bit of luck, or just a lot of persistence and time to wait it out.

“Watching the markets so you don’t have to”

(end)

(As mentioned please use the disclaimer below exactly) THANKS (Regulations)

This article expresses the opinion of Marc Cuniberti and is not meant as investment advice, or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities, nor represents the opinion of any bank, investment firm or RIA, nor this media outlet, its staff, members or underwriters. Mr. Cuniberti holds a B.A. in Economics with honors, 1979, and California Insurance License #0L34249 His insurance agency is BAP INC. insurance services. Email: news@moneymanagementradio.com