This is the cheapest, most convenient way to explore big island, hands down. Would I recommend renting a caRVee? Absolutely.
My partner and I, who are both average build and pretty into camping, had a great time tooling around the island in the Honda Element. Is it the sports car or lifted truck of your dreams? Nope. Is it a 5 star beachside resort? Not that, either. What it is is a reliable, low-profile vehicle with no frills and everything you need to have a comfortable and easy time at any location.
First off, we last-minute booked tickets to big island and did some research, but not much. We were shocked by how crazy expensive rentals and air bnbs are and weren’t thrilled to have to shell out the big bucks for transportation and housing. That’s when we found Josh and Paula and the caRVee, and we decided to take a change on a barely reviewed rental. We are super happy we did, because this was exactly what we were looking for with our budget.
Communication with our hosts was solid, and picking up the vehicle at the airport was way easier than getting a rental vehicle. It was just waiting in the lot for us, gassed up and ready to go. Drop off was just as simple. We flew into Kona but Hilo is a similar sized airport so you’ll find no issue with either option. We ran into a couple minor snags and Paula and Josh were really fast to reply and help us stay on the road. Big thanks for that.
Okay, so let’s talk vehicle. This is a Honda Element, known for its boxy structure and not much else. Upside, lots of vertical space which is critical when getting in and out of bed. Downside, lots of blind spots. BYO back up camera or just take it easy. The car also has some wear and tear. Downside, it’s not photogenic. Upside, you’re not a target for break ins and can camp incognito really freakin easily. Its appearance contrasts starkly from the neon jeeps that all the other tourists were driving and we were grateful to not be screaming “outsider” in every place we visited. (We stayed in the grey Honda which doesn’t have a big decal on the back, so it was nice and stealthy.) Elements are technically 4WD but they’re not the kind that you can turn on, put into low gear, or take off road or into Waipi’o Valley. You’ll need to find a different car if you want to off-road, though the jeeps with HT tires won’t really cut it either. Elements do have some lower gears to shift into when going down steeper roads (like Saddle Rd) which is a blessing.
Now to the fun part: the camping set up. Literally everything you could ever need. Super simple to convert the interior to a bed, and comfortable mattress to boot. We are average height/weight and didn’t have an issue with space. Sweet double burner camp stove, headlamps, sunscreen, snorkeling gear, towels...everything. Even a corkscrew which is the one thing we always forget. We brought our aero press so can’t speak to the quality of the percolator but the coffee that was provided was super good, wish we could have bought more! Truly a delightful car camping experience. We could have used some hand sanitizer but the dish soap was a good alternative.
Our hosts provided a list of some beaches and places to stay, but it was a bit limited, so we had to do some searching. We found our best and cheapest options for camping spots through Hipcamp, and highly recommend Hale Ohia in Captain Cook and the “best camping in big island” near South Point on the macadamia farm. We booked everything last minute and didn’t have any problems. Other tip is to fill up the car often, it has a pretty small tank and the hilly terrain doesn’t make for great gas mileage.
If you’re looking for an affordable way to explore big island, this is it. We stayed for 12 days and traveled all over, but we could have definitely stayed for at least a couple more days! Thank you so much to the kind folks at caRVee who made this experience possible!