ECO-DRIVING: Donation Based Pickup & Drop-off
Green Driving in Hawaii! Our donation price for airport Pahoa pickups is an informal service because it is not designed to make money but simply to pay car costs and gas. This service allows responsible drivers staying at Hedonisia who own or rent their vehicles to receive 'gas money' to subsidize their trip to town.
We call it a green driving in Hawaii because it is more efficient when drivers can also do a few personal chores in town! Hawaii has some of the highest gas prices in America so represents quite a saving.
'Big Island' Hawaii is served by Kona Airport (100 miles away) and Hilo Airport (28 miles). We recommend flying into Hilo but it is often cheaper to fly to kona even with the $130 pickup fee.
We offer a donation pick up or drop off service.
- From 9am to 7pm from Hilo Airport or town: $30
- Early morning Hilo pickup before 9am or After 7pm: $40
- Pahoa Town Pickup or Drop-off: $12
- Kona Airport: $130 (only when we have available drivers)
WHY WE OFFER THIS SERVICE.
- A taxi ride to Hedonisia from Hilo Airport costs over $70 and does not include any grocery stops.
- We often have interns, volunteers, and guests with their own vehicles who would like to have a little 'gas money' for a trip to town!
Please have enough cash to pay the driver directly who picks you up.
Waiting time at the airport is 1 hour so bring a book or magazine or just enjoy the tropical ambiance of our little airport! Be sure to call us as soon as you land so we can drive there as security regulations at the airport do not allow curbside parking.
CANCELLATION POLICY: If you cancel with more than 24 hours notice there is no charge. However, if you cancel with less than 24 hours notice then we have a 50% Cancellation fee for Hilo pickups because the driver has already been arranged.
FLIGHT DELAYS: Because we drive out to pick you up in advance if there is a flight delay then that affects us too! If you are delayed up to one hour then there is no extra charge. 1-4 hours there is a $10 per hour waiting fee in addition to the regular pick up fee.
If your flight is delayed into the night then a night time pickup charge also applies. After 4 hours you will have to call a taxi as our drivers are volunteers and can't wait that long.
However, you will still be liable for the pickup fees. We can give you a receipt for the extra charges so you can submit them to the airline for possible reimbursement.
Kona Pickups
It is often cheaper for guests to fly to Kona airport which is 100 miles away.
There is a bus that leaves Kona to Hilo. Please check Hele-on Bus to confirm as your dates get closer! The service is infrequent but cheap. By taking the bus for a few dollars you get to save money because we only charge $30 for a Hilo pickup.
When we have drivers on the property who are willing to do so we do offer a Kona pickup service for $130.
However, if you are arriving at night stay in a local Kona hotel or hostel. We avoid driving at night because Saddle Road goes over the mountain and it get's very foggy and is quite dangerous to drive at night for the 2-3 hours it takes to get to our side of the island.
Sometimes the savings are so much flying into Kona that, guests will request a $130 pickup because it is still cheaper! It is subject to driver availability.
Having time to drive all day to the Kona and back is not for everyone. Mojo, the Community Director will sometimes do it when he's on the island to use it as an excuse to drive over to the other side to enjoy some beach time.