If you are staying near Kona Hawaii, you don’t necessarily need to rent a car. There is a bicycle rental (by the ride, the hour, the day, etc…). Slow down, see the sites, get some exercise and enjoy Hawaii in a different way. The rides are $3.50 for a 30 minute single ride or $10 for all day rides of under 30 minutes. I was regularly getting a 3 speed bike at the 5 mile mark and making it into Kona almost on a daily basis (to go to the gym and happy hour… in that order).
There were bike lanes on both sides and traffic goes slowly on the beach road so it felt safe. And it was a relaxing way to get around. Next time I come to Kona, I will bring my bicycle helmet. I didn’t see a place where you could easily rent a helmet and even though it felt safe, I still would have preferred a helmet. I didn’t see anybody with a helmet even on the rented mopeds, but it is still my preference for the future. But it was a really fun way to get around.