Could there be a more idyllic place to spend a glorious vacation than luscious Hawaii? The smells of Hibiscus and Plumeria, the deep greens of its forests, the aquamarine waters and shimmering sands all make the Hawaiian Islands every bit the tropical paradise it promotes itself to be.
What’s great about the Aloha state is that there’s something for any type of vacationer. Long, lazy days of watching sunsets: Check. All day hikes through forests, seeing wildlife and exotic flowers: Check. A history buff or cultural enthusiast? Hawaii is the place for you! Want to drink and eat your up to another pant size? Absolutely no better place to do it.
The locals bring out their boats everyday. Hop on one for a fun day on the water.
For me, it’s not just the sheer beauty or rich history or even all its many facets that make Hawaii such escape. Kailua-Kona really does transport you to a different headspace. A calmness and sense of peace and an ability to really enjoy all of life is what I truly feel when I’m here. That’s the core of “Island Life” and it’s an ideal vacation mindset.
What to Know About Kona
- Kailua-Kona is on the leeward side of the big island of Hawaii. It’s position lends itself to lots of sunny, dry weather.
- Hawaii is the youngest of the Hawaiian Islands but at 4,038 square miles, it’s more than twice the size of all the other islands combined.
- Eleven of the worlds thirteen climate zones are present on this one island! That’s freaking cool!
- The island grows 42+acres every year due the constant activity of the Kilauea Volcano.
- Fifteen miles off the southeast coast and 3,000ft below the surface there is an active volcano named Lo’ihi. It will be thousands of years before this volcano breaks the surface of the ocean, however, it has already risen 10,000ft from the ocean floor and has a crater measuring 3 miles across!
The black hardened lava rocks are all along the Western coast of Kona. Our resort’s coastline was very dramatic and we could see these rocks along most of the lookout points.
A very important thing to know is that Hawaii doesn’t offer a truly “all inclusive” package like Jamaica or the Bahamas. Some resorts have package deals but you won’t find one that includes all food and excursions, etc. Also, a car is a necessity if you wish to explore Kona at all. As with any vacation spot that has a lot to offer for nature lovers-you’re at the mercy of Mother Nature! One of my top picks for Kona was to see Volcano National Park; which we did. And it was raining and foggy and misty and I couldn’t see a thing. Drove over an hour to see absolutely nothing but the gift shop. To be fair, it was a great gift shop, but not what I was going for.
Staying at Waikoloa Village
Picking a resort in Kona can be intimidating; they all seem wonderful! We picked Waikoloa Village, a 62 acre resort on Kona’s’ coast for a few reasons.
- Location: This property faces the protected lagoon which is ideal for swimming, renting boats, snorkeling equipment and watercrafts. The ocean feeds into the lagoon and draws in different fish and hoards of turtles! They swim right by you. Hint: They’re more active in the morning, so go early! Touching them is a huge no-no! The hotel has trolley service that takes you directly to both of the nearby markets that offers food, local grown and organic coffees, restaurants, grocery stores, a movie theater and a mini golf course.
- Activities: The resort has multiples pools spread around the property. The water activities at the Lagoon are the best and the Dolphin excursion is wonderful. You can attend a traditional Luau, take free Hula lessons and even participate in a Stargazing Event that showcases top of the line telescopes used by professional astronomers. The laser pointer they used really shoots into space and the constellations, planets, stars and space dust formations were unexpectedly one of the things I remember the most.
- The Canal and Waterfall/Cave Pool: Hands down my favorite was the canal that goes around the whole property. Gondolas stop at different spots. While we were there they were converting all of the boats to electric. The large pool at one end of the property features a whole wall of caves and waterfalls you can swim through and around. There’s a hot tub hidden in one of the cavern corners and there’s a little bridge and it has it’s own entrance. On a hot day nothing beats swimming under a waterfall that enters into a cave that has a little bridge that leads to another cave and waterfall that hides a little hot tub to warm back up. Honestly, I could have lived there! It had a very secret Grotto feel and is one of the main reasons I would pick Waikoloa Village again.
Kona resorts offer sweeping views and great points for watching the sun set or rise.
Some other big hits for this resort was of course the service, everyone was so great! There were many great pieces of art throughout the whole property; everywhere I went I saw something interesting. Most of the art was Asian influence but there were pieces and artifacts that paid homage to the Natives of Hawaii. Despite its size, walking the property was easy, with pools and places to eat conveniently dotted throughout. And endless picture-worthy lookout points! My favorite spot was just past the Buddha point overlooking the black rocks. If you are lucky you will find an empty hammock. Past the Lagoon there is a path that goes down to the rocky beach that is worth your time. Hint: Wear comfortable shoes if you walk down there, the path is rocky at parts.
The things I didn’t love about Waikoloa Village is it’s food choices. For such a large resort the food options were not great and mostly focused on one side of the resort. The grill was only open for half the day, poolside you only get drinks. For breakfast the only options were a giant, expensive buffet or the tiny coffee stands that offered a waffle. I would also bring your own snorkeling equipment or snorkel at a different area since the lagoon is so shallow you don’t need any gear to see the fish or turtles that swam through and you can’t really swim safely past the lagoon anyway.
We saw turtles every day. They swim from the ocean to the protected lagoon and congregate under a large waterfall. There’s a bridge nearby that gives a great vantage point. One day we saw at least 20 at one time.
The resort offers valet service that drops you at A Bay beach (Anaeho’omalu Bay Beach,) a crescent shaped stretch of soft sand that’s surrounded by cerulean waters, dotted with shacks offering excursions and home to the Lava Lava Beach Club restaurant. I can’t tell you how much we loved Lava Lava. The outdoor dining and farm to table and local fare really made us feel like we part of Hawaii and its culture.
So much to see and do here. A train takes you from one side of the resort to the other, the Gondola boats travel along the canals. Walk through the property to see different statues, birds and art galleries.
Helpful Hints
- The airport is a smaller one made up of outside buildings, set up in a weird circular pattern and only has one small café; which has delicious smoothies! It’s not close to anything else either, so you need a cab or Uber and most of the hotels don’t have airport pick up. We ordered Lyft but you could check out airport transfers. https://www.airportshuttlehawaii.com/shuttles/hawaii/
- You need a car if you want to see much. Most resorts have a concierge who can help you book excursions and tours but even those don’t all offer pickups and some need to be planned in advance, at least 3 days depending on the excursion. Several resorts have things to do on site but Kona tourism spots are spread out.
- Don’t take the rocks. Black volcano rocks are fascinating but don’t take them! Taking volcanic rocks from Hawaii’s volcanos rocks are illegal and according to Pele’s legend it’s inviting a curse upon your head. Be considerate of Hawai’ian traditions and beliefs.
- Stop at the Hilo on Saturday for the Saturday Market. There’s lots of parking, there’s endless choices and it goes on for blocks. A real hub for anything local, but it’s hot and crowded! Bring water and wear sunscreen. While there you should eat at Pineapples Restaurant. Even the beverages are crafted from ingredients only found on the islands. The ambience matches the festive menu. https://www.pineappleshilo.net/
Enjoy the endless soft sand beaches. Go snorkeling or sailing. Swimming at many of these places can be dangerous so always check surf conditions.
One of the must-do activities for Kona is snorkeling. I met a very nice lady who turned me onto a great app for finding the best spots. https://www.lovebigisland.com/
The site in not just great for snorkeling tips but for any trip planning to the Big Island.
One of the best experiences of vacationing is the food! Who doesn’t love to eat? Food at the resort was astronomical and, as I previously noted, limited in scope, so we ate out at times. One of my favorite places was the Lava Lava Beach Club at A Bay beach. Right on the beach with open air dining, fare of all tastes as well as farm to table options, Lava Lava Beach hits it out of the park on all counts. https://lavalavabeachclub.com/
A Bays Island Grill: This venue is very casual and offers some standard fare but there is nothing standard about the food. The best French toast and red potatoes I have ever had. The grill has a local butter(mango, I think) that blew my mind. They also have a happy hour where I ordered heavenly crab cakes for only $8.00. The Grill is at Kings Market, where they have a beautiful lake, a mini golf place, a place to rent snorkel masks, a movie theater and another must try restaurant- Fosters Kitchen. http://www.kingsshops.com/directory
Queens Market is almost right next door and is a larger shopping area that has a Macaroni Grill and I know it’s a chain, but I highly recommend eating there! For more local flavors try the Daylight Mind coffee pub (I love the ambience), Ippy’s Hawaiian BBQ or Marble Slab Ice Creamery for some much needed cool sweetness. The store there offers plenty of salads, sandwiches, pastries and even deals on t-shirts and beach towels. https://www.queensmarketplace.net/en/index.php/
Great Activities to do in Kona (The Orchid Isle):
- Visit a coffee farm. Hawaii is only 1 of 2 US states to grow coffee and Kona has the best plantations you can visit. The Love Big Island site I referenced earlier is a superb source for researching this activity.
- Go to Koko Head Crater Botanical Garden. Yes, you can visit a botanical garden in the slopes of a crater. It is on the eastern side of the island so you will need a car. This 60 acre loop in the basin of a 200 acre crater is rich with rare and endangered dryland plants, such as African and Madagascar plants. The plumeria grove is always a favorite. Parking is free but there are no bathrooms and no place to get water.
- Get your cowboy on! Hawaii is more than palm trees and dreamy beaches, it’s also home to working cattle ranches. Beef is a big industry in Hawaii and you can spend a day on a working farm. Many of these tours will couple with a coffee tour.
- Go to a tropical rainforest. While the Kona(west side) is great for whale watching, manta ray night dives-a must do, sunny weather and world class golf a trip to the east side for a visit to a rainforest. Visiting Waimea Valley and Akaka Falls Loop will afford the best views of a lush paradise. https://roadtohana.com/hawaiian-rainforests.php
- Enjoy local snacks. Probably the only island that grows vanilla beans, cacao beans and macadamia nuts! Yumm, people, enjoy some Hawaiian deliciousness!
- Enjoy stargazing from Mauna Kea Summit. Guides will take you up to summit for a meal, a blow you mind kind of sunset and NASA worthy star gazing. It’s not uncommon for the summit to be covered in snow; which would be a great thing to see in Hawaii. https://maunakea.com/
Rainbow Falls is at the Northeast border of Hilo and has some easy hike paths.
There are many reasons to love the Orchid Isle. Great beaches, the mouth watering food, so many different terrains-which is one of the things I love about the Big Island, but there are many islands to visit in Hawaii that can fit your vacation personality. Travel+Leisure published a good article. https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/island-vacations/hawaii-islands-travel-guide?
As did a great blog site called https://www.smartertravel.com/best-island-in-hawaii-to-visit/
As with any vacation, it’s only as good as the people who go with me. There’s no better traveling companions that my family. My sister, who planned it. My most amazing partner-my husband, my Beloved Mom, my delightful niece and my brother-in-law, who is endlessly entertaining. Gratitude goes out to my bestie, Jackie, who helped me create all of this and to Adrian-@adys_edits. A great Photoshop teacher and who helped me with these pictures.
I would love to hear about your favorite things to do at the Orchid Isle, or what you are most interested to see.
If Hawaii calls to you feel free to reach out to me, as a travel agent I can help you plan a great getaway (commissions and/or fees will apply.)
Make a list of what’s important to you for your next vacation and chances are one of the Hawaiian Islands can meet most of your goals.
This was a captivating sight! This canopy of trees are just above Rainbow Falls. The hike up there is short but it’s rough terrain. Worth the climb! We saw these trees everywhere up there.