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Hapuna Beach on the sunny
Kohala Coast, about 35 miles north of Kailua-Kona is a great place to spend the day,
playing in the waves, and has often been voted the
Best Beach in America. We’ve made
it a ‘thing’ to always head up to Hapuna on our first full day
on the Big Island,
a fitting way to kick the vacation into Hawaiian mode.
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Up behind Kailua-Kona, on the
slopes of Mt. Hualalai is the tiny artist
community of Holualoa. It’s worth driving up to this village to
browse through one or two galleries and to sample a bit of the
hidden diversity of the wondrous Big Island. Even the winding road
up to the centre of the village of
Holualoa where there’s a handful of renown art galleries is a
treat in itself.
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One of the best places to watch the amazing Manta
Rays, after dark, as they swoop gracefully through the ocean
waters, is off the seaside terrace at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay
Resort. The resort has mounted big lights shining into the
waves for the ultimate viewing. Of course the rays are not
there every night, but if you persist and your timing is just
right…..
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Our favorite spot for Fish & Chips in Kailua-Kona
is at Quinn’s Almost by The Sea. The front of Quinn’s is a
local pub, but you pass right through to outdoor patio seating,
where it feels so good to plunk down for some delicious fish and
chips. Every day Quinn’s features Mahi Mahi and the fresh catch
of the day will likely be either Ono or Ahi. Be sure to try to
Ono, if it’s the special of the day! (Now
I want ono!)
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Don’t leave paradise without savoring the local
treat - Shave Ice. There’s a good place right in the village
centre across from the Hulihe’e Palace, I think it’s called
Scandanavian Shave Ice (go figure) but it’s very local style and
yummy. Try lilikoi (passionfruit), guava and pineapple, but be
sure to ask for a little bit of coconut ice cream in the bottom.
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The best place to snorkel and
swim with Kona’s famous green sea turtles, in a very easy,
mostly calm and shallow setting, in Kailua-Kona is Kahalu’u
Beach Park.
Kahalu’u Park is about 4 miles south on Alii Drive, from the
village center. So gear up with all your snorkel equipment and
head out to enjoy the beauty beneath the waves.
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If you have a Costco membership, Kona’s Costco in
the Kaloko Industrial area, just off the main Highway, north of
town, towards the airport, offers great savings on grocery
supplies, local books, and clothes. Aside
from Costco, I always recommend Sac ‘n Save and KTA for
groceries. There’s a Safeway too, but it tends to be a little
more costly overall. And if you ‘pretend’ you’re a part time
island resident (remembering your address and phone number) then
you can fill out the form at Sac ‘n Save for a discount card and
save $$$.
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One
of our favorite daytrips from Kona is to head due north on the
coast highway (Highway 19) towards all those ritzy Kohala
Coast resorts. Keep going, keep going. You’ll come to a crossroads in the
weird little slice of a town called Kawaihae, continue on the
coast highway, which is now Highway 270. Once you come around
onto the north shore you’ll pass through the little town of
Hawi – more on this, cuz
we’re going to back track and come back here for lunch. But
first keep going…..through Hawi, through Kapa’au until the road
runs out at the Pololu Lookout. This is where you get out to
stretch your legs, grab your camera and drink in the
breathtaking views. Now turn around and head back the way you
came, but if you want to pop down to the ocean before lunch,
watch for the signs pointing to the small road leading down to
the ocean and Keokea
Beach Park. I like this
place. There’s picnic tables, rugged coastline and a river runs
into the pounding surf. It’s a good spot to take a breather.
Now everyone is hungry and it’s lunchtime. Head back towards
the tiny town of Hawi and hit Bamboo Restaurant. Possibly my
favorite restaurant on the whole island. Very Hawaiian, very
yummy. (I think they’re closed on Mondays, don’t forget to
check on that before you head north from Kona). Then for your
drive back home to Kona you’re in for a treat. There’s a turn
up through the centre of the island, very near Bamboo Restaurant
– you’re looking for Route 250 to Waimea. National Geographic
claims this is one of the most scenic drives in the world. We
agree. Then from Waimea you can continue through the ‘interior’
of the island back to Kona. A fantastic round trip day
excursion.
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For those who want to sample a taste of the
Deluxe Resorts on the famed Kohala Coast we recommend spending
an hour or two exploring the grounds of the fantastic Hilton
Waikoloa Village where guests take trams or canal boats to their
rooms and you can swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Quest. But
we often just go up here to walk the grounds.
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The best place to buy fresh fruits, flowers and coffee is at the
Farmers Market, held in the church parking lot, on
Alii Drive, just across from Waterfront Row. Fruit, especially is extremely
inexpensive here compared to the grocery stores, and of course,
just picked. Also, on Saturday mornings at the Keauhou Shopping
Centre, at the south end of
Alii Drive, they have a
farmers’ market that I love. It’s much, much smaller, there’s
not oodles of booths and offerings. But there’s some lovely
backyard bounties, some goodies, some exotic ingredients to try
cooking with and delightful local entertainment.
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It’s worth heading over to
Hilo one day, just for the drive, or maybe to explore the great
Farmers Market, which I’m pretty sure operates everyday except
maybe Friday. Go north through Waimea when you go to Hilo.
Then once you’re over on the
Hamakua Coast, just north
of Hilo, on Highway 19 watch for a hard-to-miss sign that
indicates the "
4 mile scenic route
". Take the time
to take this splendid little detour. The Pepe'ekeo Scenic Drive
takes you through tropical jungle, winding along the coastal
cliffs and waterfalls along its way down the coast. In between
towering trees you will see steep ravines dropping into the
crashing waves of the ocean below. You may wish to stop at the
Botanical Gardens during the drive to see exotic trees and
unusual tropical plants. This Hamakua coast offers gorgeous
views on the ocean side as the road carves through the
rain-soaked gullies and around cascading waterfalls
on tiny one-lane bridges and winds in and out of rain forest
ravines.
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The Waipio
Valley is one of my favorite places on the planet. So
beautiful, but a little inaccessible. If you’re so inclined
it’s probably worth hooking up with one of the 4x4 van tours of
the valley. I’ve never done this because we’ve always had a 4x4
so could access the valley ourselves. But this is one of those
‘touristy’ things that might be worth it, just to be able to get
to the valley bottom.
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The Place of Refuge south of
Kailua-Kona, in coffee country, quite near Captain
Cook
Monument is a place of great historical significance in Hawaii
and a great place to spend the morning or afternoon learning
more about Hawaiian history.
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Every Tuesday from 10 AM to 12
noon Aunty Lani Lee, her hula
halau "Na Kupuna O Kona Ali'i", and her band, perform at the
Kona Coast
Shopping Center on Palani Rd. in Kailua-Kona.
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Fridays, from 6-7pm at Keauhou
Shopping Center,
there is a free hula show featuring various hula halaus.
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Saturdays eves, hear live Hawaiian music from 6-7pm in
the Center Courtyard of Keauhou Shopping Center
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Kumu Hula (hula teacher) Etua Lopez has hula
practice for the keikis (children) in his halua I think on
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4pm on the lawn of the Hulihe’e
Palace. If you’re at all interested in hula this is a great
opportunity to bring a lawn chair and just sit off to the side
watching the cutie patootie little girls learn to perpetuate the
beautiful hula culture.
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Lava Java on Alii Drive has great cinnamon buns.
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If you do a daytrip to
Volcano, be sure to leave early and head south. In the town of
Naalehu near South Point there’s an old general store that has
some good lunch items. Best to take any food or drink that you
want along with you, as there’s not many options once you get
inside Volcanoes National Park. The
film that shows at the Visitor Centre in Volcanoes
Park is
worth watching. The steam banks along Crater Rim Drive are very
neat as is Thurston Lava Tube. You’ll have to check before you
go to see if there is any viewing of red hot lava when you’re
there. If so it’s always good to plan to be near a good viewing
area just before dusk, because of course as the sky darkens the
red lava is easy and amazing to spot. But it’s dark here,
always good to have flashlights on hand just in case. This is a
‘big’ day trip, so be prepared for a full day.
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Hulihee
Palace right in the center of Kailua-Kona holds a significant
place in Hawaiian history and allows visitors, for a small fee,
to tour this stately palace where Hawaiian Royalty came to spend
their summers. Throughout the day, the resident curators give
guided tours which are worth catching.
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Most of all, slow down, enjoy the pace here on the Big Island.
Talk to the locals, they have a wealth of cultural knowledge -
their very lifestyles exude years of one of the most wonderful
and rich histories on the planet. Aloha can be found around
every corner.
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