Highlights of our ten-day stay on the Big Island
Sep 13th, 2008, 08:13 AM
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Highlights of our ten-day stay on the Big Island
We spent ten days on the Big Island at the end of August/beginning of September. Here are the highlights:
Lodging:
Kamuela Inn, Waimea, 2 nights
http://www.hawaii-inns.com/hi/wai/kin/index.html
I had been a little nervous about this one given the decidedly mixed reviews on Tripadvisor. In fact, our rooms in the new wing were just fine. Clean, cute even, a cut above the average Best Westerns that we have come to know and love on numerous car trips out west.
Pele's Plantation, Chalet Kilauea Collection, Volcano, 1 night
http://www.volcano-hawaii.com/pele-plantation.html
It was really a challenge to find a one-night rental over Labor Day weekend. This one was expensive but it worked.
Kona Beach House/Seaside Zen Cottage, 7 nights
http://konabeachhouse.com/threebedtour/seasidehome.html
Lovely site, see previous review, "Big Island home rental review"
Because check-out time at the house was at 11:00 a.m. and our plane didn't leave until almost 10 that night, we had to figure out how to spend our last day. We decided to make a dinner reservation at the Hualalai Grille and spent our last afternoon at the Four Seasons which worked out very well.
Food:
Our best meals of this trip were at Merriman's in Waimea, the Hualalai Grille at the Four Seasons, and a tiny Thai restaurant, the Garden Snack Club, that serendipity led us to in Hilo. Our Thai food was so good tht, since we had leftovers, we ordered some extra pineapple fried rice, and had dinner at our cottage in Volcano. While in Kailua-Kona, we had dinners at the Big Island Grill (best dinner out during our week here--the mud pie will forever be a part of family lore), the Royal Jade Garden (perfectly adequate Chinese food), Boston Basil's (not recommended), and Teshima's (thought the shrimp tempura was over-breaded, but other items were good and liked the atmosphere). Besides the Garden Snack Club, we had very good lunches at the Coffee Shack in Captain, the Roadside Café in Kainaliu, and the Kohala Coffee Mill in Hawi. Enjoyed good coffee and hot chocolate at the Holuakoa Café Espresso Bar in Holualoa. Eating our Scandinavian shaved ice overlooking Kailua Bay was fun.
The farmers' market in Volcano was excellent, and the one in Keauhou was a strong runner-up.
On Thursday afternoons, the Kona Historical Society just south of Kealakekua sells Portuguese sweet bread baked in a traditional stone oven. A salesperson ath the Kimura Lauhala store recommended it to us, and it was a great tip.
Best shopping:
Sig Zane in Hilo, a beautiful store, high class and high quality clothing and accessories
the Sandal Stop and its sister store next door in Kailua-Kona--Chris Kealoha was particularly helpful
the Kona coffee, purchased many, haven't tried them all yet; bought from the Big Island Candies store, the Hula Bean shop in Kailua-Kona, Blue Sky, the Holualoa Kona Coffee Company farm, and the Kona Lisa (couldn't resist) stall at the Keauhou farmers' market
Big Island Candies, especialy the chocolate-dipped macadamia nut shortbread
Dovetail Gallery in Holualoa: didn't purchase anything but this was my favorite of all the galleries I saw
Touring highlights:
the burros on the road through Waikoloa Village on our way from the airport to Waimea--the car rental agent had warned us, but it was still quite a surprise to encounter them in the middle of the pitch black road
the hike to Pololu Valley
the Halemaumau Crater glowing red in the night sky
the turtles in the lagoon at Zen Cottage
Snorkeling at Kahalu'u Beach Park
the incredible variety of cultural, historical, and natural sights--Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, beautiful churches and temples, the ranch country, sugar plantation towns, the coffee farms, the volcanoes and reefs, and more
the warmth and welcome of everyone we met on the Big Island and the amazing courtesy of its drivers
Lodging:
Kamuela Inn, Waimea, 2 nights
http://www.hawaii-inns.com/hi/wai/kin/index.html
I had been a little nervous about this one given the decidedly mixed reviews on Tripadvisor. In fact, our rooms in the new wing were just fine. Clean, cute even, a cut above the average Best Westerns that we have come to know and love on numerous car trips out west.
Pele's Plantation, Chalet Kilauea Collection, Volcano, 1 night
http://www.volcano-hawaii.com/pele-plantation.html
It was really a challenge to find a one-night rental over Labor Day weekend. This one was expensive but it worked.
Kona Beach House/Seaside Zen Cottage, 7 nights
http://konabeachhouse.com/threebedtour/seasidehome.html
Lovely site, see previous review, "Big Island home rental review"
Because check-out time at the house was at 11:00 a.m. and our plane didn't leave until almost 10 that night, we had to figure out how to spend our last day. We decided to make a dinner reservation at the Hualalai Grille and spent our last afternoon at the Four Seasons which worked out very well.
Food:
Our best meals of this trip were at Merriman's in Waimea, the Hualalai Grille at the Four Seasons, and a tiny Thai restaurant, the Garden Snack Club, that serendipity led us to in Hilo. Our Thai food was so good tht, since we had leftovers, we ordered some extra pineapple fried rice, and had dinner at our cottage in Volcano. While in Kailua-Kona, we had dinners at the Big Island Grill (best dinner out during our week here--the mud pie will forever be a part of family lore), the Royal Jade Garden (perfectly adequate Chinese food), Boston Basil's (not recommended), and Teshima's (thought the shrimp tempura was over-breaded, but other items were good and liked the atmosphere). Besides the Garden Snack Club, we had very good lunches at the Coffee Shack in Captain, the Roadside Café in Kainaliu, and the Kohala Coffee Mill in Hawi. Enjoyed good coffee and hot chocolate at the Holuakoa Café Espresso Bar in Holualoa. Eating our Scandinavian shaved ice overlooking Kailua Bay was fun.
The farmers' market in Volcano was excellent, and the one in Keauhou was a strong runner-up.
On Thursday afternoons, the Kona Historical Society just south of Kealakekua sells Portuguese sweet bread baked in a traditional stone oven. A salesperson ath the Kimura Lauhala store recommended it to us, and it was a great tip.
Best shopping:
Sig Zane in Hilo, a beautiful store, high class and high quality clothing and accessories
the Sandal Stop and its sister store next door in Kailua-Kona--Chris Kealoha was particularly helpful
the Kona coffee, purchased many, haven't tried them all yet; bought from the Big Island Candies store, the Hula Bean shop in Kailua-Kona, Blue Sky, the Holualoa Kona Coffee Company farm, and the Kona Lisa (couldn't resist) stall at the Keauhou farmers' market
Big Island Candies, especialy the chocolate-dipped macadamia nut shortbread
Dovetail Gallery in Holualoa: didn't purchase anything but this was my favorite of all the galleries I saw
Touring highlights:
the burros on the road through Waikoloa Village on our way from the airport to Waimea--the car rental agent had warned us, but it was still quite a surprise to encounter them in the middle of the pitch black road
the hike to Pololu Valley
the Halemaumau Crater glowing red in the night sky
the turtles in the lagoon at Zen Cottage
Snorkeling at Kahalu'u Beach Park
the incredible variety of cultural, historical, and natural sights--Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, beautiful churches and temples, the ranch country, sugar plantation towns, the coffee farms, the volcanoes and reefs, and more
the warmth and welcome of everyone we met on the Big Island and the amazing courtesy of its drivers
Sep 13th, 2008, 03:58 PM
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boy voyage, I really enjoyed your trip report. My husband and I went to the Big Island for 10 nights a couple of years ago, and we were just talking today about how it was one of our favorite trips ever.
Sep 14th, 2008, 04:01 AM
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Enjoyed your trip report immensely. My husband was never a coffee drinker until he had Kona coffee. We brought several bags of Kona beans home and keep them in the freezer - he drinks half a pot every morning now. We're on the last bag.....I told him that's fine, we'll just have to go back to the Big Island and get some more!
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Sep 14th, 2008, 08:03 AM
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luv
If you're interested in ordering coffee from the Big Island check out: http://www.sharkyscoffee.com:80/
They have a coffee plantation and ship for not a bad price. I bought their House Blend and it is very good, next time I will try the Dark.
If you're interested in ordering coffee from the Big Island check out: http://www.sharkyscoffee.com:80/
They have a coffee plantation and ship for not a bad price. I bought their House Blend and it is very good, next time I will try the Dark.
Sep 14th, 2008, 10:32 AM
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It sounds like you discovered some special places, as well as experienced the diversity and magical aloha spirit of the Big Island. It made me happy to see so many of my favorite places on your list, and thanks for some new tips I didn't know about (Portuguese sweet bread baked in a traditional stone oven...mmmm). Glad you made it up to North Kohala!
Nov 15th, 2008, 05:53 PM
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Speaking of Kona Coffee..my husband and I drove up into the plantation area in Kona in 2001, plus we tried to purchase Kona coffee everywhere , but all we could find was Arabica with 10% Kona beans...any comments about where you can buy 100% Kona coffee in Hawaii?
