Highlights from our 10 day trip to the Big Island

Highlights from our ten days on the Big Island:

Lodging:

Kamuela Inn, Waimea, 2 nights

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, was reassured by one of KK’s comments. 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

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

konabeachhouse.com/threebedtour/seasidehome.…

See previous review.

Because check-out time at the house was at 11 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 hang out at the Four Seasons for the afternoon. That was eye-opening.

Food:

Our best meals of this trip were at Merriman%26#39;s in Waimea, the Hualalai Grille at the Four Seasons, and a tiny Thai restaurant, the Garden Snack Café, that serendipity led us to in Hilo. Our Thai food was so good that, since we had leftovers, we ordered some 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), Boston Basil%26#39;s (not recommended), and Teshima%26#39;s (thought the shrimp tempura was over-breaded but other items were good liked the atmosphere). Besides the Garden Snack Café, we had very good lunches at the Coffee Shack in Captain Cook, 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%26#39; 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 at 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%26#39;t tried them all yet; bought from the Big Island Candy store, the Hula Bean store in Kailua-Kona, Blue Sky, the Holualoa Coffee farm, and the Kona Lisa (couldn%26#39;t resist) stall at the Keauhou farmers%26#39; market

Big Island Candies, especially the chocolate-dipped macadamia nut shortbread

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

the turtles in the lagoon at Zen Cottage

Snorkling 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

Highlights from our 10 day trip to the Big Island

Great report, Bon Voyage. We are leaving tomorrow (YAAAY!!) and I am printing it out to take with me. Lots of great recommendations. Thanks for posting it!

Highlights from our 10 day trip to the Big Island

Aloha, Great report! Many will benefit from it.

I agree that the farmers%26#39; market in Volcano is wonderful and I love Sig Zane%26#39;s.

Did the ';Kona Nightingales'; sing to you (';the burros on the road through Waikoloa Village on our way from the airport to Waimea';)?

Thanks, pdxjoanne and AlohaAdeline!

And best wishes, pdxjoanne, for a great trip!

AA, I don%26#39;t remembered being serenaded by the ';Kona nightingales,'; but that may have been because I was the driver and very focused on getting to Waimea in one piece (our plane was late and it was after 11 PM).

Nice trip report.

I did a quick search on the Pololu Valley and it looks very pretty. I read that it takes abbout 20 minutes to get down to the beach. Do you remember ho wlong it took to get back up? We will be on BI with our kids next summer.

Treepalm, for us, getting back up was way easier than getting down. Took about 20 minutes.