Kona One More Time - Spring Break!

This trip was planned nearly 18 months in advance, largely due to the opportunity to do an exchange through RCI made possible by a large space bank to the Fairfield Kona Hawaiian Village.

Because I had just been here in December 2005 with my husband and other family, I invited some girlfriends to join me. The trip was just before Easter, which had us a bit concerned about crowds. We were pleasantly surprised, however, in that there were no crowds.

On this trip, I did more of the fine dining in Kailua-Kona, something that I hadn't done before. I cannot describe how wonderful the fresh fish is, especially the ono and mahi mahi! While expensive, the experience was divine.

We did go to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, but we were disappointed with the poor weather. It cleared as we drove down the Chain of Craters Road but by nightfall, a steady rain had begun, making it a challenge to navigate the hike on lava as dusk approached. We didn't stay past dark, so we missed what was surely a wonderful show of lava flowing into the ocean. We did get to witness it from the turnout at the hairpin curve on Chain of Craters Road. I can only imagine how wonderful it must be to see it up close!

Quick Tips:

Buying an Entertainment Book before you travel to Hawaii is a MUST in my opinion! Because the book runs November 1 through November 1, the books we bought for our December 2005 trip were still good on this one. We saved over on this trip, on just the Island Breeze Luau and the Body Glove snorkel cruise! Do not miss out on saving, if you plan on doing activities in Hawaii.

There is a Kmart and Walmart very close to Kailua-Kona. The Walmart was always JAMMED full of people. I preferred the Kmart for that reason. Prices seemed to be about the same at both stores

Best Way To Get Around:

Having a rental car is essential! There can be some good deals found if you start shopping prices early. Our first car was booked as a full-size, with one extra driver for around . By the time we made the trip, we had it down to around including the extra driver and unlimited mileage.

Be prepared for high gas prices! While gas was running around .59/gallon here in Iowa, we paid between .15 and .39 on the Big Island.

We chose not to take any of the bus tours, but Roberts Hawaii has the most complete offering and is reasonably priced. If you are staying at a timeshare resort, they will offer you "discounts" for your time taking a sales presentation. We found that their deals weren't that good and not worth losing a morning in a sales pitch.

Best Things Nearby:
The town of Kailua-Kona is within a mile of the resort, making it walking distance to restaurants, nightlife and shopping.

Best Things About the Resort:
The resort grounds are very nice. Created to replicate a 19th-century Hawaiian Village, the resort was very comfortable. The swimming pool nearest the main reception is very nice, complete with what feels like a tidal pool hot tub.

Resort Experience:
We had a two-bedroom unit (#14A) on the lower level. While there was some noise here from the unit above us, it wasn't horrible. The unit was well furnished and nicely decorated. The only minor disappointment we had was the fact that there was no real dining area, other than a table with chairs out on the balcony. The Fairfield Resort sales staff did not disappoint in their continual hounding to get me to take the "owner's update" - FF's version of a timeshare sales presentation for those of us who already own with them. I was solicited three times over the course of the week!

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Very Good

This is a nice seaside bar type restaurant, with nice outdoor patio seating by the ocean. We stopped in for lunch our first day in town. With a wide assortment of sandwiches and seafood dishes, you can't go wrong.

I had the pan fried Ono platter which was a reminder of the Friday fish fry I've grown to miss living in Iowa… only MUCH better!

Having been here before for lunch, I thought it would make a great stop for breakfast on the morning we headed out to Volcano National Park. They did not disappoint!! It was so good, that we stopped by again on Saturday during our jaunt to the coffee farms.

I had the french toast and my friend had buttermilk pancakes with blueberries. It was wonderful and reasonably priced too. Breakfast outside with the warm sea breeze at your back was a wonderful experience.

During our meal, we were entertained by the geckos on the patio railing.

After arriving and touring around Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, we were ready for some lunch around 3pm. SHUCKS... the restaurant in the Volcano House is closed from 2 to 5pm, so we were left fending for ourselves.

We ventured back out of the park to the village of Volcano. There we found the Volcano Lava Rock Cafe. The sandwiches were large and the side dishes plentiful. While we didn't have milk shakes, they did look pretty yummy!!

This place is approximately 15 minutes outside of the main gate area to the park. It's well worth the trip, if you're hungry and the Volcano House restaurant is closed.

This restaurant is in the village of Kaulia-Kona and is reasonably within walking distance of the Fairfield Kona Hawaiian Resort. It is on the second floor and has elevator accessibility. The view is great, so long as you have a table along the rail outside.We all had wonderfully prepared fresh fish entrees. Between the Ono, Ahi and Mahi Mahi… we all felt as though ours was the best!The adult beverages were large and strong, well worth the premium price paid.

Huggos is right on the oceanfront, and is well situated for a romantic and pleasurable dining experience. From the top of the restaurant, the waves are well lit as they crash over the lava rocks on the shoreline.

Service was very attentive, which you would expect from such a fine dining establishment. The menu is expansive, featuring many fresh catches daily. I had the Macadamia Nut Mahi Mahi, but sub the garlic mashed for the rice that comes with the dish. No salad comes with the meal so that is an ala carte item if you want one. The sour dough rolls are very good however, but don't fill up on them!

Huggos is also well known for their desserts. I shared the Onolicious Huno (turtle) Pie with one of my friends. It lived up to their hype and my expectations!!

We arrived at 7:45pm on a Friday without reservations. We had about a 45-minute wait. Parking is free outside the restaurant, although it can be very limited. Arrive early and enjoy an adult beverage at the bar.

This restaurant is right in the downtown area of the village of Kailua-Kona. Don’t let this dissuade you from making the trip for dinner. Parking can be a bit problematic, but if you park up the street, behind the shopping plazas, you will be fine.

We arrived right as they opened at 5:00pm in order to get a prime seat along the front rail facing the ocean. Our plan was rewarded as we were in the best place to watch the ocean waves and the setting sun. This is especially important since this restaurant, while oceanfront, is not actually on the ocean. There is a rather large back lawn between the building and the shore.

We sat at the bar and enjoyed appetizers. I think I may have had the best calamari EVER. Rather than the ringlets of this squid delight, this was served as lightly breaded strips. The strips were tender and moist, not like the typical chewy rings frequently served in restaurants. This was probably the highlight of my meal here!!

I had the teriyaki chicken which was not your typical Polynesian fare. The flavor was more rich than sweet, a bit on the tangy side. My friends had fresh fish but I was ready for something other than fish. One had the pan fried oho and the other had an ahi pasta dish.

For dessert, I kept it light with rainbow sherbet. You can't get pineapple sherbet on the mainland, so it was a real treat!

The adult beverages here were a bit pricey, and not very good. The blended drinks were too "watery" for my tastes.

After dinner we ventured out onto the backyard to stake a seat on the stone wall on the coast. This is where we found the best place to watch the sunset, with the waves splashing at our bare feet. It was a nice and relaxing way to end a wonderful meal.

Located on the second level of a strip shopping area, the view is nice but not the best in the village. If you don't get a table right along the front rail, you really have little to no view of the ocean.

It's hard to describe the cuisine of this kind in Kailua-Kona. You can get everything from a great juicy burger, to rather expensive local fish dishes with gourmet preparations.

I was more in the mood for a sandwich, so I had the fried crab cake served open-face. It was more breading than crab, and expensive for what you received. Compared to the Maryland crab cakes I grew up on, I should have known better. This was the first meal I was disappointed in on this trip.

My friend had the chef's special for the evening; which was several types of fish, cooked with a mixture of vegetables, and served over rice. She said it was different than what she expected, but that it was outstanding.

There is a happy hour for cocktails, which was a nice surprise. The frozen beverages were yummy and just the way you'd expect them in a tropical paradise.

If you happen in on a Chicago Cubs' game night, you will be treated to wing and bar specials.

I rate this as "recommended," in spite of my dissatisfaction with my meal.

This was one of the best luaus I have ever attended (and I've done several)!

The food was outstanding, the entertainment engaging and the price right. What more can you ask for?? If you plan on attending this one, be sure to pick up an Entertainment Book, where you will find a 25% off discount for up to four in your party. If you don't have one, you can still save some money through coupons found locally or by taking a timeshare sales presentation. We paid $59 per person for the VIP package (special seating and perks).

NOTE: not open on Mondays.

The doors open at around 5:00pm with dinner served buffet style at 6:00pm. The show starts around 7:00pm and lasts a little over an hour. Before the show, there are activities to keep you from getting bored including tattoo artists with temporary tattoos, a coconut opening demonstration and a local native teaching you how to make a fish from palm leaves.

Truly fun for the entire family!!

We did the morning cruise which is longer (4.5 hours vs. 3 hours) and includes a continental breakfast and cold cut lunch. Pricing is a bit expensive if you are paying full price ($105) but with the Entertainment Book you can save a lot of money with their buy one, get one free coupon! Also, singles are given a 50% discount if you don't have a second person with you. This is a full-service snorkel cruise that includes your gear too.

The snorkel area they use is near the old airport, which is not the best snorkel area around Kona. I prefer the Captain Cook area, or off shore at several of the area beaches. We saw a fair amount of fish and the coral is pretty. It is unfortunate that to really enjoy the coral, you must get pretty close to the shoreline, which has the boat hands whistling you away due to the rough surf. All in all, this is a good value trip for first timers, or those who need a bit more supervision and assistance in their snorkel experience.

They also offer floating noodles and tubes to lounge around in the water if you just wish to lay out and not snorkel. If you do not have the Entertainment Book, look for the $20 off (per couple) coupon in the (Kona) Hawaii This Week magazine. It can be picked up at most hotel and resorts as well as restaurants and other tourist areas.

This is a two story landmark right on the oceanfront in downtown Kailua-Kona. Hulihe'e Palace was built in the 1830s out of stone by the second governor of the island of Hawaii. The backside of the palace faces the ocean and has two beautiful lanais. Throughout the building you will find original Kona furniture and historical photographs tracing the history of this old structure.

While there has been a significant amount of renovation done in the past, you can get a real feel for the significance of the building and people of the times by taking the guided tour.

You CANNOT go to the Big Island of Hawaii and not make the trip to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park! This is a full day from Kona, so be sure to plan good sleep the night before and a light day the day after.

On this trip, the lava flow was not visible at night on the hillside. There was, however, a wonderful view of the lava flowing over the "table" at the end of the shoreline where it dumps into the ocean. If you are interested in seeing this, you need to plan your trip so that you arrive at the end of the Chain of Craters Road around an hour before nightfall.

You will also need to hike out over about 200 yards of a rather rough lava landscape. It is well worth it, but be sure to take a flashlight! You'll need it to return safely to the road.

If you are a bit unsure about the hike out over the old lava flow, you can get a decent (but distant) view of the lava flow from about two thirds of the way down Chain of Craters Road at the turnout viewing area at the hairpin curve.

As an aside, be sure to take good walking shoes (with socks!), a jacket or sweatshirt (or both), plenty of water and something to eat. We didn't have food with us and by the time we were ready for lunch, the restaurant in the Volcano House was closed. They are closed between 2 and 5pm. See my journal entry for the Volcano Lava Rock Cafe, which is where we did go that day for lunch at around 3pm.