Friday, August 31, 2012

The Big Island of Hawaii


Green sand, black sand, and white sand, life really is a beach! 

We are thankful to call the Big Island of Hawaii our home. We live on the phenomenal Kohala Coast which has some of the best beaches and best weather available. 

Just name your color!

Hapuna, white sand. 
Punaluu, black sand. 
Papakolea,  green sand. 

Hapuna Beach

http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/hawaii/index.cfm?park_id=44

Punaluu Beach

http://www.gohawaii.com/big-island/regions-neighborhoods/kau/punaluu-black-sand-beach

Papakolea Beach

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papakolea_Beach

Because of the Big Island's diversity, during certain times of the year, we can snowboard on Mauna Kea and scuba dive at Holoholokai Beach on the same day. Mauna Kea is also great for star gazing and sunsets. 

http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/mko/visiting.shtml

The Big Island has it all from boogie boarding to big game fishing to hunting. From the top of Mauna Kea down the waterfalls of Waipio Valley to the deep blue waters and sandy shore of Hapuna Beach, the Big Island is our paradise!

http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/waipio-valley/

When big game fishing, Mike fishes with Captain Neal on the Anxious. Captain Neal is a wonderful captain and friend. 

http://www.alohazone.com/

Kahaluu Beach Villas is a great spot to stay for those wanting to stay in Kona town. It is a new facility right across the street from Kahaluu Beach Park, one of the easiest snorkel spots on the Big Island. 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60592-d2005406-Reviews-Kahalu_u_Beach_Park-Keauhou_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html

The Waikoloa property (Hilton or Marriott) is a great place to stay for those preferring to be out of town. Waikoloa is about a half hours drive from Kona. This property has great beaches, Kings Shops and Queens shops (dining and shopping). The Queens Shops offers many fun activities,  (hula shows, lei making, coconut painting) at various times. 

Our favorite resort is The Mauna Lani Resort because they have the friendliest staff on earth. It is a very nice, small, quiet resort. 

http://www.maunalani.com/

In our opinion, The Beach Tree is the best overall dining experience. The food, service, and atmosphere is absolutely second to none. The Beach Tree is much like a lanai (deck) quite literally right on the beach. Watching for whales as the sun sets is one of our favorite pastimes. 

http://www.fourseasons.com/hualalai/dining/

When eating in Kona, we always go see Sam at Krua! 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60872-d1503725-Reviews-Krua_Thai_Cuisine-Kailua_Kona_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html

A drive from Kona down the Saddle Road to Hilo is where we drive to see Rainbow falls. Akaka falls is our favorite waterfall because it has a nice hike. Again, we have small children so their safety and well being is always a priority. This is a very easy hike. 

http://www.gohawaii.com/big-island/regions-neighborhoods/hamakua-coast/akaka-falls-state-park

We recently took a helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian helicopters where we saw numerous waterfalls and flew over Volcano National Park. That flight is a trip of a lifetime. Blue Hawaiian knows how to tour Big Island!

http://www.bluehawaiian.com/bigisland/tours/

Earlier this year, we spent the night at the Kilauea Lodge. It is a very beautiful lodge and the food, service, and atmosphere was amazing. 

http://www.kilauealodge.com/

We are so thankful to live on the Big Island. The Big Island is a much slower pace than Oahu and Maui. We often talk about how living here is like living on vacation. We've had so many great opportunities to travel and live in various places, for us the Big Island is the best of the best!


A few fun videos:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vWGL8pY6N1w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPUttL15fKA&feature=youtube_gdata_player



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