I’m known to be hawk-eyed when it comes to looking out for travel deals. Given the ridiculous flight prices during the travel rebound after Covid, Southwest had a 40% deal to any destination they fly!
We snapped up an amazing family vacation deal to Kailua-Kona, a town on the west coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, and managed to book 2 rooms at a beachfront hotel after accumulating Marriott Bonvoy points using our American Express Marriott Card.
Granted it was teetering on school opening days but I’ve always belonged to the school of thought (pun intended) that travel provides a much better learning experience than any classroom on earth!
We departed LA on a Thursday at noon and arrived mid afternoon after a 5 hour long flight. To move around easily, we reserved a rental jeep with Dollar Rental with the airport as the pick up; my daughter was quite stoked because its always been her dream to drive in a jeep! Glad to have made her day!
We drove to our hotel, The Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha Beach Hotel, located on the historical site where the famed Hawaiian King Kamehameha once lived, and it was absolutely stunning!
The Courtyard provides ocean views and direct access to Kailua Pier. It’s a short distance from downtown Kona, Kahaluu Beach Park, Kealakekua Bay, and Kailua Village. Each room has beach chairs and snorkeling equipment included in the package, which saved us the hassle of searching for rental services.
We went out for dinner and picked The Big Kahuna Beach Grill, just across the street from our hotel, located at an enviable location overlooking Kailua Bay, including the harbor and pier. Their menu had something for everyone.
Day 1: We took a drive across the island, with the goal of getting to the active volcano by dusk to see the live lava. It was a leisurely drive from Kona, having left at around noon. Our first stop was a famous Hawaiian bakery where we bought some authentic Hawaiian rolls and enjoyed a light lunch.
Day 2: Our second stop was Punaluʻu Beach, a beach between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu on the Big Island of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The beach has black sand made of basalt and created by lava flowing into the ocean which explodes as it reaches the ocean and cools; quite an unreal sight to behold.
Our last stop before the volcano site visit was the Volcano Winery; a cute winery nestled in Volcano near the park. They have unique flavors like macadamia honey infused wine. We did indulge in a little tasting of their popular and unique offerings, including the guava wine; house made cheese platters, estate tea tastings, Ka’u coffee and other beverages that they had available.
We finally made it to the awe-inspiring wonders at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, located 45 miles southwest of Hilo, the park is home to two volcanoes including Kīlauea, one of the most active volcanoes on earth. The volcano began erupting on September 29, 2021, at approximately in Halema’uma’u crater. Lava continues to erupt from a single vent in the western wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater.
The site can get quite cold, consider carrying a warm garment. I also recommend carrying snacks /food and water as there are not many places to purchase these near the site.
For the next 3 days, we made the most of the hotel, taking late afternoon walks to the local watering holes to enjoy their happy hour menus, while the kids had their own fun at the pool and the beach.
On Sunday night, we attended a Luau – a Hawaiian feast featuring lively music and vibrant cultural performances from Hawaiʻi and greater Polynesiawhich – at the hotel. It was such an unforgettable experience; the food was flavorful. This was the highlight of our trip.
Overall, it was an amazing trip. Even though it was our fourth Hawaiian island to visit, it felt very unique
compared to the previous ones. This trip had a great balance of nature, beauty and entertainment. I can definitely see myself returning and maybe visiting the Hilo side. Happy Trails!
