Posted by Kona.us Blogger on April 21, 2009 under Photo | 
If you ever wondered what cruise ship is in Kailua Bay, here is your answer…well, at least one answer!
This picture is of the Carnival Spirit. It visits Kona, Hawaii when it does a few Hawaii itineraries when repositioning itself from it’s summer cruises in Alaska and winter cruises in the fall and winter and spring. If full, it will elease about 2,000 (actually 2,124) tourists on our sleepy little village. There are approximately 900 crew members and the ship is registered in Panama.
Carnival Spirit in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Posted by Kona.us Blogger on April 13, 2009 under Accomodations |
Right now a lot of people are making plans for their summer vacations. One great thing about the Kona region of the Big Island is that there are plenty of accommodations available. These include thousands of vacation rentals, a few luxury hotels, several mid-range hotels, and, well, a few places that are best considered low-end hotels.
The Kailua-Kona and Keauhou areas are pretty much where everyone stays. That said, there are some off-the-beaten-path bed and breakfasts in South Kona that might make for a truly unique vacation. The Captain Cook-Honaunau area is the heart of the Kona coffee growing region, and is also an area steeped in historical significance. Do some Google searches for Captain Cook B&Bs or Kealakekua B&Bs to find some neat places.
In Keauhou, there are two major hotels–the Sheraton, which is on Keauhou Bay and the Keauhou Outrigger, located next to Kahalu’u Beach. The Sheraton is isolated and very much a closed resort; that is, there are almost no places within walking distance to eat. If you’re looking for a place to watch the ocean and lounge in the pool, this might be a good choice. It’s the most expensive hotel in the Kailua-Kona & Keauhou areas. For the more active vacationers, check out the Keauhou Outrigger. Located next to Kahalu’u Beach, this hotel is less luxurious, but has perhaps the best beginner snorkeling beach in West Hawaii next to it. It’s a bit of a hike, but you can walk to the Keauhou Shopping Center, which has a grocery store, a drug store and several restaurants.
On Alii Drive, as you go north from the Outrigger, you’ll see a few thousand condos on the makai (ocean) side of the road. (I’d avoid the condos on the mauka (mountain) side of the Alii Drive, as they lack direct access to watching the sunsets by the ocean.) Most of the condos are owned by private individuals who rent them out (illegally) by themselves or through an agency. West Hawaii Property Services, Hawaii Resort Management and Sunquest Vacations are a few of the agencies that manage hundreds of the units.
The are several advantages to using a vacation rental. These include more space and privacy than hotel rooms, free parking and the ability to make some of your own meals. Most Alii Drive condo complexes have BBQ grills, direct ocean access and pools. They also can be less expensive. The disadvantages include renting a unit that may not have been updated in several years and having to tone down the “party all the time” attitude that you may bring to the island. Most condo complexes have a large number of permanent residents, who, in general, do not appreciate loud, raucous neighbors. If you want to party all night and sleep all day, chose a hotel. To see some condo reviews and pictures, check out KonaCondominium.com
Vacation Rental Owner?
The hotels closest to Kailua Village are the Kona Tikii, the Royal Kona Resort, Uncle Billy’s, the King Kamehameha and the Kona Seaside. The Kona Tikii hotel is a small, quaint ocean-front hotel about a mile out of town on Alii Drive. It’s not very modern, and parking can be a real hassle, but it all the rooms are oceanfront and it’s a little less expensive than many places.
The Royal Kona Resort used to be in fairly run-down condition. The last few years have seen huge improvements in the rooms and service. If you want to be close to the village and all the restaurants and bars, this might be a good choice. It can be noisy at times and beware of extra charges for parking and just about everything else.
Uncle Billy’s should be avoided unless your budget says otherwise. The u-shaped hotel is in the center of the village, which is the only thing it has going for it.
At the Kailua Pier is the King Kamehameha Hotel. Recently purchased by some off-island owners, this hotel is in a state of transition. They are re-doing a lot of rooms and updating the 1st floor areas this year. The location is excellent if you don’t want to rent a car and stay in Kailua Village for your vacation. The pier is where several dinner cruises, snorkeling & scuba charters depart, so there is a lot you can do within a few minutes of the hotel.
Kailua Village Hotels
For the budget-conscious, the Kona Seaside might be a good option. Rather unspectacular in every way, the Kona Seaside does have a good location (about 75 yards from the King Kamehameha grounds). If you just want a place to lay your head after busy days, the Kona Seaside is not a bad choice. Don’t expect a lot, though.
Posted by Kona.us Blogger on April 7, 2009 under Activities |
Here’s a picture of Kahalu’u Bay from the air. Located next to the Keauhou Beach Resort, Kahalu’u is probably the best place for snorkeling on the Kona Coast. This is especially true for beginners or those who don’t spend a lot of time in water. Just about anywhere on the whole Kona Coast is good for snorkeling, but few places offer the convenience and safety of Kahalu’u Bay.
The beach has a north end and a south end. The south end (closest to the hotel) is a sheltered bay, so even on the rather rough water days, it’s still a decent place to get in the water. The north end is more unprotected. This is a great spot for surfing. We highly recommend the Kona Surf School for board rentals and lessons. These guys are some of the knowledgeable and friendly surf instructors, and best of all, they lack any arrogance or attitude.
For the best snorkeling, start at the south end of the beach and go straight out. When you get close to the break, go north until you get to the mouth of the bay. Then head back toward the mountain.
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The bay is home to a fish of every kind as well as a lot of green sea turtles. You might even see some eels and an octopus.
Visitors to Kahalu’u Beach are likely to encounter the scorn or residents and lifeguards if they break the cardinal rule of snorkeling in Hawaii: touching a sea turtle. These are wild, air-breathing creatures, so holding them under water or touching their shells are definite things to avoid. We also caution snorkelers about standing on the coral. Coral, many people do not know, are living animals and stepping on them can kill them.
Posted by Kona.us Blogger on April 3, 2009 under Photo |
We took some aerial photos of Kona last year. On occasion, we’ll post a picture or two.
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Kailua Bay from the air
Posted by Kona.us Blogger on March 31, 2009 under Drink, Food |
One of our favorite places for a true taste of Hawaii is Scandinavian Shave Ice. They sell a local favorite called shave ice. Shave ice is basically ice that is shaved off an ice block and then flavored with any one of about fifty flavors.
Mainland visitors are probably familiar with snow cones. They use hard, granular ice, and are not nearly as delicious as the Hawaii-style shave ice. U.S. President Obama is known to always have a shave ice or two when he is in Hawaii.
Scandinavian Shave Ice is located across from Kailua Bay, about 50 yards south of the pier. Their window display is easy to see:
Scandinavian Shave Ice
Posted by Kona.us Blogger on March 29, 2009 under Food |
After finishing my post about my favorite Kona coffees, I would be remiss if I did not tell about the perfect food to go with Kona coffee–Kona Gold Rum cakes.
Kona Gold Rum’s bakery is in the heart of the Kona coffee growing region. If you’re going south past Captain Cook, you’ll come to Royal Kona Coffee Mill & Museum on the makai (ocean) side of the road. This is home to Kona Gold Rum’s bakery. It’s also a great place to stop to learn a little more about Kona coffee.
Anyway, the Kona Gold Rum macadamia nut cakes are simply the best cake to have with a cup of Kona coffee. The cakes are very rich, but we all have to indulge ourselves on occasion. I buy the cakes at the coffee mill, but you can also order them online.
Posted by Kona.us Blogger on March 27, 2009 under Drink |
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In my office we drink a lot of coffee. Living in the heart of the Kona coffee growing region makes for a wonderful opportunity to learn a lot about coffee and sample some of the wonderful coffees from the over 350 Kona coffee farms.
These farms are, for the most part, small, family farms. While there are some larger farms, the typical Kona coffee farm is 5-10 acres and run almost entirely by one family. They often receive help during the picking and pruning seasons, but most of the day-to-day work of caring for the trees, pruning, picking and in many cases processing the coffee is done by the farmers who live there.
Many people do not know that the swath of land about 20-miles north-south and few miles wide on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa volcanoes on Hawai’is Big Island produces the only U.S.-grown coffee. If you haven’t tasted it, you should. If you love coffee, like we do, you become a regular buyer.
Here are our recommendations:
1. For a great selection of organic, estate grown Kona coffee, you can’t beat
Pele Plantations. Gus and Cynthia, the owners, care about the quality of the coffee they produce more than just about any farmer I have met. They are 100% focused on producing the best 100% organic coffee. They buy unprocessed coffee only from individual estates, never mix the coffee, and process and roast the beans to perfection. They also have a wonderful coffee club. Highly recommended!
2. Another one of my favorites is Kona Lisa Coffee These folks’ farm is at a relatively low elevation in the heart of the Kona coffee growing region. Their specialty is Full City Roast and French Roast coffee. There are not many estates that produce French Roast Kona coffee. The owners, Ron and Mary, can be found many Saturdays at the Keauhou Farmers Market.
3. Another one of my favorite Kona coffee is Country Samurai Coffee. The Kunitake family has been growing and processing excellent Kona coffee for several generations. They have an online shop and a retail shop across from the Kailua pier. Great people and superb coffee.
One of the special things about Kona, Hawaii is the closeness we have with nature–the ocean on one side and the volcanoes on the other. These conditions make for some of the world’s most unique growing conditions for all sorts of things. Kona coffee is an excellent example of an agricultural product that is like now other in the world.
Posted by Kona.us Blogger on March 26, 2009 under Living, Travel |
For those of you who live in Kona, Hawaii, you’ve probably already started to see a few less rental cars on the road and the beaches have a few less people. The end of March marks the effective beginning of the slow season in Kona. Most of the snowbirds have begun to fly back north; the mainland families have ended their spring break trips, and the Japanese are not traveling much due to the end/beginning of the fiscal and school years at this time of year.
This, of course makes for a great time to visit. The roads are less congested, few, if any restaurants, need a reservation and the beaches are mostly empty. It’s also a great time to get a good deal on airfares and accommodations. Most of the vacation rental companies have their off-season rates starting in early April.
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Overall, the winter season was not a very good one for Kona. A lot of vacationers stayed away, came for less time and certainly spent less money this year. A number of shops and restaurants have closed down, and it looks like several more will not make it to summer. This, in the end, might be healthy, because, as the old saying goes, if you cut a cake too many times, there isn’t a big enough piece for anyone. It is sad, however, to see so many kind and good-hearted businessmen and women ending their businesses.
Posted by Kona.us Blogger on March 24, 2009 under Uncategorized |
Kona Commons, Kailua-Kona’s newest strip mall is just about full now with the opening of Genki Sushi a few weeks ago.
From west to east, here’s what there: Sports Authority, Petco, Office Max, Nail Trixx, Emma’s Flowers, Funkhouse Alligator, Aloha Kona Kids, Supercuts, Subway, Panda Express, Tasty Thai, Tacos Del Mar, Genki Sushi, Jean’s Warehouse, and Vitamin Shoppe. There are a few empty spaces, but for the most part, the retail spaces are full.
Target, the big box retailer, has an application with the country for a liquor license pending, so it looks like all is set for it to open this summer. The building and parking seem to be mostly completed. The building that was to be a Circuit City remains unfinished.
Posted by Kona.us Blogger on March 23, 2009 under Uncategorized |
Vacation Rental Owner?
One of the handful of property management agencies in Kailua-Kona disappeared a few weeks ago–The Property Network. Normally a business going under is fairly unremarkable news, but The Property Network (TPN) is a bit different because it affects so many people. TPN was engaged in property management for vacation rentals, which means it acted as an agent that would advertise, rent and maintain vacation rental properties in town. One local source said that they managed close to 200 properties. Again, not a problem if they shut down in a reasonable manner. They didn’t.
The property owners have not received payment since December, 2008. They have not received their rental income for January, February and part of March. These are the highest revenue producing months, so some of these owners are out several thousand to possible around ten thousand dollars. The owners are also out the several hundred dollars that are put in reserve accounts to cover repairs. I spoke with an electrician the other day who said he is owed the money for three invoices. The vacationers who made advanced payment and deposits on their properties are also looking at the possibility of paying for a place that might not be available for them.
The owners and the renters, unfortunately, do not have a lot of options in the short term. In the best of all possible worlds, the owner will disperse the withheld funds, but this is unlikely. Suing the owner, who has disappeared, is one way to seek redress, but it’s entirely possible that this will only make money for the lawyers and, in the end, there will be little available for the owners and renters.
If I were an owner, I’d start looking immediately for a reputable agent. They might want to try Kona Rentals or Hawaiian Vacation Rentals Online. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of other options in the near term.
For vacationers, there isn’t a lot that can be done right now. Some of the other agencies may be offering special discounts to those affected. If you paid with a credit card, contact the issuing bank and start the process in obtaining a refund.
TPN’s demise is unfortunate, indeed. The good news is that there are a lot of options out there for owners to find new agencies and vacationers are likely to have paid with a credit card and are entitled to a refund.
