36 Hours in Kailua-Kona

The Big Island is one of my favorite places on Earth. Here's what I would suggest: First, make your first visit a week, not 36 hours! But if you are truly limited to that, fly into Hilo, on the "wet" side of the island, and stay either at the predictable DoubleTree Hotel or, better, check out one of the gazillion small rentals on that side of the island. Much cheaper, and much more fun. Eat lots of fresh fish and local treats. Whether it's poke or loco moco, or some other interesting thing, eat something you can't get at home. Oh, yes, drink Kona coffee, or Kau coffee, or another of the interesting coffees the island has to offer. Slow down. The island is a place of aloha and leave your mainland anxieties and hurry at home. Go to Volcano and see the funky little shops and good food. (Cafe Ono is great for vegans and has a wonderful art gallery too.) At least say hi to the volcano. Lunch at the Volcano Inn, on the lip of the Halemaumau Crater. Drive by the steam vents and experience the wonder. Check out the fabulous gardens and take a great hike. There are fewer beaches over here but the ocean is still ever-present and mysterious. Stargaze at night. You can go up Mauna Kea for that, or walk to someplace with less ambient light near your lodging. I promise, you'll never forget a clear night on Hawai'i Island.

Dear Remy, Nice article. I do wonder if your leading paragraph paints a dread-inducing picture of the Big Island's west-side. Riffing on your write up, here's what I see: Travelers flying into Kona International Airport are greeted by an astonishing panorama of volcanic artwork. A front seat view of the act of creation is an awesome and mind-expanding start of a vacation ...and possibly the beginning of a lifetime love affair. Almost new (by geologic measures) earth and black, volcanic rock stretching from the sea to the mountains instruct us in the first lesson of how Hawai'i's lava flows. Given all the dramatic footage issuing from Hawaii’s Big Island earlier this year, the scene sets us at relative ease—much of this lava hardened hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago. Between Kilauea reminding us, in spectacular fashion, that it's not the predictable Volcano some had taken for granted and an August hurricane, there’s no doubt the elemental forces can be witnessed at their greatest power on this beautiful and resilient island. However, this magnificent place has more than lava and volcanoes to love. Thank you.

Sea horse farm, sea turtles on black sand beach, southernmost point of the United States, Hawaiian Vanilla farm, Hilo museum, Hawaiian Botanical Gardens, waterfalls everywhere - all this and more on Hawaii Island. Enjoy Kona-Kailua, but do see the rest of the island. It’s a fantastic place, with surprises everywhere. My favorite island, by far.

Aloha. Kona is not normally on my recommended list for visitors to the Big Island (where we live part of the year). This write-up, however, hits enough high spots that anyone following these suggestions would have a great time. For those wishing to spend more time on this most interesting of all the Hawaiian islands (you really should), there is a guidebook called Hawaii Revealed (or similar) that will lead you to many more great spots. Mahalo.

The reference to the "fading royalty" once housed at Hulihe'e Palace misses an instructional moment, making it sound like they were all weak and dying of decrepitude. In fact the Islands were a vital sovereign nation with a worldly, involved monarchy. Caucasian businessmen acting with U.S. government sanction imprisoned the Hawaiian queen and claimed Hawaii as an American territory in 1893. The U.S. Congress acknowledged this travesty with a 1993 Congressional apology for the role of the United States in overthrowing the Hawaiian monarchy. Visitors to this and any of the Island palaces must understand that these places are not quaint vestiges of Victorian pretension, but are the remains of an abusive American takeover.

I miss Don Drysdale's Club 53 and Don himself. Is the Kona Inn still around? Best sunsets ever from the decks of both of these establishments. And the happiest, kindest people too.

I laughed out loud at $14 for a poke bowl. Wow. Locals get ours at Foodland.

I realize this is just the trend of this particular series of articles, but 36 hours is not even close to enough time to truly experience Kailua-Kona, let alone the island of Hawai'i. Plan for at least a week or more if you really want to see more than just the town you are staying in. Hawai'i isn't about the towns. If you want that, go to Oahu and stay in Honalulu. Hawai'i is about nature, and of that, there is so much to see! 22 distinct biomes on one island, from jungle to scrub desert, and beach to high mountain. It's the only place in the world you can snowboard and surf on the same day!

Three Ring Ranch is a fantastic place to visit in Kailua-Kona. We enjoyed a tour given by the lady who runs this exotic animal sanctuary, and came away moved and thrilled by the rescued animals. Book ahead of time to make sure you’re included on the small tours.

We go to the Big Island, often to dive but mostly to get off Oahu every couple of months. We always stay in Waikoloa, at King's Land. It's like being in another world. In the evenings, the Nene knock on the sliding glass door hoping for hand outs. (No way. It's bad for them) The Manta dives are just amazing as are the other diving opportunities. We usually dive with Blue Wilderness out of Puako. Really good people.

Frenchman's Cafe is a must visit place to eat in downtown Kona. Amazing breakfast! Haute cuisine in a cute, unassuming, clean cafe. The food is presented as works of art and are succulent beyond belief. We just had a ham less croque madame and a banana crepe with coffee ice cream and whipped cream and drank delicious coffee for breakfast. Sublime!!!

Mahalo for the beautiful article describing the beauty of the Big Island of Hawaii. Being an island resident my entire life, your article reminded me of how beautiful the island really is. I hope you enjoyed your visit to the island.

Two favorite spots in Kailua-Kona we always go to are Huggo’s restaurant and its companion beachside bar, Huggo’s on the Rocks. Sit with a cocktail in either place and enjoy the sunset. (Full disclosure: I know the owners—but I would still recommend it no matter what!)

For those aspiring athletes, Kailua Kona is the location- start and finish- of the Hawaii Ironman triathlon- the granddaddy of all ironman triathlons. So tourists can take a nice drive from Kona, up the Queen K highway up to the pretty little town of Hawi (pronounced ha-vee), the turn around point of the bike portion of the race, at the northern end of the big island. Spectacular scenery and a nice ride if you're in a car, and not pedaling against the winds and under the blazing sun.

The lava flows by the airport are from the 1801 eruption. A very interesting area that should be a protected park. Meaning no building of any kind. Future eruptions will cover it all again anyway.

I had sticker shock at what hotels cost in Hawaii, so we landed at the Royal Kona, which is an older hotel near the downtown area. We were pleased with our stay, the A/C worked, the pool(s) weren't new but had great views, the decor a bit shabby, but how much time are you going to spend in your room? I don't think we even turned the TV on. Save your money and splurge on a nighttime trip to Mauna Kea. The stargazing was fabulous. The Big Island was by far my favorite island. It's got so much to do and if it's a bit shabby then you get a feel for what it's really like there.

36 hours in Kailua-Kona?! How about 36 hours on the big Island; its a two and a half hour drive across and there's absolutely no reason to spend more than a few hours in Kona. You go to Hawaii for the nature, not a city, and there's so much in abundance if you're willing to just get in a car and go. This is frankly, a silly article.

Visitors to Kona shouldn't miss Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park. The park offers a quiet, spiritual immersion into Hawaiian culture. It's a peaceful and lovely place, and the ranger talks are open-air and informative.

For those on a super-stringent budget who do not demand amenities, I have always loved the Kona Hotel in downtown Holualoa. While I believe there are a range of rooms including ones with bathrooms, I think most have bathrooms "down the hall." The building itself is an old, ramshackle, wood-frame two-story looking out over the ocean, and painted Pepto-Bismol pink. I forget how much I paid when I stayed there about three years ago, but it was in the neighborhood of $100/night, maybe a little less. AND it has the genuine aloha spirit, which you're not going to get at your usual budget lodgings.

Nah. Just buy some kimchi crab and beer at KTA, find a secluded spot and watch the ocean.

Be sure to check the vog (sulfur dioxide) emissions. http://weather.hawaii.edu/vmap/hysplit/