One evening earlier this month, we went for a shoreline hike at Anaeho’omalu Bay, beside the Waikoloa Beach Resort area. We had heard that sea turtles often hang out on the quiet and less crowded beaches along this trail, and wanted to photograph them in the glow of the evening light. We headed out from the trailhead near the Lava Lava Beach Club about half an hour before sunset, equipped with flashlights for the twilight walk back.
One beautiful, uncrowded beach on this hike.
As we headed south along the trail, we found beautiful little white sand beaches nestled into patches of twisted trees and naupaka shrubs. This shoreline hike was mostly on the sand with some sections of lava rock and shrubby trail. The further we went, the sand became nicer and the beaches more inviting.
A short section of hiking through the trees south of the Lava Lava Beach Club.
I almost didn’t see the first turtle we came across until it was right in front of me! It was hidden in the shadows cast by the setting sun. As we continued for a few more minutes, we saw three more sea turtles resting on the beach close to the water. I would have loved to stay and watch them for a long time (giving them some space, of course), but we just took some photos and looked for a few minutes. Even with our flashlights, we didn’t want to head back after it was completely dark.
We found this turtle snoozing by the water just before we turned around
Sea turtles can be hard to spot in the evening light so watch your step!
We went in the evening, but if you don’t mind walking a ways with beach chairs or mats, these beaches would be a great place to get away from the crowds. This is a beautiful area to explore with friends and family, see the sunset, and take photographs.
We only walked the northernmost mile of the trail on Anaeho’omalu Bay, but the trail stretches 6 miles further south to Keawaiki Bay if you want to explore more of this beautiful coastline. If you have good shoes (closed toes or hiking sandals), you can keep going over the lava rock to (name of beach – look up on hikes page/big island hikes). The sandy part of this hike would be great for all ages – essentially walking on the beach with a couple of rocky and shrubby areas.
If you want to know more about this shoreline hike, check out its page on the Big Island Hikes website. We’ve also compiled a list of family-friendly and more adventurous hikes on this page.
Tucked away on the shoreline behind the Kona Airport, you will find a hidden gem of marine education and conservation. Here, you can learn about ocean conservation and the world’s endangered sea horse species. The Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm is unique – as the world’s first and only sea horse farm, established to breed and raise sea horses for home aquariums and relieve pressure on wild and endangered sea horse populations.
If you choose to visit, you can take an eye-opening tour to see their aquaculture operations, hold a sea horse in your hands, and learn about different types of seahorses and sea dragons. On the seahorse farm tour, a marine biologist leads visitors past adult mating pairs and baby sea horses (called fry). On the tour, the lead biologist shares interesting facts about sea horse biology. Did you know that for seahorses, it’s the males that get pregnant and give birth to hundreds of baby sea horses?
The biologist also talks about how the seahorse farm is helping to combat the threats of overfishing that have endangered sea horses and sea dragons around the world. You and the kids will get to see what sea horses eat and maybe even feed them lunch!
At the end of the tour, you will get the chance to hold a sea horse in your hands! You will be amazed as the biologist helps one of these fragile and sensitive creatures wrap its tail around your fingers. Look into the eyes of a sea horse and see why so many people love these small and unique fish.
Finally, you will go to a mini aquarium to see the 34 species of sea horses and sea dragons that they keep on site as part of the Seahorses of Hawaii Foundation’s conservation program. This program develops captive breeding programs to help improve populations of sea horses around the world. Proceeds from the tours, gift shop, and sales of sea horses for aquariums help to support this conservation work.
If you love aquariums, marine life, and want a unique experience, stop by the Seahorse Farm for a tour. The seahorse farm tour is a great activity to for kids and families to learn about seahorses and conservation first-hand!
The farm is near the Kona Keahole Airport, down the road with the sign for the Natural Energy Labs. Calling ahead of time or reserving your spot online is recommended, especially during busy tourism seasons.
For more information about the seahorse farm and to reserve your spot on a tour, check out the website for Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm Tours.
One of the best parts of visiting a tropical island is dining with an ocean view! The Kohala Coast has plenty of great restaurants where you can share a romantic dinner with while watching the sun set over the waves or enjoy a delicious lunch without leaving the beach! In the winter, you might even see whales off in the distance while eating lunch.
Here are a few of our favorite places for beachside dining on the Kohala Coast:
Napua Restaurant at the Mauna Lani Beach Club
Napua Restaurant has a beautiful location overlooking the beach and stunning Makaiwa Bay. This is a great place to go for sunset cocktails, lunch at the beach, or a romantic dinner.
Try Napua restaurant for a beachside dining experience in a beautiful cove with delicious, locally-sourced foods. The lunch menu features refreshing salads, sandwiches, and burgers. The restaurant has a more upscale dinner menu has mouthwatering BBQ ribs, island-raised steak and fresh-caught seafood. At lunch, the dress is more casual with all of the beach-goers, but dinner time is dressier.
We love to come here for lunch when we need to refuel after playing and snorkeling at the Mauna Lani Beach Club! If you are a guest at one of our homes, bring your beach club pass to park here.
Want to know more about Napua Restaurant? Check out these links: Website | Menu
Lava Lava Beach Club in Waikoloa Resort
At the Lava Lava Beach Club you can actually dine right on the beach, steps away from the water in Anaeho’omalu Bay. True to their slogan of “get your toes in the sand”, many of their tables are in the sand surrounded by torches and coconut trees. The menu features fun pupus (appetizers) and mains, with delicious meat, seafood, and veggie options.
This is a wonderful place for a romantic sunset dinner, often with live music and a chance to dance on the beach. It’s also a great place for lunch with a view or evening cocktails with friends!
Check out their website for up-to-date menus, hours, and contact information.
The Hau Tree & The Manta Pavilion at Mauna Kea Resort
The Hau Tree is a great location for a romantic sunset dinner or lunch on a beach day. The views of Kauna’oa Bay are stunning at this restaurant, located on our favorite white sand beach. During the day, we love to order refreshing smoothies from the Hau Tree to enjoy while we relax on the beach. Their lunch menu features delicious hamburgers, wraps and sandwiches in a more casual beach gazebo atmosphere. If you want to enjoy a beachside sunset dinner here, you will need to make a reservation.
Also at Mauna Kea Resort, you can get a fantastic breakfast at the Manta Pavilion‘s buffet. In the evening, they feature a delightful upscale dinner menu and an award-winning wine list. We love the atmosphere of this open air restaurant overlooking the beach, both in the morning and at sunset.
Check out the Mauna Kea Resort’s website for up-to-date menus, hours, and reservations.
Brown’s Beach House & Hale Kai at the Fairmont Orchid
Dine on this beautiful patio overlooking the stunning blue water at the Fairmont Orchid’s beach! This four diamond restaurant is a great option for upscale beachside dining – perfect for celebrating special occasions. At night, you can watch the sunset or have a candlelit dinner by the ocean. The menu has a wide variety of delicious options drawing from western and eastern cuisines. Vegetarians also have a good selection between items on the main menu and a separate vegan dinner menu.
Brown’s Beach House is located at the Fairmont Orchid, just a mile up the road from our Mauna Lani vacation homes. Brown’s Beach House is only open for dinner, but Hale Kai next door is open for lunch and dinner. Hale Kai a great option for a more casual beachside dining experience!
Check out the Fairmont’s website for up-to-date menus, hours, and contact information.
Renting a Paradise In Hawaii Luxury Vacation Home vs. Staying in a Hotel on your Hawaii Vacation
Our guests range from those who are renting a vacation home for the first time, to those who have rented for years. We love hearing from our first-time vacation home rental guests who are thrilled with the conveniences of beach gear (boogie boards, snorkel sets, bikes, helmets), extra space (and bathrooms!), and the ability to cook as much or as little as they like during their stay – all for significantly less than they would pay in a hotel. Families with kids love the extra space, board games and free high speed internet, and privacy that comes with a house. Great experiences, conveniences and cost savings that you can’t get in a hotel.
Our garage is full of bikes and beach gear for you!
Staying in a Hotel
- Space – Less privacy in hotel rooms. Large families can get split up into separate rooms across the hotel.
- Food – You have to eat at Restaurants or Pay extra for a small kitchenette
- Wifi – Many hotels require you to purchase wifi on top of your nightly rate
- Toys – Expensive rates to borrow snorkels, boogie boards, and other beach gear
Staying in a Luxury Vacation Home
- Space – Separate rooms in one house provide privacy while keeping large families close together
- Food – Prepare your own meals in a large, well-equipped kitchen or on the BBQ
- Wifi – Included!
- Toys – Snorkels, boogie boards, and other beach gear included!
Value of Renting a Paradise In Hawaii Luxury Home
So how do you choose which house to rent or which company to rent it from?
We experienced this challenge ourselves, after years of renting vacation homes, we still remember the saggy beds, the minimal cookware, and the frustration of having “off limit” items in other vacation rentals. So when we purchased our own homes as vacation rentals – planning to use them a few weeks a year – we wanted our own families to have a much better experience. We decided that our vacation homes should be as well (or better!) equipped as our primary home – and that the only difference between our smaller and larger homes would be in quantity, not quality.
Our Vacation Homes have Well-Equipped Gourmet Kitchens with Everything you Need
As we expanded beyond our own homes, we chose to work with homeowners who are also committed to providing this full experience. This means partnering with homeowners who are willing to make the investments required to ensure their homes are as well equipped as our own. As a result, our vacationing Guests get the full experience regardless of which home they stay in.
Click here to see our vacation homes!
Three teams close together in the Queen Lili’uokalani Long Distance Outrigger Canoe RaceEach year on the Labor Day weekend, the Big Island’s Kai ‘Opua Canoe Club hosts the world’s largest long-distance outrigger canoe race. Over the 4-day event, more than 2000 paddlers compete in outrigger canoe and stand-up paddleboard races.
We were thrilled that an outrigger canoe team from Japan stayed in one of our vacation homes while they were in town for the competition! They competed in the long-distance race and in a stand-up paddleboard race.
In the highlight – The Queen’s race – single-hull outrigger canoe teams compete on a course over 18 miles between Honaunau Bay and Kailua Bay right in the heart of downtown Kona. This year, over 200 teams competed in Saturday’s long-distance races!
We went down to Kona to try to get a glimpse of our guests’ team and cheer them on. We captured these photos at Keauhou Bay to watch the kane (mens’) race round the point as they headed into Kona. It was inspiring to watch so many outrigger canoe teams cut through the water on this long distance race.
For information on this and other events happening on the Big Island this month, check out our list of annual festivals and events.