Kailua-Kona is located on the west coast of the Hawaii Island, also known as the 'Big Island.' Kona is a small Fishermans town that sits on the mountains but ends on the water. It's well known for the coffee, having the first Christian church in Hawaii and holding the annual Ironman. Being Hawaii, you will have to have a little bit of a bigger budget considering it's A) the American dollar and B) Being an island, a touristy island especially the prices are high since everything has to imported in.
These are some things I have discovered to be some of the 'best' things here in this town.
Best places to eat:
- Poke from Sack n Save grocery store (random, but it's $6.99 for a bowl, for Hawaiian standards that's pretty cheap)
- Kona Brewing Company (amazing beer selection and great food, I'd recommend the pizza rolls)
- Basik Acai (known for the best Acai bowls on the island, my go- to is the Forager)
- Shimaichi Sushi
- Island Lava Java
- Barefoot Zone (healthy/plant based)
- Gypsey Gelato
Best Beaches: (One thing to keep in mind, Kona is mainly lava rock so most beach's don't have the white sand feel you'd expect from Hawaii)
- Hapuna State Park
- Kua Bay
- Mauna Kea Beach
- Old Airport Beach
- Queens Bath
*You can also access any resort beach since they aren't privately owned, however you won't be able to use their chairs/services without payment*
Best Coffee Shops:
- Kona Coffee & Tea
- 808 Grindz Cafe
- HiCO
- Kona Haven Cafe
- Kanaka Cafe
The best way to get around I'd recommend rent a bike, uber, renting a moped ($50 a day), renting a car through Turo (Airbnb for cars, around $55 a day) or there is the Kona trolley costing you $2 per ride! If you do take the trolley all the way up to the Sheraton, just down the road is a hidden cliff jumping secret called 'The End Of The World'
Living in Kona has been amazing, especially being on the Big Island, there's so much to see & do. Big Island has 10 different climates IN A DAY that you can experience, isn't that crazy? Where I'm laying on a beach getting toasted by the sun, there's also a mountain with snow where people are sledding. People often avoid the Big Island for vacation just because it's not your 'typical Hawaiian white sand beaches' but there are hikes, coffee farms, scuba, waterfalls, volcano's and endless places to discover.
