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KAILUA KONA VACATION RENTALS, HAWAII |
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Why Vacation in Kailua Kona |
| If you want to get away from your maddening city life, a vacation rental home in Kailua Kona in Big Island can be the perfect choice for you. With beaches ranging from white sand to lava rock, and plenty of fabulous recreation, dining and shopping facilities, Kailua Kona is truly a vacationer’s dream come true. |
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Kailua Kona Vacation Rental Information |
Vacation rentals in Kailua Kona, located in the Big Island of Hawai, consist of cabins, villas, beachfront cottages, vacation homes, studio condominiums, and comfortable private homes. 3 bedroom vacation rental homes are the most common type of accommodation found in Kailua Kona.
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| Typically, you will find well-furnished 3 bedroom, 2 bath cabins that sleep 3 to 6 people. Many cottages and private homes can accommodate families or small groups of 8 to 10 people. It is common for vacation rentals in Kailua Kona to include covered parking, along with furniture. Other amenities vary, but the most common include oceanfront pools, barbeque grills, cable TV, air conditioning, ceiling fans and hot tubs. |
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Special Information for Booking Vacation Rentals in Kailua Kona |
| Most Kailua Kona vacation rentals are available on a nightly, weekly or monthly basis. You need to submit the full amount prior to the arrival. Special services like grocery shopping and catered meals may be available for an extra charge. Cleaning fees are often extra. Hawaiian sales tax is 11.4%. Most rentals are pet friendly, simply requiring a deposit, but check with the individual owner. Some rentals do require a security deposit. |
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Must See in Kailua Kona |
Kailua Kona is truly an exotic location. Located on the leeward side of the Big Island, it possesses incredible diversity. You can explore ancient lava flows, historical Hawaiian heiaus and baths, beautiful beaches, and native villages with catchment water and solar electricity. Whales frequent the waters of Kailua Kona all year, while tropical fish, turtles, moray eels, manta rays, and dolphins feast over coral beds. |
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You can visit the grounds of King Kamehameha’s temple, which includes a restored prayer tower and large carved wooden images. Just south of Kailua-Kona is the Captain Cook Memorial, where the famous Captain met his fate. Watch the spectacular view of the flowing lava at the Volcano National Park. Mauna Kea observatories, Hilo and the Waipio Valley are easily accessible day trips. Other attractions include its famous beaches, coral reef snorkeling and scuba diving, and the wonderful coffee Kona is famous for. |
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Sights and Attractions in Kailua Kona |
| Delve into this region’s rich cultural legacy with a tour of some of its important monuments and sites.
• Kona Historical Society
• Kaloka-Honokahau National Park
• Jaggar Museum
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Outdoor Recreation in Kailua Kona |
| Ranging from black coastal desert to lush, fertile plantations, Kona has a wide variety of geography that is ideal for exploration. Besides being blessed with immense natural beauty, Kailua Kona is also a center for a variety of recreational activities, such as hiking, biking, wind surfing, parasailing, surfing, fishing and whale watching.
• Hiking
• Snorkeling and Diving
• Fishing
• Water Sports
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Golfing in Kailua Kona |
There are several good golfing options available in Kailua Kona. The 18-hole Ocean Course and the Mountain Course in Kona Country Club offers a unique golfing experience. With wide, lush fairways, Bermuda grass greens and numerous sand bunkurs, it is no wonder why Ocean Course has been selected as one of the top 100 courses by Golf Digest and Golf for Women Magazine. The Mountain Course isn’t far behind on the popularity scale as it offers magnificent views of the Kona coastline and is considered to be an excellent course for both the beginners and advanced golfers alike. Proper golf attire is required for both the Ocean and Mountain Courses.
Challenging and beautiful the Makalei Hawaii Country Club is perched on the side of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This is a public 18-hole golf course that offers innumerable challenges to both the beginners and advance players. The course is open through out the year and the club has a dress code, which allows you to wear collared shirt and Bermuda shorts but no denims.
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Kailua Kona Fairs and Festivals |
| We all know Hawaii is rich and culture and traditions and the best way to get a closer glimpse of them is the festivals and events held throughout the year. Kailua Kona in Big Island is no exception to it and it is known to host quite a few of its own cultural galas.
• Merrie Monarch Hula Festival
• Kona Brewers Festival
• Kona Coffee Cultural Festival
• Annual International Festival of the Pacific
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Dining and Nightlife in Kailua Kona |
There are many good dining options in Kailua Kona and many of the restaurants offer a variety of locally grown products, prepared in interesting ways. Plate lunch is widely available (Korean BBQ, 2 scoops rice, macaroni salad, and so on) and Kamuela Deli is a good place to enjoy this local dish. Another local favorite is the Chicken Long Rice, which is a combination of clear rice noodles and bits of chicken in chicken broth with green onions, spices and sometimes vegetables. For more variety of authentic Hawaiian food and ambience head to Tropic’s Café that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails as well. If you love seafood then a visit to the Jameson’s by the Sea is highly recommended as it serves some of the finest seafood dishes and is known for its quick service. For fine dining La Bourgogne French Restaurant is a good option that serves exquisitely prepared French delicacies.
Kailua Kona has a number of bars and dance clubs. If at the end of the day, you have some energy left, Kailua Kona is your best bet for night action. Several hotels and nightspots offer live music and other entertainment. Huggo’s On the Rocks is one such place where you can enjoy sparkling cocktails and dance away the night to scintillating music. Overlooking the ocean, Lulu’s is another great place to mingle with the locals over a couple of beers or cocktails. The best thing of this place is that it doubles up both as a bar as well as a restaurant. During day time enjoy a delicious meal and as night falls join in the party which goes on till the wee hours. To catch live bluegrass and rock bands performance, head to Durty Jake’s that serves up quite a few sumptuous dishes along with the music.
Other options for nightlife entertainment are the dinner cruises and cultural shows that are available almost every night. If you are fond of music, you must visit Honaunau Beach on Saturday evenings to listen to some interesting local music. You can also be a part of Hawaiian, Tibetan, Chinese, or Japanese cultural celebrations if you are lucky enough to arrive when they are there.
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Shopping in Kailua Kona |
| Kailua Kona is known for its extensive coffee plantations and that is what you should shop for first. Country Samurai Coffee Company and Long Ears Hawaiian Coffee Co. are among some of the best coffee companies and your trip isn’t complete until you buy yourself a pack of Kona coffee. Kona Inn Shopping Village is a market on the long boardwalk on the ocean side of Alii Drive and features over 50 speciality shops, restaurants and services. Another great place to shop for local arts and handicrafts, fresh flowers, coffee and the local farmers produce is the Alii Gardens Marketplace, which is an outdoor market and is open from Wednesdays to Sundays. For those unable to decide what gifts to take back home, Alapaki’s Hawaiian Gift is just the answer to your problem as this particular store has on display arts and crafts by over 120 Hawaiian artists. Here you are sure to find unique gift items such as hula instruments, intricate feather headbands, one-of-a-kind jewelry and original artworks. |
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Best Times to Visit Kailua Kona |
Kailua Kona is a year-round vacation destination. Temperatures vary little, except at higher elevations. The average annual temperature of 75 ° F (23.9° C) fluctuates only slightly from summer to winter. The busiest tourist season is during winter (December to February). Rainfall is heaviest between December and March. On the whole, the vacation rentals are lowest between April and mid-December. If you love surfing, the best time for you would be around the Christmas. If you want to do windsurfing or diving, July to August would be the best time for you. This is when the waters are at their calmest. |
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Time Zone for Kailua Kona |
| Hawaiian Standard Time. |
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Getting To and Around Kailua Kona |
By Air: The closest airports in the area are the Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) located about 7 miles northwest of Kailua Kona, the Waimea Kohala airport (MUE) located approximately 32 miles northeast of Kailua Kona in Kamuela, and finally the Hilo International airport (ITO) located roughly 61 miles east of Kailua Kona in Hilo.
Rental Car: You will need a rental car on Kailua Kona; not having one will really limit what you’ll be able to see and do. All the major car-rental firms have agencies at the airports. In Kailua Kona, there are two major roads: the scenic upper road, Mamalahoa Highway (Hwy. 190), or the speedier lower road, Queen Kaahumanu Highway (Hwy. 19). The road that links east to west is called the Saddle Road (Hwy. 200).
Taxis: Taxis are readily available at both Kona and Hilo airports. In Hilo call Ace-1 (tel. 808/935-8303). In Kailua Kona call Kona Airport Taxi (tel. 808/329-7779). Taxis will take you wherever you want to go, but it's prohibitively expensive to use them for long distances.
Bus & Shuttle: For transportation from the Kona Airport, there are three options: two on-demand shuttle services and a discount shuttle that leaves the airport every hour. Hele-On Bus is an island-wide bus system. It leaves Kailua-Kona from the Lanihau Shopping Center, at Palani Road and Queen Kaahumanu Highway, every morning at 6:45 am, getting into Hilo at 9:30 am. The afternoon return trip leaves the bus terminal on Kamehameha Avenue at Mamo Street, in Hilo, at 1:30 pm, arriving back in Kailua-Kona at 4:30pm.
For transportation around Kailua-Kona all the way to Keauhou, take the Alii Shuttle, which travels up and down Alii Drive and Palani Road from the Lanihau Shopping Center to Ohana Keauhou Bay Resort, stopping just about anywhere you want on Palai Road or Alii Drive. There are no buses on Sunday.
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