Kailua Kona, Hawaii

ports kona harbour aerial view ahoy 200 Tenders will take you from your cruise ship to the small pier at Kailua Village, where shuttles sent by shopping malls and car rental companies are waiting. There is also a tourist information desk. You are practically right at the village and getting around on foot will be easy – the village is small and compact. You can also take the local trolley that can take you to shopping areas and beaches for a couple of American dollars. Renting a car is the preferred way to get around, it’s inexpensive if you book in advance and all the sights are easy to navigate and within close proximity. If your time is limited, there are a couple of beaches and other points of interests close to the port.

As Kailua-Kona is the second location where cruise ships stop after Hilo, please refer to our page for Hilo for information about Volcano National Park and other highlights of the Big Island of Hawaii. We are going to list here the sights, easier to access from the Western side, where Kailua-Kona is.

Local Information

The local currency is the American dollar (USD). All major credit cards are accepted everywhere. There are plenty of ATMs and exchanging money is easy, however the rates at home in UK seem to be better than in the States, so do some research prior to travelling. You can exchange cash at the bank branches in Kona. Make sure you check the market rate and ask if there would be any commission charges and fees. Sales tax is normally added at the till and it’s 4% in Hawaii. If you use your cards to draw cash from an ATM, make sure you have notified your bank you would be spending time abroad and you are aware of any transaction fees. More and more banks and financial companies now tend to offer cards with no additional fees when using abroad, so it might pay off for you to check if you can get such card before travelling.

Opening hours and bank holidays. Opening times are quite generous in Kona. The malls and shops would be open 9 am to 6 pm. Some of them would close as late as 10pm, and there are a few grocery stores that are open 24/7. The parks and attractions are open 9 am to 6pm. Some of them are open for ‘extra hours’ and some of them would close at 4pm on Sunday. The banks and post offices would be open 8 am until 4.30 pm, and some of them are open until midday Saturday as well. Most of the outlets would be open at national holidays as well. The best thing to do would be to check particularly at the websites of the attractions you are looking to visit for their exact opening hours, as they could vary significantly, especially if your time is limited. Check the dates of national and state holidays as well, before you travel, because if open, the attractions may be very busy, or they might be closed.

Tipping culture is the same as everywhere else in USA. As a general rule, you should tip any service staff. Many of them are paid low hourly rates and rely heavily on tips. Between 15 and 20% of the bill at a restaurant is considered normal but beware that some establishments include it in your bill, especially for larger groups. Hotel staff should also be tipped about a dollar per bag for the bellboy and about 2 USD per day for the housekeeper. Taxi drivers and spa saloon staff expects between 10% and 20% of the bill, if the service has been exceptional, feel free to leave more. Bartenders expect about a dollar per drink, more if the place is more upscale, and tour guides anything from 15 to 20%, depending on the length and the size of the group.

The local time in Big Island Hawaii is GMT-10 hours and the dialling code is +1 808.

Things To Do

ports kona manua kea summit sunset observatories1 ahoy 200

The futuristic, Moon-like landscape of Mauna Kea summit, dotted with observatories, is one the of most famous images that the Big Island is known for. Mauna Kea is a million years old, dormant volcano, rising 13,802 feet (4,207m) above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaii and the second highest point of any island on the planet. If measured from the bottom of the ocean, the summit is over 33,000 feet (10,000m) high. The mountain is sacred to Hawaiians and in the past only members of the Royal family could go to its peak. The summit is one of the best places on Earth to stargaze, because of the high altitude, thin and clear air and the lack of bright city lights. The area is home to some of the world’s most powerful telescopes, including the Keck Telescope with the world’s largest mirror.

If you are looking to find out more about the history, culture and community spirit of the Big Island and Hawaii in general, Mokuaikaua Church should be your first stop. This is the oldest and first Christian church on the island, completed in 1837 by the congregation that was first founded in 1820.

Next on your list should be the Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park – the Place of Refuge Park. This is a 180-acres national historic park that was once the home of Royal grounds and a place of refuge for ancient Hawaiian lawbreakers. ports kona kii1 ahoy 200 See the 12-feet tall and 18-feet thick Great Wall that the people who broke the wall needed to climb to escape their pursuers and receive absolution by a priest. Admire the fierce ‘kii’ – wooden images of Gods, guarding the Hale o Keawe Heiau, a sacred temple, housing the bones of 23 Royals. Your third stop should be the Hulihee Palace – a formal holiday home of King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani, today this is a museum, showcasing beautiful Victorian furniture, ornaments and artefacts from the Royal past. The Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park is another ancient site, where you can get to know how the ancestors of Hawaiians lived, in the spirit of Kaloko-Honokohau. See their fishponds, kahua (house site platforms), ki’I pohaku (petroglyphs), holua (stone slides) and heiau (temple). Kealakekua bay State Historical Park marks where Captain James Cook – the first westerner to ever enter the shores of Hawaii, landed, and found his death a year later. The site is also a home to other archaeological and religious sites, but also a marine life conservation area and a popular spot for kayaking, scuba diving and snorkelling.

Other interesting sites to see in and around Kona are the Kona’s Farmers Market, the Hualalai volcano and nature reserves, the Kohala waterfalls. ports kona maniniowali beach day aerial ahoy 200 A fun activity would be to visit the unique seahorse farm and hold a seahorse, or the octopus farm where you can feed one!

Last, but not least, pick and choose from the many beaches near Kona – Kahalu’u Beach Park is the best for snorkelling, Makalawena Beach – hidden gem, difficult to get to, Magic Sands Beach Park is very close to Kona, Honokohau Beach – also called salt and pepper beach, Ho’okena Beach Park – a historical site of one of the last active Hawaiian canoe fishing villages, Honl’s Beach for great sunset shots, Manini’owali Beach – beautiful white sand beach and a chance to see dolphins and humpback whales, Punalu’u Black Sand Beach for seeing Hawksbill turtles and green turtles.