KONA VILLAGE
The family's most memorable moments and insider tips
Typical Day, Start to Finish
Early breakfast (jet lag, don't you know). Beach all morning, with children coming and going. Lunch buffet (one of us goes early to snag a table). Nap time (for grown-ups, not the kids). More beach, then a quick dip in the pool. Mandatory shower at 6 p.m., and a long, languid dinner.
Best View
Of the lagoon from the lanai of our hale. A rainbow of tropical flowers, birds singing, the black swan sailing through the water, pining for his mate who died years ago (or so I imagine).
Best Off-Site Activity
We never, never, never go off-site.
Insider Tips
If you want a lounge chair in the shade, you must wake up before 5:30 a.m. Whenever there is banana cream pie, eat it, because it might not show up again. Don't bother with the steak dinner—it's nothing compared to the luau. If you ask Sid at the Shipwreck bar if you and your husband can split a frozen drink, everyone gets more than a fair share.
Best Meal (For Grown-Ups)
The roast pig fresh from the imu at Friday's luau.
Best Meal (For Kids)
The same roast pig. Although they are also fond of the malasadas (donuts). Come to think of it, those donuts do give the pig a run for its money.
Favorite Staffer
Auntie Lani, who works with the children's program and can teach the most bumbling tourist how to make a grass skirt.
Best Corner of the Property
The small beach at the far northern tip of the resort, right amid the lava rocks. Great snorkeling over there, although our kids did once see a very tiny shark.
Can't-Miss Activity
Bringing some sushi down to the beach to the moray eel. Only our friend Rodney is brave enough to hold the fish far enough out of the water that the eel will leap out of its hole, baring its terrifying teeth.
Most Memorable Trip
The year I was so pregnant that I was not technically supposed to fly. I spent the entire vacation lying on a beach chair, trying to convince myself that what I was feeling was not contractions.
Best Thing About Returning Every Year
We love the ease and relaxation of coming back to the same place. When we arrive in Kona, we drop into a world that we know, relationships that we look forward to.
Favorite Souvenirs
The insanely goobery matching Hawaiian shirts my husband bought for himself and our sons.
Biggest Vacation Disaster
The glory of Kona is that we have never had a disaster. The closest we came was when we had to fill a prescription, which necessitated a ride into town. Having the magic tainted by a visit to a huge mall is nothing I ever want to repeat.
We Still Talk About...
The time we kayaked out close enough to the humpback whales to hear them breathing and feel the spray as they breached.
DETAILS
Getting There
Fly into Kona International Airport on the Big Island. Take a cab to the hotel (or arrange with it for pickup), about a 15-minute ride away in a particularly verdant part of the island. Don't bother renting a car unless you plan to do some serious sightseeing.
Rates
They include a hale (one-room units sleep up to three people, two-room units up to five, and duplexes nine), three meals daily, most water-sports equipment, and kids' activities. There are no sneaky extras (like $15 for a lounge chair), but additional fees are charged for some private lessons, such as scuba and tennis. From $660 a night for two adults in a one-room hale, plus $135 for each child age 5 to 9, $180 for each child age 10 to 12, and $250 for each extra person 13 and up (kids 4 and under stay free); KonaVillage.com.
