Between Dana and I, we have been to the Big Island of Hawaii at least 15 times and probably more. We have been both for vacations, including one wedding – mine – and the Ironman World Championships. The only conclusions to be reached are that WE LOVE HAWAII and that we really know it inside out and all the great places to have food and fun!
Alas, this year will not find either one of us at the world championships, but you will find me vacationing there a bit later in the year. But, we have put together all our tips in one easy place for you, whether you are visiting the island on vacation or as part of the Ironman World Championships.
BIG ISLAND/KONA FOOD AND FUN
ALOHA BIG ISLAND/KONA BOUND – BEST ACTIVITIES
Aloha Again! Kathy Boyd, dropping in to give you some of my TOP activity recommendations while you’re on the Big Island. These allow you to experience the island in a myriad of ways (by air, land, and sea), as well as do a few of things you can ONLY DO on the Big Island (not Maui, Oahu, or even the mainland for that matter!). Here they are:
Ironman Kona is a HUGE deal for the triathletes (okay, you too some of the time) and they will be quite preoccupied leading up to the race. This means that you, trisupporter, need to find activities to do to occupy your time. You can easily find the most popular tourist things to do and in fact, you can find them right here on the TriWivesClub. We have done multiple articles on Kona with things to do, places to eat, and spectating tips. But, we thought you might like something off the beaten path, along with your tourist attractions.
If you’re itching to see turquoise water, abundant wildlife, including sea turtles, less people, and a clear fresh water pool in a lava tube, then Kiholo Bay is your kind of place. Take Highway 19 (Queen K) north to mile marker 82 and the Scenic Overlook – not too far from Kona. You can stand there and just gape and have a gorgeous view and be happy or if you crave more, you can hike down the long, and at times arduous path to the ocean and be in for a treat. (Dress accordingly for a hike). Cars are not allowed on the beach anymore.
Visiting the Mauna Kea Observatory is about as unique of experience as you can get and why we recommend it so highly. It will afford you a view like no other. You are literally on top of the mountain, above the clouds, with viewing conditions close to perfect. To native Hawaiians, this summit is a very sacred place. You can do this on your own, but it’s more complicated than just getting in your car and driving, including acclimating yourself to the change in altitude. To make life easier all around, we feel the way to go is with a tour.
Kua Bay – This is supposedly one of, if not the best, white sand beach with turquoise water on The Big Island. I tried to find it on foot from the hotel, got lost, had already walked 1 1/2 hours in the hot sun, truly felt like I had a taste of what the racers must feel like with no shade and surrounded by lava rock, and when the nice kid at the activity center told me how to really get there and that it would still take me at least another hour partially walking on the beach, I came back to the hotel, got in my car and drove! Whew…..
Last year in Kona, while our athletes all rested, triple checked their race bags, quadruple checked their bikes, sat, ate, drooled over the bikes entering bike check in, and repeated, we high-tailed it out of there. In the past, we have used this day to explore the island, shop, zip line, among other activities, but last year, our go-to girl, Local Expert Kathy Boyd, recommended a different type of exploring.
Hopefully you enjoyed our article, Aloha Big Island/Kona Bound – Best Activities and have your time in Hawaii all planned out. As promised, our Local Expert, Kathy Boyd, is back with her Kona restaurant picks while on the Big Island. As it is called the Big Island for a reason, we are dividing the recommendations into districts and will start with Kailua-Kona. Happy dining…..
Sherry is one of the TriWivesClub and LifeDoneWell co-founders and contributes to multiple blogs. She is a former co-owner of the California Apparel News and had a career in the healthcare industry. Her passions include traveling, real food, the environment, and animal rescue/welfare. She lives a healthy lifestyle and has been a vegetarian since 1987. She and her husband are parents to two rescue pups and reside in Connecticut.
Thanks for sharing – a great site and I am so glad I found it. My husband hopes to compete(?) at Kona next year when he turns 70. It will be his 3rd Ironman and I’m hoping you can guide me as I make “supportive” decisions.
The first decision we’ve made is to have him attend a Tri camp in January at Kona.
The decision we’re making now is where to stay – any suggestions AND you can you let me know where we should stay when he qualifies for the race next year.
And lastly, is this the best way to connect with you, Thanks for all you do for tri-wives like me – Julie
Hi Julie. So glad you found us. May we ask how? Did your husband seriously get into this sport in his 60’s? I’m in awe. Kona is a great place for a tri camp. Does the camp not operate out of a hotel? If not, where is it at? Your choices will be close to town, actually in town, or out past the airport there are at least 5 resorts to choose from. You can also rent a house or condo. I can give you more details when I know where you’ll be for the camp. Let us know and we’ll keep chatting. You can also email us at [email protected].
Thanks for sharing – a great site and I am so glad I found it. My husband hopes to compete(?) at Kona next year when he turns 70. It will be his 3rd Ironman and I’m hoping you can guide me as I make “supportive” decisions.
The first decision we’ve made is to have him attend a Tri camp in January at Kona.
The decision we’re making now is where to stay – any suggestions AND you can you let me know where we should stay when he qualifies for the race next year.
And lastly, is this the best way to connect with you, Thanks for all you do for tri-wives like me – Julie
Hi Julie. So glad you found us. May we ask how? Did your husband seriously get into this sport in his 60’s? I’m in awe. Kona is a great place for a tri camp. Does the camp not operate out of a hotel? If not, where is it at? Your choices will be close to town, actually in town, or out past the airport there are at least 5 resorts to choose from. You can also rent a house or condo. I can give you more details when I know where you’ll be for the camp. Let us know and we’ll keep chatting. You can also email us at [email protected].