Hawaii’s Big Island isn’t the first choice among most newcomers, which makes the laid-back culture and expansive properties ideal for someone like me who doesn’t like crowded and predictable vacations. The island has the same eternal sunshine and exotic feel of the rest of the islands, but lacks the annoying tourist chaos on Maui and Oahu.
After landing at the Kona airport, we rented a car for our entire stay (hotels and beaches are several miles from each other), and headed north of Kona along the Kohala Coast. All around us was dark brown volcanic rock and almost no commercial buildings. It was like we were on Mars, except for pockets of bright oases and fancy hotels.
When we arrived at The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii, the lush landscaping took my breath away. The hotel has its own beach and cove, lots of ocean bars and open air restaurants, and cabanas along the edge of the water inside which therapists give massages … ooh la la.
That night I had made a reservation for my boyfriend’s birthday at the Gathering of the Kings, a festive dinner (extensive and delicious seafood buffet), and show that showcases contemporary dance blended with ancient rhythms to retell the story of the settlement of the Polynesian islands. The middle part of the show—mostly songs that all sounded alike—seemed to drag on forever, but the women shaking their grass-skirt bottoms and a fire-slinging finale made up for it. And an open bar never hurts!
After a deep sleep and fresh fruit breakfast, we drove to the Hilton Waikoloa Village, a wanna-be Disneyland hotel—a monorail and river traveled around the property and tons of kids were on the loose. We were there to swim with dolphins through a program called Dolphin Quest. First, our guide gave us snorkel gear and Sea Doo mini-scooters so that we could view fish, huge sea turtles, and waterfalls in the hotel’s lagoon. Then we anxiously swam into the protected area where eleven bottle-nosed dolphins lived. I couldn’t help but reflect on the movie Free Willy, and thought, why can’t we just leave the poor beautiful animals alone!?!
