Here’s an example of a trip where someone extended their trip beyond the one week at the Kona house. They flew to Oahu for a week and then took a short Air Hawaii flight to Kona for their week.

We started off our trip in Honolulu staying at Ilikai Tower (VRBO), a hotel with a condo-suite tower.

The Ilikai is known for appearing in the opening credits of the original TV series Hawaii Five-O. Jack Lord, the lead, is standing on the Ilikai penthouse balcony as the camera zooms in. The same sequence is used in the opening credits of the 2010 remake.  My husband was a fan of both versions, so he enjoyed that bit of local trivia.

One thing we noted is that the prices for vacation rentals in Honolulu have increased a LOT.  Apparently, private rentals in Hawaii can now only offer their properties on a monthly basis as new regulations have come into effect.  Even if you’re staying only a week, you are basically being charged for the full month as they cannot rent it out again until the time has elapsed. 

The location is very close to the beach, a “lagoon,” and lots of places to eat along the beach, rent umbrellas, sign up for tours, and enjoy those beachy strolls.  Definitely lots of people around, but it didn’t feel overly crowded. 

Unfortunately, I was unwell for most of the Honolulu stay, but the rest of my crew went on a few excursions.  I did get in a couple of trips to the ice cream shop in the main level of the hotel.  Loved the azuki bean flavour as well as the macadamia and salted caramel option.  Yum!

Everyone else went on a Diamond Head hike.  Great views and lots of steps!

My daughter and her boyfriend also went on a two-hour kayaking tour, which they enjoyed, except for the included lunch which was not worth eating.  However, they both enjoyed the dining options in Honolulu, with one of the favourites being Marugame Udon where they offer handmade fresh udon.

Then to Kona.

 We went on some of the excursions already mentioned by others, as well as a few additional forays out and about. 

Two-Step Beach Honaunau Bay is a mostly lava-flow beach with excellent snorkeling.  I made fun of my husband for saying he saw lots of fish, eels, and tons of “Dory” fish.  But when they went back out snorkeling someone next to where I was sitting came back and was also excited about how many Dory fish they saw.  I guess that’s easier to remember than paracanthurus hepatus or Royal Blue Tang fish!

One of the locals I chatted with said that the snorkeling tours with manta rays are amazing.  However, you need to have some decent snorkeling experience, which we did not.  Maybe next time!

We did enjoy spotting turtles and other sea life on various beaches.  Not everyone respects the warnings to keep their distance from wildlife so as not to be disruptive to their habitat.  It was sometimes hard to NOT say something to people trying to get photo opportunities.  Really, a selfie with a turtle is not a must have.  Use a zoom lens, photoshop yourself in, but leave the poor thing alone!  No, I did not say it, but I came close.

The Volcano National Park is about a 2.5-hour drive from the house.  It ended up being cooler than expected so we made a stop at the park shop and bought some hoodies and looked through the local artisan shop.  Some lovely and expensive items, but I mostly avoided the temptation of the beautiful and unique arts and crafts.  Mostly …

There are lots of tours of coffee and chocolate plantations.  However, some are only offered a couple of times a week or are booked months in advance.  We went on a free one at Greenwell Farms as it was a drop-in tour and relatively close.  It was a more casual introduction to coffee farming, and afterwards you could buy any of your favourite beans after sampling their brews.

Not to compare to the luxuriant scenery, but we visited some small local shops and bought a few things: Quill and Feather, Tea-Licous and Tutukaribe in Kailua Kona; Shops at Kainaliu Village