Frequently Asked Questions:

1) What activities are available on the Big Island?

A partial listing of activities on the Big Island.

2) Where is the Big Island?

Maps of Hawaii, The Big Island, and Kailua-Kona.

3) How do I get there?

Kona Makai Condominiums is located at 75-6026 Ali'i Drive, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740. Kona is located on the west-central coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Flights from the mainland as well as inter-island flights arrive often at Keahole-Kona International airport. United Airlines offers non-stop service from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Kona. American has a non-stop from Los Angeles also. Aloha Airlines has a flight from Oakland, CA. There is even a daily JAL flight from Tokyo to Kona. There is at least hourly service between Honolulu and Kona offered by Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. This makes for easy connections from mainland flights, or allows easy inter-island travel.

From the airport, drive south on Queen Kaahumanu highway to Palani Drive and turn right. Palani Drive curves left at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel (near the pier) and becomes Ali'i Drive which goes through the heart of the village along the water-front. Keep driving south for about 1.5 miles. You will pass the Royal Kona Resort, Kona Reef Condominiums, Kona Tiki, etc. Kona Makai is on the right-hand side and has a lavarock wall with a sign. Look for a blue and white shoreline access sign. The entrance to Kona Makai is right there. If you get to the Royal Seacliff Resort, a big white complex, you've gone past the entrance.

4) Do I need a rental car?

Probably. The airport is 8 miles north of Kailua-Kona. There are taxis at the airport that cost about $25 plus tip one way. There is local bus service in town (not from the airport, however). Remember, this is the Big Island, which is large enough to fit all the other islands twice over. Some of the more interesting and fun things to do will require a car. 

5) How do I get the condo keys and check in?

Check-in time is 2 PM HST. There is an office straight ahead of the Kona Makai entrance at the corner of building 5. The office is open 12-4, except weekends. If you arrive and the office is not open, there will be instructions for you on the bulletin board by the office door.

6) Why is the town/village called Kailua-Kona and not just Kailua?

There is a Kailua town on the island of Oahu. The -Kona helps to distinguish them and lets the US post-office know the proper destination for the mail.

7) What is most important to bring?

Light-comfortable clothing, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Leave your stresses and worries at home and prepare to "hang loose". Hawaii is very casual and you can go almost everywhere in shorts, T-shirts, or sundresses, and flip-flops (slippahs, in the local vernacular). Bring good, closed-toed walking shoes if you plan to visit Hawaii Volcanos National Park or go hiking.

Don't worry if you forgot something. Kailua-Kona has stores (many of them are the same as in California) so you'll be able to buy what you forgot.

8) What's the weather going to be like?

Warm and tropical, but not overly humid and typically with a nice tradewind breeze. The temperatures vary only a little with the seasons. In February it might drop to 75F; in July, maybe it will be 90F; most of the time the afternoon high is 80-85F. It can get pretty warm in the sun so be sure to wear your sunblock and a hat.

9) What time is it in Hawaii?

Hawaii does not observe daylight savings time.  During daylight savings time (April through October) Hawaii is 3 hours behind Pacific, 4 hours behind Mountain, 5 hours behind Central, 6 hours behind Eastern, and 11 hours behind Greenwich. This makes it easy to get to Hawaii in a day; You can leave San Francisco at 9am and be in Kailua in time for lunch.  When it's time to return you can leave Kailua late-morning/early afternoon and be in San Francisco around 9pm.

10) What about food?

Here is a (probably biased) review of some local restaurants. For groceries, there are several supermarkets including Safeway, KTA and Sak & Save. Be prepared for prices that are a bit higher than mainland US. Produce is a bit of a shock, but remember that it has to be shipped, so perishables will definitely cost more. Breakfast cereal is also pricey, but look for sales. You might even try Longs Drugs for grocery items such as cereal and sodas. They seem to have the best wine selection. Longs also carries a terrific selection of 100% Kona coffee, especially at the Longs in Keauhou.

Check out the local Farmer's Markets. There is one right in town across from the Kona Inn Shopping center and another just south of Kona Makai on the other side of the road. Be careful of the first booth at the one downtown, though. Some folks have been sold over-ripe or rotten fruit. The best farmer's market is at Kaiwi Square on Kaiwi Street in the "old industrial area". It's right in front of the mattress store on Saturday and Sunday mornings. They seem to have the best and freshest produce for good prices. (Strawberry papayas, yum).

Depending on how long you plan to stay, you might try Costco for some of your grocery shopping. The sizes of things are large/bulk, but we've noticed that you can save quite a lot on things like lettuce and cheese, etc if you'll be here long enough to use it up.

11) Anything a "first-timer" should know? What didn't you know the first time you visited?

Activity booths are usually a time-share sales gimmick. You can get some good deals on some of the more expensive recreational activities, but you'll have to listen to the 1/2 day marketing pitch to get the discount. There is also a booth like this every 30 feet along Ali'i Drive near the shopping centers.

It's not as hot or humid as I expected. Slow your pace a little and you'll be quite comfortable outdoors.

Most restaurants have outdoor seating and are not air-conditioned. It's OK, though, since Hawaii is so beautiful and the weather so pleasant, why would you want to be inside in the artificial air?

Those of us from California aren't used to smoking sections in restaurants, but folks from other places expect to be able to smoke. Hawaii Island has a new law as of 2004 that prohibits smoking in restaurants, even open-air ones.

12) Where are the beaches?

Well, some folks would say there are no beaches on the Big Island, but that's not true. It's not exactly like Waikiki with huge stretches of sand everywhere. Hawaii is the youngest island - so young in fact it's still being born, and as such has not had the opportunity to form vast beaches. But there are some very nice ones on the Kona coast. Our favorite is Hapuna. Check out the guide books for directions and recommendations.

The lack of abundance of sand is one reason the water is so clear here. There are some fabulous places to snorkel & scuba dive here with excellent visibility and lots of underwater life to observe.

13) Where can I get the best information about the Big Island before my trip?

We highly recommend the book Hawaii: The Big Island Revealed. Check out http://www.wizardpub.com. It is available from the usual web bookstores. There is even a copy in the condo for you to reference while you're there.

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