Longtime residents of Hawaii, called kama’aina by native-born Hawaiians, enjoy the islands far differently than tourists. Sure, they make it to the big attractions, but it’s the low-key moments and places that make the islands home. On a two-month sojourn on the Big Island last winter, we learned via word of mouth (especially from our kama’aina daughter), local papers, and notices posted around town about goings-on that mere tourists seldom experience. Even if you’re only planning a two-week stay, why not enjoy Hawaii the Kama’aina way.
CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS
Cultural festivities immersed us in the traditions and pride Hawaiians feel for their heritage.
Arts & Crafts
While shops selling local arts and crafts abound, we saved all of our purchases for the Arts & Crafts Festival that Kailua Village hosts the 3rd Sunday of every month. Craft stalls set up all along the village’s main drag, Ali’i Street, with vehicular traffic blocked. Here, we enjoyed speaking with the artists about their work and bought treasures directly from their creators at far more reasonable prices.
Music
Packing up a couple of beach chairs, we attended several concerts. In coordination with the Kailua arts festival, Hulihe’e Palace holds a free 4:00 concert on the grounds behind the museum. It presents traditional Hawaiian music and hula set against the beautiful backdrop of the bay. No chair? Just take a seat along the sea barrier wall and enjoy.
A monthly music series, called the Hui Kakako’o Concert sponsored by Kapa Radio, takes place in the mall parking lot at Keauhou Shopping Center in Kailua-Kona. The concerts benefit The Food Basket, the island’s food bank. Admission is a donation of two cans of food.
Another monthly cultural celebration, Twilight at Kalahuipua’a, happens on the Saturday evening closest to the full moon on the Mauna Lani Resort grounds. Historian Danny Akaka hosts the evenings of storytelling and music, honoring Hawaiian traditions and legends, set between picturesque fish ponds and oceanfront. The night we attended, the group Kahulanui, which includes jazz greats Lolena Naipo, Jr. and Bill Noble, filled the night with lively 1930s-style Hawaiian swing. Take a listen.
Hula
Dance in Hawaii is a storytelling art form. We witnessed the truest form of the art at an international hula contest, held at the Hilton Resort in Kohala (at $25 a ticket, one of our more expensive outings). Halaus (schools dedicated to teaching traditional hula) from around the world competed in individual and group dances.
Awed by the exquisite artistry and physical stamina of the women dancing, we left with a deeper appreciation of the culture and the dedication to keeping it alive. Click the link to appreciate it for yourself. DSC_0070
On March 17, we joined a celebration of the birth of King Kamehameha III, who pushed for the preservation of Hawaiian culture and opened education to his people. The Daughters of Hawaii sponsored the event, with local school children performing traditional hula and music alongside master teachers. Interestingly, Kamehameha III was actually born on August 11, but changed his celebration date to honor Saint Patrick, whose life and work he admired.
Less traditional, but highly entertaining hula feasts the eyes and sets the blood racing at the Royal Kona Resort’s luau in Kailua-Kona. Fire sticks swirling, the fast-paced, Polynesian-style dance shows off the muscular beauty of male and female dancers. I must confess, at $66 per adult ($35 for kids) we skipped the luau and enjoyed the show from next door at the resort’s oceanfront bar, Don the Beachcomber.
Cowboy Culture
Too few visitors know about Hawaii’s cowboy tradition. Called “paniolos,” Hawaiian cowboys date back to the early 19th century. The Paniolo Heritage Center at Pukalani Stables, once the center of the vast Parker Ranch horse breeding operation, recounts their history. The story begins with British Captain George Vancouver’s gift of long-horned cattle to King Kamehameha I in 1793. As his growing herd became feral and dangerous, the King hired John Palmer Parker to shoot them and salt the meat to sell to ships. In exchange, Parker took a cut of the herd to domesticate and began to accumulate property. Eventually, Parker Ranch covered over 225,000 acres — the largest privately owned ranch in the United States. Later King Kamehameha III hired three Mexican cowboys to manage his own herd and teach Hawaiians about ranching. Generations of Hawaiian paniolos followed, weathered men and women who raised (and still raise) some of the finest grass-fed beef in the nation.
‘ONO (DELICIOUS) EATS & DRINKS
Waimea Valley
The green hills and valleys of Waimea produce not only fine cattle, but fruits and vegetables. We enjoyed Waimea’s bounty at places highbrow and low. Down the road, from Pukalani Stables, we spotted the Hot Malasadas food truck. While I had absolutely no idea of what a malasada was, the bright blue and pink truck and its smiling proprietor charmed me enough to stop. Malasadas, my delighted tastebuds soon learned, are baseball-sized fried dough filled with whatever gooey cream you want — lilikoi, caramel, chocolate, custard, coconut — and then rolled in powdered sugar.
At the other end of the scale, Chef Peter Merriman dedicates himself to serving the local and organic in imaginative dishes at his flagship Merriman’s Waimea Restaurant. We feasted on amazingly fresh fish, tender vegetables, and Hawaiian-inspired desserts, such as the volcanic Waialua Molten Chocolate Purse. The Lilikoi (lemony tart passion fruit) Mai Tais looked like sculpted dream desserts and tasted like nothing I’ve ever before consumed.
Grindz 808
Our first breakfast in Hawaii, we stumbled on this tiny café totally by happenstance. Located in a small Kona shopping center far from the touristy beach areas, Grindz enjoys great popularity with locals because it serves gigantic breakfasts at cheap prices ($8.08 for many dishes in honor of Hawaii’s area code). Feast on Bene (eggs benedict with a Hawaiian twist, such as Kalua Pork Hash) or the Moco menu with anything you want atop rice with brown gravy. Whatever you order, do not miss the Rainbow French Toast with homemade Mac-Nilla Sauce. Add your name or thoughts to the colorful graffiti wall, leaving a bit of yourself behind in Hawaii.
Umekes Fish Market Bar & Grill
The Kailua-Kona restaurant most heavily frequented by Hawaiians and kama’aina, Umekes is a fish-lover’s paradise. Their Ahi Poke served as a roll (called Poke Bombs) or in a bowl with cucumber kimchi and rice simply cannot be beat. Super fresh fish can be bought to eat there or cook at home.
Taco Tuesdays
Tuesday nights became quite special during our stay in Kailua-Kona. The evening began with Taco Tuesday at Oceans Bar & Grill. A delightful woman, who recently immigrated to the island from Mexico, hand made the corn tortillas while we watched.
At $2.50 a tortilla, we sampled all of the taco varieties — pork, chicken, grilled mahi , and blackened mahi. After dinner, I headed next door to Laverne’s, where they hold Trivia Night in the bar upstairs. This is a great way to meet locals and show off your Jeopardy chops. Becoming part of a kama’aina team, I felt almost like a local.
Kona Brewing
Exploring local microbrews has become a national obsession. My quest for the perfect beer continued on the Big Island. Kona Brewing offered the islands’ best and most diverse selection. Big Wave, a lovely golden ale, first caught my attention, but I came to love Lavaman Red Ale. For just $5, we toured the Kailua-Kona brewery and enjoyed samples of all eight beers the company produces. We were even treated to the seasonal Koko Nut Brown Ale, a pleasantly sweet coconut-tinged dark beer. The food at the adjoining pub was not bad either.
Don the Beachcomber
This became our favorite place for happy hour drinks and watching the sunset. An open tiki-style bar within the Royal Kona Resort, Don’s overlooks the sea. Don’s claims to be the home of the original Mai Tai (a Tahitian term that means “good”). While a California rival makes that claim as well, the bar serves the best and strongest Mai Tai’s I’ve ever tasted. The bar’s barbeque pork sliders accompany the cocktail perfectly.
Huggo’s On the Rocks
Another good sundowners’ spot, On the Rocks offers music and good cheap eats at a sandy beachfront café. Locals know that On the Rocks shares the same management and kitchen as the much more expensive Huggo’s Restaurant next door. While folksy music prevails in the late afternoons, a more upbeat tempo for dancing takes over at night. On Monday nights, the restaurant gives hula lessons for the keiki (kids), though they seem to be the ones dancing most nights.
On the Lanai
Though I loved eating out, the best meals we ate in Hawaii we grilled ourselves on our own lanai. At farmers’ markets, we discovered a cornucopia of fresh vegetables and fruits. We filled our bags with fresh mangos, pineapples, broccolini, asparagus, and deliciously exotic dragon fruit, apple bananas, and longans.
We often visited the small market in the center of Kailua Village, which is open Wednesday through Sunday (we learned the food sold is local, but the crafts are not). Mid-week, a big market fills the yard at Pukalani Stables in Waimea with food trucks on hand when all the good food stirs up your appetite. Saturday mornings, my favorite market takes place in Keauhou Shopping Center in Kailua-Kona. Do seek out Tai-Shan Farms for dragon fruit honey and salad dressing, and look for a table selling purple sweet potato pie with haupia (coconut pudding) as a topping.
WORKING IT OFF
With all the good eats and good beer, I noticed my belly creeping inches outward. To avoid buying a new wardrobe, I countered calories in with calories out. Fortunately, Hawaii’s idyllic weather inspires a more active lifestyle.
Walking
A three-mile walking path on Old Walua Road meanders through pleasant residential neighborhoods and woodlands filled with birds, wild turkey, mongoose, and flowering trees with frequent glimpses of the ocean below. The path’s official name is “Old Walua Road Toni Fortin Blair Memorial Bicycle and Pedestrian Scenic Path” after a founding member of the group, Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii (PATH), who led the advocacy effort to create the trail.
Yoga at Paleaku Peace Gardens
In this peaceful sanctuary, the lovely yoga master, Hooda, teaches a gentle flow yoga. Drop-in classes held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:30 cost $14 per session. After yoga, check out the stunning gardens — seven acres of exotic flowering beauty, Buddhist sculptures, singing birds, butterflies, geckos, and two cats.
Swimming & Snorkeling
Hawaii’s stunning beaches reminded me of why we chose to spend our winter on this island. With free public access to ALL beaches, Hawaii offers ample opportunity for every water sport and activity. Whether swimming, snorkeling, or just walking on the beach, we breathed in a sense of peace and renewal on every venture to the sea.
An island as large as this one boasts many, many beaches. We favored the sunny Kona-Kohala side of the island. A quick list of those we most loved:
- Bodysurfing at Hapuna Beach
- Snorkeling at the sheltered Kamakahonu Beach, behind the King Kamehameha Courtyard Hotel in Kailua-Kona Village
- Snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay near Captain Cook’s Monument (a number of companies do guided snorkeling tours in the bay, such as Aliioceantours.com)
- Digging feet into the sand at Punalu’u Black Sand Beach
- Wading in the rocky surf with giant honus (sea turtles) at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park
There’s something primordial about the pull of the ocean. Each wave seemed to invite us, lure us, to come back to our origins. Eyes hypnotically follow the rhythm of the surf. Skin glistens with the moisture tossed so freely into the air. Tongue tingles with the tinge of salt. Watching a small child joyfully fill a bucket with wet sand can seem the most redemptive force on Earth.
The Rougher Stuff
For those richer and braver than me, Hawaii is a toy box filled with adventure. Sea ventures abound, such as parasailing, surfing, scuba diving, and boulder hopping beneath plunging waterfalls. On land, golfing, ATVs, horseback riding, and mountain hiking and biking. And sky exploits in helicopters, small planes, hang gliders, and on ziplines. Kama’aina are more likely to be the ones selling or guiding the activities than partaking for pleasure.
ALOHA
Our last evening in Hawaii, we watched the sunset from the beach one last time. I tried to imprint the scene on my mind to warm me when we returned to the cool Northeastern spring. I’d miss strolls along the beach, experiencing Hawaiian culture, listening to birds marvel at the sunrise (including the raucous Francolin outside my window), and watching Mother Nature’s spectacular sunset performance each night. I loved experiencing Hawaii Kama’aina-Style.
Mahalo, Hawaii.
lovely introduction for a newbie who would like to visit one day
Lovely ! Brought back lots of memories.