Kona Village Resort, Kailua Kona

What’s so special about Kona Village? Is it the people who work there? The location, gardens or beach? Why is this place so beloved when it’s just a resort? For decades, Hawaii sold an image: beautiful people, fun in the sun, great beaches, friendly Hawaiian Culture, food and relaxation all in a tropical setting. Few resort can deliver this dream. Most are steel and glass plunked down in the middle of an urban setting. Others have no sense of the Hawaiian culture. Kona Village is different. I mean unique in all the island. It is the only all-inclusive resort in the island. It was designed as Polynesian Village. At the heart of the Village are two restaurants, the administrative center, one of the two pools and the beach shack. As you travel north, south and east you come to the accommodations that are known as hale. There are approximately 125 units on the resort property. Some units are along the fishponds, some along the rugged lava coastline and some line the beach. Price depends on location. Closer to the coast, the more expensive it gets. Somebody will no doubt argue that Kona Village is expensive. True, it is not cheap, but you get a lot. For the nightly fee you get three exquisitely prepared meals (alcohol not included), you have access to snorkel equipment, beach toys and the sunfish sailboat at the beach shack. The village has a modern exercise room to work off those meals. Beautiful tennis courts are always available. You also have 82 acres of history in which to explore. You can go to the luau on Wednesday or Friday. You could listen to music each night between 5:30 pm and 9:30 pm. What makes Kona Village a value are the intangibles. Those intangibles are easier to understand if experienced rather than verbalizing them. First, the staff is amazing. The treaty you like family if you treat them with respect. It is a wonderful group of employees. Next, the beauty of the garden is difficult to explain unless you are the Bard. They are full of exotic trees and flowers growing in a natural way. This is not meant to be a formal garden that you would see at other resorts. These gardens are meant to augment the “village” feeling. In the gardens live a host of birds that adds another layer of tranquility. At night, when the tiki torches are lit, the ponds reflect the light in a most magical way. Another intangible is the ocean. While the beach is a mixture of white and black sand, the hidden beauty lies just below the surface of the water. The small bay is very protected and pure. The result is excellent swimming in warm clear water. The bay is home to a wonderful collection of turtles, colorful fish, and coral. I have snorkeled all the Islands and many of the resorts. This is the best snorkeling I’ve found at any resort. The snorkeling off the little black sand beach is indescribable. It is only slightly below two-step and Kealakekua Bay in quality. No resort is perfect. If you need television, air conditioning or radios, KVR is not for your. There are no televisions in the room. Use of you cell phone outside of your hale is discouraged. If you want opulence; silk sheets, gold or marble, KVR is not your place. What it does have is a sense of serenity. It is a place to slow down and reconnect with your spouse or family. Do you homework before you book, I think you will find that Kona Village is great vacation resort. This was my tenth visit in nine years and we plan on returning next year.