colors of kona.................

what a magical place!


to be honest i've never thought of hawaii as a serene beach vacation. tulum, panarea, formenterra (in may!) & zihuatanejo or my impressions of what seychelles or folegandros would be like.


but, kona changed my mind. it's absolutely beautiful, quiet, relaxing and everywhere you look there is a picture. color, flowers, fish, sunrises, sunsets, eels, stingrays, turtles, 8" caterpillars (the dangerous island inhabitant!), waterfalls, delicious food and sparkly and bubbly beverages. my new favorite non-alcoholic beverage is tons of mint, fresh lime juice, water and some simple sugar....so good! i must admit that in 90+ weather the non-alcoholic did me right = 5 days of pure relaxation, perfect sleep, runs, walks, hikes, great food, warm soft water, late night swims and the hottest jacuzzi ever.


i stayed at the mauna lani resort which was great. i, also had dinner at the hau tree beach restaurant at the mauna kea resort which was incredible!! both resorts are terrific, but my take is the mauna kea would be the deluxe trip....maybe next time???


i suggest renting a car to drive around the island. though, be warned the idea of leaving the resort is difficult..but worth it. a drive to akaka falls will make your eyes dance. sounds corny, but it's true. bamboo that is several hundred feet high. flowers that are so vibrant and large that you will be clicking, clicking and clicking. looking up makes you feel like a lace canopy is above you. so worth it.

travel on hwy 250 to hawi. it's a local town that has the famous restaurant bamboo's. don't let it's casual, low key environment and silly names for it's daily specials,  'naked men and loose women' fool you....this place is delicious! coconut rice, jumbo shrimp in a coconut thai sauce, grilled pork quesadilla and pot stickers.......i'm getting hungry! 

oh, and don't forget to stop at donna's cookies on your way to akaka fall. yummy yummy cookies! 


at the base of the falls there is a fresh fruit and veggies stand where they take a machete to a coconut and hand you a straw....delicious! plus, i tried a veggie (or is it a fruit?) called ice cream bean. look at photo below it is the long thing on the far right of the table. you slice it open (i want a machete!) and inside is a fuzzy white sorta rectangle. honestly, it looks a bit like a cocoon....but when in kona.... so you put the 'cocoon' in your mouth and it dissolves into a yummy sweet treat. 

as for fashion when in hawaii.....i lived in my bamboo tank and the riley cardi (the winds pick up after 8). as for the best running around casual items to throw over bikinis and head to casual dinner on the beach i lived in christina lehr dresses and especially the boxy tee dress. i had to bring black and the grey. loved it. for dressy nights i turned to isabel marant & bruce.


i saw so much here but it was the colors that inspired me most. kona is electric with color that it's almost shocking. i can't wait to go back. check us out on face book to see all 167 photos!! XOXOOX