Has anyone visited Kona Village on the Big Island of Hawaii. We would like to take our 11 and 14 year olds there next spring break. The additional cost for the kids seems pretty steep, however,I really like the idea of staying in individual fares with two bedrooms - My Husband and I were in Bora Bora last spring and really loved the bungalows there. I just can't get excited about the condo scene.

Our kids are great fun to be with and I doubt they would get to involved in the Kona Village's kids programs. Does Kona offer activities that we can all do together? How were the accomodations and the food?

Thanks!

We stayed in Kona Village a couple of years ago. Wonderful place. The hale was right on the edge of the ocean (with only a couple of coconut palms with a hammock between them framing our view). It was a lava slab rather than the beach (but you can get beach side hales too). You don't get a key (there is a safe in each room, but you do get a keyring.... (it is a flash light, because there is no lighting at night - so you can see the stars). The hales away from the shore didn't look as appealing (they cost less), nor did the ponds they were clustered around (although we never saw/felt any mosquitos).

The food was excellent in both restaurants. There are inclusive sports, such as sailing, and there were various organised activities (although we didn't go on any). We liked the place so much, we stayed an extra night.

However, I thought there was a restriction on bringing kids (maybe it is just under a certain age), most of the year.

HTH,

dfx.

We were at the Kona Village in July with our two teenagers, ages 13 and 17. The breakfast and lunch buffets were excellent. Dinner was very good, but not superlative. The ice cream from Tropical Dreams is to die for. You reserve your dinner time at breakfast, and we usually reserved for sunset (beautiful views from the dining room). We stayed in a two room hale on the lagoon ponds, and enjoyed the view. Room was comfortable but not luxurious. The 2-room Sand Hawaiian hales had wonderful ocean front sites, but grounds for the entire resort were beautiful so hard to go wrong. Teen activities were organized in the evening after dinner - too late for my kids to be interested in. Teens can participate in adult activities during the day. My daughter enjoyed some of the craft projects. Snorkeling is wonderful just off Kona Village's coastline and snorkel gear is included in their rates. Kona Village also offers scuba diving and snorkeling (boat)excursions to other sites, deep sea fishing, and sunset sail cruises - for additional fees. All these launch from their beach. I suggest renting a car and exploring the Big Island. Volcano National Park is about a 3 hour drive from Kona which makes it a long day if you're not splitting your stay between these areas. But Waimea ranch lands and the Waipio valley are beautiful and less than 1 1/2 hours away. Kona Village packs you a great box lunch, too. Enjoy! We'd go back again.

My husband, daughter and I have stayed @ KVR 16 times in the last ten years. Our daughter is now 16. We have also stayed @ Hilton Waikoloa, Hyatt Regency Kauai and are members @ Grand Wailea on Maui.Whenever we ask our daughter for her preference, KVR wins hands downs. I will be glad to answer any questions you have about KVR.

Which hales have you stayed in? We stayed on the beach in Moorea and Bora Bora last year and I would really like to share the same experience with the kids. Are the Sand, Hawaiian, two-room, royal hales worth the $$$ expense?

Thanks so much!

Mary,

The Big Island has very few sandy beaches. The area around KVR is no exception. The closet thing it has to a sandy beach is the course, white "sand" shore you have probably seen in the brochures. The Sand, oceanfront hales are the closest to this area. We have stayed in this area. It is very nice but is not our favorite mainly because it is more groomed and is more likely to have the "local" insects. We prefer the Royals on the other side of the resort, i.e. Lava Tahitian or best of all, the Palaus. The views are spectacular and the area is in a more natural state. The Palaus (1,2,3,4, I think) surround a wonderful black sand beach that is almost private as very few guests use the beach. It is the easist access to the best snorelking. Speaking of snorekling...it is not great, unfortunately. Most people enter the ocean by the beach shack, in front of the Hale Moana (restaurant). There are not a lot of fish there although you will probably see several turtles. Also, because of the swimming and boats the water is churned and the visibility is usually poor. If you enter at the black sand beach (Bubba or Teoni at the beach shack can show you where it is) the visibility is much better and the number of fish is greatly increased. The wind really comes up in the afternoon so snorkeling and boating really almost have to be done exclusively in the morning. Sorry I got off the subject...back to the hales. We have been in quite a few of them and there really isn't a bad one. Many of them have gone under extensive remodeling and they have put jacuzzi's on many of the Royal lanais. You are right about the added $, it is a hard call. Let me suggest a few things to consider when making your decision.
-Are you planning on spending a great deal of time sitting on the lanai? Most people don't as it can be quite warm.
-How tolerant is your family of the local "bugs"?
-Consider the heat factor. Some of the areas are very still and if you are bothered by the heat (no air conditioning), you may want to choose an area that gets the benefit of the tradewinds to move the air around, especially at night while trying to sleep.

We have stayed mostly in the Royals but have stayed just across the path on a couple of occasions and have been pleased. I really would give the highest priority to the location of the hale based on the family preferences, then, if money allows, go with a Royal in that area. I know the two room units are limited to certain areas ( just to be clear...it is two ROOMS not two BEDROOMS. There will be two twin beds in the living room that you wil use for beds at night. The New Caledonias would be an exception to this, however), so of course that is a factor. We stayed in one but prefer to get two hales when taking our daughter and a friend. That way we get TWO bathrooms (with four people it comes in handy) and my husband and I get some privacy and the girls have theirs.

Some areas afford your family more privacy as the sounds of the ocean cover conversations (easily overheard by other hales).

This is one vacation where we really spend very little time in our "room".
This is true with most of the other guests I have spoken to. The resort is very peaceful and it is wonderful to find your little part of the beach etc., deposit your belongings (which, by the way, will be safe all day, even if you are not around) and spend the day. The hales are not air conditioned so can be very warm and , of course, there isn't a TV or telephone so it is a great place to enjoy nature and your family, learn about Hawaiian culture and truly relax.

Hope this helps. It is one of our favorite places. We generally go for 7-10 days and never leave the property.
Please let me know if there is anything else you'd like to know.

Laurie