Journey to Hawaii....The Big Island...Days 9&10 Relaxing and Dreading the Return to the Mainland

Relaxation

After a few days of day trips around the Big Island, we decided that it was time to settle in and just relax and enjoy the last couple days of our vacation at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.  The resort itself is so amazing and large that we realized that we hadn't even fully explored the property.  So the last few days we planned on taking in the scenery, enjoying the pools, doing some shopping and dining.  

Here is a brief look around the resort and some of the many options of things to see and do there.

Pools And Water Options

The hotel offers three pool areas.  

The Kona Pool is the largest of the three pools and has a waterslide.

Kona Pool

The Kohala River Pool is by the Ocean Tower area and is made up of four interconnected pools and waterslides.  There are cabanas and refreshments available.

Kohala River Pool

Finally there is the Ocean Tower Pool.  This is an adults only pool and is usually very available with plenty of seating.

Ocean Tower Pool

In addition to the three pools there is a large lagoon that is the centerpiece of the resort.  Ocean Sports offers snorkeling. paddle boarding, kayaking among other activities for the entire family.

Shopping

There are several shops around the resort itself.  These range from high end jewelry stores to souvenir  and sundries stores.  It is a nice way to spend an an hour or so while you are walking around the resort.  The bulk of shops are located in the Lagoon Tower but there are sundries shops near the other towers as well.

In addition to the resort shops there are two market areas near the resort.  Kings and Queens Marketplaces.  There are shuttles that run from the resort regularly or if you are feeling like stretching your legs, they are both within walking distance.  There are restaurants, bars, grocery stores, department stores and specialty stores at both plazas.

There is also a higher end shopping area at the Shops at Mauna Lani about 10 minutes from the resort.

If you have been to the Island of Oahu, shopping on the Big Island is not nearly as upscale or as plentiful but there is enough to entertain an avid shopper for awhile.  There are also Hilo Hattie stores located in Kona and in Hilo if you are looking for a tourist favorite.

Scenery

As I have said before,  the Hilton Waikoloa Village is an amazing place.  We spent a lot of time just walking around and checking out the beautiful sights that were around every corner.

 

Buddha Point

Dolphins

One of the most fascinating activities in the resort is the dolphin adventure.  I would highly recommend checking this out even if you don't want to purchase a package to swim with the dolphins.  The animals and trainers are fun to watch as they interact.  This is a great activity to spend time watching.

Time to Go Home

After an amazing 10 days on the Big Island of Hawaii, our time had all too soon come to end and it was time to start thinking about returning to the mainland.  We had beautiful weather every day that we were there but on the final day, there was rain and high surf warnings.  It was actually not a terrible thing since it eased the pain of having to leave a little bit.  

Even in the rain and wind, the power and beauty of the water was something to behold!

All too soon it was time to head back to the airport for our late morning flight.  We found out that the only problem with an outdoor open air airport is that when it rains it is very hard to find cover!

We also found out that that the rain isn't very helpful when you are boarding an aircraft in the middle of the tarmac on moveable steps!  Needless to say, we were all a little wet by the time we boarded!  However, even a little rain couldn't ruin the wonderful time that we had!

Final Thoughts

When we first started tossing around the idea of visiting the Big Island for 10 days, I have to admit I was little skeptical of being able to find things to see and do for that amount of time.  I was very concerned about being bored or feeling a little island fever.  I am very happy to report that neither of these things were a problem!  In fact, we found plenty of things to do and see and still had time to relax.  The Island really provided the perfect balance of everything you could want in paradise!

Coming up Next:  How to Maneuver the Hilton Waikoloa Village 

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