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Island of Hawaii: Honeymoon in paradise

Sun, sand and romance on the menu during a mini honeymoon on Hawaii
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Sunset from the CanoeHouse restaurant at the Mauna Lani Resort on the Island of Hawaii. Photo Sandra Thomas

Island of Hawaii: Mauna Lani Resort

As we watched the sun set from our oceanview table at CanoeHouse restaurant at the Mauna Lani Resort situated on the Kona Coast, the musician serenading the room began to play the Hawaiian Wedding Song. Considering the fact my husband and I had only been married two months, I shouldn’t have been surprised when he grabbed me by the hand and insisted we dance. It made an already romantic evening even more special and we spent the rest of our evening enjoying hand-crafted cocktails, fresh seafood and dishes made from locally-sourced ingredients.

 

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The Mauna Lani Spa was built on ancient lava rock. Photo Sandra Thomas
 

The evening set the tone for what became a mini-honeymoon at the Mauna Lani, including three days of sun, fun, relaxation and a treatment at a spa unlike any I’ve ever seen. The land where Mauna Lani Spa sits is known as Kalahuipua'a, a place of spiritual power and energy where Hawaiian royalty used to escape to rejuvenate their health and spirit.

Walking towards an outdoor quiet/waiting area, I could see the ancient lava upon which the spa was built and the individual thatched hales (huts) used for treatments. The spa embraces elements of earth, air, fire and water in its treatments, which include mud wraps using volcanic ash, hot stone therapies and seaweed wraps and baths. The Mauna Lani Spa is also the only spa throughout the Hawaiian Islands to offer both a lava sauna experience and the lava watsu (aquatic) experience.

 

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One of the ancient fish ponds at the Mauna Lani Resort. Photo Sandra Thomas

 

My husband and I also enjoyed a historic guided walk around the oceanfront property and learned about the Kalahuipua'a fish ponds, considered the spiritual centre of Mauna Lani. Predating even the earliest Western contact, the ponds are a tangible reminder of the days when the land and sea supported Hawaiian royalty, the original inhabitants of the land.

The seven ponds — Kalahuipua'a, Kahinawao, Waipuhi, Waipuhi Iki, Hope'ala, Milokukahi and Manoku — were used by ancient Hawaiians to raise fish and supplement their ocean fishing efforts. Bottom samples taken from the ponds date the ancient aquaculture system to as far back as 250 BC. Acting as stewards of the ancient ponds, the Mauna Lani continues to stock these pools of water and moves schools of mullet and awa from pond to pond to feed in different stages of development. The resort has also planted a variety of ancient Hawaiian plants in an effort to return the ponds to their natural state.

The fish ponds act as a reminder that as tourists visiting this beautiful island, it’s important to remember that almost every step we take is in the footsteps of the native Hawaiians who lived on these lands long before the introduction of non-stop flights from the mainland.

 

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The captain of our Mauna Lani Sea Adventures excursion kept us happy with mai tais and stories during a sunset cruise on the Island of Hawaii. Photo Sandra Thomas

 

While at the resort we also enjoyed a cruise with Mauna Lani Sea Adventures where, not surprisingly, we were joined by several other honeymooners as we drank mai tais, enjoyed the wind in our hair and listened to Hawaiian/reggae music as we sailed along the Kona Coast. The sun setting on the horizon was breathtakingly beautiful and as I reached for my camera, my husband joked, “How many sunset pictures do you need?” To which I replied, “You can never see too many sunsets like this.”

Kona Coffee Living History Farm

On a steamy hot day during our visit to the Island of Hawaii, I struggled to wrangle my curly hair, out of control from the humidity, into submission with an elastic band. And with sweat dripping off my nose, I sought out a nearby sliver of shade, ironically beneath a platform built to dry coffee beans. I say ironically because, while I was struggling with the heat as a mere visitor, my thoughts turned to the men and women who had worked picking, drying and milling coffee on this historic coffee plantation day in and day out since the early 1900s.

 

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A hut used for milling coffee at the Kona Coffee Living History Farm. Photo Sandra Thomas

 

The difference between 100 years ago and today is that the plantation is now known as the Kona Coffee Living History Farm where visitors can enjoy self-guided tours, watch how farmers used a kuriba (coffee processing mill) and hoshidana (sun drying deck) to process their world-famous coffee, and visit the original 1920s farmhouse where they, as we did, might find a volunteer homemaker starting a fire to cook rice or making musubi for the farmer’s lunch.

 

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Volunteers make history come alive at the Kona Coffee Living History Farm. Photo Sandra Thomas
 

Living history gives visitors an opportunity to experience the past as it’s brought to life by costumed interpreters who demonstrate traditional crafts, agricultural activities and the everyday tasks of people from the past. As we strolled the grounds of America’s only living history coffee farm, we were able to "talk story" along the way with the farm’s interpreters and discover the history behind Kona’s favourite crop with a focus on the years 1926 to 1945.

Outrigger Royal Sea Cliff

For two days while exploring the Island of Hawaii, we stayed at the Outrigger Royal Sea Cliff on Ali’i Drive, which turned out to be very centrally located, making it an ideal launch pad for our adventures. These vacation condos, situated on a black lava rock bluff, provide guests with breathtaking views of the Kona Coast. From the moment my husband and I checked into our room, we immediately started discussing a return visit, but this time with family and grandchildren in tow because our spacious one-bedroom unit included a sofa bed, washer/dryer and full kitchen.

 

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The pool at the Outrigger Royal Sea Cliff on the Island of Hawaii, offers gorgeous views of the Kona Coast. Photo Sandra Thomas

 

As we've discovered from past travels, having a kitchen goes a long way in keeping your food budget down while on holiday. The resort also includes two-bedroom condos for bigger groups. We were able to grab coffee and breakfast before heading out for the day and enjoy dinner on our spacious lanai — we bought our own lunch every day, but could have just as easily packed a picnic. The resort also has barbecues for grilling, as well as two pools, a tennis court and courtyard with a cascading stream and tropical gardens.

Snorkelling at Kealakekua Bay

On nights when phantom warriors march above the sea cliffs of Kealakekua Bay on the Island of Hawaii, the locals know enough to stay out of their way.

“If you don’t get out of their way,” explained Nick Yanagi, owner of My Kona Adventures, “the only thing you can do is take off all your clothes and lie face down and then hopefully they might leave you alone. But you can never look at them.”

 

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Nick Yanagi, owner of My Kona Adventures, offers small snorkelling excursions for a more intimate experience. Photo Sandra Thomas

 

To which I immediately thought, note to self: no hiking at night because while I have no problem not making eye contact with a small army of ghostly warriors, the chances of me stripping down to my birthday suit as a way to avoid being trampled are slim to none.

But Yanagi was dead serious — and speaking from experience. He had his very own run in with the Night Marchers one evening after dark and lived to tell the tale after being pushed to the ground. Others who have survived a chance meeting with the ancient Hawaiian warriors often report hearing the marcher’s feet hitting the ground and the thunderous sound of drums and seeing lights from the torches they carry.

“This island is very spiritual,” said Yanagi. “I think it’s one of the most spiritual of the Hawaiian islands.”

The tale of the Night Marchers was just one of the stories he regaled us with as we enjoyed an early morning snorkelling tour to the Captain Cook monument at Kealakekua Bay — with a whole lot of history and folklore thrown in. We’ve previously enjoyed much larger snorkelling excursions, complete with endless mai tais, but this scaled-down version on a smaller boat provided a personalized, more intimate experience where talking story was as big a thrill as the snorkelling in the bay fronting the monument.

The area was a sacred site for ancient Hawaiians and, according to legend, it's where the Hawaiian fertility god Lono-i-ka-makahiki lived. It's also where Captain James Cook was killed on Feb. 14, 1779, during his second landing on Hawaii. The cliff walls rising up from the ocean are sacred burial sites for the "ali'i" (hereditary line of rulers). That history and Yanagi’s stories, combined with some incredible snorkelling, made for a great morning on and in the water. Visit mykonaadventures.com.

Getting there

Last November, Alaska Airlines started offering weekly direct flights from Bellingham to Kona and we ended up on that inaugural flight, which meant Hawaiian music at take-off and hula dancers and leis upon arrival.

 

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Alaska Airlines launched a new direct flight from Bellingham to Kona last fall. Travellers on the inaugural flight, including my husband Laurence Malley, were met with leis and Hawaiian dancers at the Kona Airport. Photo Sandra Thomas

 

Alaska is operating the new flights with next generation Boeing 737 aircraft, which means customers can enjoy free entertainment on their own devices and power at every seat. That meant we were able to bring our own laptop (husband) and tablet (me) with movies already downloaded and ready to go. USB ports and outlets at every seat kept us powered up for the entire flight. We also enjoyed Northwest-inspired food and beverages during our flight.

And as we’ve discovered from past experiences, flying out of Bellingham is a breeze because once you cross the American border, your flight is considered “domestic.” And depending on the time of day, we’ve been able to leave Vancouver, cross the border and be at Bellingham International in 45 minutes. Parking can also be a bargain if you shop around. Visit alaskaair.com.

sthomas@vancourier.com

Sandra Thomas was a guest of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau.