Adventure Travel; "Into the Pacific": Hapuna Beach to Waikoloa Hilton Resort

On our most recent trip last week, we celebrated our son Bear's birthday with a trip to Hapuna Beach State Park for camping and then on to luxury at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort in Kona. Splitting up the trip, we spent two nights and two days at Hapuna, surfing the waves and camping with friends in the cabins. The waves were particularly calm the first day and became larger in size the second, much to our kids' delight! They spent hours in the water catching each wave, then waiting patiently for the next set. Our friends enjoyed the water as well as catching small Opihis (shellfish) and small fish in the incoming tides over by the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. Our friend's husband especially enjoyed fishing, which is a regular pastime there. In the evening, we enjoyed the wonderfully large kitchen and main dining area, cooking hamburgers and hotdogs on the stove top and enjoying a glass of wine with our meal. Outside grills were also available, however, a baby shower was in full swing and momentarily took up the grill area. I will mention, usually the cabins and lodge are fairly quiet, however, check with the park before reserving to see if large parties will be present. Lesson learned for our next camping adventure!

On the 21st, Bear's birthday, we headed over to the Hilton Waikoloa Resort in Kona for one night and two full days of pure fun at the various water slides, children's pool, lagoon, dolphin viewing area and transportation via classic boats and tram. The resort was 320 dollars kamaiina or local rate, so fairly expensive, but well worth it for the special occasion. The oceanfront resort, spans a total of sixty acres and includes a black sand beach, a golf course, tennis court, lagoon for snorkeling and paddle boarding, several water slides of varying sizes and a dolphin viewing area. If one wants to get married at the idyllic location, we noticed a beautiful tiny chapel overlooking the ocean!
Several restaurants are included inside the resort, but come with a hefty price for food and drink. I would recommend visiting the village just five minutes up the hill for more reasonable food options including a local Thai and Mexican food stand.
One aspect that we were really impressed with, was that after checking out, they allowed us to stay the entire day. We basically had two full days of water play with no additional parking fee the second day! Another amazing detail, was the unlimited boat rides and tram rides to take visitors around the resort. The tram was available during the morning hours, with the boat rides starting at two and going until 10:00 pm!

The last morning, we thoroughly enjoyed the buffet breakfast, which included the omelette bar, various cultural dishes, a waffle bar, a morning cocktail bar (extra cost) and a continental breakfast area for those not wanting a buffet. This was included in our total cost, as well as parking. I would suggest this as the best package, especially for families!

Overall, our trip was one of the most memorable during our first year in Hawaii, as the kids have continuously replayed the fun at the resort from the giant water slide, to the boat and the tram rides. Having our Ohana or friends like family along made it extraordinary! For a truly magical experience, this would be highly recommended from our family to yours!