Kona Village Resort

Kona Village is home to 125 thatched-roof bungalows which they call hale (ha-lay). From those along the sandy shore to ones that are adjacent to the lava flow, all are surrounded by tropical vegetation. Fronting this hale is a stand of naupaka, which is commonly found along Big Island shorelines.

The Hualalai lava flow of 1801 formed this portion of rugged black lava-rock coastline that characterizes the northern edge of Kona Village's 82-oceanfront acres.

Called Plumeria in Hawaii and Frangipani elsewhere, this fragrant blossom is synonymous with Hawaii. It is used for lei and staff often can be seen with one of more of the beautiful flowers in their hair.

A stroll to one's hale, or bungalow, at Kona Village, is more like a stroll through a tropically-landscaped park. Sandy pathways are flanked by coconut trees and in this image, by brilliant fuchsia-colored Bougainvillea.

The mixture of stark black lava with tropical plants that grow in spite of — or perhaps because of — the rocky landscape is cause for wonderment at Kona Village.

Al fresco breakfast, lunch and dinner at Kona Village's Hale Moana restaurant means guests can continue to fully enjoy the resort's oceanfront setting even while dining.

On one side of this sandy pathway, long-hardened lava meets the ocean while on the other side, coconut trees offer shade and branches become the source for Kona Village's thatched roofing found on guest bungalows, the registration hale and the resort's two dining rooms.

Kona Village's shoreline, which transitions from white sand, to black and white, to black, is a favorite afternoon resting area for honu, or endangered green sea turtles.

Looking south at low tide, the reef fronting a portion of Kona Village's shoreline is exposed.

The quintessential picture of paradise — a hammock strewn between two coconut trees. Guests don't need to venture far from their hale, or bungalow, at Kona Village to find a "personal" hammock to enjoy an afternoon read or a short nap.

While your eyes may be toward the ocean as you walk by the interesting tangle of limbs of this Chinese Banyan tree, it would be a shame not to stop and take in its understated beauty and appreciate the canopy of shade it provides.

A lone Beach Heliotrope adorns a corner of the shoreline at Kona Village. This tree, found throughout Polynesia, is extremely tolerant of coastal conditions.

Much of Hawaii Island, also called the Big Island, is defined by lava. As the youngest island in the chain, vegetation can be sparse or, as seen in this image, it can encroach directly over the lava creating a dramatic contrast of color. In the background is one of Kona Village's 125 private thatched-roof bungalows.

Arrival at Kona Village is a step back in time. Lofty coconut trees, which number more than 2,000 at the oceanfront resort signal that you are in the tropics. The registration area seen here sets the tone and the slower pace of an island vacation.

This restful waiting area at Kona Village is shaded by a magnificent Kou tree. Wood from this multi-purpose species was used in ancient times for bowls and other eating utensils. The leaves provided a brown dye for tapa cloth, the seeds could be eaten and the flowers used in lei making.

Once the site of an ancient Hawaiian fishing village, Kona Village's brackish lagoons (a mixture of fresh underground springs and salt water that seeps in from underground) were used by villagers to store large catches of fish from the ocean. Shaded by soaring coconut trees and surrounded by abundant foliage, a stroll through this area of the resort imparts the sensation of being on your own private tropical island.

A closer view of the lagoon, landscaping, and one of several hale (bungalow) tucked in the foliage. Coconut trees are surrounded by naupaka, a common shoreline plant on the Big Island.

No one really knows why and no one is certain for sure what they mean, but found along the coastline of Hawaii's Big Island are ancient petroglyphs, or etchings in stone. At Kona Village a 3.2 acre site is one of the largest on the island with more than 440 drawings identified. A boardwalk invites visitors to enjoy the drawings while protecting them from damage.

Naupaka Kahakai, meaning "naupaka by the sea" is seen in the forefront of this picture. It is one of eight types of Hawaiian Naupaka and the only one that can be found elsewhere in the world. This plant is common along most shorelines on the Big Island and grows well in spite of its lava rock surrounds. Naupaka flowers are small and whitish with light purple streaks. Interestingly, they have petals only on the lower half of the flower. Naupaka can reach heights of 10 feet but it averages most often three to five feet tall.

As the ocean meets the shoreline as it has for millennia, lichen finds a way to cling to rock and glean nutrients from the water. Honu, or green sea turtles consider lichen the perfect buffet and can often be seen feasting along Kona Village's shoreline.

While pre-luau dinner entertainment at Kona Village makes for lovely listening, guests might also find the setting alongside an ancient fishing pond, surrounded by towering coconut trees and other tropical plants equally lovely for the eyes.

Kona Village's landscaping, while dense and tropical in places, was also defined in part by a lava flow in 1801 that formed an area now covered in black sand. The area is used for the imu (Hawaiian underground oven) to prepare the main course — a whole roasted pig — for the luau dinner.

Kona Village's twice-weekly luau, which they call an ahaaina, or feast, includes enchanting music and dance of Hawaii and all of Polynesia. These costumed performers share the titillating tamure, a dance of Tahiti.