ALOHA FROM KAILUA - KONA (THE BIG ISLAND), HAWAII!

Had the perfect Little Mermaid moment in Kona during sunset.

It was early December and things were still very much business as usual. Like most mornings, I was up early and had already brewed a large pot of coffee. Sipping slowly on my first cup I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop - It dinged almost immediately. My eyes darted to the top right corner of my screen to see an email notification. I smiled as I read the subject line “Mele Kalikimaka” - I clicked on it. It was from Adam’s cousin Nashlyn and read “See you in Hawaii soon family!!”. Below, a link to Bing Crosby’s Mele Kalikimaka, the Hawaiian Christmas Song.

Up to this point planning our family Christmas vacation to Hawaii hadn’t been easy. Finding accommodations for all 13 of us was nothing short of grueling and had already led to two failed VRBO booking attempts. Now, being only a week out until the trip, things were looking up and I couldn’t have been more excited for what was to come.


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Prior to takeoff and in my usual ‘type-a’ style I had tried to do some research about the destination only to find out quickly that unlike popular Hawaiian destinations like Oahu and Maui, there wasn’t much out there to go on. Regardless, having spent Christmas with Adam’s extended family before, I knew this trip was going to be fun and of course I was right. From boozing on the beach, to checking out some great snorkeling spots, to finding the most amazing classic rock cover band I have ever heard, our trip to Kona was one of the best Christmases I have ever had. If you are heading to The Big Island and want some recommendations, you can find what topped my list for best beaches, restaurants and nightlife activities below.

Most beaches have lifeguard stations that make for a great photo prop!

- Beaches + Snorkeling Spots -

It was our first day in Kona and we were off to a late start. Eager to get to the beach we decided to hit up one close by. After a quick google search we found out that there was a beach literally down the street from our VRBO. Magic Sands, a small, popular, local beach just outside the downtown strip of Kailua-Kona. When we arrived the beach was packed with locals and tourist alike and there was even a net (free to the public to use) where people were playing volleyball. I absolutely loved this beach and we ended up coming back here twice. It had such a great energy/vibe and even though it was small, it had some wicked strong waves and made you feel like you were really in the thick of it all. I didn’t submerge myself in the water here because the waves were a little too crazy for me, but the boys did and had lots of fun boogie boarding. As for me, I preferred to spend my time sitting on the side lines drinking rose, people watching, and basking in the ‘magic’ of Magic Sands.

Climbing the lava rock in Makalawena

Besides Adam losing his wallet at this next beach, spending the day at Makalawena was definitely a highlight of the trip. A 30 minute drive outside of Kailua-Kona, Makalwaena is a secluded beach that you can only get to by hiking through the lava fields. Before you even get to the beach path to begin the hike in, you first have to drive 10 minutes into a park on a long, unpaved road. Go slow because the road is bumpy and rough. Once you get to the parking lot, you will see the entrance which is where you will begin the first leg of your journey through the lava fields. All in all you are looking at a 25-30 minute trek but believe me when I say its a totally surreal experience. Walking through the lava fields is beautiful with black riggid rock all around you. Make sure to wear some good comfy shoes - you will thank me later. The lava fields are perfect for taking photos and Adam and I did just that - it was too epic to pass on. Getting to the beach felt long and a bit tough but when we finally got there it was so worth it. When we arrived there was maybe only 20 or so people on the beach (if that) and as soon as I dug my feet into the soft white sand I knew it was going to be one of my favorite spots. The best part about our day as Makalawena was that since the beach only had a slight incline and wasn’t insanely packed with people we had tons of room to play our annual game of family football.

Up to this point I hadn’t really wanted to go into the water - all the beaches we had gone to had big crashing waves and felt a little to crazy for me. I honestly vividly remember on multiple occasions looking out at the water as a big wave was coming in and people were running away, LOL. Yeah… not for me. It wasn’t until we spent a day at Kua Bay Beach that I finally had the urge to really get in and completely submerged myself. The beach was a 35 minute drive outside Kona and had just the right amount of people, not as busy as Magic Sands but not as quiet or crazy to get to as Makalawena. The waves were perfect for boogie boarding and I spent over an hour playing in the water and catching waves. It may of been the people I was with, the fact that I finally felt that it was safe enough to get in the water, or the epic ‘shade fort’ that I built that day, but this beach definitely took top spot in my books.

On Christmas Day, after we had all gotten up and had a nice breakfast together, Louis (Nashlyn’s fiance) suggested we head to Honaunau for snorkeling, and what a brilliant suggestion it was. Two Step (Honaunau) which literally refers to the two rocks that act like steps to help you get in and out of the water easily, is a small popular snorkeling spot about a 30 minute drive from Kuilua-Kona. Not to be confused as a beach, there isn’t really anything else going on here besides some flat rocks and some amazing snorkeling. Still though, having now gone, it’s pretty kick ass and I definitely recommend you add it to your list of things to do while in Kona. When we arrived it was pretty busy but we still managed to claim a spot on the rocks to leave our stuff while we discovered the beautiful underwater world of colorful coral and vibrant schools of fishes native to the area. A perfect way to spend Christmas Day if you ask me.

- Restaurants -

On our last day in Kona and on the way back from Kua Bay beach Adam and I stopped off at a local poké shop called Umekes that Adam’s cousin’s girlfriend Erica had heard about. Up to this point in the trip I had yet to try authentic Hawaiian poké and even though we had plans to have a big family dinner together back at the house, I needed to make this experience happen. As soon as we stepped inside I knew it was going to be good. The place was packed and the lineup was pretty much out the door. The poke was a little on the expensive side ($15) but they gave you a big, delicious helping and it was totally worth the chance to have a true Hawaiian poké experience. The only thing that I would say was a down fall to this place is that there isn’t much ambiance and it’s definitely not a place you would sit down and enjoy a meal. The only ‘seating’ you will find are some benches outside in the plaza where its located, but at least there’s free parking....

Since we were such a big group, it was usually easier and less expensive for us to just take turns cooking dinner at the house, but the one night we did go out as a group for dinner we went to Kona Brewery and Pub. The boys had been drinking a lot of Kona Brewery beer up to this point in the trip and Adam’s cousing Leiland had taken his girlfriend to their pub on her birthday for a little solo date night. When they got back to the house Leiland reported that their pizzas were amazing, and I think that’s all the real convincing it took to seal the deal haha. The restaurant is super casual and was easily able to accommodate all of is. We ended up sitting outside enjoying freshly made pizzas and cold brews before hitting up some bars in downtown Kona - a great start to an evening out.

Having arrived in Kona a couple days after Adam’s cousins, we had some catching up to do. They had already ventured to the other side of the island to see Volcano park and check out Hilo, but we were still due for that adventure. The drive from Kona to Hilo takes about 1.5-2 hours and with sightseeing/hiking and visiting Volcano Park its a full day activity. If you are up for it though, I definitely recommend stopping off for some cocktails and delicious island fare at Pineapples while in Hilo. I had their fish tacos which were amazing and tried a glass of their sangria, a perfect blend of wine and fresh tropical fruit. Adam’s cousin who was going crazy for Mai Tai’s said the one she had at Pineapples was the best she had on the entire island. The restaurant itself is an open-air concept and features a lineup of local musicians Tuesday through Sunday. The place was pretty busy when we arrived but the food, service, and vibe was great and worth the 20-minute wait.

- Nightlife -

On our first night in Kona, Adam and I joined his cousin and girlfriend for a night out exploring the town. None of us had any idea of what downtown Kona had to offer in terms of nightlife and only after walking down the main strip did we hear echoes of live music coming from a second floor bar. Enter Gertrude’s Jazz Bar, a fun cocktail bar with panoramic views of the ocean, and live music nightly. On that particular night we stumbled into the last set of a family band called The Lucky Tongueand although it was the sound of their music that initially drew us in, it wasn’t till we settled in and ordered a drink at the bar that our heads cranked back around to see where the great music was coming from. They were captivating - dressed in vintage 70’s bell bottoms and played classic rock covers from The Guess Who, Billy Idol, and The Mamas & the Papas - it was amazing! We had so much fun we ended up staying there the entire night and completely took over the dance floor singing and dancing to all the songs. 

After our first day at Magic Sands the entire Christmas crew took over Huggo’s On The Rocks for happy hour (3-5PM daily) and to watch the sunset. Huggo’s, as it is fondly referred to by locals, is a casual ‘toes in the sand’ restaurant that gives you the illusion of being at a beach bar while enjoying ocean front views. The food was okay but we stayed mostly for the drinks and live music. We ended up coming back to Huggo’s on the Sunday night because Lucky Tongue was playing again and we wanted to catch more of their set since we only got to hear a couple of songs at Gertrude’s a couple days earlier. If you are looking to spend a night out in downtown Kona, Huggo’s On The Rocks makes a great starting point (they close at 10PM during the week and 11PM on weekends) because it’s close to the main restaurant strip in Kona and you can easily walk to other spots.


- MORE PHOTOS FROM THE TRIP -


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PURA VIDA IN COSTA RICA

Costa Rica has always been a place I have wanted to go. My brother, having studied abroad there for a year told me tales of beautiful beaches, spending the weekends surfing, gorgeous tropical weather, and diverse ecosystems with lots to explore and discover. So as 2017 wound down I decided that 2018 was going to be the year I make as many of my travel dreams come true. So I started planning… Costa Rica was definitely at the top of my list and lucky enough Sunwing was going to help me make it happen. My plan - head to Costa Rica as a travel photojournalist and content creator, and fulfill my dream to visit Costa Rica all the while sharing my experience with you guys - FINALLY!

The morning of our flight we woke up to a massive snow fall! Getting to the airport was going to be more of a trek then we imagined and my stomach started to wrench at the thought that we may miss our flight - or worse it would be cancelled. Before I could drown in negative thoughts I decided to bite the bullet, pay the uber surge and just make my way as fast as I could to the UP Express.  Thankfully we arrived at the airport with 20 minutes to spare and with the help of Sunwing's staff and our 'Sunwing Elite' status we were processed and on our way within minutes! The flight of course was NOT cancelled and after a little de-icing we were on our way. The flight itself went very smooth, the in-flight crew very friendly, and after aecend we were offered a glass of sparkling wine - don't mind if I do.


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Tamarindo, a small town in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica is located on the Pacific coast of the country. What I didn’t know when I landed was that it was also a little over an  hour drive away from the airport. Lucky enough Sunwing, arranges transfers for their customers FOR FREE to their hotels when booked as a package! Having never flown with Sunwing before and having never in my previous travels ever seen this happen (or had this service available to me), I thought it was genius! Usually when I arrive to a destination I have to pay out-of-pocket for transportation via either a shuttle service or a taxi just to get to my hotel/final destination - but not this time!

Finding the bus was easy and soon enough we were pulling up to my hotel just in time for dinner. Since Tamarindo is a small town they really only have one big hotel - the Tamarindo Diria - a beautiful 3.5 star (completely underrated in my opinion) hotel with the most gorgeous beach front views, and the only hotel with a private garden and direct access to the beach! That night I was so excited to be in Costa Rica, explore the hotel, and check out the small town of Tamarindo, I hardly slept!

Waking up to the sounds of the ocean is always nice but waking up to it and seeing the amazing panorama view of the beach right from the comforts of my large room balcony was breathtaking. Sitting there drinking my Costa Rican coffee I would see people slowly starting to claim their beach chairs, locals going for morning walk along the beach with their dogs, sailboats anchored in the distance and a group of horses available to ride roaming up and down the beach. It was perfect. It was Pura Vida!

With my last sip of coffee I quickly got ready, went down to check out the hotel and familiarize myself with the area. The small town of Tamarindo has a main strip that runs parallel to the ocean in addition to maybe two or three small streets that splinter off of it. It’s a small town, but with tons of energy. The Tamarindo Diria is located smack in the middle of the main strip and straddles either side of the road. One side (the one I was staying at) had beach-front hotel views, beach access and a smaller (but not small by any means) pool. This side was dubbed the ‘Sunset Village’. On the other side of the road you have the ‘Lagoon Village’ and the ‘Tropicana Village’. The ‘Lagoon Village’ has the most beautiful (and very large) pool oasis, a grotto, a kid friendly pool, and a swim up bar. The “Tropicana Village’ is an ‘adults only’ area with their own quiet adults only pool and lounge bar. There are hotel rooms available in all three villages, it just depending on what kind of vacation you are more into. The Lagoon and Tropicana side however, also features condos, tennis courts, shops and a casino! Oh did I also mention that the hotel also has five restaurants and bars? Weather you want pizza, seafood, steak or explore typical Costa Rican cuisine they’ve got you covered. No matter what side of the hotel you end up on, you will have access to everything!

After familiarizing myself with the hotel and running around to take some pretty pictures, it was time for a beach walk. The sand on Playa Tamarindo is made up of packed sand making it very easy to walk on with very little effort. The beach itself is very wide and the water is warm, almost like a giant salt water bathtub. Although you see many people out in the water enjoying surfing, the progression in depth is very gradual making walking out into the water very easy. This combined with the fact that there wasn’t really any undertow or sea life made it seem super safe for kids, beginner swimmers, or even novice surfers like myself! The beach is public domain and therefore you can walk around with ease, dropping in and out of different beach-front bars and restaurants, and mingling with locals as you go along. At sunset don’t be surprised if you start to hear the sounds of live music echoing from these small bars and restaurants - definitely a great way to end the day and make you feel totally decompressed. You are on vacation after all!

One thing I noticed about Tamarindo is all the expats! Finding someone who speaks English is not difficult at all. As a matter of fact all the menus are available in English even at the restaurants off the resort. If you are big into sports, Tamarindo has an American sports bar called Sharky’s so you never have to worry about missing the big game. Although the Hotel Tamarindo Diria is beautiful I definitely recommend wandering around Tamarindo. I always felt completely safe and besides the local restaurants (Green Papaya and Falafel Bar were two we loved and frequented more then once), there is a night market on Thursday from 6-10 pm where you can buy artisan products, food, drinks etc. that I definitely recommend. If you are looking for a place to go out there is also a small disco/nightclub called Crazy Monkey. Located less than 500 meters from the hotel it has two dance floors, one with a live band that plays Salsa music and one with a DJ that playing hip hop. On Friday nights Crazy Monkey gets really busy. Packed with tourists and locals alike, it’s a really nice way to immerse yourself in the vibe of Tamarindo.

If you have seen the surf documentary The Endless Summer II you would know that Tamarindo is famous for surfing. With plenty of surf shops to choose from there is no need to bring your own board to catch some waves. On top of having your pick from a handful of surf shops that rent boards, the beach also has lots of instructors equipped with boards ready to help you ride your first Costa Rican wave. Having taken surfing lessons in the past, I headed over to Surf Culture to rent a board for the day, which only cost me $10. The shop is located less than a 5-minute walk from the hotel and the staff are very knowledgeable. They can help you with everything from finding the perfect board for your skill level and height, best spots to surf, and even some friendly tourism advice like the best place to go out that night and where to eat!

As I said in the beginning Costa Rica has so much to offer in the way of exploration and discovery. Towards the end of our trip my boyfriend and I spent an entire day in a small town of Bueno Vista with Sunwing Experiences. We went ziplining, had a Costa Rican coffee tasting, went horseback riding, tried volcanic mudding, hung out in hot springs, and to finish the day off, did a hike to a magnificent waterfall. The entire tour was arranged through Sunwing and can even be booked on the flight over! Bueno Vista is about 1.5 hours away from the hotel Tamarindo Diria, but Sunwing Experiences arranges transportation there and back and provides lunch. So if you are looking to get out of the hotel and really experience Costa Rica I definitely recommend trying the Bueno Vista Tour. With about 11 hours from pick up to drop off it’s definitely a jam-packed day of fun activities and totally worth every penny.

I know this was a long post but I would be doing the trip a disservice if I didn’t give you the full scoop. Traveling to Costa Rica was everything I imagined and more. It’s not often I find a destination that I want to go back to so quickly but this is one country I am eager to explore more of. If you ever get a chance to go or are thinking about doing a trip with your loved one, family, or even a big group of friends, I definitely recommend Tamarindo, Costa Rica and for ease, great tour partnerships, and price value, Sunwing.


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