Chris and Marty’s

TOP TEN REASONS why our
Oceanfront Hawaii Kona Vacation Rental Beach House
is the best place we’ve ever stayed…

1) SANDY WHITE BEACH: On our first Hawaii vacation, we rented an oceanfront condo in Kailua Kona so we would be right on the water. As soon as we unloaded our bags, we ran down to the water to dip our feet in. We found, instead, gorgeous crashing waves pounding on treacherous lava rocks. We would have had to take our lives in our hands to get our feet wet. Although it was exceptionally beautiful, it was also torturous for us to look at the cool, beautiful water and not be able to touch it (especially when we were so hot because there was no air-conditioning—see below!). This is not the case here at our own vacation rental– it sits right on a small, beautiful beach. Depending upon the tides and conditions, even young children can splash in a small shallow sandy area in front of the unit, or swim in a protected cove a little way down the beach (see #4 below). Of course, always keep safety in mind, especially with small children- the surf can vary considerably from visit to visit.

2) AIR-CONDITIONING (!): Many of the houses and condos in Kona Hawaii do not have a/c. This never occurred to us the first time we booked a Hawaii condo--lack of a/c wasn’t mentioned in the ad. We live in southwest Florida and are used to hot weather, so this was never particularly a problem for us (although our mom from the Northeast complained quite a bit…). However, the last time we rented a Kona condo prior to this one, it was unbearably hot and we were stuck. Although some rentals charge extra for central air-conditioning, it’s free here.

3) HIGH SPEED INTERNET ACCESS AND WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS: Both of us are professionals who do some work during our Kona vacations, as well as check in with family and friends, using the internet. We didn’t realize how spoiled we had become with our own high speed internet connection until we had to use a dial-up connection a couple of years ago. Wow, that was slow—all we could think was “this is really eating into our vacation time!” High speed internet access was a huge selling point for us! When we purchased the condo, we added wireless internet access. Nothing beats being able to work on the lanai while listening to the ocean! Of course, there’s other good stuff, too, including the TV, stereo (with vintage Hawaiian music CD’s provided), and DVD and VCR players.

4) PROTECTED COVE WITH SEA TURTLES: About 100 yards down the beach from our house, there’s a hidden, protected cove with resident, rather inquisitive sea turtles. Although Hawaii State law prohibits humans from approaching sea turtles, the turtles themselves seem to operate under no such restrictions. Almost every time we’ve entered the water, they have swum up to check us out (and, I suspect, to see if we happen to be carrying any seaweed). This is one of the most magical experiences we have ever had as a family, and we look forward to it each year. If you have children with you, they will never forget it (and neither will you)!

5) PRIVATE BEDROOMS WITH 3 SEPARATE BATHS: This arrangement has made it ideal for us in terms of flexibility. The downstairs bedroom is perfect for inviting a guest (or guests) to stay with our family part of the time. It can be entered either through the house or through its own entrance, and is perfect for grandparents, a nanny, friends, or families with more than two children. Not only that, but none of the bedrooms are adjacent to each other, offering maximum privacy.

6) LARGE, OCEANFRONT COVERED LANAIS: Sliding glass doors open onto two oceanfront lanais that overlook the beautiful sandy beach, the black lava rocks, the surf, and sea-life including dolphins, sea turtles, and seasonal whales. We’ve never seen better sunsets or dawns than from these two oceanfront lanais. We’ve been told that the lanais are closer to the water than almost any others in Hawaii. Having seen and stayed at many other Hawaii vacation rentals, we believe it. If you ever rent somewhere else, make sure the lanai is covered so you don’t bake like a lobster in the sun.

7) VERY SMALL AND UNIQUE CONDO COMPLEX: This vacation condo is unusual in that there are only 8 units, two per building. Having previously been stacked in huge buildings filled with small condos like some kind of nightmare from The Matrix, we really appreciated this feature—no long hikes to the car, schleps to the beach, etc. There is dedicated, covered parking right next to the unit, and the beach starts at the bottom step of the deck! In fact, we liked vacationing here so much that we practically begged the former owners to sell it to us – and to our utmost delight, they finally agreed!

8) SHORT WALK TO KONA’S ALI’I GARDENS MARKETPLACE: The Ali’i Gardens Marketplace is just across the street and down about 3 blocks. It has been voted the best Open Air Marketplace on the Big Island by West Hawaii Today and has over 50 merchants who offer handmade products, Kona coffee, incredibly fresh produce and flowers, snorkel rentals, shave ice, and lots of other stuff. We find it to be less expensive than other markets, and we love to walk there with our children to get fresh fruit and flowers in the morning.

9) OPEN, SPACIOUS, AIRY FLOOR PLAN: This vacation rental is so easy to live in! It’s well-appointed, but not cluttered. The unit has approximately 2300 sq. ft. on two floors, plus 400 sq. ft. of lanai space. There are full, oceanfront views from the living room and master bedroom, as well as both lanais. You can see the ocean, too, while preparing meals in the kitchen featuring a Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer and koa wood cabinets. The master bedroom is a king-sized suite containing a bathroom with a whirlpool tub and separate shower. It also features glass sliding doors that open up onto a large lanai and full oceanfront views. The second bedroom upstairs is huge (it was originally two smaller bedrooms) and has two twin beds, and a futon sofa that converts to a full bed. Like all the bedrooms, it has its own bath. The bedroom on the first floor is a suite with a queen sized bed, its own bathroom, and a door to the outside.

10) SHORT DRIVE TO KAILUA-KONA, MAGIC SANDS BEACH, AND KAHALU’U SNORKELING BEACH: Kailua-Kona is a wonderful little town, only 2 miles north of our condo. Kailua-Kona features shopping, restaurants, and nightlife. Magic Sands Beach is 1 mile south and offers the best waves in town. Great for body surfing and boogie boarding. Kahalu’u Beach is only 2 miles south, and is one of the best snorkeling spots we’ve ever been to, especially for children. It’s protected and shallow, and filled with fish, many of which are quite tame. Our routine is to snorkel early in the morning before it gets crowded and then head into town for breakfast. We then have the rest of the day to explore the Big Island!

Now, if our words haven’t yet convinced you why we think our Hawaii vacation rental is really great, we’re hoping our photographs will!