Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kona Coffee Craze!
Coffeehouses are booming on the Big Island. Why not? This is, after all,
the home of Kona coffee, and it's a wide-open field for the dozens of
vendors competing for your loyalty and dollars.
Most of the farms are concentrated in the North and South Kona
districts, where coffee remains a viable industry. Notable among them
is the
Kona Blue Sky Coffee Company,
in Holualoa (
&
877/322-1700
or
808/322-1700). You can also find Blue Sky at the Marriott Waikoloa
Beach Resort and at the cheerful outdoor market, Alii Marketplace
Gardens in Kailua-Kona, open Wednesday through Sunday.
Also in Holualoa, 10 minutes above Kailua-Kona,
Holualoa Kona
Coffee Company
(
&
800/334-0348
or 808/322-9937) purveys organic
Kona from its own farm and other growers: unsprayed, hand-picked,
sun-dried, and carefully roasted. Not only can you buy premium,
unadulterated Kona coffee here, but you can also witness the hulling,
sorting, roasting, and packaging of beans on a farm tour, Monday
through Friday from 8am to 4pm.
The
Bad Ass Coffee Company
has franchises in Kainaliu, Kawaihae,
Honokaa, Keauhou, and Kailua-Kona, all selling its 100% Kona as well
as coffees from Molokai, Kauai, and other tropical regions.
In Waimea, the
Waimea Coffee Company,
Parker Square, Highway 19
(
&
808/885-4472
), a deli/coffeehouse/retail operation, features top-of-
the-line: organic pure Kona from Sakamoto Estate, organic Hamakua
coast coffee from Carter's Coffee Farm, pure water-processed decaf—
an impressive selection of the island's best estate-grown coffees—plus
signature blends and coffee from Molokai Plantation.
A good bet in Hilo is
Bears' Coffee,
106 Keawe St. (
&
808/935-0708
),
the quintessential sidewalk coffeehouse and a Hilo stalwart. Regulars
love to start their day here, with coffee and specialties such as souf-
fléed eggs, cooked light and fluffy in the espresso machine and served
in a croissant. It's a great lunch spot as well.
their own work at
Holualoa Gallery
(
&
808/322-8484
), as well as the work of
selected Hawaii artists in this roadside gallery; and Gerald Ben, who not only is
a skilled ceramicist but also a custom woodworker who displays his work at
Dovetail Gallery and Design
(
&
808/322-4046
).
THE KOHALA COAST
Shops on the Kohala coast are concentrated in and around the resorts; among
the pricey hotel shops, my favorites include
Sandal Tree,
in the Hilton Waikoloa
Village (
&
808/886-7884
), which carries footwear with style and kick: Italian
sandals at non-Italian prices, designer pumps, and other footwear to carry you
from dockside to dance floor.
Ka'upulehu Store,
in the Four Seasons Resort
Hualalai (
&
808/325-8000
), is a perfect blend of high quality and cultural
integrity, with items made in Hawaii like handmade paper, hand-painted silks,
seed leis, greeting cards, koa bowls, wreaths, John Kelly prints, and a selection
of Hawaii-themed books.
Collectors Fine Art,
in the
Fairmont Orchid
in the
