The magic of not over-planning

When visiting the islands it’s tempting to fill each precious vacation day with things to do.  Of course there are loads of things to see here, but in our travel experience, we’ve learned it’s also important not to plan too much.  It’s good of course to have a general idea of where you’re going and what you want to see so that you are prepared, but it’s also important to be flexible and open and allow things to unfold.  You never know how a given day may turn out, and what fantastic opportunity may present itself.

I was reminded of this the other night when we went out for dinner.  It was the last night of our vacation and we thought it’d be nice to have one last dinner out.  We had a certain restaurant in mind but when it was full had to go somewhere else.  We took this in stride and decided to try some place new to us.  This other place turned out to have a fantastic band playing.  We enjoyed our dinner, and spent the last part of it sitting up next to the stage (at the manager’s suggestion) so our son could dance.  It turned out to be a wonderful night.

We’ve had many experiences like this here, and so have our guests.  When you’re out and about, you never know what you may discover.  We’ve come across hula performances, impromptu musical gatherings, small festivals, exhibits, fantastic restaurants, and off-the-beaten path beaches and activities.  You also never know who you’ll meet.  Big Island people embody the aloha spirit, and sometimes the most memorable experience is a talk-story session with someone new.

An Innkeeping Family

My apologies, dear readers, for not keeping up on my postings.  Our little son is going through another bout of teething and has required lots of additional distraction.  He seems to get them in fours so I’m hoping he’ll soon be through.

On the topic of family, we’re often asked how we came to be innkeepers.  Our first connection to Hawaii was through Ken’s family, who is from Oahu.  We knew we wanted to raise our own family in the islands and moved here from northwest Washington in December 2005.  We opened Luana Inn to strong reviews a few months later, and continue to work hard to improve the business.  Although it seems that B&B’s have the reputation for being side-jobs or hobbies, Luana Inn is a serious business, the source of our livelihood, and much more than a full-time occupation for us both.  Like most small family businesses, Luana Inn is the product of much hard work and love. 

We are very thankful for all the wonderful guests we’ve been able to meet and serve over the years.  We will continue to work to make Luana Inn a place our guests love, and a business of which our son can someday be proud.

Luana Spa

We are pleased to announce that our Spa Room is finally open!  The Spa Room is an open-air room in our main house that we’ve converted from an orchid growing-room into a wonderful room where our guests can receive massages and facials.  We have two excellent licensed massage therapists and an esthetician available to provide a variety of treatments.

The Spa Room is situated upstairs in the main house over our koi pond.  As you rest on the massage table you can hear the koi-pond waterfall just below, along with the wind in our cocoa palms.  There’s lots of fresh air blowing through, but because the room is screened-in, you don’t have to worry about bugs, strong wind or sun.  With all the natural light pouring in and the wonderful breezes and birdsong, you feel like you’re outside without having to worry about the sheet blowing off (it’s happened to me) or flies.

Ken and I both had massages there earlier this month and were both so comfortable and relaxed we both nearly fell asleep on the table.  I had my massage in the late afternoon and afterwards the sun was burning brightly before its final set.  I lay down in a cool shady corner and took a quality nap.  I awoke just in time to watch the sun set and felt fantastic for the rest of the day. 

I am a huge fan of massages and facials and have enjoyed many treatments over the years.  If I was a guest here and interested in a massage or facial, I would schedule it for the late afternoon after a morning spent in the ocean.  I would take a long, slow swim/snorkel at Manini Beach in the morning, come back and take a dip in the pool, then have a light lunch.  I’d relax on the lanai then have the treatment, then afterwards have a nice long nap before sunset and dinner.  I once had a shiatsu massage and a facial at a hotel in Honolulu that left me so weak-kneed I barely made it up the elevator back to my room.  After a day that includes ocean, sun, pool, hot tub, and massage, it’s hard to feel stressed out about anything.  Here’s to relaxation!

What would we do on our vacation?

The other day we had the morning off so we went down to Keei Beach to relax.  We hadn't had a day off in a month and were ready to lie on the beach in the sun and be still.  It was a typically perfect morning in our neighborhood: blue cloudless sky, calm clear water, bright sunshine.  I got in the water with my snorkel mask on and floated quietly for several minutes, enjoying the silence and gentle rocking of the underwater-world.  To my left and right were huge sea turtles, placidly eating their seaweed-breakfast.  As I floated and watched, I was reminded how overwhelmingly magical this place is to a first-time visitor.  Although I've spent countless hours in the ocean by now, I'm still amazing by it, and will never forget my first snorkeling experience in Hawaii.

I started thinking about what we would do here if we were vacationing.  We're always asked about what activities we recommend, and we certainly have our favorites.  Before moving to the Big Island, we always vacationed on Oahu, where Ken's family home is.  We usually took ten days to two weeks off just after the New Year, and spent our time doing some exploring, but mainly just relaxing.  If we were vacationing on the Big Island, this is what we'd do...

First, we'd take about two weeks.  For us, it always took a few days, or maybe even the better part of the first week to decompress from work and relax into island-time.  Once you're finally relaxed, it's nice to be able to luxuriate in that relaxed state for awhile before returning to the mainland and your normal pace of life.  We'd always just choose one place to stay (we're lazy travelers and don't like to constantly unpack and move), shop for supplies (beer, wine, and snacks, most importantly), then get settled in.  If we were staying here, we'd spend lots of time down at the water.  Manini Beach and Keei Beach are very close and are so lovely it would be hard to be inspired to go anywhere else.  I see us eating breakfast, then walking down for a kayak across the Bay one day to the Captain Cook monument.  We'd snorkel a bit, then kayak back, walk home, probably take a quick dip in the pool, then drive up to the Manago Hotel or Teshima's for lunch.  After lunch we'd return home and Ken would probably take a nap while I sat on the lanai in the shade and read.  We'd have several days like this: water-time in the morning when it's sunniest, then lunch and rest.  The lanai here has such an awesome view that we'd stick around all afternoon, just watching the world go by, then make dinner on the BBQ while watching the sun go down.  It sets early and fast here, so we'd hang out with drinks and watch it set before dinner, or we'd just hang out and eat on the lanai and watch the full, colorful transition from sun to pink to dark and stars.  We'd take lots of dips in the pool and hottub, and definitely do some quality sun-bathing.  There's usually no one here in the middle of the day so it's very quiet and the lanai is a nice place to read and nap.

Although we'd mainly rest, we'd alternate our "slow" days with "adventure" days.  We'd spend one day exploring the Volcano for sure.  Kilauea Iki is a great short hike within the Park that reflects four distinct microclimates.  We'd walk Kilauea Iki and check out some of the short walks right off Crater Rim Road like the Thurston Lava Tube and Devastation Trail.  We'd also follow the Chain of Craters Road down to the water.  There's an interesting petroglyph trail at the bottom, and it's quite eerie and interesting to park at the bottom and walk out on the shoreline rocks and try to take in the vastness of the Park: the sky, the moonscape.  Depending on what conditions were like in the Park that day (it's always good to stop at the information station upon arrival to check) we may stay at the bottom until after dark to see if we could see some live lava creeping down the hill in the distance.  

Going "Gluten-free"

Since I’ve been discussing breakfast service I thought I’d talk a little more about our gluten-free offerings for guests with celiac disease.  I’ve cooked for many, many years and was comfortable using “alternative” grains such as quinoa, millet, buckwheat, rice, etc. before I became gluten-intolerant myself.  For most my life I was a happy bread-eater with zero problems.  Some of my most favorite meals over the years have consisted of chewy French or Italian-style breads, cheeses, and wines.  However, being pregnant with my son suddenly flipped a switch in my body and I could no longer tolerate gluten (I get a terrible rash if I consume it).  Since figuring this out I’ve stopped consuming it completely (except for the last time Ken made croissants).  So, my eating habits have changed a bit and I have more empathy for all the other folks out there in the same position.

Although I do miss the chewy texture of wheat bread (rice flour just doesn’t deliver the same chew, in my opinion) I have enjoyed coming up with new, gluten-free recipes.  I don’t think you need to sacrifice taste at all in going gluten-free.  Here are some of my favorite new breakfast items: buckwheat pancakes (pure buckwheat flour or toasted groats that I grind myself), millet or brown rice bread with fruit, zucchini bread, cornbread, potato cake-bread, homemade polenta, coconut oatmeal or mixed/grain cereal cooked in coconut milk, and rice-bread French toast.  We also always have homemade granola on hand.  (I’ve been making it with star fruit lately since our tree is laden this time of year.)  I also came up with a wonderful buttermilk pancake recipe using rice flour, oats, and bananas.  The cakes were so filling I could only eat one (with peanut butter and fresh yogurt).  I also like to incorporate some Mexican or Southwest flavors into breakfast and make huevos rancheros with fresh beans, and heuvos Mexicanas with chorizo, peppers, and tomatoes.

Overall, not being able to eat wheat has just pushed me to work a little harder in the kitchen by expanding my repertoire.  I love these new recipes and I enjoy constantly adding new ones. In fact, both Ken and I are constantly researching and trying new recipes and dishes.  We both love cooking and sharing food and serving breakfast to our guests is our very favorite part of our business.

Breakfast

There are many ways to run breakfast service at a Bed and Breakfast. Some have one set mealtime. Some leave food in the guest rooms the night before. Some serve a basic continental breakfast. Some serve a hot breakfast. Some buy-in items, some make items from scratch. And some “Bed and Breakfasts” don’t serve breakfast at all (which we personally find pretty strange).  

We have always enjoyed the traditional sit-down homemade breakfast and this is what we serve to our guests. We love food and cooking and make all our dishes, pastries, batters, and breads from scratch. We are committed to making delicious, quality food. Chances are, if you stay with us for a week you won’t have the same breakfast twice. 

Here are some sample breakfasts (in addition to these mains, we always have fresh fruit, homemade granola and other cereal, juice, coffee, and a variety of teas available.): 

Homemade macadamia nut pancakes, bacon, eggs any way you like. 
Dutch babies (German pancakes) with fresh honey-butter, homemade French bread, frittata with spinach, feta, and tomato. 
Spanish tortilla with potatoes and olive oil, homemade multi-grain bread, homemade cream scones with ginger and lime. 
Creamy scrambled eggs with herbs, Portuguese sausage, homemade Hawaiian sweet bread, homemade star fruit bread (made from our star fruit). 
Most recent Celiac breakfast: fresh-ground buckwheat pancakes, yogurt, warm mango sauce (made from our mangoes). 
Most recent vegan breakfast: breakfast burritos with scrambled tofu with spinach, fried red potatoes, rosemary mushrooms, salsa, and fresh avocado.

Guest Rooms - The Ohana Cottage

Situated behind the main house is the ohana cottage. The ohana cottage is where the previous owners/builders lived as they built the main house, so it is a couple of years older (it's about twelve years old). While the main house has a very modern look (white Mediterranean-style stucco) the ohana cottage looks more like a typical island home. That's not to say it's small though. The cottage is actually split into our two largest and most private guest rooms, the Alihi lani and Alaula Suites and is ideal for our long-stay guests and for families. While the Alaula is about 400 square feet, the Alihi lani is about 550. 

Alaula feels like a large studio apartment. It is basically one large airy room with a vaulted ceiling, a beautiful four-poster Balinese king bed, and a large kitchenette, a private bathroom, and a small porch off the front. Guests of Alaula consistently say they enjoy the porch. It faces our long south lawn that runs down to the pool and is bordered by a row of magnificent tall tiger palms. From the porch you can hear the wind rustling the tiger palms and all the fantastic bird life that lives in them. The porch is an excellent place for an early morning cup of coffee or a sunset glass of wine. 

The Alihi lani Suite feels like a small island house. We love the feel of this space and even considered living in it ourselves. It has great ventilation, having windows facing both the ocean and the mountain, a beautiful hardwood floor and a soft, shaded light giving it a cool, quiet feel. The koi pond waterfall isn't as audible from the ohana cottage. Instead, you hear the birds, the dried plumeria leaves blowing in the driveway, or the rain pitter-pattering on the back roof. The other big benefit here is that it has a full kitchen, with a full-size refrigerator and an electric stove. For guests who wish to cook, this is a major benefit.  

Although it is the main house guest rooms that have the direct, grand ocean views, the ocean is visible from the Ohana Cottage. You can see the glowing sunset light pouring into these rooms in some of our online photos. 

What are the guest rooms really like? Mahina and Makani

Both the Mahina (moon room) and Makani (wind room) have their private entrances off the sunny pool lanai. They are next to each other and just about identical in size and appearance. They both have beautiful ocean views out across the pool lanai. Both rooms receive the ocean breezes blowing off the water during the day and the mountain breeze blowing down from behind at night. Both rooms are filled with soft natural light and, like the Moana room, have a clean modern minimalist look. While the Moana Room has a slightly vaulted ceiling, Mahina and Makani have beautiful wood ceilings. All three main house guest rooms are about 350 square feet and have good-sized 3/4 bathrooms (sink, toilet, shower) with nice, cool slate floors.  They are unusually large for B&B guest rooms.  It can be difficult to tell from just a few photos, and we're working on getting some new photos up soon.

Guest Room Tour Continued...our Great Room and Lanai

The Great Room is an area just for guests to enjoy (we have our own completely separate space so guests never feel like they're in "our house" or that they have to interact with us if they don't want to). The Great Room is a big, open, airy room where guests can work on the computer (we have a work station just for guests with high-speed Internet access), read, or relax. We prop the front doors open during the day and the wonderful ocean breeze blows through. This is a great place to read. I've even snuck down when no one is here and done yoga in this room. It is very quiet (except for the bird sounds and the breeze in the trees) and is a peaceful space.

On the other side of the Great Room there is a door out onto our big pool lanai. The pool lanai is very large and has plenty of space for guests to relax and sun bathe. We have a lovely round pool, a hot tub, and a covered area with a BBQ. If no one's around I'll sometimes sneak down to the pool for a sunset dip. I like swimming to the edge, resting my arms on the side facing the water and watching the sun set into the ocean. The sun sets quickly here in Hawaii, so make sure to sit still and enjoy it before heading out for dinner. Or, just enjoy a BBQ dinner here on the lanai. You can’t beat the view!

What are the guest rooms really like?

It's very difficult to describe our guest rooms with just a few lines and one or two photographs, so I thought we'd go into detail a little bit more here in our blog.

Luana Inn is a very unique property as far as guest rooms go because, unlike most B&B's, this house was actually built to be a bed and breakfast, rather than being a house that was converted into a B&B. This resulted in guest rooms that were very well designed. Each guest room has a private entrance and private bathroom and is quite large, as far as traditional B&B rooms go. The bathrooms were not added in after the fact, which is also the case in many B&B's. I've stayed in more than one traditional B&B that either had a shared bath or where the guest room had a bathroom but was so tiny is was obviously a converted closet. Our first impression when we saw photos of the guest rooms here before we bought the property was that the rooms looked more like elegant resort rooms rather than crowded B&B guest rooms, which we liked! We are both fans of space, cleanliness, privacy, and minimalism. I'll try to describe each of the five guest rooms one at a time over my next few entries to give you a better feel for each of them.  

First I'll describe Moana, our ocean room. Moana is probably our single most popular room because it has the most dramatic ocean view. It's in the main house and has two doors, one onto the front yard with the wedding arch, and one onto our Great Room. Many of our guests who've stayed in this room have commented that they feel like the front yard is their own private lawn. The front lawn is a manicured grassy stretch bordered by a hedge with bright orange flowers that overlooks the ocean. We're so close to the ocean that you can often hear the waves at night from this room. Many of the Moana guests also leave the door to the Great Room open since few guests actually use that space. The Moana Room is open and airy and has great light. The calming sound of the koi pond waterfall is always in the background.  

A Typical Day

Last week Ken and I had a slow day so we went up to town together to run some errands.  After our regular trips to Costco and Lowes, we stopped by the Old Airport Park.  This park lies on the north edge of Kailua, at the end of the Kuakini Highway.  We'd been there before but not with our little son, Conlan.  It was an overcast day but we were glad for this, since the park can be extremely hot and bright.  This long yellow-sand beach stretches along the blue ocean, strikingly beautiful and almost always deserted.  We parked and walked in, looking for a quiet place to relax.  

It was a weekday, midday, and like most parks at this time of the week, was practically empty.  There was one large family preparing a fish BBQ, and a mom and baby sleeping under a tree, but we were otherwise alone.  We found a slightly hidden area with a sandy patch and two large tide pools - perfectly kiddie-size.  The surf was strong and foamy waves crashed up on the rocks but dissipated as they spilled over into the tide pools.  Ken and Conlan played in the sun on the sand and I walked down to a pool and slipped in.  

The water was perfectly warm and soft, like a bath.  As I always do in large tide pools, I start on my belly and walk along on my hands, viewing the baby fish and hermit crabs underneath me.  I then flip over and float on my back, drinking in the sun.  I know you're not supposed to sun-bathe, but I just can't help it at times like this.  I lie there and let the ocean cradle me, the sun warm me.  I feel like I am being held and cared for, embraced by the sun and the water.  My ears are submerged so I can hear the crispy-bacon-frying sound of the little fish nibbling, and the muffled roar of the waves.  I feel I could fall asleep like this.  

After we returned home later that day, I went down to the lanai and had a soak in the hot tub.  There was no one around and the house was perfectly quiet.  The mist that had been sitting up on the hillside all day finally came down and a soft warm rain began to fall.  I sat there in the warmth, drinking a glass of wine, and watched the raindrops gently break the smooth surface of the pool water.  I looked out over the Bay, noting the shifting colors of both the sky and the ocean as the rain came down and the weather shifted.  The sun began to burn a bright orange-pink hole in the gray sky, and I wondered if this evening our neighborhood owl would fly over the lanai.  The world around me was hushed and damp and I had a strange sense that all the green growing things were breathing and sighing as it rained.

As I sat in the hot tub I thought about how perfect this day was, and how typical.  There are so many days like this here, so many moments that are so over-the-top lovely you can't imagine them being any better.  I was reminded what it is like to be a visitor to this magical island, how precious this place is, how healing.  The island gives and gives, and we are always thankful.

Our new Spa Room

We have begun renovations on what will become the Luana Inn's spa room. We'll be offering massages and facials from a couple of our favorite local providers.

When it was originally built, the addition that will become the spa room was a two story aviary. The original owners of the house had a collection of cockatiels, parrots and other assorted exotic birds. Apparently the mess and noise got to be too much and they converted the downstairs portion to a utility room and the upstairs to a greenhouse, where they grew bromeliads. We've always wanted to do "something" with the space, but weren't sure what. 

Recently, we decided a spa would be perfect. Since the room has a huge screened area overlooking our koi pond and waterfall, it has that lovely, relaxing white noise effect that people pay good money for on CD. It has a nice large skylight and has an airy, light feel for most of the day.

A new floor, a fresh coat of paint, and some plumbing and electrical work should all be done by the end of June. 

The attached image of the room is from just after the removal of the old floor and all the old shelving used to house the plants.

Ken

What's the deal with the dolphins?

One of the fantastic things about living here is being able to see native wildlife in its native habitat. During humpback season we can see whales from the house as they relax right off shore. When we swim or snorkel, we see a variety of beautiful reef fish (sometimes the water is so clear you can see the yellow tangs from shore), and often see green sea turtles.  At dusk we are often greeted by the native owl, pu'eo, and in the afternoon we often see the native hawk, io, soaring high above our neighborhood.  It always feels lucky to see these beautiful animals.

The animal that probably receives the most attention is the spinner dolphin.  There is a local pod that moves up and down the South Kona shore, often resting in Honaunau and Kealakekua Bays. The dolphins move out into deep waters to fish at night, and utilize the shallow Bays for rest and as nurseries.  Kealakekua Bay is a nature preserve but also a major tourist attraction, so balancing use of the Bay for recreation whilst maintaining its pristine condition is a serious source of concern and tension on the island.

The effect of growing interaction between the dolphins in the Bay and humans has been and is being studied.  From what we have read here locally and what we have learned from a guest of ours who is a marine biologist and has spent time living at the Bay and studying dolphin behavior, excessive, close contact with humans is proving to be detrimental to the dolphins' well-being.  Their numbers are starting to decline.

If you are swimming or kayaking in the Bay and the dolphins happen to approach you, which they often do because they are inquisitive animals, consider yourself lucky.  It is undeniably magical and wonderful to see such a beautiful creature in its home.  It is best, however, not to pursue them.  Let them come to you.  Keep in mind that the Bay is the dolphins' bedroom and nursery, and that when you are in it, you are a guest in their home.

Spinner dolphins, like Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles, and humpback whales are protected by the Endangered Species Act; it is illegal to touch or approach them. You must stay 50 feet away from a sea turtle, 50 yards away from a dolphin, and 150 yards away from a humpback whale.  Not all whale-watching tours or wildlife-encounter tours are respectful of these rules.  Please be mindful of this as you research tours, and don't be afraid to ask questions. It's in the best interest of everyone that Hawaii's precious creatures be treated with respect.

Walking from the Inn

When I stay somewhere new I love to be able to walk right from my accommodation. I like to get a feel for a place this way. It's always a disappointment to me when the place I'm staying at is on a bad road or is so isolated I have to drive to get anywhere interesting. I thought I should address this because I am a BIG walker and have been for years and one of the things I love about our location is that you CAN walk right out the gate and enjoy some beautiful walks, runs, and bike rides.  

If you turn right out of our gate you can get down to the water in ten or fifteen minutes (depending on how fast a walker you are). You'll pass gorgeous fragrant trees and tons of wonderfully weird exotic plants and eventually end up at the Bay. Our quiet road meanders through a residential neighborhood and you'll see some cool local houses and maybe meet some fellow walkers and friendly dogs. The water is gorgeous of course, and many of our guests walk down daily to swim and snorkel. Some guests also walk down late in the day to take a leisurely dip at Napo'opo'o Beach while watching the sun set, or have a picnic-dinner at Manini Beach.  

At the water Napo'opo'o Road turns into Pu'uhonua Road which flattens out and will eventually take you to the City of Refuge national park (Pu'uhonua o Honaunau) and then back up to Hwy 11 (a great loop for bikers). If you want a flat, hot run take Pu'uhonua road, if you want a cooler, curvy road, head to Middle Keei.  

If you turn left out our gate you can walk up to the coffee mill and through the exotic fruit garden (you can stop at Kalama's store for shave ice or the coffee mill for an espresso on your way back). I've walked and run out Middle Keei Road and out Painted Church road. Both these roads are surrounded by farms like Napo'opo'o so you can see lots of coffee growing, along with breadfruit, avocado, citrus, and lots of sweet-smelling flowers. I often see pheasants and turkeys on these walks, along with lots of other wonderful birds. I’ve walked these roads on moonlit nights and watched the moon rise up behind the hill. It’s quite a site! You may even be lucky enough to see a native owl, pueo.

If you enjoy walks and runs you'll have lots of beautiful opportunities here. Walking or running around the neighborhood is a fantastic way to experience this magical place. You'll see some fascinating bird and plant life, smell some gorgeous flowers, and of course enjoy lots of fantastic ocean and sky views.

Harvesting Fruit

Our green figs are in season!  Like just about everyone here in South Kona, we grow food on our property.  This is a farming area and our neighbors are growing orchids, plumeria, queen bees, coffee, and all kinds of fruit.  On our property we grow papaya, green figs, starfruit, tangerines, two kinds of mango, and lots of white pineapple.  We planted a Tahitian lime and a Meyer lemon last year, and have continued adding various vegetables around the property, including kale, sweet potatoes, and chard.  One of the best things about living here is the ability to grow such a wealth of beautiful and tasty things!

Spa Room

The Spa Room is just about finished and will be fantastic!  My mother and I had facials with Judy in it to test it out and they were great.  The room is bright and airy (it is basically open-air) and right above our koi pond.  The sound of the waterfall and the feel of the wind breezing through is incredibly relaxing.  I've had a lot of spa treatments and I really like the feel of this room; you can feel the wind and the air so its like you're outside and yet it's completely private.  

Hawaii awaits you...

Welcome to our new website!  With the support of our talented web designer, Ray Sanford, we have been working hard to improve our site.  In spite of the economy being sluggish right now, we understand that many people want and need to make a trip to Hawaii, and to help facilitate travel, we've made some changes you'll notice on our site.

First, we've got a new pricing structure.  We hope that lowering the prices will make things that much easier for our guests.  We also offer seasonal and special discounts, so please ask!

In addition to a pricing reduction, we've added our fifth guest room back into the mix.  Our fifth guest room, the Alihi lani Suite, is our largest guest space.  It is like an one-bedroom apartment in that it has a separate bedroom in addition to an open living/kitchen area with a full kitchen. This is an excellent option for guests wishing for a long stay (who want to cook), families (there are two futon couches in the living room), or divers (there's space outside for gear and water available).

For guests who've already been here and enjoyed our Restaurant Guide, you'll also be pleased to note that we have a new, updated version.  We've tried to take out restaurants that have closed, add in the new ones, and put phone numbers and hours in for your convenience.  Hopefully this guide will be just as helpful and entertaining as the last!  We've made some good discoveries over the last year, including Mi's Italian Bistro (which is located down here in South Kona and is giving the Keei Cafe some competition for favorite South Kona eats), and Ceviche Dave's (a fantastic small ceviche bar up by Costco).

We are also pleased to announce that as of May, we will now have a Luana "Spa" room.  For guests who've been here, you'll remember that there's an open air "growing" room next to the kitchen that currently houses an irrigation system and orchid plants.  It is an open room, with only screens, with lots of soft light and the sound of the koi waterfall in the background (it's just below).  This is a lovely little space and it hasn't been utilized to its full potential until now.  Many guests have suggested it be a perfect yoga or meditation room, and we heartily agree that it's a relaxing space.  So, we're now going to be offering massages by LMT, Kathryn Andren, and facials by aesthetician, Judy Abril.  What could be better than a lomi lomi massage or an soothing facial after a day snorkeling?

To pamper our guests further, Erin's also working on Luana Inn's own line of aromatherapy body care products, Luanalani (Luana beauty).  Currently available in our gift shop are: dream pillows (all made by hand while feeding Conlan), a yummy sugar body scrub that contains Maui sugar, Kona coffee, and chocolate, a sensuous salt scrub made with Hawaiian sea salt and pure essential oils, a lip balm made with Big Island beeswax, massage oils, and a cooling mist.

In addition to these products, we've also gathered together a selection of Big Island-made or Island-made gifts for our own mini Luana Gift Shop.  Many of our guests have asked us over the years where to purchase souvenirs and gifts that are actually local-made.  It can sometimes be difficult to find local gifts, particularly when shopping in all the major stores (Wallmart, Costco, ABC Stores, Long's, etc.) since most souvenirs are imported from China or the Philippines (even most macadamia nuts are imported now).  We've hand picked items that we love and have personally used, like hand-made soaps, candles, lotions, and local honey.  And of course, we still offer our favorite local coffee from Paul Sterling's farm (Dr. Paulo's).  

Lastly, we got a new hot tub last year and its been working like a charm!  What could be better than slipping into the hot tub on a clear starry night with a glass of wine after a long, hot day of sightseeing?

Please check out our site and come see us again soon!  The beautiful Bay, the gentle doves, and the Kona winds await you...

Why we love Hawaii

The air is soft and slightly damp; it caresses the skin. The sun is not too harsh, it just feels good, and is normally accompanied by wind. When it rains, it’s still warm. Tropical rain isn’t a hassle, it just washes everything clean and green and makes you feel the same way. You can walk outside early in the morning or in the middle of the night in bare feet and feel comfortable.

The island is a sensuous place; the way it feels and smells and surrounds you, it is a healing place, it feels good here, gentle, supportive, and regenerative. There is sweetness in the air, the fragrance of flowers, of things growing and blooming all year round; citrus blossoms, plumeria, ginger, coffee flowers. The feel of salt water and the silence under the water, the world of the fish and turtles, makes you sleepy and relaxed, you feel light and supported.

Hawaii is filled with life year-round, there is constant birdsong. You can also hear waves crashing. There are no trains, no freeways, etc. on the Big Island so you can hear the wind blowing through palm leaves, which sounds like a gentle rain.

People are kind and let you in. They wave, say "hello," and take the time to “talk story."

It’s easy to sleep here, our guests often comment on how well they sleep: it is the perfect temperature at night (not too cold, not too warm), and it is perfectly silent (except for
crickets and waves)

Eating fresh-picked papaya and drinking rich Kona coffee at breakfast is a wonderful way to start the day. There are a lot of farms on the Big Island and we enjoy a bounty of good food here: fruit, vegetables, and lots of fresh fish. We feel healthy.