Hawaiʻi Island: Two Days, Three Unique Culinary Experiences
A Hawai’i Island travel writer shares her recommendations for a quick trip to the island's west side to learn about locally-grown tea, freshly-harvested sea salt and the only sake made in Hawaiʻi.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1
Tropical fruit, chocolate, coffee, spirits and salt. Many of Hawaiʻi’s foods and beverages are produced on Hawaiʻi Island, making it one of the archipelago’s top culinary destinations. Islandwide, a wide range of breweries, distilleries, farms and kitchens open their doors to visitors curious about where these ingredients come from. In just two days, you can experience three of these gastronomic excursions and more.
Duration: Entire day
Check-in at Mauna Kea Resort
Courtesy of Mauna Kea Resort.
Mauna Kea Tea Farm
Co-owner Taka Ino describes the growing, harvesting and processing involved in tea making. Photo by Natasha Bourlin.
Enjoy the afternoon at Mauna Kea Resort
Courtesy of Mauna Kea Resort.
Dinner and Sake Tasting at Islander Sake Brewery
Owners Dr. Chiaki Takahashi and Tama Hirose opened the original Islander Sake Brewery on O'ahu in 2020. They moved the brewery to Hawaiʻi Island in late 2023. Photo by Sarah Burchard.
Day 2
Enjoy a leisurely morning. Sleep in, have breakfast, maybe take one last dip in the ocean, before you check out of the resort at 12 p.m. From there, you have about an hour to do as you wish before heading to Kona Sea Salt Farm, conveniently located just south of Kona International Airport.
Local tip: Kona Sea Salt Farm is about a 40 minute drive from Mauna Kea Resort. You could catch the last tour of the day at 2 p.m and, along the way, stop at Queens' Marketplace in Waikaloa for shopping and/or lunch.
Duration: Half day
Kona Sea Salt Farm Tour
Operations manager and chief salt maker Melanie Kelekolio has been working on this property for for 27 years. Photo courtesy of Kona Sea Salt.
What to Bring
- Camera
- Comfortable shoes
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Layered clothing
- Light rain jacket
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