History of Hale Kai:
The property at Hale Kai belonged to the Hawaiian Royal Family even into the 20th century. When you see it, you will understand why Hawaiian kings and royalty, including King Kamehameha the Great chose this location to live, visit and relax. This was also one of the sites from which King Kamehameha launched his royal canoes. In the 1950s, the property was acquired by Sen. 'Doc' Hill, one of the Hawaiian legislator primarily responsible for gaining statehood for Hawaii. Sen. Hill and his wife used the property in the 19502-1960s to entertain dignitaries, celebrities, politicians and other persons of power and influence. Actor John Wayne was married here in the 1960s and Actor Paul Newman and his wife, Actress Joanne Woodward have vacationed on the property. The property has also been the site of numerous other weddings, cultural exhibitions, ceremonies, etc. It is now a private part time residence and vacation rental property.
Typical Day at Hale Kai:
In paradise, every day is pretty much the same as the day before - PERFECT! Awaken to the sounds of tropical birds, the soft lapping of the ocean on the shoreline and fragrant perfume of the tropical flowers. Enjoy your morning coffee while watching the Keauhou Bay Canoe Club practice in their brightly colored Hawaiian outrigger canoes. After breakfast, take an early morning walk around the 3 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and walk along the over 500' of oceanfront shoreline of Keauhou Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Later, go snorkeling from the private dock and observe thousands of brightly colored tropical fish, along with turtles, high coral outcroppings and other sea life on one of the best coral reef locations in Hawaii. Next, take a dip in the pool and dry off in the warm sun. Spend the afternoon kayaking, fishing or playing tennis, and end the day sipping tropical concoctions from a hammock while the sun sets. All without ever leaving the property!
Activities Near Hale Kai:
At Hale Kai, you're just a short walk (or drive) from great golfing at the Kona Bay Country Club (open to the public - no membership required), and from the Keauhou Shopping Center which has several excellent restaurants, a supermarket, a drug store, a hardware store, movie theaters and shopping. Across Keauhou Bay from Hale Kai (also a short walk or drive) is the Sheraton Resort with more restaurants, nightly luaus and shopping. If you walk to the Sheraton along the shoreline, you'll pass a dive shop, kayak rentals, canoe rentals and where you can sign up for excursions including snorkel / dive boats, sunset cruises, swimming with the manta rays, sailing cruises and deep sea fishing. It's just 5-6 miles to the town of Kailua-Kona for more shopping, restaurants, night life, luaus, sightseeing and other activities.