Hawaii is one of the top honeymoon destinations in the world, and after I visited the tropical scenery of Kona for the first time on my recent honeymoon, it all made sense to me. Sure, I could have done without the back-to-back bouts of turbulence as we made our way over the ocean, but other than that, I was hooked.
I told my husband that I really wanted to go all out on our trip. Our newly-wedded trip was the perfect excuse to splurge on fancy restaurants and island excursions, but once we hit the sandy beaches of Kona, I knew I still had to have my happy hour. But I didn't want just any happy hour. I wanted scenic, romantic and mostly "walkable" happy hours. I had come prepared with a list of places I had researched before we left and the first one on our list was Don’s Mai Tai Bar.
Our timeshare place was directly across the street from the Royal Kona Resort, and since we had bought tickets to their luau on our first night, it was very convenient to just walk over. As we made our way out the front door in our “honeymoon attire,” it started to sprinkle. And then it started to pour. We had made it halfway to Don’s already, so we ran as fast as we could to find a covering. Awaiting us at Royal Kona was a line other guests waiting on an update about the luau.
Don’s Mai Tai Bar has a circular bar with an extended lounge area and rests right on the edge of the Royal Kona Resort. It overlooks the ocean, and I’ve seen some of the most beautiful sunsets in my life from that vista. It also doesn’t hurt that they have happy hour! Everyday, 4pm – 6pm, you can enjoy discounted pupus (appetizers), $6 Mai Tais, pina coladas, draft beers and well drinks. FYI, if you don’t end up booking a luau at the Royal Kona, you can still watch some of the action from the bar, but we recommend the full luau experience – we re-booked and had a ball.
For our last happy hour, we checked out the Kona Brewing Company. We booked a tour of the facilities (which is free with advance appointment), in which you learn about the history of the “green” brewing plant and sample many of their seasonal beer options, and then stayed after for some happy hour. The Kona Brewing Company is also a restaurant, so you can have dinner or lunch either inside or on the patio. There are no ocean views here, but the beer is fantastic and discounted at happy hour.
