Authentic Activities

Eka Canoe Adventures specializes in Kona's famous manta ray snorkel experience- a must do while on the Big Island. With no barbs, stingers or teeth, these gentle giants glide effortlessly through the water to feed on plankton while snorkelers float comfortably on the surface. Eka Canoe Adventures keeps their group sizes small, so guests get an intimate interaction with an animal long revered by the Hawaiian people. Their boat is one of only a few accurately recreated, traditional Hawaiian double-hull canoes and is the world's only
commercially licensed Hawaiian canoe.

Not only do they offer unique encounters, Eka Canoe Adventures also supports the non-profit which uses Hawaiian canoes as a vehicle for youth to create a sense of place and develop intellectual skills and cultural values. The foundation promotes social tolerance and environmental responsibility through the perpetuation of cultural traditions and practices of Native Hawaiians.

Aloha Adventure Farms is only a few minutes' drive away from our Big Island Bed & Breakfast and offers tours that combine history, culture, and adventure. Their Polynesian
ATV Adventure tour takes guests through a Hawaiian rainforest to explore cultural heritages of Polynesian peoples from Hawaii, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. Guests can
participate in traditional hands-on activities and games with Polynesian guides. Join their Wood Carving and spend some time with a Polynesian 4th generation Master Carver to create your very own authentic wood carving. Made from top quality wood grown locally on the Big Island, the finished carvings make perfect authentic souvenirs.

Hawaii Forest and Trail offers a variety of tours to explore the many natural wonders of the Big Island, but their Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Give Back Experience is something special. It combines their popular Maunakea Summit & Stars tour with a volunteer opportunity to support the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative. This community-supported non-profit aims to protect and restore critically endangered native Hawaiian dry forest habitat.

Interpretive guides lead you on a light hike through an endangered Hawaiian dry forest, teaching about native species including their cultural and ecological importance. Participants then take part in real conservation work such as seed collection. After a visit to the dry forest, the tour culminates in a visit to the summit of Maunakea, a site considered sacred to many Hawaiian people. Watch the sunset, enjoy a picnic dinner, and marvel in the world-class clarity of the Hawaiian night sky with a private star show using a high-powered telescope.

THE ORIGINS OF KONA COFFEE

Though the coffee plant thrives in the rich volcanic soil of Hawaiian Islands, coffee is not native to Hawaii. The first commercial Hawaiian coffee was imported from Brazil, but it is an Arabica variety first imported from Guatemala in 1892 that comprises the majority of Kona coffee today, known as “Kona typica.”

Sugarcane was being grown extensively throughout the Hawaiian Islands, but the rugged slopes in the district of Kona, located on the Big Island of Hawaii, was unsuitable for growing sugarcane. Instead Kona became the center of the island’s coffee industry. Coffee growing was once a large-scale plantation industry, but the 1899 crash of the international coffee market compelled large growers to break up their land into smaller manageable plots which could be leased for family farms. Small-scale coffee production has endured as a unique trait of the Kona district and most Kona coffee beans are still grown on family farms.

KONA: THE IDEAL COFFEE CLIMATE

Coffee plants are hardy, but they grow best in tropical climates with bright sun, ample cloud cover, and regular (but not torrential) rain. Kona Coffee is grown in an area approximately 26 miles in length and 3 miles wide, mostly between 700 feet and 2,000 feet of elevation on the slopes of Mount Hualalai. This area is known as the “Kona coffee belt.” The area is known for consistent morning sunshine followed by drizzly overcast afternoons. That combined with volcanic soil rich in minerals creates perfect growing conditions for coffee. Perfectly sheltered behind the massive mountains Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, the coffee trees are uniquely protected from harsh trade winds (In Hawaiian, Kona means “leeward” or “without wind.”)

Located right in this sweet spot for coffee cultivation, Brazen Hazen coffee is grown on property featuring rocky, volcanic soil which provides our Kona coffee beans with essential nutrients. To keep our plants happy and healthy, our coffee trees are planted along the natural contours of the land in the Old-Kona fashion. Many of our trees sit beneath sprawling canopies of avocado and mango trees, which provide additional shade.