HAt Home" On The Big IslandVilla rentals are hot - not "hot"as in the NC isn't working -but "hot" as in a fab new trend.This fits right in with thegrowing popularity of customizedtravel itineraries. It seemstravelers - including ourfamily - just don't want tofeel like tourists anymore.

I've long been an advocate ofhaving "real experiences" andsavoring the local culture, andthat's just what our family did inApril. Our home was a spaciousground-floor, three-bedroom villain the Waikoloa Beach Resort onthe Kohala Coast of the BigIsland. We chose a residencewithin Kolea, a gated community,and enjoyed all the comfortsof home. There, a six-panel,IS-foot-wide glass pocket doorseparated the living-dining areaof the villa from the large lanai,

surrounded by a lush lawn andflowering shrubs. Our unit, 7D,also provided a view of the localoutrigger teams practicing onthe bay in the early morningand late afternoon.

We found this idyllic spotthrough Rob Dalton at WaikoloaVacation Rentals, who verypatiently responded to my streamof questions prior to our arrival.Would there be a crib for thetoddler in our group? Wi-Fi?Snorkel fins large enough for myhusband's big feet? (Yes.Yes.And yes.) Did I need to bring ahair dryer? Beach towels? Kitchenand bath amenities? (No.) I alsoreally appreciated that he sentvery clear direction to Koleafrom the Kona airport, about20 miles south of the resort.(www.waikoloavacationrentals.com/kolea-rentals)

When we arrived, the snorkelgear was ready and waiting, thecrib was set up - and I waspleasantly surprised to find lotsof beach toys, a very wellequipped kitchen, and an outdoorwet bar and gas barbecue.

As rental guests, we had accessto the private Kolea Beach Club,which includes a sand-bottomkiddie pool with pint-sizedwaterfall, large infinity pool,open-air fitness center, andnatural lava spa pool. The beachat Anaeho'omalu ("g) Bay,wheresea turtles bask in the sun, isjust steps away.

Kolea turned out to be theperfect base for enjoying allthings Hawaiian. Our first nightwe walked over to the WaikoloaBeach Marriott and enjoyed theirSunset Family Luau. Here, keiki(children) were given a hulalesson, watched coconut husking,and took turns strumming aukulele. This was a traditionalluau - complete with pigand veggies cooked in an imu(underground oven) - and weall enjoyed the feast, as well asperformances of Polynesian

songs, dances, and fire show.(www.marriott.comihotels/traveV

koamc-waikoloa - beach- marriott-

resort-and-spa)

The luau was the perfect startto our week, which includedsnorkeling, playing in the pools,relaxing on the beach, and takingwalks on lava-lined trails. Mybiggest thrill was swimming withsea turtles. Our keiki's papa triedhis hand at paddle boarding, andgranddad perfected the art ofcooking mahi mahi on the grill.

We were all impressed with thebeautiful landscaping throughoutKolea. From our lanai, I saw myfirst mongoose as he dartedbetween yellow and red hibiscus,bougainvillea, plumeria, andflowering ginger. The plants alsoattracted many birds thatprovided au naturel musicalentertainment.

Everything we needed was withinwalking distance. The Queen'sMarketplace had a good - albeitpricey - grocery store andanother dozen or so colorfulshops. One trip to this center

happened to coincide with aperformance by a local hulaschool. The students ranged inage from 5-15 and were talentedbeyond their tender years.

We also visited the King'sMarketplace, where our keiki fedthe koi in a stone pond whilegrandma snuck a quick peek intoTiffany's. A farmers' market takesplace one day a week in thislocation, but we opted to driveinto Kona and browse throughthe maze of stalls at a muchlarger bazaar. Here, we loaded upon pineapples, papayas, rambutan,and other tropical fruit, as well aslocally-grown vegetables - andyes, one of us did find the jewelrymore compelling than the edibles.

I would have lingered longer, butwe wanted to be at Huggo's Onthe Rocks - a nearby waterfrontrestaurant - in time to watchthe sunset. This open-air spotoffers live entertainment nightly

••-.. .

and is easily Kona's mostatmospheric place to dine. Thefloor is covered in beach sandand, while her parents andgrandparents listened to Hawaiianmelodies, our keiki made a "cake"and decorated it with pinkdrink umbrellas.

At the end of the evening wereturned to our home at Kolea -the perfect base for enjoying allthings Hawaiian. ELIZABETH HANSEN