I spent two weeks at Balai Kona Tropical Paradise preparing for the Ironman World Championships which took place on 12 October in Kailua Kona. It is a fantastic place to stay, not far away from the city (10 minutes drive) and with more convenient temperature than on the coast due to the 1200 ft elevation (still warm but about 10°F less). The house and the garden are awesome. There are beautiful flowers all around and Sylvia provided me every day with freshly picked papayas, bananas, avocados... It is a very quite place and I couldn't have slept better in the diligently equipped room.
But this is not the only reason why Balai Kona Tropical Paradise is an exceptional place to stay! Sylvia and Karen are great hosts. Sylvia is an amazing cook. I loved her humus, fresh juices, barbecue.... I discovered many great new recipes which I will bring to Europe! They invited me several times for lunch and diner, we often prepared our meals together or in their absence I could cook myself in their kitchen. I enjoyed our discussions while preparing the meals or enjoying a glass of well tempered red wine.
Sylvia and Karen also showed me many exceptional places which are not indicated in travel guides. We went to lovely beaches, tasted the best smoothies on the island, visited amazing lava tubes, discovered a hotel with outside toilet or went picking flowers and fruits up the hills. I learned a lot about the culture, history and vegetatuion of the Island.
Thanks a lot for your hospitality and all the effort to make my visit of the Big Island unforgettable!
Aloha,
Martin

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