KAILUA-KONA — It’s a debate as old as time.
KAILUA-KONA — It’s a debate as old as time.
Well, maybe not as old as time, but definitely old enough to qualify for an AARP card.
And it can be summed up in one simple question: Which of Hawaii Island’s two largest communities — Kona and Hilo — is more charming?
For Mike Jeffress, a 14-year resident of the island who’s spent nearly half that time behind the bar at Humpy’s Big Island Alehouse in the heart of Kona mingling with globetrotters and new arrivals, the answer is simple.
He likes his island locales like he likes his eggs — sunny-side up.
“Sure, Hilo is a better spot,” Jeffress said, “if you want to be in the rain.”
The instigator of the most recent iteration of this hotly contested debate was an article on Travelmag.com posted in early February, which surveyed 50 travel writers, photographers and “selected professionals” to determine Hawaii’s most charming towns.
Hawaii Island towns dominated the list, claiming 4 of the top 10 spots.
Hawi was ranked the most charming of any Big Island destination, securing third place. Hilo was in fourth place and Kona in fifth.
Naalehu and its monkeypod trees rounded out Hawaii Island’s honorees, finishing in ninth.
Ross Birch, the executive director of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau, went the politically correct route, choosing not to express whether he thought Kona was slighted with a ranking one spot behind Hilo and two back from Hawi.
“I am very impressed that our island as a whole has 4 out of the 10 towns,” Birch wrote in an email to West Hawaii Today. “I am a little disappointed Honokaa did not make this list (this is where I live), but understand we did not have our own top 10 list.
“We are very fortunate,” he added, “we do not have to choose (between Kona and Hilo).”
But Lucas Colby — formerly of Arizona, who’s been flipping burgers at his father’s restaurant in Kona for a year and a half in between bike rides down Alii Drive to relax on several of Kona’s “pristine beaches,” which he said were “far superior” to those Hilo could offer — was aghast when he heard Kona finished behind Hilo.
“I’m shocked, floored even,” Colby said, setting down his spatula and grabbing the edge of the table at Island Ono Loa Grill in Coconut Grove. “… If you like lush rain forests and that’s your thing, OK, but other than that, what does Hilo have that Kona doesn’t?”
There are arguments to be made for both locations.
Hilo is more of a college town, while Kona has the feel of a resort destination. Hilo lays claim to majestic waterfalls, while Kona dominates the beach scene. Hilo might boast more of a traditional Hawaiian feel, but the commercialization of Kona has greatly aided Hawaii Island’s tax base and improved or maintained several areas around the island.
Different strokes, and all that.
As far as Hilo’s weather, Travelmag.com’s review was quick to point out there was plenty of Kona-like weather on the isle’s windward side, too.
“Don’t fret,” it wrote, describing Hilo as brimming with young energy and farmers markets that add character and charm. “There are plenty of sun-kissed days to enjoy here, too, which may well explain why it made it into our top 10.”
Eric and Brandy Fischer, who travel frequently to Hawaii Island, said they, too, prefer Kona. An often overlooked upside, they explained, is the international airport.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, to access Kona Village one had to either come by boat or fly into the area’s one small airstrip, Birch said. At that time, Hilo was already developing into a bustling hub of tourism for one reason — the volcano — which has been an attraction since visitors began frequenting the state.
Vog is the downside of having a volcano with geological acid reflux gurgling and belching in your backyard. However, the sometimes dense haze can frequently be observed annoying residents and tourists alike around most of the island, making its impact on one side compared to the other something of a scratch.
Executive Director of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce Kirstin Kahaloa said more visitors arriving directly into West Hawaii via the international airport might help Kona make a lasting impact on visitors as they likely get to visit it first.
That, plus the fact that those surveyed for this article all live and work in Kona, probably helps explain why the comments appear to favor Kona instead of Hilo — apparently in direct opposition to the results of Travelmag.com’s survey.
However, Birch was quick to point out something that might have initially been overlooked when the rankings first came out.
While Travelmag.com’s piece ranked Hilo and Kona, Birch said upon closer examination, Hawaii’s most charming towns are listed in the article in alphabetical order and likely aren’t reflective specific top 10 rankings.
Email Max Dible at mdible@westhawaiitoday.com.