Big Island, HI

On our recent trip to Kona, my wife and I visited the Kona International Market, a mostly outdoor shopping complex of vendor stalls. When there is a cruise ship calling in the port of Kona, free shuttle service is offered from the parking lot next to Kamakahonu Beach in Kailua-Kona. We availed ourselves of this service and rode the shuttle to the market, which took about ten minutes.

We had already eaten breakfast on the morning we went, so we weren’t looking for food, although there are numerous places to eat at the market. We were there to shop, although not for anything in particular just to look around and see what they might have to offer. We do try and pick up at least one souvenir from each new place we visit, and this was our first trip to Kona. So we walked around, checking out the various vendor stalls and wandering through the indoor warehouse-like buildings full of everything from typical Hawaiian kitsch to quality crafts to an indoor farmer’s market. If you’re looking to buy seriously large (and expensive) koa wood sculptures of sea turtles, manta rays, or marlins, for example, this is the place to come. My wife and I bought a ceramic tile with a humu humu (trigger fish) on it.

There are also some specialty items, such as musical instruments including ukuleles, guitars and Hawaiian style drums. I bought an unusual instrument called a ‘thumb piano,’ which is a gourd with metal keys that you pluck like striking the keys of a piano. Pretty cool, and perfect for passing the time on those shuttle and plane rides. My wife checked out a lot of clothes, including some silk sarongs, but ended up not buying any.

We were probably at the market for about an hour and a half, and then we waited a few minutes for a free shuttle to take us back to Ali’i Drive in Kona, from which we could walk back to our hotel. All in all, it was a relaxing little trip which satisfied our quest for Kona-specific shopping.

The Kona International Market is open every day except for Mondays, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.