In 2007 our family made Hawaii our holiday destination not once or twice, but four times!

In January, my husband and I and our son exchanged the miserable weather of Vancouver Island for the balmy warmth of Kauai for 10 days.

We stayed at the beautiful Pahio at Bali Hai Resort in Princeville and explored the island looking for spectacular photographic opportunities.

A catamaran trip from Port Allen on the south shore, around the Na Pali Coast was the highlight of the trip.

In August, my daughter and I flew to Kona and enjoyed our lovely accommodation the Royal Sea Cliff Resort.

Sea Turtle - Kona, Hawaii

On this trip, I realized my lifelong dream of becoming a certified scuba diver, and after completing the course through Jack's Diving Locker, I joined my daughter, an accomplished scuba diver, and some Big Island friends, for some incredible shore dives right close to Kona.

We were so focused on diving that we did avail ourselves of the beautiful pools at the Royal Sea Cliff, but we certainly appreciated the spectacular sunsets as we celebrated happy hour and recounted our day's diving from our huge lanai each evening.

In October, my son and a friend went to Kona and stayed at the Kona Billfisher and the Kona Reef Resort as guests of my husband and I.

They were both delighted with the resort and amenities of the Kona Reef, and were pleased that it was their accommodation for the second week.

From this resort they had a perfect view of the Iron Man Race as the competitors passed right in front of them.

My son booked himself into a scuba diving course and also became a certified diver.

The diving highlight of the trip for him was a charter that included a night dive with the beautiful and graceful manta rays.

Lava bridge and cave - Kona, Hawaii

He and his friend circumnavigated the island, enjoying Volcanoes National Park, the zoo at Hilo and several spectacular waterfalls. A professional photographer, he captured hundreds of images of the island, but now wants to add underwater photography to his repertoire.

The Resorts

Pahio at Bali Hai Villas (#3031)
4970 Pepelani Loop
Princeville, HI, 96722, USA
Phone: 808.826.6549
www.PAHIO.com

Kona Billfisher (#0029)
75-5841 Alii Drive
Kailua-Kona, HI, 96740, USA
Phone: 808.329.9277
www.kona-billfisher.com

Wyndham Royal Sea Cliff (#6939)
75-6040 Alii Drive
Kailua-Kona, HI, 96740, USA
Phone: 808.329.8021
www.wyndhamvacationresorts.com

Castle Kona Reef - Rental (#8243)
75-5888 Alii Drive
Kailua-Kona, HI, 96740, USA
Phone: 800.367.5004
www.konareef.com

No sooner did my son arrive home, than my husband and I left for Kona. We booked into the Kona Billfisher for two weeks. Unfortunately, it is an older, rather tired looking resort away from the ocean and with few amenities. But we were not focused on the resort as diving was again the purpose of the trip. My husband enjoyed snorkeling while I added 7 more dives to my dive log, including the spectacular manta ray night dive.

It was a front row seat at an underwater ballet for 40 minutes! The huge, plankton eating creatures, some 18 feet across, move in because the lights attract their food. They swam around and above all the divers, sometimes skimming our heads as they passed by with their huge scoops wide open. A truly memorable experience!

As you can imagine, we love the Big Island of Hawaii and are already planning our next trip.

- Valerie Wall

Photographs are by permission of Porter H Watson - TropicSea Visions, Kona Hawaii