This nomad summer gave us the chance to run off to Hawaii for 5 wonderfully blissful days.  The Big Island of Hawaii was the last of the main islands we had yet to explore and its peaceful vibe and amazing snorkeling lured us right on in.  I mean, just look at that…

We stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Orchid and it was every bit as amazing as we hoped it would be.   Lush gardens, hidden corners to sit and enjoy the ocean breeze, amazing food, and live music everyday (my personal happy place).  Our first getaway in what feels like a lifetime, and we chose to spend much of it hanging out, snorkeling, some exploring and lots of eating….

Macadamia Nut hummus and Pineapple cider were two are my favorites, along with the fish tacos and basically everything else.   We didn’t have one bad meal, though we certainly paid for it.

We discovered our favorite place a few days in, this gorgeous tucked away beach with the clearest water I have ever seen, hidden away from the wind and not listed in our guidebooks.  It is an off-shoot of Hapuna State Beach, called Waialea Beach.

I’m dying, it was the coolest place, we snorkeled with sea turtles, met large parrot fish and just relaxed soaking up the sun.   Pure heaven.

And then there is the underwater view…

I’m so thankful I invested in this Olympus Tough TG-4 camera, it allowed me to get all these awesome underwater shots.  Above all, I really enjoy the ambiance that a Hawaiian vacation has to offer.   The sunsets, restaurants on the beach, some hula dancing and tiki torches….this is a good life.   Though I love all the islands for different reasons, the Big Island’s open space and big sky really drew me in.  Easy access made everything a cinch to navigate.

I hope to be back sooner rather than later.  Mahalo.