One of our favorite places to eat and watch the sun set on the island was Lava Lava Beach Club. It is located on Anaeho’omalu Bay, walking distance from the Waikoloa Marriott. They are open for lunch and dinner (11am – 9pm). The restaurant no longer takes reservations, however, they have a “Tap Ahead” app, which places you on the current wait list and gives you a time when you should arrive. I strongly recommend using the app, since we overheard people who had not used it be given a two hour wait time. There is a walking path to get from the hotel to the restaurant. Lava Lava Beach Club also has cottages on their property, if you prefer a cottage setting versus a resort setting. We did not stay there, but they look very nice. I am not completely sure of the proximity to the restaurant, which is always full and has live music on some nights. It would be worth checking out before making a decision to stay there.
Strolling to the Lava Lava Beach Club
This photo was taken while walking to the restaurant. It is still Marriott property at this point. I am not sure where one property ends and the other begins. I am imagining that Marriott’s property ends before you come across ‘feral cat island’. That’s actually not its name, we gave it that name, it is an outdoor cat sanctuary. If you are interested in reading about the self-inflicted feral cat and mongoose problem on the island you can read my post Akaka Falls State Park (last paragraph).
Feral Cat Island
This area is taken care of by a non-profit and locals who bring food and water for the cats. It is located relatively close to the restaurant, but the cats are not a problem at the restaurant. They pretty much stay away from people, although there are a considerable amount of them wandering in this area. One of the things I loved about this walk was the cool trees growing in the area that are all leaning and twisted due to the strong winds that come off the ocean.
Twisted Trees in Waikoloa Village, Hawaii
When we arrived at the restaurant there was a short wait until we were able to be seated; however, you just grab a chair at the ocean’s edge and enjoy the view while you wait.
Lava Lava Beach Club – A Restaurant with a View
I’ve never enjoyed waiting for a table more. All seating is outdoors; however, some seating is under a large roof. To be under the roof, you are a little farther away from the ocean, but you don’t get wet should it start to rain. It is very common for a quick storm to move through the area around dinner time every night. In fact, it rained both nights we were there and we were happy to be under the roof. The people right on the beach had to scramble for cover one night because it downpoured for about 10 minutes. I was curious about how the restaurant would handle the patrons whose food was soaked during their dinner. I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to slow down the staff who was scrambling to try to raise umbrellas, cover tables and chairs, and move as many people as they could under the roof. My recommendation would be, if you are going to have a complete dinner, eat under the roof; if you are going to have only drinks and an appetizer, take the risk and eat at the tables in the sand at the water’s edge. (Of course, look up at the sky, it was clearly going to rain the second night we were there.) I would also recommend timing your dinners with the sunset. The view was stunning, the food and drinks were fabulous, the staff was helpful, quick and polite. The second night we dined, they had a band playing. You could simply enjoy the music, or get up and dance on the beach. My husband and I always choose to dance! This was one evening that I was just savoring how very good life can be. As always, wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life.
A Captivating Way to End the Day in Waikoloa Village, Hawaii
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More Beautiful Spots for Watching the Sunset
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Lava Lava Beach Club, Waikoloa Village, Hawaii
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