The Hilton Waikoloa Village is one amazing mega-resort! You'll love all these bucket-list experiences without even leaving the property!
Hi everyone!
Oh am I excited about today's post! I'm jumping back into my recent Hawaii trip to share with you the fabulous experiences I had all at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Just catching up on Hawaii? Read about running in Maui, sunrise at Haleakala and Upcountry Maui and a Fashion Friday featuring the Hilton.
I had seen the Hilton Waikoloa Village on a travel special years ago and decided it was a must-do for our next trip to The Big Island. It is a mega-resort like I've never seen before. There is so much to do on property, you have to convince yourself to leave! The resort itself is a dream travel destination.
I feel so lucky that I had a chance to stay there for five days! I've been to my fair amount of resorts, but this one was one of the biggest and coolest I've ever stayed at.
You'll see why with my Top 10 Experiences at the Hilton Waikoloa Village!
Top 10 Experiences at The Hilton Waikoloa Village
Swimming with the Dolphins at Dolphin Quest
The Hilton Waikoloa Village has it's own tropical dolphin lagoon. The animals are cared for marine mammal experts and are part of a educational program called Dolphin Quest. The program helps educate about dolphins and environmental concerns surrounding the ocean. It is committed to ocean wildlife research. You could see the bond the dolphins had with their trainers. The dolphins are not forced to participate in the interactions, but they come over on their own.
There are many dolphin swim programs, but the one I did started off with getting familiar with the animals... including some big splashing!
Some gentle pets and snorkeling near the dolphins. They feel amazing.
The experience is finished off with a big smooch!
Best kiss of my life!
I had a blast interacting and learning more about these amazing animals. They are so friendly and really craved the attention. It was one of the highlights of the entire trip.
Sunset Dinner at KPC
Hilton Waikoloa Village has many dining opportunities on the property, but Kamuela Provision Company or KPC is the best. I had a sunset dinner reservation on their outside deck sitting just off a cliff of lava rock. 
The views and ambiance will take your breath away! It was so relaxing to watch the sunset and then hear the waves crash on the rocks through the evening.
And the food speaks for itself!
Course 1---->
Course 2--->
Course 3--->
This dining experience is worth every penny and is a must-do if you are at the resort.
For more on my dinner at KPC, here is my full review!
Yoga at Budda's Point
On the far end of the resort, there is a beautiful grassy field and a huge Budda. He overlooks the lava cliffs and onto the stunning Hawaii ocean waves.
I could not think of a better place do some yoga practice!
If yoga's not your thing, you can also watch the sunset from this point or simply relax!
There is also a gym and formal fitness classes on the resort to stay in shape while you are there, if you can drag yourself away from the pool!
Sunset Massage with Kohola Spa
Another bucket list experience! The world class Kohola Spa offers their relaxing massages ocean-side!
The Hubs and I had a couples ocean-view sunset massage that was magical!
You really can't beat this experience for relaxation and getting in the Hawaii zone.
Lunch with a Dolphin View
So I might be a little obsessed with dolphins, but I loved eating lunch with this view!
And with a tuna burger like this at the Lagoon Grill, you can't beat this experience at the Hilton Waikoloa Village! Do you see that gorgeous side salad too? Normally "pool food" is less than impressive, but not at this resort.
Water Sports in the Lagoon
There is a tropical four-acre saltwater lagoon and white sand beach on the property. It is fed by the ocean, but is the perfect protected oasis for water sports and swimming! The ocean water and all the critters in it, flow freely in and out.
I've never seen anything like it before!
It's the perfect place to conquer stand-up paddling boarding-- which I did! It was nice to know I could not get blown out to sea.
The Hubs also had a great time snorkeling.
Honu (rare green sea turtles) are found in the lagoon and it's even fun spotting them from the shores.
If a regular pool is more your speed, there are three other pools featuring water slides, hot tubs, and waterfalls.
Watch the Sunset Every Night
Watching the sunset is such a simple gesture, but it is truly a great vacation experience. Make a point of enjoying the free show from a different spot on the Hilton Waikoloa Village property every night. It is always different and always bring a little magic to the evening.
This striped sunset was one of my favorites during my stay.
Eat your Heart out at the Big Island breakfast
I've seen some serious hotel breakfasts in my days, but the Big Island breakfast is one of the most expansive I've seen.
I had everything from fresh made omelets, bagels, and pancakes.
But after a few days, I settled on this breakfast as my favorite. Papaya and steel cut oatmeal topped with almonds and dried fruit. I dream about that papaya now. It was that good!
Touring the Resort by Boat or Monorail
With so many onsite activities, the Hilton Waikoloa Village has to be big. The Hubs and I walked most of the time to work off some of the big meals, but it is also pretty fun to explore by riding the monorail or boats.
It almost feels like you are at a theme park within a hotel!
Watching Dolphins from the Room
Upgrade to a room in the Makai Tower with an ocean/dolphin view! I promise you will not be disappointed. I spent hours sitting on my balcony watching the dolphins.
It was fascinating to see how the trainers interacted with them and how much the dolphins enjoyed playing even when no one else was around.
One of my favorite experiences was getting lunch to-go and watching the dolphins instead of sitting by the pool!
What a great day!
Even More Fun
So that wraps up the Top 10 amazing experiences at Hilton Waikoloa Village. I didn't even get to the golf, mini golf, luau, shopping, the collection of Polynesia art, the tropical bird collection, or twelve other restaurants on property! What a spectacular hotel.
I have never done so many amazing things in one place before, I highly recommend this hotel and these adventures next time your find yourself in the Aloha state!
Thanks for stopping by today! Tomorrow I have a yummy SKINNY baked pasta dish with spinach and lemon. It's healthy comfort food at its best. See you then.
I received several complimentary experiences at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in exchange for this post. As always, all opinions are my own and I only write about things I love!
Your turn!
What would you do first?
Tammy says
We enjoyed our vacation here. It was truly paradise. We loved it so much that we purchased very near. So you already know we will be back.
Nancy Hall says
This resort is amazing. We stayed there in 2009. The staff are amazing too. We spent a day out exploring, didn't get back until late. The monorail and other transportation had stopped for the night. The staff transported us all through service areas on golf carts, because it would've taken a while to get back to our rooms. Would love to go back.
JulieWunder says
Yes! Such a great staff! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
Wow, what an amazing trip. Hawaii is on my bucket list. Pinning so I know where to stay when we go, I'd love to kiss a dolphin 🙂
JulieWunder says
Thanks Tanya! Kissing a dolphin should be on everyones bucket list!
Shanna says
Wow that looks like one amazing trip! I have always wanted to swim with the dolphins and I finally get to do it next month when I visit Florida. Seriously wanting to be in Hawaii right now though! Maybe next year (:
JulieWunder says
How exciting!! Are you going to Sea World?
Nicole says
Amazing photos. We are planning a trip there, hopefully for this year. Great post. I will save this for my trip to resort back to for info on what to things to do.
JulieWunder says
Thanks Nicole! I hope you enjoy your trip as much as we did.
Heather @Fit n Cookies says
Swimming with dolphins was one of my favorite things from our honeymoon! But that, the view, the spa, yoga, ahhh! It couldn't get any better ! Now I just need to convince my husband we need to get there.
JulieWunder says
You do! It is my favorite place by far!
GiGi Eats says
What a friggin' amazing get away!! SO sunny, so delicious, so relaxing - exhilarating! Man, so many words I could use to describe what your trip seemed like!
JulieWunder says
Totally! All of those things- haha! Glad you enjoyed the post!
Mandi Korn says
Looks amazing….I just need to drive a few hours, met you and the hubs, have him help me conquer my fear of flying and then I will be off to Hawaii:o) Whatcha think? Yeah, this will never happen and Im such a coward:o( Thanks for sharing, looks like you had an amazing time:o)
JulieWunder says
Awwww!!! You can conquer it! It's worth it!!! You do need to come to Asheville regardless!
J Mitchell says
This is one of my most favorite places on the planet! I have been there twice now in the last 10 years. The last visit in 2014 was even better than the first. We did upgrade to the Makai room the last time. Another must-see are the exotic birds in the lobby! I hope to go back one day.
JulieWunder says
Totally! I need to add the birds to my list. So glad you liked it as much as I did.
Ashley @ The Wandering Weekenders says
Oh my goodness, the Hilton Waioloa Village sounds like such an amazing resort! We visited Hawaii in July and had the best time! If there had been dolphins at our resort, I definitely would have been watching them every chance I get. It just seems like one of the coolest experiences to be able to swim with those amazing animals!
JulieWunder says
It is! I hope you get to do it sometime. You'd love it! So nice to see you here today!
Aeryn Lynne says
Wow!!! What amazing moments! That sunset dinner at KPC can't be beat, so beautiful. I've always wanted to try a swim with a dolphin program, yours looked like a blast. 🙂
JulieWunder says
It was! Such an amazing trip!
Becki S says
Oh boy did this post leave me homesick. I grew up on the Big Island and spent many evenings, proms, birthday parties and school field trips at the Hilton. I haven't been back since we moved in 2007 but I think 2017 will be the year the hubby and I do it. Thanks for sharing!
JulieWunder says
That's so cool!! I'm not sure I'd ever be able to leave Hawaii if I lived there 🙂 I totally understand what you are talking about with proms and such. I grew up in Orlando and had my homecoming/Prom at Disney hotels my friends now vacation too! It's kind of funny!
Mary Beth Jackson says
You are one lucky lady! What a beautiful trip! I love vacations where you do not have to leave the resort 🙂
JulieWunder says
I know! I feel very lucky. We did both- days where we stayed on the resort and days we left!
brianna says
looks like an awesome place!!! so much fun!
JulieWunder says
Thanks Brianna! It was so much fun!
OurFamilyWorld says
What a fun experience. The place looks like paradise.
JulieWunder says
It is! Prettier than the pictures!
Chelley @ A is For Adelaide says
Oh my gosh- amazing! After our trip to Honolulu, The Big Island is next on our list!
JulieWunder says
It's a really cool place! If you need any tips on where to go, don't hesitate to ask! I love talking about Hawaii 🙂
Runaway Bridal Planner says
Oh my gosh I just loved your photos. I seriously just took a little virtual Hawaii trip looking through them, thank you for that! Now I just need a real one, LOL
I went out to go swimming with Dolphins once when I was there, not at this resort, but took a boat to the island of Lanai to swim with them along the cliffs in the open water. But that day, the waves were just too big and they were afraid the currents would take less strong swimmers too far out before they could catch them, so we weren't able to jump out and swim with them.
But seeing you're pics, I definitely plan on going back sometime to do this, it just looks so fun!!!
JulieWunder says
It's so funny you should mention that because we did do something like that too! We took a boat out and swam with the real dolphins. It was magical!
I hope you get to go back to Hawaii someday!
Kristen from The Road to Domestication says
Oh, swimming with the dolphins must have been like a dream! I've always wanted to do that! And the food looks pretty dreamy, too 🙂
JulieWunder says
It was totally a dream! The entire trip was!
Blane Sherer says
Awesome shots ! I know you must have a great time.
I especially like the sunset shot and the shot of you
kissing the dolphin..
JulieWunder says
Thanks so much Blane! I'm so glad you liked it!
Jess @hellotofit says
The sunset dinner and yoga totally caught my eye 🙂 and I LOVE dolphins. They seem so sweet, yet can attack a shark!
JulieWunder says
Totally 🙂 They are amazing!
Heather Johnson says
What an amazing resort! The food looks fabulous and the scenery is gorgeous!
JulieWunder says
It is so pretty!!! Thanks for reading.
Rachel @ RachelMcMichael.com says
Take me to Hawaii NOW!!! This looks INCREDIBLE! My husband and I honeymooned in Maui and just loved it!
JulieWunder says
Hawaii is such a cool place! I'm so glad you've been able to go too!
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood says
Oh my goodness. I can't even tell you how many "so"s worth of jealous I am!! Just know it's a lot. Swimming with dolphins is on my bucket list for sure! I went to Hawaii when I was in high school with my family but I had a stomach bug the whole time. No fun. Looks like you had the trip of a LIFETIME.
JulieWunder says
Awww! What a bummer! Hawaii is my happy place. I hope you get to go back and not get sick someday!
Jaime says
The dolphin experience would be amazing! All of your photos are beautiful and I really want to go back to Hawaii now. My favorite thing to do when we visited Oahu years ago was eat all the fresh pineapple I could for breakfast. 😉
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
Ah Hawaii sounds so good right about now! I've never done the dolphin experience so now I have to go back right?!
JulieWunder says
You totally HAVE to go back 🙂
Annmarie says
Super jealous you got to swim with dolphins, I've always wanted to do that!
JulieWunder says
It was so much fun!!!
Susie @ SuzLyfe says
Simply incredible. Hawaii is certainly a beyond magical place. I swam with dolphins in Jamaica and it was one of the coolest experiences of my life! One of the dolphins was named Bruno, which I thought was hilarious 😀
JulieWunder says
Haha! Bruno the dolphin-- awesome :-))