Fair Wind Cruises, Hawaii: A greener way to explore the Kona Coast

Life on the Big Island might be unhurried – but I'm in a hurry to start soaking it up. While many visitors to Hawaii make Honolulu their first stop, I'm continuing straight onwards to the Island of Hawaii. After all, I have a date with a luau at the Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa. After freshening up and changing into something tropical, I head out to the resort's lawn.

Rain-heavy clouds scud into view – they're not part of my Hawaii fantasy – but they fail to dampen the spirits of those who have gathered to feast on traditional fare, slurp a cocktail, try arts and crafts such as threading orchid flowers into a lei, watch the hula dancing, listen to the singing and soak up the extraordinary spirit of aloha.

The rain holds off for the most part but eventually there's a downpour that sends us scuttling to our rooms. I need an early night anyway so I can make the most of the ocean the next day. Perhaps the best thing about the resort is its location: you can simply stroll to nearby Keauhou Bay (also the birthplace of Hawaii's longest reigning monarch, King Kamehameha III). Here, boats and outrigger canoes are stationed ready to launch passengers into the Kona Coast's multitude of water activities that include swimming with manta rays at night.

We'll manta later but, first, a morning snorkel tour beckons. Fair Wind Cruises did a rad thing in 2020, pledging to elevate environmental concerns into tangible action. It launched a slew of sustainable initiatives, not only ditching single-use plastics and encouraging on-board recycling but becoming the state's first tour company to offer a vegan-only menu.

The morning tour includes two plant-based meals. The breakfast spread has offerings such as muesli (soaked overnight in coconut milk, with dried cranberries, raisins, pumpkin seeds and almonds), island fruit, banana bread and Kona coffee grown on the owners' farm. Lunch comprises two sliders (one of barbecue jackfruit and coleslaw, the other a chickpea patty), an ulu (breadfruit) and purple sweet potato salad, green salad, sweet potato chips and cookies. Those who fall in love with the fare (spoiler alert: it's delicious) can find the recipes on the company website.

Before boarding the boat, I chat to Alex Dant, Fair Wind's octopus-tattooed vice-president of operations. He explains why the company dived right in when it came to offering passengers only plant-based options. The thinking was, he says, "'If I give you this as your only option and you try it, you might like it'." He spent the pandemic downtime finessing recipes such as the pulled pork-style jackfruit and asking family and employees to taste-test the results. He hopes the changes not only set an example to other operators but create a legacy for the next generation.

The surprising thing for me is how much passengers embrace these green initiatives as we meander down the Big Island's western coastline. I don't hear a single grumble about the vegan food and everyone willingly sorts their rubbish into the recycling bins (the waste is reused as compost on the family farm).