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KONA TO KAWAIHAE
The mega-resort capital of Hawai‘i lies along the Kona-Kohala
Coast. The new hotels have created easier public
access to beautiful beaches and amenities that can be enjoyed
by visitors and residents alike.
Driving north from Keahole Airport you come to the
entry of Kona Village Resort, a hideaway of thatched-roof
huts that, intentionally, have no televisions or phones.
The Waikoloan Beach Marriott Hotel, with its calm
lagoon at ‘Anaeho‘omalu Bay, lies just north of
Kiholo Bay and is well worth a visit. Petroglyphs
and fishponds, the remains of ancient aquaculture, are
adjacent to the coast.
Waikoloa Beach Resort offers maximum amenities for
visitors. For example, at the Dolphin Quest research center
in the Hilton Waikoloa Village, you can enter the
water with a handler and interact with these friendly
creatures. There are boats and a monorail for touring
the lagoons and gardens. The Kings’ Shops wrap around
a ten-acre salt-water lagoon within the resort.
Just north is Holokolokai, near ancient Hawaiian
fishponds, managed by Mauna Lani Bay Hotel. A 1.7-mile
round-trip hike takes you to Puako Petroglyph Park.
Perhaps the sunniest beach on the island is up the coast
at Hapuna, a state recreation area with beautiful
white sand and a clean sandy bottom, camping and picnic
facilities, showers, restrooms, and parking. Also excellent
for swimming and snorkeling is Samuel M. Spencer Beach
State Park, just north of Hapuna.
One of the most prominent historic sites on the island
rises above Kawaihae.
Na Aikane O Pu‘u Kohola is a giant stone temple
built by King Kamehameha I for the war god Kukailimoku.
This heiau must be viewed from a short distance as walking
on the temple itself is Kapu
(forbidden). Further north is the small commercial town
of Kawaihae.
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