Home of the King (North/Kohala)
Visit historic Kohala, home and birthplace of ancient Hawaiian King Kamehameha the Great, the first ruler to unite all the Hawaiian Islands. A short 30-40 minute drive north offers some of the most beautiful scenery on the Big Island including pastureland, rainforests and majestic shorelines. Near Kawaihae, visit the Pu’ukohola Hawaiian heiau (temple) commissioned by the King in 1790 and completed a year later operated by the National Parks Service. Traveling on, see the original life size statue of the King in Kapaau, continue on to the end of the road past Hawi town (stop to take in the quaint shops) and gaze across Pololu Valley where he trained to be a warrior.