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Hawaii Islands (Big Island) |
| Waipio
Valley |
| Hwy-240,
which turns north off the Belt Road at HONOKAA, comes to an abrupt
end after nine miles at the edge of Waipio Valley. As the
southernmost of six successive sheer-walled valleys, this is the only one
accessible by land – and it’s as close as Hawaii comes to the classic
South Seas image of an isolated and self-sufficient valley, dense with
fruit trees and laced by footpaths leading down to the sea.
Just off the gray-sand beach of his boyhood home,
Kamehameha the Great fought Kahekili of Oahu in 1791’s inconclusive but
bloody “Battle of the Red-Mouthed Gun,” in which for the first time
Hawaiian fleets were equipped with cannons, operated by foreign gunners.
Spectacular waterfalls cascade down the valley’s flanks, but recurrent
tidal waves have ensured that only a few taro farmers now live here. |
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perfectly possible to walk down the steep, mile-long track into Waipio,
but most visitors take tours, either in the four-wheel-drive vehicles of
the Waipio Valley Shuttle (Mon–Sat 9am–4pm; tel 808/775-7121; $35), at
the Waipio Valley Art Works in Kukuihaele, a mile from the end of the
road, in horse-drawn wagons (tel 808/775-9518; $40), or on horseback (tel
808/775-0419; $40).
It’s permissible to camp discreetly on
the beach, for which you need a permit from the Bishop Estate (tel
808/776-1104), or to stay in the spartan $15 rooms at Tom Araki’s
Hotel, which is so remote that it doesn’t have electricity.
Rough-and-tumble Honokaa itself has dorm beds and private rooms at the Hotel
Honokaa Club on Mamane Street, and the Waipio Wayside B&B. |
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For
more general information
on Hawaii, go to: |
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For more regional
information on Hawaii, go to: |
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For
more product information
on Hawaii, go to: |
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For
our special offers to Hawaii from Europe, go to:
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These
specials are individual tour packages, including the roundtrip flights from
Europe, interisland flights, hotels, transfers and rentalcars. Another option is to create your own package to
the Hawaii by utilizing the separate travel components, like
hotels,
flights,
Carrental
and
excursions
on the islands. |
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