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It's incredibly tempting to spend your days on the Big Island relaxing on the beach or getting a massage by the pool.
After all, the Island of Hawaii is also known as the "Healing Island", a place where good health and wellness are strong parts of the Hawaiian tradition. In fact, you'll find some of the state's best luxury resorts and spas on the Kohala Coast in the northwestern section of the island, where treatments are based on ancient rituals and ingredients are local and natural. After your body has been sufficiently rejuvenated, turn your attention to your spiritual well-being with a calming visit to the Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, home to one of Hawaii's largest restored temples.
Built in 1790 by King Kamehameha, the temple was dedicated to the war god Kukailimoku to help him unite the Hawaiian islands — a feat he later accomplished in 1810. It might come as no surprise then that Hawaii's most important king is something of a favorite local son in these parts. He was born in North Kohala in about 1758 to much fanfare, as many believed his eventual greatness was prophesied by the passing of Halley's Comet shortly before his birth. Nowadays, you'll find a statue honoring him in Kapaau where Hawaiians gather each June 11 for his royal birthday celebration.
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When Laurance S. Rockefeller opened the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in 1965, he wanted the Kohala Coast's first luxury resort to double as a world-class art museum. He collected more than 1,600 pieces of art from Asia and the Pacific, including Hawaiian tapa cloths and tikis, Ainu kimonos, Thai icons, Maori canoe prows, and bronze Indian chests. Each Saturday, from May through September, a docent leads free tours of the displays featured throughout the property.
Take your mark! Each June, the Fairmont Orchid Hawaii resort hosts the Ironman 70.3 Half Triathlon, the official qualifying event for the Ironman Triathlon World Championship held in Kona in October. Athletes start the race with a 1.2-mile swim at Hapuna Beach State Park, during which they often share the waters with sea turtles and dolphins. Next, they bike 56 miles through lava fields and past historic temples along Queen Kaahumanu and Akoni Pule Highways on their way to Hawi. The race finally ends with a 13.1-mile run around the Mauna Lani Resort, past golf courses and petroglyph fields and along the historic Ala Loa foot trail.
September on the Kohala Coast sees the year's warmest temperatures (82 degrees) and lowest rainfall (3 inches), making it the perfect time to head outdoors and visit Kohala's many picturesque waterfalls. Hawaii Forest & Trail's Kohala Waterfall Adventure takes visitors on an eight-hour tour up the North Kona and Kohala coastlines over lava flows from Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and the Kohala Mountains, through the towns of Hawi and Kapaau, and on to the seven waterfalls along the Kohala Ditch Trail. Wear comfortable shoes: The tour requires about 1.5 hours of hiking with minimal climbing.
Home of heiau temples built by Hawaiian royalty in the 16th century, Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site is the perfect place to spot humpback whales as they make their annual winter appearance in the waters off the Big Island. Each week from January through March, volunteers from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary lead whale watching discussions on the park's shoreline.