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Honoka‘a is the gateway to the Waipi‘o Valley, the home of many historical Hawaiian kings, including the boyhood dwelling place of Kamehameha I. The valley, surrounded by 2,000-foot cliffs, is a cathedral of waterfalls that feed the Wailoa River. In the 1700s an estimated 5,000 Hawaiians called the valley home. Today about 50 inhabitants live off the grid and off the land, farming taro patches and tending fish ponds. The valley floor, home to ancient heiau (burial sites), a black-sand beach, and wild ponies, can be reached only by a perilously steep, nearly mile-long paved road closed to nonresidents.
A sign at the lookout urges visitors to “please enjoy the valley’s beauty from here.” Rocky, the resource ranger stationed at the road’s entrance, tells me he turns away countless curious visitors throughout the day. While companies do offer legal tours to the valley floor, I think about how I’d feel having a van full of tourists ogling my yard and decide I’m content with my view from above. I head north and stop for lunch in the paniolo (cowboy) town of Waimea, which still hosts an annual July Fourth rodeo. Waimea Butcher Shop recently opened a café, and the brisket, smoked for 16 hours, is well worth the detour.
In many places around the world, including the household I grew up in, it’s customary for guests to bring a gift. Yet throughout my week I was the one being showered with presents. Rocky shared two cannonball-size avocados with me. After my meal at Na‘au, chef Hirata bade me farewell with his homemade poke spice. Kea at O.K. Farms sent me away with a box of fruit, and Breeani at SCP Hilo gave me a hat from her family’s general store in Keaukaha. Back home in Maui my hat sparks the occasional smile and knowing nod from strangers. I feel like we have a bond, a shared connection to a special place that still feels undiscovered.
How To Do It
Get There
There are no direct flights from the mainland to Hilo. You can connect to Hilo International Airport (ITO) through one of the other islands or fly into Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA), rent a car, and drive to Hilo. Saddle Road, the most direct route, cuts through the island between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The 52-mile roller coaster of a highway showcases the island’s diverse landscape.
Stay
SCP Hilo Hotel: This community-minded property provides complimentary bikes and paddleboards. The staff plants a tree for every guest that stays there, and the provisions market showcases products from 100 local artisans. From $160
