Hawaii Vacations Blog - Hawaii Travel by a Hawaii Expert!

This past weekend I watched the sun rise on Mauna Kea (where there is snow in the winter), drove thru tropical rainforests on my way to Hilo, & viewed the worlds longest running active volcano Kilauea.  All in one day!  The landscape changes so much and everthing is beautiful.  The most impressive area we visited for me was Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park.

Pu’uhonua o Honaunau give you a look at ancient Hawaiian life and royalty.  Step back in time to a sanctuary of Hawaii’s past where traditional Hawaiian lifestyle is preserved. Ancient temples and ki’i (wooden images) whisper stories from the past. This place provided refuge to Hawaiians who came here.

In old Hawaii, you had broken a law the penalty was death.  Perhaps you had entered into an area that was reserved for only the chiefs, or had eaten forbidden forbidden.  Laws, or kapu, governed every aspect of Hawaiian society.  The penalty for breaking these laws was certain death.  Your only option for survival is to elude your pursuers and reach the nearest puuhonua, or place of refuge. If you reached this sacred place, you would be saved. Today, you may visit Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, and still fell the spirit of peace and forgiveness that continues to surround and bless this special place.

We decided to tour the park on our own as opposed to a guided tour because i like to take a lot of pictures plus having a 4 year old and 9 month old along for the ride - we like to keep to our own schedules…none :)  The map you get at the front counter is perfect for giving you information about each area of the park plus some great illustrations.  I loved how peaceful and serene it was and as you look across the bay its easy to imagine men swimming across the bay being chased by warriors and if you were luck enough to get to the shores of Pu’uhonua o Honaunau you were safe and a kahuna (priest) would soon come and tak you in.  Also imagining that on those same grounds the ali’i (royalty) would rest and the fishpond that held live ship that the king would choose from for his meals…  What was nice to was to see local kids playing on the nearby beach and the sounds of them laughing and talking about the turtles.  It was nice to see that someplace so beautiful and peaceful had been preserved but It didnt feel like a park and it was open accessible to the people of the land. 

Definitelty mark this on your list of things to do on the Big Island - you can also take in a stop at the Punaluu Black Sand Beach not too far from here.