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NORTH
The Sites!
Bamboo Restaurant & Gallery
Akoni Pule Hwy at Hwy 270, Hawi 96719 • 808-889-5555
Take
a step back in time and experience Big Island living the way it was before
modern resorts and development took over. Once a hotel and later a grocery, the
building that houses this popular restaurant (which dates from 1911) has been
almost completely restored to its original state and features a green
saloon-like facade, bamboo and koa wood accents, and hardwood flooring. A gallery inside the restaurant showcases local art
and pays particular attention to woodworking.
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Pololu Valley Lookout
At
the end of Hwy. 270, Makapala
At this end-of-the-road scenic lookout, you can
gaze at the vertical jade-green cliffs of the Hamakua Coast and two islets
offshore. The view may look familiar once you get here--it often appears on
travel posters. Most people race up, jump out, take a snapshot, and turn around
and drive off; but it's a beautiful scene, so linger if you can. For the more
adventurous, a switchback trail leads to a secluded black-sand beach at the
mouth of a wild valley once planted in taro; bring water and bug spray.
Pololu Valley Lookout
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Waipi'o Valley
Hwy 240, Waipi'o 96782
Waipi'o Valley is one of the most ravishingly beautiful valleys in the
world. It is the
Big Island version of the Valley of the Kings, Waipi'o has long maintained a
special place in the hearts of locals. Get a glimpse of the valley from a 900-foot
perch at the Waipi'o Valley Lookout. Waipi'o is six miles long and a mile wide, flanked
on either side by towering rock walls. The valley floor is a lush tapestry of
tropical flora, with guava, red banana, and taro hiding a multitude of natural
treasures, like tranquil freshwater streams and twin Hiilawe Falls. You
may even find young horses just roaming around the fields of taro and fiddlehead
ferns.
If you venture down into the valley make sure to
spend time at the black sand
beach. You may very well find yourselves the only people on this gorgeous beach.
With silky soft black sand, towering cliffs and aqua blue surf, this is a must
see beach.
Regular car rental agencies will not allow their
cars into the valley. Access into the valley is by a Big Island Exotic Car Hummer, a
guided tour or a hardy hiking trail. Remember that if you hike down, it is more
than a mile down of steep terrain and you will have to hike back up! Those
not wanting to take the 90-minute trip can experience its beauty from the
overlook on Highway 240.
Waipi'o Valley Lookout
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