Kealakekua Travel Guide

Please review any pages which cover the Kailua/Kona area, they will be appropriate. Kealakekua will have no evening entertainment, you are only minutes away from many spots in Kailua/Kona which will be suitable.

Dress Code: This is a common sense issue, it all depends on where you are going and you may always inquire beforehand.

Favorite thing: CAPTAIN COOK MONUMENT



Aloha and welcome to Kealakekua Bay ('the pathway of the god'). On the port side of the vessel is the Capt. Cook Monument . The monument was established by the British in memory of the site near which Capt. Cook was killed.


Capt. Cook picked a very sacred place and time to make his second landing in Hawaii. At the time he returned, the Hawaiian's were celebrating the makahiki festival, an annual joyful tribute to a god, Lono-i-ka-makahiki. One of Lono-i-ka-makahiki's symbols was white kapa banners that were flown on crossbars that resembled the sails and mast of Capt. Cook's ships. Capt. Cook's officers estimated 2500 to 3500 canoes and over 10,000 people were there to meet the god Lono-i-ka-makahiki ...Capt. Cook


Cook was treated like a god. The Hawaiian's lavished him with gifts and had opulent and sacred ceremonies in his honor. In return, Cook gave tours of his ships and presented their Hawaiian host with a flute and violin concert, and a display of fireworks that both fascinated and terrified the natives.


After two weeks of festivities Cook left Kealakekua Bay, and encountered a fierce winter storm on his search for a Northwest passage. He returned to Kealakekua Bay to repair the vessels. Upon his return Cook found the makahiki festival was finished, and a kapu was put on the bay and the bay was nearly deserted.


The natives who remained did not understand how such a great god could have sustained such damage in his own domain. Their respect for Cook diminished, and wanting coveted metals in exchange for all of the supplies the Hawaiians had given the English sailors, the Hawaiians helped themselves to metals and the Discovery's cutter. Cook took a party of nine marines and went ashore to take Chief Kalaniopuu hostage until the cutter was returned. However, for various reasons the plan failed and Capt. Cook and four marines died in a skirmish near the monument's location on Feb. 14, 1779. The Captain was 50 years old.


ANCIENT BURIAL CAVES


The cliff walls in front of the vessel's mooring are sacred burial sites for the 'alii' or chiefs. It was believed that the power of the royal person was in the bones, so they went to great lengths to insure the secrecy of the burial sites...to preserve their power or 'mana.'


The process was to lower the remains of the royalty and a chosen person would bury the late chief and then the person would be cut loose to fall to his death taking the location of the site with him. This was considered an honor to bury your chief.




The raft in the foreground is part of the enjoyment which Captain Cook did not live to enjoy. You can see his monument in the background.

Fondest memory:

During World War II, my mother would take me over to the Big Island. I will never forget how seasick I got. A merchant marine sailor had me suck on a lemon and gave me soda crackers.

Like magic, the symptoms abated and I have never experienced seasickness since.


WHILE IN THE AREA SEE AN OLD CHURCH