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Kealakekua Bay
, a dozen miles south of Kailua, was where Captain Cook was killed on
his second voyage to Hawaii. One of ancient Hawaii's major population
centers, it's now barely inhabited, and the white obelisk on the death site - legally a small piece of
England - is all but inaccessible. You can only get to within a mile of
it by car, to the beach at Napoopoo across the bay, though you'll glimpse it from
the road on the way down. The bay itself is the best place on the Big
Island for snorkeling , even if there are sharks further out. It's
also possible to hike down to the monument, but it's a grueling
four-hour round-trip, for which you need to carry all your water and
supplies. The trail starts just before the town of CAPTAIN COOK
, which is also home to the bargain
Manago Hotel
(tel 808/323-2642,
; up to $35/$35-50), offering comfortable ocean-view rooms amid flowering Japanese gardens.
This region, South Kona, is the prime source of
Kona coffee
, which sells here for around $20 a pound (including shipping). A mile south of Captain Cook, the
Coffee Shack
(daily 7am-3.30pm; tel 808/328-9555) serves wonderfully fresh coffee
and smoothies on a terrace that enjoys staggering views all the way
down to Kealakekua Bay.
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Kealakekua Bay 
