Kohala Coast on Hawaii’s Big Island

Head to Hawaii and you likely expect to see a lush tropical paradise, not the surface of the moon. But that was the vista that greeted us when we arrived at Kohala Coast, with its lava rock landscape.

It took a while to get used to the idea that Hawaii wasn’t all green foliage and blooming red birds of paradise. Once we did, we saw the beauty in the black sand beaches. It helped that the desert landscape of Kona is dotted with stunning oases along the coast and all of the resorts have gorgeous rooms, beautiful bays and restaurants, each has its own unique personality. We visited several resorts on the west side of the island and drove the Kohala Coast from the airport to Polulu Bay, where the road ended at a must-do hike that winds down to a gorgeous black sand beach.