Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [242]
Almost directly across from Kehena Beach is the laid-back retreat Ramashala (965-0068; www.ramashala.com; 12-7208 Hwy 137; r $65-225; ). Among the red-shingled Balinese buildings, the seven rooms vary wildly: from a teeny-tiny hut in the middle of the lawn to spacious roosts with full kitchens. A couple of rooms share baths. Hardwood floors, furnishings and gorgeous grounds exude a spare, meditative elegence. There’S a communal hot tub, and two studio spaces host weekly yoga classes and other events ‘in a healing capacity.’
For the full-on retreat experience, head north up Hwy 137 (between the 17- and 18-mile markers) to Kalani Oceanside Retreat (965-7828, 800-800-6886; www.kalani.com; tents s/d $40/55, r & cottage d $115-175, treehouse d $265; ). Kalani occupies a sprawling compound that hums with activity and energy. It’S a fun, communal place to stay even if you don’t participate in the daily programs, which include yoga, meditation, dance, alternative healing and much more. Alternately, nonguests are free to use the facilities and enjoy the grounds (8am to 8pm). Kalani bills itself as a gay-friendly retreat, and the vibe is open and welcoming to all; the pool and sauna are clothing-optional after 3pm. An outdoor dining room (also open to nonguests) serves healthy buffet-style meals, while the rooms are all simple and breezy, with bright tropical spreads and plywood floors covered in lauhala mats. The camping area is a great place to park your tent. Ask about packages.
Kalapana (Former Village)
As with Kapoho in 1960, so it was for Kalapana 30 years later: in 1990 a redirection of the current ongoing eruption buried most of this village, destroying 100 homes and obliterating what was once Hawai′i’S most famous black-sand beach, Kaimu Beach.
Today Hwy 137 ends abruptly at the eastern edge of what used to be Kalapana. A few houses here were spared and sit surrounded by devastation. The dead-end now contains two things: a modest complex catering to tourists and an outpost of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement. You can buy current lava photos and gifts, an ice shave or smoothie, and get a quite good burger or plate lunch at Kalapana Village Cafe (965-0121; mains $7.50-13; 8am-9pm). In the afternoon, sidle up to the outdoor kava bar (3-10pm), where you can try this ancient concoction and rub elbows with locals. One conversation starter is the adjacent billboard display promoting the establishment of the ‘lawful Hawaiian government.’ The display provides a full account of Hawaiian history, past and present, from a native perspective.
Finally, a short walk across the lava leads to a new black-sand beach, where hundreds of baby coconut palms surround a comma of sand. The water is too rough to swim, but it’S a reflective spot, particular with the fat steam plume of a new Kalapana lava flow rising skyward a mile or so away (see the boxed text Hot Lava, Click here).
Return to beginning of chapter
HIGHWAY 130
Red Rd intersects Hwy 130 (Old Kalapana Rd), which leads north to Pahoa. At the 20-mile marker the 1929 Star of the Sea Church (9am-4pm) is noted for the naive-style paintings that cover the walls and the trompe l’oeil mural behind the altar, whose illusion of depth is remarkably effective. Inside, displays recount the history of the church and of the area’S missionaries.
Sadly, bulldozers have recently leveled a steaming spatter cone that provided Puna with a locally famous natural (and au naturel) steam bath along Hwy 130. It was at the 15-mile marker, and marked by a blue ‘Scenic Point’ highway sign, but development has ended its days.
Hwy 130 ends at a gate protecting the destroyed Kalapana village, which is still private property off-limits to visitors. However, at the time of research, fresh lava was again flowing through the devastated Royal Gardens subdivision and entering the sea. The county had set up