Kohala is the northern most region on the western coast of the Big Island. There is a North Kohala and South Kohala district. North Kohala includes the artists' community of Hawi (pronounced "ha'vee" and the beautiful lookout of the Pololu Valley.
Formerly old sugar cane land, much of North Kohala is now ranch land with herds of cattle pretty much enjoying the ability to roam on thousands of acres of lush, green pasture. The view from the hillside is beautiful, and only accessible via ATV or horseback. There are several activities operators in the area with whom you can book a group or private tour.
There are a few parks and beaches in this region of the island, but use caution when swimming in areas that do not have lifeguards. The surf can be especially rough in the afternoon, as the trade winds come over the mountain range and the sun heats up the air above the dark brown lava fields.
If you are interested in Hawaiian history, there are some areas and sights that will quench your thirst for knowledge. King Kamehameha was born in this region of the Hawaiian Islands and Kohala is proud of their place in the history of Hawaii.
Kohala provides one of the most abrupt changes in geography and climate on an island that boasts 11 of the 13 climate zones. It is here that you have an immediate transition from lush green rain forests to arid high desert with cactus and barren dirt pastures.${QuickSuggestions} If you really want to enjoy and explore this region of the Big Island, you will want to stay here. There are a lot of resorts in Waikoloa as well as just north of there along the Kohala coast. The availability of timeshares is rather limited, as most of the resorts are of the hotel variety, charging a premium of $200-$500 per night!
If you are interested in timeshare accommodations, look into Shell Vacation Club's Paniolo Greens or Hilton Vacation Club's resort at Waikoloa. Both provide a good location for a home based to explore Kohala and the surrounding areas, and yet are relatively close enough to spend a day or two down in Kailua-Kona (about an hour away).
If you want to do a lot in the way of activities and tours, you may want to consider taking at timeshare presentation with Shell Vacation Clubs. As of this writing they are offering guests $150 cash, plus a discount card good for an unlimited number of activities discounts. During our two weeks, we saved over $400 on the activities we did using the card. If you go this route, you will need to schedule your timeshare tour and presentation on the first day so that you can maximize your utilization and benefit of the card. It is especially valuable if you are planning an extended vacation of more than a week.
My preference to timeshare accommodations is not just driven by the fact that we own timeshares, but also the desire to keep dining expenses to a minimum. With most timeshare units, you will have the ability to prepare meals in your condo. We ate almost all of our breakfasts in our unit and cooked dinner at "home" for about half of our evenings.
This is important as dining out can be very expensive. A breakfast at a sit-down type cafe or diner will run you $20-$25 for two. Dinner out is easily $60-$80 (for two) depending on your choices and whether or not you have alcohol. Even a simple chicken type meal with iced tea and no salad will run you $50 for two.
Be prepared, however...groceries are expensive too! A gallon of milk was $6 and 18 large eggs was $5. Surprisingly, we were able to buy sirloin beef steaks for about the same price as here in Iowa ($6/lb).${BestWay} RENT A CAR! There is little more that I can say. The Big Island is BIG and to be able to access all that there is there, you will need a car. Your biggest decision is "What type of car do you need?"
Many people I've talked to will only consider a jeep or other 4WD type vehicle. If you are planning to rough it and want to access areas where tourist shouldn't be in the first place, I'd say yes a 4WD is probably your best bet. With that being said, most of the rental companies have an exclusion prohibiting you from taking their vehicles off paved roads or in areas known to be dangerous for less than experienced drivers. That should be enough to tell most people that they shouldn't be doing what it is people are inclined to do with 4WD vehicles designed for the areas you're not supposed to be driving on. Make sense?
The other reason we never rent a jeep is that they rarely have enough space for all the luggage and gear we seem to travel to Hawaii with. Even the sexy convertibles are limited in luggage space, although there are plenty of the Sebrings, PT Cruisers and Mustang convertibles if that is the way you want to enjoy Hawaii and its sunshine.
For us, we go with a standard midsize car and are often fortunate to get a free upgrade to a slightly larger fullsize.
From journal Surfing the North Kohala Coast