Kau And Ka Lae Overview

Tucked away in the southwest corner of the island, the Kau district (pop. 5827) is a striking blend of landscapes, people, and ideas. The history of the region is bleak. In the northwest corner of Kau lies Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, a real estate development that was laid out but never finished. One of Hawaii’s former sugar plantations lies to the south; when the sugar industry dried up, the region had to fend off government attempts to use the area as a rocket launch site. Today, sugar plantations have been replaced by coffee and macadamia nut farms, and the rocket debate left a land divided by political ideologies. The green and black beaches, however, are still havens of peace.

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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.