Drive about 2 hours north of Hilo along the Hamakua Coast and you will reach Waipi'o Valley.  I stopped at Waipi`o Valley Artworks in Kukuihaele and found a tour.  Well, I found the driver.  Turns out I was the only one on the tour!   Another guide rode along - so there I was with two local tour guides.  Life is sweet.  The hour and a half tour ended up being about three hours.  Both of these men had lived in the Valley and were very excited to show me their valley. 

The Waipi`o Valley is a mile wide at the coastline and almost six miles deep. Along the coast is a beautiful black sand beach often used by motion picture production companies.

On both sides of the valley there are cliffs reaching almost 2000 feet with hundreds of cascading waterfalls, including one of Hawaii's most celebrated waterfalls - Hi`ilawe. 

Waipi`o means "curved water" in the Hawaiian language

The Waipi`o Valley is often referred to as the "Valley of the Kings" because it was once the home to many of the rulers of Hawaii. The valley has both historical and cultural importance to the Hawaiian people.

Waipio Valley once housed the kings of ancient Hawaii and served as a retreat for Hawaiian royalty. It is for this reason that the valley was bestowed with the nickname "The Valley of the Kings".

When Waipio was discovered in 1823, the valley was adorned with taro patches, banana trees, fish ponds, several heiau and a place of refuge, Pakaalana. There were nearly 1,500 residents who farmed the land and leisurely activities included fishing, swimming, and coordinating celebrations (luaus). By the 1900's, this close-knot community consisted of a few homes , schools, stores, restaurants, a hotel, a post office, jails, billiard halls, and churches.