Kaunaoa Bay hotel reopened in early 2009. Kaunaoa Bay Kaunaoa Bay has one of the few white sand beaches of the Kohala Coast, the western side of the island of Hawaii. A historic hotel, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, is located on beautiful Kauna'oa. The word 'kauna'oa' may refer to a few different things, any of which may have been why native Hawaiians named this beach so: the first definition refers to a thin, orange vine with yellow flowers, (Cuscuta sandwichiana), which is found throughout most Hawai'i (this is the official lei vine of Lanai). However, the second definition refers to a
Lei Day be formed. The island of Lanai has a kaunaoa Lei. The light orange thin strands of vine are gathered in groups and twisted together. The island of Maui houses the lokelani Lei. Its color is pink and is sweet scented and very fragile. Molokai is home to the kukui. The leaves are mostly silver green and combined together to be made into a lei. Niihau is a smaller island, but is very plentiful of pupu. White pupu shells have to be pierced with small holes to be strung into a lei. Oahu has the `Ilima flower. This yellow lei is