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 (garland) scale-like effect. Bougainvillea "lei" and feather hat "lei" often are made with this method. Kui: pierce, piercing stitch. A method of making a "lei" by sewing or piercing the decorative material with a needle and stringing it onto a thread. This is probably the style with which most Westerners are familiar. This method is commonly used to string flowers such as plumeria, rose, carnation, etc. Wili: wind, twist, crank, coil. A corkscrew-type twist, as found in a pig's tail and the seed pod of the "wiliwili" tree. A method of making a "lei" by winding fiber around successive short lengths