Kamokila Hawaiian Village: Kauai’s Way to Preserve the Past

The Lion King said: “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it or learn from it.” Kamokila Hawaiian Village on Kauai follows the second path, preserving the past and teaching a new generation of keiki about their roots and Hawaiian culture.

^{Last updated: August 18, 2024}

NOTE: Tragedy hit Kamokila Hawaiian Village. In 2022, after decades of preserving Hawaiian past, teaching and educating kids and visitors about local culture, and offering canoe rides down the Wailua River, the Village was forced to close. State government decided not to extend the lease on the property. The family was given a deadline to remove all the huts, rocks, and artifacts that had been there since ancient times.

Visiting Kamokila Hawaiian Village

The past is a very broad term that rarely deals with just one person’s life. It includes years, decades, centuries… It involves personal experiences and life lessons from ancestors that walked the path before us. Those past events still teach us a lot if only we are willing to learn from them. On Kauai, such lessons are learned at Kamokila Hawaiian Village.

During our visit to the Garden Island, Roshan aimed at seeing natural sites exploring Kauai as much as our time and the island’s U-shaped road allowed. I had my eyes on Kamokila Hawaiian Village. Blending old traditions with conveniences of modern tourism, the place had strived to preserve the past and told about the lifestyle of ancient Hawaiians for decades.

Before we stepped into the less than touristy realm of the area, Roshan called the Village an “artificial site”. Little did he know that it would become one of his favorite places on the island.

Uncovering the Past at Kamokila Hawaiian Village

Welcome to old Hawaii, a world of thatched roof huts! Nestled in Wailua across from an overlook where Opaekaa Falls can be seen in its full glory, Kamokila Hawaiian Village is a recreated Hawaiian settlement. Some legends say that the place was built on the spot favored by the last Kauai’s king, Kaumuali’i.

At one point, the ancient village was forgotten, with nothing left to remind of its heyday. The rebirth came unexpectedly. More than a dozen huts were reconstructed using traditional methods. More native trees and plants sprang up beside the now restored canoe house, hula house, birthing house, doctor’s house, chief’s assembly house, and other huts.

Reborn, Kamokila Hawaiian Village accepted the mission of preserving Hawaiian culture and past.

Rebirth of the Village

For nearly 60 years, Kamokila Hawaiian Village had been a family-owned and operated business that focused on keeping Hawaiian culture alive. The story of the recreation of the site started with Benjamin Ohai.

As a little boy growing up on Kauai, Benjamin always knew about the remains of once a blossoming Hawaiian village. Many years later, his son-in-law, Senator Billy Fernandes, brought up to him the idea of rebuilding the ancient settlement. Benjamin liked it, and the work began.

Unfortunately, Ohai died before seeing this dream village come to life. With the help of family members and friends, Fernandes pursued this vision and despite the hard work was able to present the village to the public in 1979.

The name of the original ancient site, however, was nowhere to be traced. The restored village was named after Kamokila Campbell, a Hawaiian woman who had ancestors that had lived in the area.

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Keeping the Culture Alive

Before its closure, the Village was more than just a tourist attraction. Along with cultural tours through the property, canoe rides up the Wailua River, kayak rentals, and hiking adventures to Secret Falls, the site stayed true to its mission: to preserve the past, remember its ancient roots, and keep the culture alive. It offered its guests, both locals and visitors, an amazing opportunity to immerse into the world of the old Hawaii, imagine the lifestyle of its ancestors, and play traditional Hawaiian games.

The interest in Kamokila and its past rose in 1995 after the release of the movie Outbreak with such superstars as Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Kevin Spacey, and Morgan Freeman. The film crew shot the opening scene with a burning village on the site. Up to its last days, Kamokila Hawaiian Village featured some of the artifacts from the set.

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