Nestled on the Island of Hawaii's sun-drenched Kohala Coast, the story, or mo'olelo, of The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii stretches back hundreds of years to when Native Hawaiians fished, farmed and lived in perfect harmony with nature in a region known then as Kalahuipua'a.

The Kohala Coast is the birthplace of King Kamehameha I, the Hawaiian king who conquered and unified the Hawaiian Islands in the early 19th century. The history of Kalahuipua'a, where Kamehameha once traversed, is preserved today in a treasure trove of archaeological sites, early Hawaiian footpaths, royal fishponds, and lava formations.  Trails and paths through the Mauna Lani Resort reveal cave complexes, burial sites, shelter caves, a stepping stone trail and thousands of petroglyphs, or ancient messages carved in stone-the most found anywhere in the world.