Some info and some more info.
As you have seen, the Big Island is actually named "Hawaii" and yes, it gets complicated because it shares the name of the state, yet is not the place most people visit when they get here.
Over on Oahu there is a town called Kailua, so to avoid confusion, the Big Island's Kailua happens to be on the "kona" side of the island, so they call it Kailua-Kona. The airport identifier is "KOA" which is NOT related to KOA Campgrounds.
We also have a town called Waimea, but it is also known as Kamuela.
If you work a bit at it, even the pronunciation of long words gets pretty easy. A, E, I, O, U are generally pronounced as follows:
A, a - a as in above
E, e - e as in let but without off-glide
I, i - i as in pin but without off-glide
O, o - o as in note but without off-glide
U, u - u as in duke (oo) but without off-glide
There are some websites which can help, but not to worry, you will catch on pretty fast.
You cannot get lost on the Big Island (or really any other island). Mauka is towards the mountain, makai is towards the sea. Then mauka is either on your left or your right. North or south really don't help on an island, so people will just say they are Hilo-bound.
Although we call it "Paradise", please be very careful as some rocks are sharp and some are hot. Also, never turn your back on the ocean. Waves come in sets and small waves may be followed by big waves.
Kapu means the same as taboo which means please do not enter.
All the islands share the same area code (808) and calls across any island are local, but calling to other islands is a toll call. Your cell phone will probably work fine here, although some carriers work better than others. You MAY pay roaming if you are not on a nationwide plan. Also, calling cards like the MCI card from COSTCO are cost effective.
You probably NEVER want to make long distance calls from a hotel room! That is why they make calling cards and pay phones
We ARE the U.S. so be careful you don't say "back in the US...". There are some people here who would prefer that Hawaii was NOT a part of the U.S., but I'll let you investigate that.
You may feel right at home what with the Wal-Marts, COSTCO and ACE Hardware stores.
Don't bring fruit into the state and in fact, don't bring food here anyway. We have stores... :-) However, you will find that SOME snack foods are not what you might expect. Think seaweed and cuttlefish :-) That is not to say you can't find lots of stuff you back back home.
Speaking of buying things, Kona Coffee is grown here, but please be aware what you buy. a Kona "blend" is NOT a blend of Kona Coffees. It is 10% Kona and 90% foreign coffee. They can use "Kona" in the name cuz the law says they can. If you want that kind of coffee, by all means get it, but pure Kona will be labeled "100% Kona Coffee" and is a 100% American Product. Coffee labeled "100% Hawaiian" may be a combination of coffee from any Hawaiian Island.
If you see turtles "beached" on the sand, do NOT aproach them. They don't need help and are protected from harassment by humans. Please keep your distance!
If you see a nice lava rock, please do NOT take it. Bad luck will follow. If you just MUST have a lava rock, go to COSTCO and in the outdoor section there are bags of lava rocks for cooking. They are imported from the island of Atlanta Georgia. Take all of those that you want :-)
Most people pack too much. Don't pack too much!
If you see a stack of balanced rocks that looks as though they were placed there by hand, please let them be.
If driving and someone lets you merge in front of them, merge and wave and smile.
If driving and you see someone you can let merge, please do so and wave and smile.
If you have a horn in your car, there are few if any reasons to use it. Smile.
If you see someone who needs a smile, smile!
If visiting Kona the first Friday of the month, you are welcome to look up the KonaWeb members at KonaWeb.Com. They meet at the old airport for a picnic and welcome all visitors and residents. Just stop by COSTCO or Safeway and grab something to bring. You may make a new friend or meet your new neighbor....
You don't need to commit any of this to memory, but some of this may help.