To view a large map of Kauai marked with many of the locations I mention in this post, click the image below
Kauai is the Hawaiian island known as the Garden Isle and it's easy to see why. Lush, tropical landscapes, cascading waterfalls and towering green mountains are what make this island the best in the Hawaiian chain. I was there in 1995, but Shawnna had never been, so we decided to make the trip so she could witness the beauty firsthand.
Day 1 - Sunday, August 27th
After a 5 hour flight from San Jose to Honolulu and a 2 hour layover, we finally landed in Lihue, Kauai at 1:40pm. We immediately picked up our rental car (silver Chevy Malibu) and headed to our condo. We stayed at the Banyan Harbor Resort which is located just a couple of miles from the airport in Lihue. A friend of a friend has a timeshare there and graciously allowed us to use it for the week. After getting settled in, we were off to explore and find something to eat. The first place we stopped was Coconut Marketplace in Wailua (East Kauai) which is a shopping center and we ate at a little outdoor fish grill where Shawnna had a tuna salad and I went with the fish & chips. Next, we kept driving up the East coast and stopped in Princeville (North Kauai) which is where I stayed last time I was here. However, I wasn't able to find the exact condo where I stayed since there was so much new construction over the last 11 years. We got back on the road and drove to Haena Beach Park which is almost where the road stops on the North side. We walked on the beach and went into the water to test it out (about 75°). After enjoying the moment, we drove back to the East side of the island and ate dinner at Bubba's Burgers in Kapa'a before heading back to the room for some much needed sleep.
Day 2 - Monday, August 28th
We attended an island orientation presentation at the resort which consisted of a bunch of spokespeople for various activities available around the island giving their sales pitch. The best part was that we won the door prize of a 2 for 1 coupon for the Kilihana Luau (we booked it for Thursday). After that, we drove South along the highway (there's one major highway on the island) and stopped in Poipu. We ate lunch at Brennecke Beach Broiler which is across the street from Poipu Beach. After enjoying our BBQ Kalua Pork Sandwiches, we kept driving West on the highway, stopping at the Kauai Kookie Kompany and finally ended up at the end of the road which was the Kalalau Lookout. This lookout provided great views of Waimea Canyon which is nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It is 10 miles long, 1 mile wide and 3,500 feet deep which was carved over thousands years by the rivers and floods that flowed from Mount Wai'ale'ale (the world's wettest spot with annual rainfall averaging 460 inches). After taking pictures and marveling at the beauty, we headed back and stopped at the Kauai Coffee Company to sample some island brew on the way. For dinner, we drove back to Kapa'a to eat at Coconuts Island Style Grill where Shawnna had the Mahi Mahi and I feasted on Teriyaki Salmon. For dessert, we shared a piece of Banana Cream Pie - the food was so good here, highly recommended.
Day 3 - Tuesday, August 29th
Today we took a 7 hour catamaran trip to the Na Pali Coast and Niihau with Holo Holo Charters. We left from Port Allen which is in Hanapepe Bay on the South side of the island. The catamaran was a 65 foot power catamaran and took about 35 people on the trip. After leaving the harbor, we headed for the Na Pali Coast on Western Kauai and saw a ton of flying fish on the way as well as some playful spinner dolphins that hung around the boat and even a couple of sea turtles. The Na Pali Coast was awesome to see from the boat with its sheer cliffs, cascading waterfalls, white sand beaches and many sea caves - the catamaran sailed into one of the caves and we were able to look up through the skylight at the top of the cave. Next, we sailed 17 miles across the channel to Niihau (The Forbidden Island where you must be full blooded Hawaiian to live) and snorkeled off the coast next to a small island called Lehua. While snorkeling, we saw a monk seal, manta ray and a bunch of other tropical fish. After snorkeling, we ate lunch, sailed down the coast of Niihau and headed back to the harbor. On the way back, we saw more dolphins and a school of tuna feeding with a shark taking his share as well. We went back to the room and ate dinner there - Shawnna had leftovers from Coconuts and I got a bacon cheeseburger from JJ's Broiler. We finished the day with chocolate truffles from the Kauai Chocolate Company.
Day 4 - Wednesday, August 30th
We started the day with breakfast at Eggbert's in Kapa'a where I enjoyed the banana pancakes and Shawnna had a veggie omelet. Next, we drove up North to the end of the road at Ke'e Beach which is where the Kalalau Trail starts. This trail winds along the lush, green cliffs of the Na Pali Coast and ends 11 miles later at Kalalau Beach. However, we only hiked 2 miles on the trail and ended up at Hanakapi'ai Beach with only a few other people. The hike is very difficult since it is steep, rocky, slippery and muddy, but since it's the only land access to this part of the coast, it's worth the effort to see the amazing views of the towering sea cliffs and lush valleys (we even saw a couple centipedes). After hiking 2 miles back, we were hungry for lunch, so we drove to Hanalei and ate at the Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant (Shawnna had the opah fish salad and I had fish & chips). We sat at a table right next to the Hanalei River and had a great view of several waterfalls in the mountains. Next, we went to the Kilauea Lighthouse which was built in 1913 and is the northernmost point on the island with great views of the coast and the Kilauea Point Wildlife Refuge where we saw a couple of monk seals resting on the shore. After that, we stopped at the Guava Kai Plantation and headed back to Lihue for Dinner at Duke's. The restaurant is located on Kalapaki Beach and we had a great ocean view while Shawnna enjoyed her ono fish and I dined on mahi mahi. We finished it off with hula pie which is macadamia nut ice cream with oreo crust, hot fudge and whip cream on top - yum!
Day 5 - Thursday, August 31st
Ready for another adventure, we headed to Ali'i Kayaks for a kayak & hike trip. We started at the mouth of the Wailua River and paddled 2 miles up the North Fork where we beached our kayaks and began a 1 mile hike through a tropical rainforest to the Secret Falls. This area was once reserved for Hawaiian royalty and the guide told us the history and legends of the area throughout the trip. After eating lunch at the falls, we took a quick dip (it was cold!) and hiked and paddled back to the marina. In the evening, we attended the Kilohana Luau at the Kilohana Plantation (a sugar plantation where the biggest house ever built on Kauai is located) where we received a wagon ride pulled by Clydesdale horses around the property prior to the start of the festivities. The luau was the typical Hawaiian luau with hula dancers, fire dancers, live music and of course, the feast. The buffet included kalua pig, lomi lomi salmon, fresh fruit, mahi mahi, teriyaki beef, stir fry, fried rice, taro rolls, rice pudding, carrot cake and passion fruit cheesecake among other things. Needless to say, we were stuffed when it was over as we waddled back to our car and drove back to the room.
Day 6 - Friday, September 1st
This was the day I was waiting for and Shawnna was fearing - the helicopter ride around the island with Will Squyres Helicopter Tours. We lifted off from Lihue airport at 7:30am on what turned out to be the clearest day that we could have possibly asked for. We went clockwise around the island and were able to see all of the major attractions from the air including Waimea Canyon, Mount Waialeale, Wailua Falls (the falls shown in the opening credits of Fantasy Island) and the Na Pali Coast. Since it was so clear, we actually flew inside of a volcanic crater (not active) to see all of the waterfalls cascading down the sides. This whole ride was a truly amazing experience and allowed us to see things that you aren't able to see any other way. By the end, Shawnna wanted to go "five more times." After that, we drove to Wailua Falls lookout to see the "Fantasy Island" falls from ground level. We ate lunch at Brick Oven Pizza in Kalaheo and our next destination was Barking Sands Beach at the far Southeast end of the island. The paved road ends 4 miles before you get to the beach and then you are forced to drive on a dirt road that is extremely bumpy and car rental companies tell you not to go. After driving on the dirt road for a couple of miles, we decided to turn back since the car was vibrating so much (and so were we) that we felt there were other beaches we could visit that were much easier to get to. On the way back, we stopped at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens and the Gay & Robinson Sugar Plantation. For dinner, we ate at the Bull Shed which is a steakhouse located right on the water in Kapa'a. Shawnna had the filet mignon with cracked pepper and I had the teriyaki top sirloin - my steak was good and the view of the ocean was even better.
Day 7 - Saturday, September 2nd
We rented some snorkel gear and drove to the end of the road on the North side to do some snorkeling at Ke'e Beach. We got there early to avoid the crowds, picked our spot on the beach and jumped in the water. The reef off the shore was teeming with various types of fish and the water was a perfect 75°. After a couple hours of snorkeling and sunbathing, it was time for lunch, so we drove to Lighthouse Bistro which was down the street from the Kilauea Lighthouse. I had a cheeseburger and Shawnna had the fish tacos (food was good, service was bad). Next, we drove back down the coast and went to the Opaeka'a Falls lookout in Wailua. After putzing around for a while, we went to dinner at Wahoo Seafood Grill & Bar in Kapa'a. Apparently, we saved the best for last as the entrees we ordered (Kona fish and Seabass) looked like art on the plate and tasted even better. For dessert, we shared the bananas and cream with caramel topping that was delicious. Couple great food with a tropical setting next to the coconut palm grove and you have a winning recipe for a very enjoyable dinner - highly recommended. That was a great way to spend our last night in Kauai.
Day 8 - Sunday, September 3rd
All good things have to come to an end and today was the day. At 10:20am, we flew out of Kauai and travelled back to reality.
View more photos from the trip here and click on Slideshow to view them all with descriptions.
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