Our third stop on our month-long honeymoon was to the Hawaiian Island of Kaua’i. Before any vacation I do months of research, oftentimes I get to the destination and feel like I’ve already been there from the myriad of articles, pictures, and reviews I’ve read. Kaua’i was definitely not one of those times. Although I did the same amount of research, I allotted the least amount of time to this island as it seemed like there was the least amount to do (which was still a lot) compared to the other three islands. This was a huge mistake and one I won’t ever make again. On return trips to Hawai’i this island will be included every time, whereas O’ahu, the island I was most excited for, will not.
Kaua’i, the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands, is nicknamed “The Garden Isle” for the forests and jungles that litter the island. It is home to some of the most diverse animal and plant life of all the islands and harbors some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I’m sure you’re sick of me saying it, but there truly is something to do for every type of traveler here.
Day 1:
We flew into Kaua’i on a Saturday and checked in to our Airbnb, Aston Islander on the Beach, on the Coconut Coast. The great part of this Airbnb was that it was in direct proximity to the beach, had an oceanfront pool, outdoor grills, bike rentals, and was within walking distance to Coconut Marketplace, which featured shopping, eateries, and live music. When looking for accommodations in Kaua’i, the South Shore (including Koloa, Lawai, and Po’ipu) is the most popular as it is the most commercialized, followed by the North Shore (including Princeville, Hanalei, and Kilauea), then the East Coast (including Kapa’a, Wailua, and Lihue County), and finally the West Side (including Waimea and Hanapepe).
Our first full day in Kaua’i we woke up early to hike the nearby Sleeping Giant (Nounou Mountain) before the sun made it way too hot to do so. The East Trail is a 3.2-mile out-and-back trail that’s very popular. Legend tells of a giant who ate so much at a party held in his honor that when he laid down for a nap he never awoke. The trail ends at a picnic shelter on his “chest” with ocean views and is the perfect spot to catch your breath and have some breakfast before starting your day in paradise. We then packed a picnic lunch and drove 1.5 hours to Waimea Canyon. Also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Waimea Canyon is approximately 14 miles long and up to 3,000 feet deep. The canyon was formed by the Waimea River rising from extreme rainfall on Mount Wai’ale’ale, the island’s central peak and one of the wettest places on Earth. Admission is free and there are multiple lookout points along Waimea Canyon Drive before the road ends at Koke’e State Park. There are also many hiking opportunities here for all skill levels. After taking countless pictures (none that truly do the view any justice), we stopped and had a picnic overlooking the canyon before heading back to our Airbnb.
Day 2:
The second day in Kaua’i, I had a couple of surprises in store for my husband. The first being a 60-minute, doors-off helicopter tour of the Na Pali Coast through Jack Harter Tours ($325 per person). I was so excited for this tour but even more excited to surprise my husband with it. He is an adrenaline junkie for sure, the opposite of me, and he had never been in a helicopter before so I thought this would be super fun for us to do together. When we got to the parking lot and he realized what we were doing I think it might’ve been the first time I’ve ever seen him nervous for something. He was very hesitant to do this and still to this day I’m not sure why as he’s never been afraid of flying; he even wants his pilot license! Naturally, I kept the fact that the helicopter had no doors to myself because why make it worse? Well, he quickly found out as he was the one seated next to where the door should’ve been, leg hanging out of the helicopter the whole ride. The helicopter we were in had four of us, not including the pilot, with me sitting between him and my husband in the front seat. I don’t even think it would’ve mattered if we were in the back though, the views were STUNNING. We were able to see so many waterfalls, canyons, beaches, and the Na Pali Coast up close. I can’t even describe how amazing this experience was. If you’re budgeting your trip to Kaua’i and can swing this I would highly recommend it.
After disembarking from the helicopter, it was time for the next surprise. The Kaua’i Humane Society runs a program where you can take a shelter dog on a field trip for the day to give them a break from the kennels and allow you the chance to get to know some of the dogs in the hopes that it will help increase adoption rates. I love this program so much; I really believe this should be done everywhere. My husband and I weren’t at a point in our lives where we could commit to having a dog, but since we both love them, this opportunity was amazing. After placing a $40 donation to the Humane Society and filling out a form online, they pair you with a dog on the day you will be in town. They also give you a backpack with everything the dog will need: water, toys, treats, etc. to take with you on your field trip. Their website has a list of places on the island that are dog-friendly so you’re not stuck trying to decide what to do on an island you’ve never even been to. We were paired with an older dog who wasn’t at all interested in the hike we had planned (honestly neither was I) so we took him to the beach for a couple of hours and then to a big grassy area to play. You can pick the dogs up anytime between 10a-12p and then drop them off before 5p. After this, we spent the night on the beach in front of the condo with a bottle of wine and a pizza from the Coconut Marketplace next to our Airbnb; another perfect day finished.
Day 3:
The third day in Kaua’i we had a snorkel tour scheduled bright and early (I can’t find the exact one we did but it was a 4.5h tour for $324 per person). After having seen the Na Pali Coast from the air the day before, it made viewing it from the ocean all the more special. After the fiasco that happened on our boat tour on the Big Island (read about that here), I was super nervous for this one. The boat we took this day was bigger than that one but not by much so I made sure to eat before we left and brought meds with me. It actually turned out totally fine though; we spent the morning cruising down the coast and listening to facts from our guide before they backed the boat into one of the caves nearby so we could look inside. They then gave us all lunches and let us snorkel at our leisure for the rest of the tour. It was perfect.
After spending the rest of the day on the beach we got ready for our night out. We had reservations at Hulani’s that night, a farm-to-table oceanfront fine-dining restaurant, which was incredible. We went right before sunset, so we were able to watch it descend into the horizon while we sipped on mai tais and reminisced on our honeymoon thus far.
Day 4:
The last day on Kaua’i, we rented kayaks from Scotty’s Surf Co. in Kapa’a. It couldn’t have been easier to do this. The staff at Scotty’s are incredible, they are so nice and so helpful; they loaded our kayak right onto our rental car and gave us directions to drop in points in the area. Having done some research before this (shocker, I know) I knew that I wanted to kayak down Wailua River to Secret Falls. They tell you to set aside 3-6 hours for this so we picked up our kayaks in the morning as they needed to be back by 4p, but there are also guided tours if you’re hesitant to do this alone! The paddle to the beginning of the hike took us about 45 minutes and finding the trailhead is easy, you’ll see a bunch of other kayaks pulled up the shore doing the same thing you are! The hike to Secret Falls, or Uluwehi Falls, is about a 20-minute trek through the rainforest along the Wailua River valley floor. It has minimal elevation gain but can get muddy after rainfall. The Falls are about a 120-foot drop cascading into a swimmable plunge pool that is said to be the bathing site of Kauai’s ancient king. Neither the kayak nor the hike were strenuous and having lunch by the falls then taking a swim after the tour groups piled out was so much fun. I’m glad that we opted to do this excursion at our own pace; it allowed us the freedom to stay as long as we wanted and we ended up having the falls to ourselves for a bit after all the tour groups left.
Our last night in Kaua’i, we went back down to Coconut Marketplace and ate at Chicken in a Barrel BBQ. We shared the sampler plate with smoked chicken, ribs, pulled pork and shredded beef along with loaded fries. It was more than enough food for the both of us and it was so delicious. We then grabbed a shave ice at JoJo’s and walked back to our Airbnb.
Kaua’i was truly unforgettable. It was such a surprise to me how much there was to do and just how beautiful of an island it was. Everyone was so friendly, they treated you like family everywhere you went, the Aloha spirit really thrives on this island. I wouldn’t change the itinerary we went with but I have so many more things I would like to do on our next trip to Kaua’i, because there will definitely be one. One thing my husband and I still talk about to this day is trying the famous Kalalau Trail. It’s a 22-mile roundtrip hike down to a beach only accessible by that trail or boat. It has been named one of the most beautiful, and dangerous, hikes in the United States and requires a permit to camp along the trail (no day permits issued). We would also love to explore more of Kaua’i. I don’t feel like we got to see as much of this island as we did O’ahu and Big Island. As I’m sure you can clearly tell, I fell in love with Kaua’i and sing its praises to anyone that will listen. If you’re planning a vacation to Hawai’i please consider heading off the beaten path and giving it a chance!