One Week in Kauai
There’s nothing quite like the sound of wind through the palms and the warm smell of salt water to soothe the stresses from the mainland, right?! The Hawaiian islands just have a way of loosening those tight shoulders and stress headaches. For Michael’s 40th birthday we picked Kauai for a long-overdue couples vacation and it was everything we wanted it to be! Sun, food, and adventure all on Island Time!
One of our first impressions was the chickens! Actual chickens! Where you would, in other parts of the world, see squirrels or pigeons or sparrows, Kauai has CHICKENS! Everywhere! It’s hilarious and unique and was the source of a lot of laughs along the way. After a grocery stop at Safeway for Airbnb staples we started vacation off with lunch at Little Fatties in Kapa’a. There are food trucks all over Kauai but this one was our favorite! I don’t know if it was because it was the first meal on vaca or the crispy spam but the lunch checked all the boxes. Kapa’a would turn out to be a repeat spot for us: about 30 minutes from our bnb in Princeville we did a lot of shopping there and enjoyed the monthly street fair.
Breakfast on the North Shore really means one of two things: Holey Grail Donuts or Hanalei Bread Company. Both phenomenal! Holey Grail makes their donuts from Taro grown on the island which makes for a unique treat! Hanalei Bread Company has the most incredible Brekkie Sandwhich and pastries. But be patient, it’s popular for a reason resulting in a bit of a wait. Just expect it, be kind to the gals working, and enjoy your coffee on Island Time, the food is worth the 20 minutes!
Staying on the North Shore, we visited both Anini Beach and Tunnels Beach for our two snorkel days. Between the two I’d say that Tunnels was our favorite. Parking is tricky though so be prepared with a back up plan in case it’s full. When visiting Anini Beach you may be tempted to park by the bathrooms where there’s a designated lot. Keep going! Follow the road all the way to the end! The beach is less crowded, the palm trees perfectly picturesque, and we found the snorkeling to be better. On both beaches we found perfect white sand, tons of incredible reef fish and got to swim with passing turtles! (At a respectable distance of course!) On both occasions we packed a lunch and lots of reef sage sunscreen so that once we got a parking spot we wouldn’t have to give it up!
We chose to stay on the North Shore because a lot of what we wanted to do while on Kauai was on that side of the island. The BIG one: The Hanakapiai Falls hike on the Napali Coast. We’d been looking forward to this hike for months! The hike to the falls is 4 miles each way. You don’t need a permit to get to the falls. (If you’re going any farther, you do need a permit.) We started a little late in the day, but at a brisk pace we made it to the falls in about 2 hours, spent roughly an hour there, and then 2 hours back making the whole trip a little over 5 hours. We opted to take the shuttle into the State Park (click here for those details) so that we wouldn’t have to worry about parking, be advised the last pick up for the shuttle is 5:30 so plan your start time accordingly so that you can get back in time. The park guide cautioned us before we left for the falls that most people take close to 3 hours each way. I would say the hike is definitely challenging but well worth the effort. If you plan to go only to the Hanakapiai Beach (2 miles) you’re already doing the hardest part of the hike. From the beach to the waterfall is another two miles but the elevation gains and losses aren’t as extreme. And the reward at the end! You guys! The falls are magical! Cascading from 300 feet she creates a cool private pool at the base which is so refreshing after the humid hike. For those of you with bad knees (like myself) the cold water will actually calm things down enough to get you back the final 4 miles!! Be prepared with hiking shoes that are suitable for mud. We passed some pretty unhappy gals in bikinis and flip flops, obviously not well prepared. But also a fellow hiker who was obviously very fit, seemingly prepared in a great pair of hiking boots, BUT the mud can be so think it had pulled the soles off his shoes! The entire hike back the soles slapped along attached only at the toe like a pair of absurd flip flops. Michael and I were comfortable in our Keens. Not only did they manage the mud just fine but they also made the multiple river crossings a breeze because we weren’t worried about getting hiking boots wet. Whether you make it to the falls or just that second beach, the hike is phenomenal. Just challenging enough to feel rewarding, with the constant beautiful vegetation and peeks at the famous Napali Coast along the way.
The second BIG activity that we’d been looking forward to was NOT on the North Shore. But we were so excited about it we were willing to make the 1 ½ hour drive early in the morning to make it around the island to the West Coast for a Capt’n Andy’s Napali Coast Boat Tour. We opted for the raft tour which takes you up the coast and into sea caves along the way. For those of you prone to sea sickness you may enjoy the catamaran tour better. Along the way we stopped for more snorkeling and were met by several pods of dolphins playing along side of our boat and in our wake. Maddy and Zoey, our guides, pumped up the music, shared ancient Hawaiian customs and stories, and got us into all the caves! We had so much fun with them!
It’s quite a trek from the North to South side of the island, you can’t drive the west side so you have to go all the way around on mostly one lane highway. Because we were already in the area for Captn Andy we wanted to take advantage of where we were. After our Boat Tour we hit up Poipu beach which I’ll say is tourist central. Compared to the calm, laid back vibe of the North Coast and Hanalei we were met with crowds and shopping centers. Which is not necessarily a criticism, it totally depends on what YOU like on a vacation! I’m glad that we stopped by Poipu so that we could watch the turtles come up on the beach for a nap and enjoy the people watching but I was happy that our home base was out North. While visiting Poipu, get a Puka Dog! So unique! Be advised, the line wraps around the outside of the building. I’m so embarrassed to admit, we uhm did not know that. And accidentally cut a major line by just walking in the front door without realizing. No one said anything! I can’t believe it! I still get a gut ache when I think about it. To all of you that we cut, I’m so sorry!
Worth stopping for a meal: the 1 Hotel! This hotel is quite spendy to stay but for good reason, the view of Hanalei bay is phenomenal. We ate there for breakfast and spent Michael’s birthday there for dinner and drinks. The Kitchen has a fantastic breakfast buffet or a la cart menu (try the Good Start bowl and a POG mimosa!) and the Welina Terrace has a great deck for an evening cocktail as the sun sets over the bay. The “La Niebla” is topped with a Liliko’i foam that’s to die for.
On our last day, we drove up to the Wiamea Canyon. I don’t know if it’s the last day blues or the fact that we’d already done our vacation hiking, but we were happy to drive up, see the sights, and head back out. I’ve heard of lot of great hikes from the State Park but on this trip we opted to pull out at a couple look outs and enjoy the canyon from there. To each their own.
Couple other shout outs: for coffee lovers, Java Kai has great coffee and breakfast. Particularly the Surfer Girl Sammy! Still thinkin about that sandwich… yum. For those loving a local recommendation, just outside of the Ha’ena State Park you’ll find the Limahuli Botanical Garden. Now, I honestly don’t recommend the garden *cringe* which feels weird to say because we are plant people. But just outside of the garden the Limahuli stream opens up creating a perfect swimming hole just off the road. Pull out to the shoulder and have a cold dip watching local kids knock mangos of a neighboring tree. Such a refreshing treat on a warm, humid day.
There’s certainly more to share, reach out if you guys want any more recommendations! Enjoy Kauai and bring a little “Aloha” spirit back to the mainland with you!
