August 31st, 2008
The best things to do in Kaua’i
Kaua’i, the "Garden Isle," is truly a preserved tropical paradise where the feeling of aloha is felt all throughout the island.
Opportunities for fun are virtually endless. Below are my personal favorite ways to spend time on this magical island.
Explore the Na Pali Coast
The northern coast of the island is lined with steep cliffs rising as high as 4,000 ft that make up the breathtaking Na Pali Coast. Inaccessible by car, the beauty of the coast can only be experienced by helicopter tours, boat trips, or hiking for days. However you choose to experience the Na Pali Coast, the beauty of it will blow you away and it definitely worth a visit.
Go tubing through the island’s lush green interior
For a truly memorable and unique experience, this is a must! Kaua’i Backcountry Adventures offers tubing excursions through private lands that aren’t open to the public. The ditches and tunnels were engineered and hand dug in the late 1800s, and as you float through the water, you’ll view breathtaking scenery. A 3-hour tour is $100/person plus tax and includes a deli-style picnic lunch next to a natural swimming hole.
Spend a day or evening in Hanalei Town
Kaua’i has a lot of great tropical little towns. A visit to Hanalei, a funky "hippy" town on the North Shore, is a great way to spend a couple hours checking out the shops, restaurants, and galleries. The drive is only about 25 minutes from the Coconut Coast and about 50 minutes from Poipu.
Take a hike
Considering only 10 percent of the island is accessible by road and the landscape offers a range of terrain and dramatic panoramic vistas around every corner, Kaua’i is a hiker’s dream. Serious hikers and adventure-seekers from all over the world come to the island during the drier summer months to hike the challenging Kalalau Trail - a four day trip which begins at Kee Beach at the end of Highway 56 and travels along the Na Pali Coast to Kalalau Valley. For a more relaxed adventure, many people hike the trail for two miles inland to Hanakapiai Falls, which cascades 300 feet to a pool below, spend a couple hours at the falls, and then hike back out. There are several other trails as well, ranging in level and length, and for a complete list, the Kaua’i Sierra Club is extremely helpful.
Zipline through the forest canopy
Kaua’i definitely takes advantage of it’s pristine scenery and untouched landscape with a wide variety of eco-adventures for visitors. For a truly thrilling experience, Zipline Tours allow you to clip in to a harness and soar like a bird over picturesque valleys and streams. The Zip ‘N Dip Expedition, offered by Princeville Ranch Adventures, is a 4.5 hour Zip Line adventure that includes ziplining as well as an hour at a thirty-five foot deep, hidden swimming hole, fed by a small waterfall. For $144/person, the package includes lunch, ziplining, swimming, jumping, diving, and floating on inner tubes.
Visit Waimea Canyon - the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific"
Take a boat ride down Wailua River to Fern Grotto
I hope this helps a little! This list, however, doesn’t even come close to skimming the surface of the many activities and attractions on the magical island of Kaua’i.
If you have any questions about any other activities that you’re interested in, or if you’d like to book anything listed above, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Abby Lapointe - Personal Travel Consultant
1-800-843-8771 ext 23
abby@hawaii-aloha.com