Kauai - the Garden Isle
Kauai is my personal favorite island – it’s where I was married and where we honeymooned.
Kauai is also an island whose natural beauty will truly take your breath way. With a nickname like Garden Isle, visitors expect nothing less than incredibly rich natural splendor, and Kauai delivers!
Kauai is the most tropical, lush, green, & beautiful of all the islands with plenty of uncrowded beaches, great mom and pop restaurants and shops, and amazing scenery everywhere! There are no high-rises, no four-lane highways, no residential developments creeping up the mountainsides, no sprawling urban centers, no enormous shopping malls, no bright lights. There is nothing to get in the way of the lush untamed landscape that spills unrestrained across the countryside.
North Shore - Na Pali Coast, Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and Lighthouse, Makana Peak, Waikanaloa & Waikapalae Wet Caves.
West Shore – Waimea Canyon, Captain Cook’s Monument
South Shore – National Tropic Botanical Garden (the only tropical botanical garden in the United States to be chartered by Congress), & Spouting Horn.
East Shore - Fern Grotto, Wailua Falls, & the Huleia National Wildlife Refuge (a thick jungle wildlife refuge where Indiana Jones made his daring escape in the opening scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark). On the northeast side of the island is the historic Bell Stone which used to be struck to announce royal births.
My personal favorite things to do:
· View the Na Pali Coast by sea
· Waimea Canyon (the Grand Canyon of the Pacific) - river gorges; scenic lookouts; hiking trails
· Get up in a helicopter for some of the most amazing view of waterfalls, lush green mountains, deep valleys & hidden beaches.
· Mount Waialeale is the wettest spot on earth
· Hiking and camping in Kokee State Park
· Hanalei Bay and Valley - tropical mountains; taro plantations; kayaking
· Kilauea Lighthouse and Wildlife Refuge - sea birds and Hawaiian Monk seal colonies, coastal hike
· Sights of Wailua River - historical sights, Fern Grotto, river tours and waterfalls
· Sportfishing - Marlin, ahi, ono, and aku are found in abundance off Kauai’s south and east coasts. There also are charters available that will take you near the forbidden island of Niihau for giant tuna and marlin.
· Scuba diving is best along the southern shore where waters are calmer, visibility averages about 50 feet and sea life is abundant.
· Snorkeling is available along most of Kauai’s coasts but most accessible in the South Shore, Lihue-Kalapaki and Coconut Coast areas.
· With its rugged and lush coastline, sea kayaking is another great way to experience the beauty of this island.
· Surfing - the best surfing in Kauai varies by time of year. On the South shore, the best times are from May to October with Kuhio Shores offering 8 prime spots for a variety of skill levels. The North Shore is best from November to April and includes the world-famous Hanalei Bay, a favorite of avid surfers.
· Windsurfing is good at Kalapaki Beach and Anini Beach Park, reported to have the most consistent wind.
Golf on Kauai:
· Kauai holds 3 of the top 5 golf courses in the State of Hawaii: Poipu Bay, Kauai Lagoons and Princeville.
· However, all 8 of Kauai’s courses offer breathtaking views and a challenging game, including 4 courses designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., and 2 by Jack Nicklaus. Wailua Municipal Golf Course, a par-72 layout that plays to 7,020 yards, one of America’s finest public golf courses, is also located on the island.
· Kiahuna Golf Club in sunny Poipu is built around remnants of a carefully preserved ancient Hawaiian village in 27 archaeological sites that pepper the landscape.
· Kauai Golf Challenge, a unique promotion that allows visitors to experience one round each at the island’s best golf resorts for one special price. The Kauai Lagoons, Poipu Bay Golf course and the Princeville Resort are all included in the deal.
Kauai travel evolves around exploring and the island is small enough that all the attractions can be visited staying in just one place. The three main areas in Kauai are: Poipu in the south, the Royal Coconut Coast in the east and Hanalei / Princeville in the north.
The highest concentration of resorts and hotels is at Poipu Beach, along the sunny South Coast. Accommodations here sit side by side along the three miles of sandy coastline which in places is broken by large rocky outcrops. There are also a lot of condos and vacation rentals at the west end of Poipu.
The South West Coast of Kauai is rugged and wild - ideal for reflection but the wind-swept beaches are not safe for swimming and accommodation is thus limited. Historic Waimea town is nearby and is the access point to Waimea Canyon.
More affordable accommodations can be found along the East Coast in the seaside towns of Lihue, Wailua and Kapa’a. Lihue Town is set inland, but the popular beach area of Kalapaki has fine sand alongside a protected harbour with safe swimming year round, some surfing breaks at the harbour mouth, and several world championship courses along the wild coastline beyond the beach. To the north of Lihue lots of accommodation can be found between the small towns of Wailua and Kapa’a, an area referred to as the Royal Coconut Coast for it was the main residence of the ancient Hawaiians and in early European times, was a large coconut plantation. Here there are some fine archaeological sites alongside the river valley and waterfalls to explore by kayak. The beaches here are OK, but often not good for swimming due to rough seas and dangerous currents.
The charming town of Hanalei along the rainforested North Coast with its adjacent purpose built resort village of Princeville back into some of the islands most breathtaking wilderness and has lovely remote beaches along a winding coastal road and several excellent places for snorkelling. Hanalei has several small hotels and lots of vacation rentals and bed and breakfast guesthouses The extremely beautiful Na Pali coastline is accessible from here, with one of the best hiking trails in the State winding its way through rainforest alongside the steep cliffs. Sailing charters and helicopter sightseeing of the otherwise inaccessible Na Pali Coast is Kauai’s most popular tourist attraction.
What Kauai may lack in sophistication, it makes up for in a terrain that begs to be discovered.
Contact me by email anytime at Angelica@hawaii-aloha.com or by phone directly at 808-237-5261 anytime and I would be glad to help you make your Hawaii vacation a reality!
Mahalo,
Angelica Friedmann
Island Travel Specialist
Hawaii Aloha Travel
800-843-8771 ext.21 (main)
808-237-5261 (direct)
My Bio & Hawaii Travel Blog: http://angelica.hawaii-aloha.com
Email: angelica@hawaii-aloha.com