Travel Journal: Kauai – The Garden Isle

After setting foot in Kauai, I caught a glimpse of the tall, jagged mountains that stood in the distance. I was greeted by the bright sun, and quickly noticed the heat and humidity in the atmosphere. Everything was bright green, lush, and full of life.

Poipu

We spent the first day at our beach resort, checking out the property and all of its amenities. The weather was perfect, and sunshine illuminated the pretty scenery of the tropical gardens surrounding the resort. While we were exploring the area, we discovered Shipwreck Beach (aka Keoneloa Beach), where daring climbers hiked a 40 foot tall cliff to jump in the ocean. The nickname became common after a wooden ship was discovered buried in the sand. It was visible up until the 80’s, when a hurricane hit the island and wiped it out. Strong currents and high surf can make swimming risky at this beach, but it is a great location for surfers and boogie boarders.

Later, as the sun began to set, we ventured out on a walk along a pathway lined with modern condos and vacation homes with impressive landscaping. The temperature cooled from the day and we could hear the sounds drifting out of open windows of people laughing and having a good time together. The pathway led to a small beach where the ocean glowed in warm hues, and the silhouettes of palms danced to the sound of crashing waves.

Koloa

Old Koloa is a charming little town with old-fashioned shops and restaurants. It was once a sugar plantation, and remnants of a sugar mill still stand near the downtown area. An impressive monkey pod tree that was planted almost a century ago wraps around some of the nearby shops and restaurants along Koloa road.

Hanapepe

Later on, we traveled west to Hanapepe and stopped to see the expansive views of the valley at the scenic overlook. The valley below is a steep drop off, and is filled with rolling mountains as far as the eye can see. The area is rich in agriculture, with its flourishing fields of taro and abundant coffee fields.

After a short drive from the overlook, we arrived at Hanapepe Glass Beach. This beach is a “diamond in the rough” with its colorful glass beads and cliffs surrounding the ocean. Over the years, glass that was discarded at a nearby dump has been transformed by the sea to become the colorful beads that cover the beach today. The glass softens as the ocean water washes over it, and produces small beads. It can take anywhere from 10-30 years to form. We drove to the top of the hill that overlooks the beach to see the views of the surrounding area near the Port Allen Harbor. The waves swept along the lava rock below, and we spotted several tide pools along the shoreline.

The sun was starting to set as we arrived at Spouting Horn; a blowhole within the lava rock. The name comes from the sound of a horn that the blowhole makes as the waves crash against it. It was the perfect timing to get pictures, as the sky illuminated in color while the sun set over the ocean.

Waimea

The next morning we drove an hour west of Poipu to Waimea Canyon State Park. Years ago, heavy rainfall at Mount Waiʻaleʻale formed the canyon, and now it stretches as far as ten miles and is 3,000 feet deep. We went to several lookouts throughout the park, but the Waimea Canyon Lookout had the most impressive view of the canyon. It’s no wonder why the Waimea Canyon is known as the Grand Canyon of the pacific; the views were indescribable. A short drive down the road, we hiked the Canyon Trail; which is a 3 mile trail that winds along cliffs, through the forest, and ends at the top of Waipio’o Falls. It was one of the most adventurous hikes we have ever been on!

Next, we drove to the very end of Waimea Canyon Drive to Pu’u o Kila Lookout, the one that I was most excited to see. From this point you can see the Nā Pali Coast – with its lush green valleys and steep cliffs that stand as high as 4,000 feet above sea level. When we first got to the lookout, it was cloudy and we didn’t think we would be able to see the view. We decided to wait for a few minutes, and to our surprise, the clouds cleared enough for us to see the amazing Kalalau Valley below (See feature image).

Back to Hanapepe

After a full day of exploring, we drove to the historic district of Hanapepe for Art Night. For the past year, we have been going to Art Night in downtown Little Rock: a monthly event to promote local art galleries. Galleries extend their hours and have special features, such as: new exhibits, live music, and art demonstrations. We were excited to experience Art Night in a completely different way in Kauai! When we got to Hanapepe, it was very lively, with music and crowds of people filling the streets. We tried a variety of local foods (malasadas was definitely one of them!) and it was all delicious. The art galleries and shops had impressive paintings, showcasing beautiful island landscapes.

Back to Poipu

The next morning our scheduled scuba dive was cancelled because the sea was too rough, so we decided to go snorkeling at Poipu Beach. On the way, we stopped at Prince Kuhio Beach to check out a live boogie boarding competition. The beach was full of families spread out over the lawn near the ocean. Young kids played in the sand and swam in the shallow water. Surfers also took advantage of the larger waves, giving a show for the onlookers.

We traveled on to Poipu Beach, as it was a hot day – perfect for snorkeling within the bay. The beach is separated by a tombolo, essentially making it two beaches in one. The water was very calm, especially within the bay, and snorkelers were exploring the water to the left and right. We saw a variety of tropical fish in all different colors, as well as abundant coral around the beach. I had been so excited to get in the water that it didn’t cross my mind that I would need sunscreen on the back of my legs. By the end of the day I noticed that they had turned bright red and started getting sore. Sunscreen is definitely a must while enjoying Hawaii’s strong sunshine, because the sand reflects 25% of the sun’s rays and bumps up the UV index.

Kapa’a

The next day we decided to go hiking, but first stopped for brunch at an open air, ocean view restaurant in Kapaʻa. Our first hike was in a residential area with limited parking and we had to wait in line for about 30 minutes to get a spot. The hiking trail took us past goat fields with a mountainous backdrop along the Kapa’a stream. We made it to upper Ho’opi’i Falls at ½ mile down the trail. There were a few people swimming at the bottom of the falls, and to our surprise, we saw someone jump from the top of the falls. We learned that there is also a lower Ho’opi’i Falls further down the stream, which is even more impressive than the upper falls, but we decided not to trek through the overgrown forest and save time for our next stop.

Wailua

We continued on to Nounou Mountain, also known as “The Sleeping Giant” in Wailua for a 3½ mile hike. We took the east trail up the mountain and made our way through the twists and turns of tropical forest and dirt mounds. The elevation was about 1,000 feet at the top. It was quite the workout! We found a bench overlooking Wailua with a phenomenal view. We decided to continue on the trail to the giant’s chin, the highest point of the mountain. Hiking to this point can be very dangerous, and I would only recommend it to very experienced hikers that proceed with extreme caution. There were some areas that were very narrow and we had to climb some large rocks, but at the top there were stunning 360° panoramic views of Kapa’a, Wailua, and Waipouli.

Lihue

We wanted to see as much of the island as we could, so we booked a helicopter tour. This became one of our absolute favorite things that we did while in Kauai. The pilot took us around the entire island. At the very end of the tour, we went into the island’s crater, where the Weeping Wall surrounded us on every side. It was such an amazing experience and the views were unbelievable.

Princeville

In Princeville, we hiked to Queen’s Bath: a natural pool within the lava rock that was filled with turquoise water. Waves from the ocean pour fresh seawater into the pool, along with fish and other sea life. The sea was calm, so we put on our snorkeling gear and jumped in to explore. We saw crabs and a variety of tropical fish swimming around us. Afterwards, we went to Annini Beach to snorkel in the calm seas, drove by the beautiful Kilihiwai Bay, and stopped to get a few pictures of the Kilauea Lighthouse. We ended the day by stopping at a drive up waterfall called Opaekaa Falls.

The amount of beauty throughout Kauai is endless, and it will leave you convinced that it really is a paradise like nowhere else on earth.

Happy Travels!