Kauai: Tips for the Garden Island of Hawaii

When planning a trip to Hawaii, the first question is “Which island(s) do I want to visit and how much time should I plan for it? For me, the detour to the oldest island of the Hawaiian archipelago – Kauai – was my top priority. Impressive coastal landscapes, lush tropical vegetation and fewer resort vacationers than on the neighboring islands of Oahu, Maui and the Big Island: Kauai is a wonderful vacation destination for nature lovers.

We spent a total of seven nights on the north coast of Kauai in an apartment and from there explored the island by rental car. Unfortunately, we were quite unlucky with the weather, which kept us from doing some originally planned hikes. Nevertheless; If I had to rank the four Hawaiian Islands we visited, Kauai would end up at the top of the podium. On no other island does the “Aloha feeling” come into play as much as here on Kauai.

Green, Greener, North Coast Kauai

We booked a small apartment on Kauai for seven nights through the American vacation rental platform vrbo.com in Princeville on the North Shore. The location on the north coast has some advantages, such as the proximity to the beautiful Na Pali Coast, the pleasant town of Hanalei and great beaches such as Anini Beach. The disadvantages are the greater chances of rainy weather (although it was pouring buckets all over the island during our stay) and the relatively long driving distance to the west coast and Waimea Canyon (about 60 miles / 2 hours driving time). If you want to optimize travel times to both sides of the island, you are better off with accommodation around Wailua or with a change of accommodation halfway through your stay. For us, however, the decentralised initial situation was completely fine.

One of my favorite places on the North Shore is the overlook at the Kilauea Lighthouse. Here in front of the steeply sloping cliffs you can observe various birds and in the winter months until the beginning of April with a little luck you can spot irrigation channels. Further east is a slightly hidden, beautiful stretch of beach. Larsen’s Beach is not suitable for snorkeling, but it offers secluded and definitely uncrowded spots to enjoy the sun (if it is ever there). On the way to Larsen’s Beach, there’s a sneak peek at Mark Zuckerberg’s future Kauai hideaway, which is currently still a construction site.

Suitable for snorkeling is the also very beautiful Anini Beach. By the way, there is also an idyllic campsite right on the beach. However, my absolute favorite place on the north coast is the Hanalei Beach Park with the photogenic Hanalei Pier. Even on nasty days, surfers can be seen here in search of the perfect wave.

Hike along the Kalalau Trail

One of the highlights of a visit to Kauai is the Kalalau Trail. The entire trail runs for a total of 11 miles from Ke’e Beach along the picturesque Na Pali Coast to the secluded Kalalau Beach. Up to Hanakapi’ai Beach (about 2 miles from Ke’e Beach), the trail is accessible to everyone with no special requirements. If you want to continue hiking and camping on the coast, you have to request a corresponding permit. Since we visited Kauai during the rainy season and we were aware that the chances of rain are high, we decided not to organize a permit and stuck to the route accessible without a permit.

At Hanakapi’ai Beach there is the possibility to make a detour to Hanakapi’ai Fall (approx. 1.8 miles). The trail requires crossing three streams and some scrambling (nothing wild). In total, you get a hiking distance of a good 8 miles, which can be done in half a day. If you visit Kauai during the rainy season, you just have to expect that the hiking trails are sometimes very swampy and you are guaranteed not to come back from the “jungle” with clean shoes (my hiking boots are still brown now).

Active around the Wailua River

Via Facebook I got the tip to go on a kayak tour with Kayak Wailua to the “Secret Falls” (aka Uluwehi Waterfalls). We picked out the most beautiful day and paddled up the Wailua River for a good hour in the sunshine and then hiked a mile through a beautiful section of forest. The group consisted of eight people (4 kayaks) and our guide told us interesting facts about the flora and fauna of Kauai every now and then. The approximately four-hour guided tours cost $50 dollars in the Early Bird version (starting at 8 a.m.). The rest of the tours cost $60 dollars per person. We reserved the tour directly on site (the day before). Really a great excursion that I would book again in a heartbeat.

If you travel to Hawaii, you will hardly be able to avoid waterfalls. That’s what it’s got here at the running meter. The good thing about it: they make a nice photo motif even when the sky is overcast. Around Wailua there are two other waterfalls worth seeing in addition to the Secret Fall. On the one hand, there is the Opaeka’a Falls. The drive to the viewpoint here is not so much for the waterfalls as it is for the views over the Wailua River Valley. The second option – the Wailua Falls – I found much more impressive. Somewhat hidden, a steep (not officially marked) path leads from the viewing platform down to the pool.

2 things I really wanted to do around the Wailua River, but then literally sank into the rain, are the hike on the Sleeping Giant Trail and a bike ride along the Kapaa Bike Path, which connects some beautiful beach bays. In Kapaa there are various bike rental companies, if you are considering such a tour.

Beach Days in South Kauai

While there are hardly any beaches suitable for snorkeling in the winter months, with the exception of Anini Beach in the north, you will find them on the south side of Kauai. If you come from the ring road and head for the area around Poipu, you will pass the “Tree Tunnel”. The dense avenue of trees is definitely one of my favorite stretches of street on Kauai. After that, you’ll have several options. Either you head for Shipwreck’s Beach in front of the Grand Hyatt Kauai. This is where the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail starts. The trail leads along the rugged coast to the Makauwahi Caves. This is a nice detour for those who want to be “off the beaten path”.

If you are simply looking for relaxation on the beach, I recommend a detour to Poipu Beach Park. By the way, I really appreciated that the infrastructure in the beach parks on Kauai (compared to the Big Island and Maui) is excellent. The parking is free and there are showers, benches with tables and toilets where you can also change your clothes. At Poipu Beach Park, we were lucky enough to see a Hawaiian monk seal settling here for an afternoon nap.

On the subject of “snorkeling”, only the friend can express himself qualitatively. We had both stopped on the first day directly on the way from the airport to our apartment at Snorkel Bob’s in Wailua to rent snorkeling equipment each. But the temperatures were just too cold for me and I was embarrassed at every opportunity. My friend will probably rub it in my face for the next 100 years… Regardless, he names Koloa Landing the most beautiful snorkeling spot in Kauai. It is a small, stony bay without a sandy beach.

Wow Scenery: Waimea Canyon

On our first full day on the island, we drove relatively spontaneously to the Waimea Canyon Lookout in the late afternoon. “Let’s see” was the motto. And actually, we were firmly convinced that we would go back to the canyon to do one or the other hike. Unfortunately, the weather was never as good as on that first day. And hiking for hours through continuous rain is not my favorite activity. Nevertheless, reserve at least one full day for Waimea Canyon and drive to Pu’u O Kila Lookout. The scenery is simply magnificent. On the way there, it is worth making a short stop at the mini shop of the Taro Ko Farm in Hanapepe. Here you can get fresh and very fine taro chips. Also worth a detour nearby is the Kauai Coffee Company. In addition to a short (self-guided) tour of the coffee plantation, there is the opportunity to taste different types of coffee free of charge.

Kauai for Foodies

Kauai offers a surprisingly diverse selection of restaurants. From various local farmers markets to simple food trucks to really great fine dining options. Although you have to be aware that eating out in Hawaii also puts a lot of strain on the wallet. Including the respective tip (around 20%), we paid between 20 – 40 dollars for breakfast / simple lunches for two and between 80 – 120 dollars for dinner.

Frühstücksglück |

We tried some great breakfast places. I’ll list them below sorted by location, otherwise it will be too confusing.

Wailua / Kapa’a:

• EatHealty Cafe (vegetarian/vegan restaurant with very fine pancakes with macadamia nuts)
• Java Kai (fine avocado toast, breakfast burritos and sandwiches)
• Imua Coffee Roasters (small coffee – handy for a coffee to go / muffins and banana bread)

Lihue:

• Ha Coffee Bar (fine acai bowl)

Kalaheo:

• Kalaheo Cafe (large portions – my tip: the French toast)

Hanalei:

• Hanalei Bread Company (Avocado Toast und Breakfast Burritos)

Easy & Good Snacking |

For a refreshment “on the road” or on the way to the beach, I can recommend the Kilauea Fish Market and Tiki Tacos in Kapaa. Also worth a stop is “Puka Dogs” in Poipu, where hot dogs are served in Hawaiian style.

For something sweet, it’s worth stopping at Lappert’s in Princeville. Actually, shaved ice would still be part of it, but somehow we never got around to trying some.

Fine Dining |

My top recommendation for a dinner with mostly local cuisine goes to Jo2 in Kapaa (right next to Tiki Tacos). Small menu with many island products and the whole thing is served creatively arranged. Thumbs up!

If you’re in the mood for noodles (I feel that way from time to time), you’re in good hands at la Spezia in Koloa Town. The Italian restaurant also has an excellent wine selection.

Due to our location in Princeville, Foodland Princeville as well as Hanalei offered us the most obvious dinner options. We were pleasantly surprised by the restaurant Piazza Pizza & Drinks, which is located in Foodland. The menu only includes about four different pizzas, but they are really good!

In Hanalei, there is a wide choice from cheap (Chicken in a Barrel BBQ) to mid-range (Kalypso) to expensive (Bar Acuda and Restaurant Dolphin). In the bar Acuda I recommend to try the tapas and in the restaurant Dolphin we found the sushi creations really great.

Practical travel tips for Kauai

• You’ll be staying in Wailua and Kapa’a.
• In addition to booking platforms we know, I found VRBO for Kauai very helpful in finding something inexpensive (we paid $790 for our apartment for 7 nights).
• All major car rental companies are represented at Lihue Airport. We booked our car with Thrifty and paid 260 CHF for 7 days with insurance (without road side assistance). 4×4 is not necessary for the roads on Kauai, unless you want to drive on the sand in Polihale State Park (although no rental car company legally allows this).
• The historic Hanalei Bridge will be temporarily closed depending on the water level. In these cases, Hanalei can no longer be reached. I therefore recommend not to reserve accommodation directly before a departure date in Hanalei (on our departure day from Kauai to the Big Island, for example, the bridge was closed).
• You should apply for the necessary permit for the Kalalau Trail as early as possible (the number of permits is very limited).
• For dinners in the above-mentioned restaurants, I recommend that you make a reservation in advance (some of them can be done online via opentable).
• Many restaurants close relatively early (between 20:00 and 21:00).
• At Snorkel Bob’s, it is possible to rent snorkeling equipment for the entire Hawaii stay and return the equipment at the end to another location on another island. We paid $300 for equipment for two people for three weeks.
• Finally, a note on the best time to visit: Kauai can be visited all year round. It rains more often in the winter months and March is statistically the wettest month. I would consider April/May or October/November next time. You can see irrigation channels from December to March.