A few of my favorite things Part 1. Adventures & Hikes
What does she even know about Kauai?
I lived in Hawaii from 1986-88 and 1997-99. I attended the University of Hawaii during the first time here and came back with my family and lived here again in the 90’s. This amazing state just feels like home to me. While we didn’t stay for good, we come back for several weeks every year and visit two islands, switching it up each year. This is my favorite place to visit on earth.
I have explored Kauai over and over and never get tired or bored. Because we come so often, I’ve had the opportunity to see all the places, hike most of the hikes, do many of the experiences and try all the food. It’s all amazing.
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I think everyone needs to experience Kauai at least once.
This place is truly like no other. Because I feel that way about it, I think everyone should come here at least once. I plan trips to the islands for people and love it. So, I decided to put together a list of some of my favorite things for your planning help. These are grouped in category not by where they are on the island so just keep that in mind while planning.
First things first-Just the facts!
Where to fly, stay and what to drive?
Where to fly into Kauai
You will fly into Lihue and many large hubs in the US now fly straight there from the west coast so that you don’t have to stop in Honolulu and take another flight from there. I really suggest that you do that if you are coming to Kauai. It’s a long flight even from the west coast and it’s nice to get straight to your final destination.
If you are coming from anywhere besides the west coast, I highly recommend you stay at least 10 days in Hawaii. Split between more than one island (I’ll have info on all the islands in the next months) or really get deep into one island. The time change and the distance really makes 2 days of your trip just total travel days, and you will be glad you have that 8+ days to actually experience all this beautiful place has to offer. It’s often the only time some people will come so make it worth it.
Where to stay in Kauai
We love to explore the whole island so my recommendation to you is to set up two different hubs for yourself while on the island. You can split your time up half and half to be able to see everything you want to see. There are chain hotels on Kauai in the Lihue area mainly. We like to stay in VRBO private residences and avoid the crowded hotels and the bigger city. Plus the north and south as hubs allows you to do less driving and more exploring.
I like to split our visit up between Poipu in the south and Hanalei in the north. Both are fun areas with lots of food choices and things to do. Both give you lots of territory to explore without having to spend all your time in the car. Kauai is meant to explore OUTSIDE.
What to drive in Kauai
I highly recommend a Jeep or other high clearance vehicle if you want to be adventurous during your trip to Kauai (or any of the Hawaiian Islands). There are several trails and beaches that you might want to explore, and you would need this type of vehicle to get to them. Plus, it’s always fun driving a Jeep. You will see them EVERYWHERE on the islands. Just a side note as a Jeep owner, make sure you wave to the other Jeeps. Just a couple finger wave is enough. It’s a Jeep thing.
Maps
I love to have a paper map and atlas when I travel. GPS doesn’t always work, especially in some remote places in Hawaii. I highly recommend a paper atlas in Hawaii and also small paper map for certain hikes. You can follow the link to my online store to see the ones I like best. I linked my favorite Atlas and have one for each state we travel to. You will find it helpful for all of Hawaii. It’s very detailed and will keep you from getting lost if you don’t have cell service which can happen often here.
AllTrails
I include links for all my hikes with AllTrails, my favorite GPS map. If you have this app, you can read reviews, check stats, and get directions to your hike. If you click the links I provide you can click on the directions to get there and download your map so that you can follow it even when you don’t have service. One of the best features is that you can find the hikes you want to do and save them for use when you head out for your trips.
My 5 favorite Kauai adventures
Na Pali Catamaran Tours
When you visit Kauai, you MUST see the Na Pali Coast. This is the 13-mile stretch on the north shore that you can’t drive around. The only way to see it is by boat, trail, or air. I’m going to share about all 3. We love to do all three when we come to visit. It’s something you just can’t believe until you see it.
We have taken a Na Pali Catamaran Tour twice. They do an amazing job. You will travel on one of their catamarans the length of the Na Pali Coast and you might see dolphins and whales. We have seen both. The views are stunning, and you spend the whole 4 hours whipping your head all around. There are coastal waterfalls, trails with people hiking, beautiful beaches and lush terrain. At some point on the adventure you will stop and be able to snorkel with gear that they provide for you.
This tour is well narrated, has great snacks and drinks and yes, they have a potty on board. I highly recommend this company. There are other companies that run tours here and I am sure they are good too. But please be careful when booking. Some tours leave out of Poipu (south part of the island) and spend an hour just getting to the Na Pali coastline. AND, if you are staying on the north shore, it’s a LONG drive to this location. Yes, I made this mistake once for a 7 a.m. booking that we missed when we realized. Yikes!
Jack Harter Doors off Kauai helicopter tour
So, a few years ago I was terrified to take a helicopter tour. Flying in general made me so nervous. My husband really wanted to take a helicopter over the volcano on the Big Island and I decided I was going to do it. It was AMAZING. Now we try and do a helicopter tour whenever we come to Hawaii. This Jack Harter Helicopter tour on Kauai is extra fantastic because this one is a doorless ride, so you get stunning views to take pictures. Helicopter tours are expensive for sure but if you’ve come all this way you really want to try and see the island and Na Pali Coast from above.
Kipu Ranch Adventures ATV tours
We really enjoyed this Kipu Ranch ATV guided tour and we aren’t guided tour people. You had your own vehicle to drive and followed in a fairly small group tour all over Kipu Ranch. The guide stopped often to share Kauai history and interesting facts about the ranch and movies filmed there. Additionally you get to run through some streams and up and over some hills that are pretty exciting. We have done several ATV tours in the past and this was probably the best one we have done.
Niihau Helicopter Tours
I know I already shared a helicopter tour, but this is a whole different kind of adventure. Niihau Helicopter Tours is a bucket list adventure. Ever since I lived in Hawaii at age 19 and went to the University of Hawaii and took various Hawaiian classes I wanted to see all the islands and specifically Niihau, The Private Isle. You can only see Niihau by invitation or on this one tour. It’s pricey but we saved up to do it once because this was in my bucket.
Niihau Helicopter Tours will take a small group over to the island if they can fill their helicopter for their tour. It took more than one visit to Kauai before this trip worked for us so plan far in advance. You need to get in touch via email. They are very nice and will do their best to arrange a tour for you. We went with one other couple and a resident of Niihau that was flying home from a visit to Kauai.
The helicopter flies you from near Poipu over to a beach on Niihau where you spend several hours on your own exploring and just enjoying the views. We were surrounded by numerous Hawaiian Monk seals which were beautiful to see. We were given a great lunch and after we finished exploring we got to fly all around the island checking out the amazing wildlife that live on the island for hunting. It was an amazing experience.
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge & Lighthouse
Kilauea Point is a beautiful area of Kauai. The Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse is a 52-foot structure is situated on a rocky peninsula 180 feet above the Pacific Ocean. There is a ticketed entry process, and you can click the link above to get your tickets. Tickets are $10 with a $1 reservation fee. If you like lighthouses like we do, you will enjoy this very much. In addition to the lighthouse there is also a bird refuge.
My 5 favorite Kauai Hikes
Hanakāpīʻai Falls Trail (Na Pali Coast-Kalalau Trail)
I can’t say enough about this trail. It’s a bucket list hiking adventure for sure. The Hanakāpīʻai Falls Trail is listed as hard on AllTrails. It’s easily 8 miles round trip with 2500 feet of elevation gained. BUT don’t let that stop you. If you hike at all you need to at least try the first part, the Hanakapi’ai Beach via the Kalalau Trail section. This is 4 miles round trip and 1300 feet of elevation. You can get to the beach and decide if you want to continue 4 more miles round trip to the waterfalls or just head back. If you can make it to the waterfalls, you will be glad you did.
You can check out my Kalalau Trail blog here for more information. I covered just this one trail on this blog because it’s a favorite and I wanted to share more so people can give this a try.
The whole Kalalau Trail is just shy of 20 miles round trip and requires a backpacking permit. I have not done the whole 20 miles but have done the 8 miles several times and will do it again the next time we visit. It’s that good. You do need a permit to do any of the Kalalau Trail. While it can be annoying to get permits it’s worth it when you realize that it keeps huge crowds away. I’ve done this hike with big crowds and it’s the pits. It’s so much better now and just requires a bit of planning.
Reservations are available at Go Ha’ena and can be purchased 30 days in advance. You have 3 options and the first one will sell out right after it comes online. 1. Hiking and parking. 2. Hiking and shuttle to the site. 3. Hike only.
If you are lucky enough to score parking, you will be right at the Kalalau Trail. If you can’t get that you will have to park a few miles off site and get a shuttle that leaves at set times. The final option is the hike only where you get dropped off by someone or find different parking and walk in. There is not a ton of parking nearby so that should only be if you have a ride. We’ve parked on site and taken the shuttle. The shuttle is a small hassle but not too bad.
Just FYI, I took my 5-, 7- and 10-year olds on this hike when we lived there in the 90’s and they loved it. It’s hard but not that hard. (Unless it’s been raining or is raining-Ha!) Just be prepared. Lots of water and snacks and a lunch for either the beach or the waterfall. Good shoes with lots of grip. Not sneakers. We love Merrell and you can see our favorites in our store.
We see people all the time trying this in flip flops and with one bottle of water. That won’t work. You need to do this prepared. You don’t want to be the one being rescued from the helicopter landing sites. (see pictures below) If you are going all the way to the waterfall there are lots of places to filter and refill your water. Check our store for our filter suggestion.
A couple things to note. You will cross a decent size stream to get to the beach. If there has been a lot of rain, it’s possible that it will be unsafe to go through. Check carefully before wading through water you aren’t familiar with. Also, the beach is not a beach like you are thinking. It’s rocky and extremely rough. Don’t try swimming here. Just have your lunch or a snack and enjoy the views. If you are lucky there may be some locals surfing. They know how to handle the rough conditions.
As you continue to the waterfall there are numerous stream crossings. Another reason we love our Merrell boots is that you can just walk on through and get them wet, and they are still great. Let them dry overnight and you are ready for the next day! It beats removing your footwear at every crossing and still keeps your feet covered.
Awa’awapuhi Trail (Waimea Canyon)
We started out on the Awa’awapuhi Trail in the pouring rain. It was a wet muddy mess. But, honestly, it’s almost always a wet muddy mess in Waimea Canyon. You still need to head out and take the chance on some clearing and some amazing views. We got both. This hike is 6 miles and almost 2000 feet of elevation. Keep in mind that like the majority of hikes in Hawaii you go down at the beginning and then do the up on the way back. Not my favorite way to do it but it’s what you get here and it’s worth it.
Oceanview Forest Trail (Waimea Canyon)
The Oceanview Forest Trail is a hidden gem in Waimea Canyon. We did this almost 3-mile trail with 800 feet of elevation gain and never saw another soul. I can’t wait to go back and do it again this March and I may regret sharing but it’s something everyone can do. It’s not too hard and the views of the Na Pali cliffs are stunning. To your left is the gorgeous Polihale Beach and on the right are more cliffs down the coast. Be sure to check this out.
Sleeping Giant
You want to try and climb the face of the Sleeping Giant without waking him up. This is a beautiful hike that is rated as hard by AllTrails, but I think it’s moderate. It’s 3 1/2 miles and 1300 feet of elevation. The views get prettier and prettier as you ascend. The very top has some climbing and scrambling which I love but if you are afraid of heights you may want to avoid this last 100 feet or so. You will enjoy the views for sure. This is one of the few Hawaii hikes that begins uphill which is a nice break.
Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls (Waimea Canyon)
The Canyon Trail gives you some truly amazing looks at and into the Waimea Canyon which on a clear day is a view you just want to sit and look at while eating your lunch. The first section of this 3 mile round trip trail is just a muddy walk in the woods. The next section takes you out onto a wide ridge line that is just amazing to walk on. It’s plenty wide for those who may be a little nervous about heights. The trail ends at a waterfall that falls down to a couple more below that we were able to see from our Jack Harter helicopter tour that I covered above.
Kauai is so amazing I need part 2.
Stay tuned for part 2 when I cover Kauai food, beaches and more.
I hope you find these Kauai suggestions helpful. When I started my Kauai favorites list it had over 30 things on it, so I had to narrow it down. There is so much to see and do. I also realize that the hikes I included are not walks in the park. There are many great easy walks on Kauai so if adventuring isn’t your thing just check all trails for the easier hikes. I will also be doing a much more detailed post on hiking the Na Pali Coast Kalalau Trail so be on the lookout for that as well.
If you want more information on me and how my blog came to be check out this blog post. I love sharing our adventures and hope they help you planning your trip to Kauai. I would love it if you shared your favorite things about Kauai in the comments or ask any questions you may have. It would also be great if you could like and sign up for emails when new blogs get posted. Share with your friends too. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and X.
Keep on exploring,
Stephanie
seymoreoftheworldwithme