Kauai

Kauai - The garden island truly is green, blooming with flowers, even in December!

I could have written a ”2 days in Kauai” like the ”2 days in Kona”. However, the short trip in Kona was quite tiring and we did not even “see” our resort! Driving 500 miles in 2 days was exhausting, so we decided to spend more days in Kauai with minimal driving. It was a lot more relaxing with pool time, reading time and time to watch the sunset at the resort.

A catamaran sailing trip to see the Na‘ Pali coast is a must for a trip to Kauai. Even in December, we were able to snorkel! We chose a tour with Holo Holo, on a catamaran with Captain Kelly and her 2 crew. She anchored at a nice calm area near the Southeastern coast for snorkeling. The catamaran had a slide that made going into the water easier and more fun! Breakfast was served on the boat afterwards, on route to the Na‘ Pali coastline. Waves were much higher in winter but Captain Kelly navigated the boat well and we rode the occasional 15 -20 feet waves that originated from Alaska.

The spectacular views of the Na Pali coast need no introduction. Na Pali means cliff. The coast line is a wall of sea cliffs with multiple waterfalls and valleys. The beaches, framed by steep green walls, are only accessible by boat. I can imagine pterodactyls flying out from one of those deep valleys with the waterfalls in the background. The sight is just as cinematic as in Jurassic Park.

On the way back to Port Allen, we sailed with hundreds of dolphins! There were Spinner dolphins and the Pacific Bottlenose dolphins who swam and jumped near the boat. It was really a natural wild life performance by the spinner dolphins when they leapt out of the water and danced! To top it off, we saw a few breaching whales!

A short drive from Port Allen to Hanapepe, there is the Japanese Grandma’s cafe where fresh, delicious sashimi and sushi, as well as uni from Hokkaido can be found!

Farmers markets are popular in Kauai, there is one everyday! The Kauai Culinary Market in Kukui’ula on Wednesday is our favorite. Located in the shopping mall, it was convenient. Besides locally grown fruits and vegetables, there were chefs and pastry chefs selling their prepared food! Of course, everyone lined up for the sugar loaf pineapple!

In the same shopping mall, is Merriman’s. It was probably not a good idea to book the restaurant the day of the farmers market. There were so many different venders to try food from, that we could not imagine eating more! However, the aroma and the food presentation at Merriman’s stimulated our appetite and we had a scrumptious meal while watching the sun set into the Pacific Ocean.

Another must do is to see the Kauai Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. The spectacular colorful gorges with waterfalls is a combination of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite! It is a nice drive through the State Park with multiple scenic lookouts to admire the Canyon from different angles. The red sand, green foliage, multilayered canyon with the Waipo’o Falls made the most magnificent panorama!

There are picnic areas along the drive. We had bought poke bowls and unagi don from The Fish Express. The food was so good that we went there again before going to the airport! It is definitely worth going twice! The ultimate lookouts are the Kalalau and Pu’u O Kila, where the sharp ridge carved by years of rainfall can be fully appreciated adjacent to the widest and largest valley on the Na Pali Coast.

Poipu Beach is one of the most popular beaches. The beach has a sand bar that created a natural wading pool for children to play in, Besides the usual swimming, surfing and snockeling, amazing sea animals can be found sunning on the beach!

Waterfalls are abundant on the island. There are ones that can be seen without taking a single step and ones that need a muddy adventure to view. The most famous one is the Wailua Falls featured in the opening scenes of the TV series, ”Fantasy Island”. The best part of seeing this Fall is the accessability - the parking area is right next to it! Opaeka’s Falls can also be appreciated from the car!

We attempted a muddy hike to see the Ho’opi’i Falls but only was able to get to the stream.

As for food in Kauai, we had coffee every morning at Aloha Roastery which also has delicious croissant. The oxtail soup at Tip Top Motel Cafe and Bakery was one of the best we ever had. Their rib eye steak was so good that we ordered another one! Hamura Saimin is one of the most famous places in Kauai that is popular with the locals. Their lilikoi chiffon cake is one of a kind and definitely should not be missed!