Kauai
christina
Kauai is a natural wonderland full of beautiful and wondrous places to explore and adventure outside. The oldest island in the Hawaiian chain, it has a very raw and special vibe along with perhaps the most beautiful scenery. We stayed in Kilauea but explored the entirety of the island with a rental car - this is a must on this island - public transportation is challenging. The physical beauty of Kauai gets into you and never leaves. Its a deep and powerful Hawaiian experience and you can feel it…I could go on and on about all this - each time I leave I want more of that buzz that this island blesses us with in plenty. One of my personal favorite experiences is to kayak the entirety of the Napali coast in a 17-mile daytrip but this is not for the faint of heart and is considered the Everest of kayaking. (If you are interested in this, I highly recommend Kayak Kauai outfitters and maybe one day I’ll come back and write a post on it. In the meantime you can see their short video on it here.) You can always see the wild coastline by catamaran through the many tourist operators on island but I think the next best thing to kayaking is hiking the Kalalau Trail along the coast. The full trail is 22-miles long and it is a beast. If you don’t have the time, stamina or experience to do it, then I recommend the best day hike in Kauai to you – the Hanakapi’ai Falls trail.
This trail, which is the first section of the Kalalau, takes in amazing ocean vistas of turquoise water, dense rainforest and a stunning 300-foot waterfall that you can swim in if time and conditions permit. The 8-mile roundtrip hike can take 6-8 hours depending on the trail condition (better to go when it’s not raining or hasn’t rained in a few days so it’s not muddy as it can be VERY slippery). It is definitely strenuous with considerable elevation gain but delivers the dream of Hawaii – untouched gorgeous nature at its best.
Before hiking the trail please remember that this is sacred land to the Native Hawaiians. Actually, all land, or aina, in Hawaii is considered an ancestor and is said to be sacred and to have Mana – or spiritual energy and power. It is important to understand this while you visit Hawaii as how you interact with this energy will typically determine what kind of trip you will have. This particular area in Kauai is known to have many heaiau – or ancient temples – including one dedicated to Laka – the goddess of Hula. It is said that Laka inspires the dancer to move in Hula and she is also the goddess of the forest, or the untamed wild. In Hula, each dancer graduates from “an undisciplined state to one of spiritual and bodily poise; metaphorically represented as moving from the forest to the cosmos.” This description and more about Laka and the Hula temple can be read at Ka ‘Imi Na’auao o Hawai’i Nei. If you are on the trail and see piles of rocks that are perhaps shaped into walls you may be seeing an ancient heiau – please respect it and don’t move or remove anything on the trail. Also, as we learned when we were living in Hawaii, the best way to start any entrance into Nature or a special place in Hawaii is to first do what some call “Protocol” or what we could call “asking for permission.” In traditional Hawaiian culture, which reveres Nature as a living sacred entity, a person chants an Oli – or prayer – to establish an “intimate connection to the environment and to ask for permission to be there” as we are visitors to this land and to this environment. As we are not Hawaiian, we don’t typically try to say the chant in Hawaiian but we always remember to center ourselves and take a minute to tune in and ask for permission before we enter into these sacred places – I hope you will too after reading this. Read more about Oli in general on this Kamehameha Schools page. If you are interested in learning about Hawaiian Protocol and the specific chant to enter a special place, please see this article on National Geographic.
The trail begins at the Ke’e Beach trailhead where you can park in the parking lot if you get there early (otherwise park down the road and walk to the trailhead). Before setting out, be sure to wear sturdy shoes and bring food and lots of water with you. The first time I did this hike many years ago I overheated because I only brought a small water bottle with me – I was very dizzy and had to really rest before I could move on – rookie move. The elevation gain is approximately 1,945 feet and there are a few stream crossings that may be challenging (again, consider the weather before setting out). This trail is not for everyone, and I wouldn’t recommend it to an absolute beginner though you can walk up to the first vista pretty easily if you want to get a quick view and just turn around and go back down. You may want to consider using poles or grabbing a stick to help balance through the rocks and water crossings – I find this to be helpful when on long hikes. Both Hikerly and All Trails detail out the specifics of the path so I won’t spell it all out here. Please note that there is NO swimming at Hanakapi'ai Beach at the mid-point of the trail. There have been many deaths here due to the very intense undertow – please don’t go near this water if you are considering it – better to be safe. Pack your lunch and instead have a picnic and watch the water ebb and flow from the sand.
The trail starts out pretty intensely going up and gaining elevation until you reach a pretty flat area that hugs the coastline. While walking this you will be struck with the overwhelming beauty of our Earth – it’s spectacular. After this you will then descend into the valley and through the forest – climbing over rocks, boulders and tree roots – again, keep a steady pace and remember to go slow and be safe. That same first trip, I saw an older man take a serious fall because he wasn’t paying attention to the roots. Once you get to the beach you can head inwards toward the valley and the majestic Hanakapi'ai Falls. It’s about another 2 miles to hike in and you’ll want to spend some time at the falls – so definitely leave early and plan to spend the whole day out on the trail. You will definitely feel rewarded and spirited away when you get there. Upon returning and exiting the trail you are left at Ke’e Beach which is a great place to take a dip – especially at sunset – what a treat. Truly this will be a magical day in Kauai.
After leaving the trail and driving back through Hanalei, if you’re not too tired, be sure to stop and have dinner and see the show at Tahiti Nui. You’ll thank me later – the food is delicious and the music is phenomenal. You can always come here another night if you’re exhausted from the hike too. Don't miss it.
Since there are countless beautiful adventures on Kauai, I have to just list a few more that shouldn't be missed:
Limahuli Garden & Preserve: This is where they shot South Pacific - gorgeous and much more accessible than hiking as the paths are paved.
Waimea Canyon State Park: The "Grand Canyon" of the Pacific with great hiking and accessible drive-up vistas
Wailua Falls: Stunning drive-up view of a twin set of the most beautiful waterfalls - this is also where the opening scene to Fantasy Island was filmed.
Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail: See the last stretch of undeveloped southern coastline on this trail - totally different from the forested north coast - more windswept and rugged sandy coastline.
Limahuli Gardens where the opening shots of South Pacific where filmed.
Traditional Kalo or Taro terraces leading up to the Hale or traditional house.
Stunning views of Hanakapiai Beach and shades of blue from the Kalalau trail
Hanakapiai Falls
Waimea Canyon on the west side of Kauai
Enjoying Poke and Poi with some chardonnay on the beach near Kapa'a
FOOD FACTS: In terms of economic value, Kauai's number one crop today is seed corn which is grown largely on west Kaua`i and exported to the U.S. mainland. Other important crops include coffee, guava and taro.