Long Overdue Trip Report - Oahu and Kauai 2008
 

Hello everyone,

Been meaning to post this since I really enjoyed reading everyone else's while I was planning our vacation. My memory was jogged since we are currently planning our second trip for 2011!

My DH and I were in our late 20's at the time of the trip. This was a delayed honeymoon. We went for three weeks, splitting the time between Oahu and Kauai. Our budget was $8000 for the 3 weeks.

This is pretty long, but not as long as the version I originally wrote :). It doesn't seem like there have been many trip reports lately, so hopefully people will find this entertaining.

March 29, 2008 (Saturday)

We flew on Continental and ATA. The plane ride took about 24 hours, was exhausting and annoying, and about the only good thing that can be said about it is that there were no significant delays and we got to Hawaii safely.

We later found out how blessed we were, as ATA shut down only a few days after our flight and stranded passengers had to pay thousands to get replacement tickets.

We got our rental car and managed to find our vacation rental in Kailua. We arrived at 4 a.m. Boston time and went straight to bed.

Oahu Day 1 - Pali Highway, Treetops, Manoa Falls

Our first morning in Hawaii, we had a colorful sunrise. The weather was in the low 80’s. I was afraid that I would be hot, but there was a nice breeze that kept things very comfortable.

Kailua was incredibly lush and gorgeous. The ocean was vividly turquoise and backset by dramatic mountains. The driving was a joy: lots of palm trees, tropical plants, and blossoming flowers to look at along with the scenery.

One unfortunate thing (for my sleep) about the vacation rental was that there were nesting seabirds in the bushes bordering the house. Wedge-tailed shearwaters, a threatened species, live there from March until November. Every morning between 2-4 a.m., they started moaning and crying very loudly like a human child.

Our hostess had provided breakfast supplies for our stay. We loved the sourdough english muffins and bagels…wish I could find those at home! Also passionfruit orange juice!

We drove the Pali Highway. At the lookout, a very nice man took our picture with his big blue tropical bird. The bird liked having its head rubbed. The experience was a special introduction to the Aloha Spirit, which I hoped that I could gain a portion of while I was in Hawaii.

After the Pali Lookout, we drove to the Treetops restaurant. The buffet lunch was good, and the view was of various jungle plants including orange blossomed trees (this tree, the African Tulip Tree, was my favorite for a week or two until I found out it was invasive).

After lunch, we hiked the nearby Manoa Falls trail. The jungle had birds, morning glory vines, bamboo, huge trees, gigantic versions of my houseplants, and lots of other interesting plants. The trail wasn’t difficult except for a couple of spots.

The waterfall itself is 160’ high with a sheer rock face. There wasn’t a lot of water, but it was still pretty. It went into a little pool at the bottom but you were not supposed to go in due to danger of falling rocks. A lot of people did though. It was fairly crowded at the waterfall, so I figured it wasn’t worth the danger because it wouldn’t have been a tranquil experience anyway.

Next we went to the supermarket. We made all of our breakfasts, and most of our lunches and dinners in an effort to eat healthfully and save money. After groceries and dinner, I fell asleep at 7 p.m.

Oahu Day 2 - Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach

We arrived at Diamond Head around 11:30 a.m. Luckily, it was not hot and we didn’t have to wait very long for a parking spot.

It was a good hike, with some nice viewpoints to stop and rest and take pictures. There was a good breeze. There were closer to 300 than 200 stairs at the top, and you had to squeeze through one area.

The view from the top was amazing. Make sure to look at all the other views on the way up, because we were spoiled for them on the way down. We wished we had brought our lunch. Everything was much brighter in person than in pictures I had seen beforehand. The colors were so vivid and the scenery stunning.

After hiking back down, we had lunch under a tree. We really enjoyed watching the Brazilian cardinals. In fact, DH was dressed like one with gray on bottom, while and then red on top. We also saw doves and sparrows.

Next we drove into Waikiki and parked in a garage. The walk out of the garage put us into the International Marketplace, where I hadn’t meant to go to but couldn’t resist temptation when confronted with it. The reputation for pushy vendors is well deserved.

We walked from the Royal Hawaiian to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. There were many parks along the beach with grass and palm trees. Both of the hotels’ grounds were nice, but not as exciting as the guidebook made them out to be. We got ice cream at Lapperts; Kauai Mud Pie and Tutu’s Anniversary, which was a combination of raspberry, coconut, and mango. Intensely flavorful!

On the way home via the Pali Highway, we saw a rainbow. At first, it was just a segment but as we drove it became longer and longer until it was a full arc. Also, there was a double rainbow that became more vivid as we drove.

Oahu Day 3 - Honolulu, Oceanarium

We went into Honolulu and parked in front of the Iolani Palace. We then took the Palace audio tour. It was fairly interesting, especially to see the level of sophistication they had at such an early time. At the time the Palace was active, the ocean was visible from the front porch. It is covered with buildings now. Outside of and behind the palace grew a huge banyan tree that the Queen had planted.

After the tour, we walked to see the State Capital. I was rather disappointed as it resembles City Hall in Boston! However, we did get to peek into the rooms where Congress and Senate sit.

We went to a memorial for Army Veterans, the Library, Honolulu Hale (City Hall), Kawaiahao Church, the Justice Building, and the King Kamehameha statue. Then we had to move our car by 3:30 p.m. or it would be towed. Honolulu reminded me of Sacramento with all the palm trees.

We went to the Oceanarium in Waikiki for dinner. I had a 25% off coupon for the seafood buffet. I would definitely go there again. The service was very fast and efficient. I got a Chi Chi which became my favorite drink for the trip. I tried poke, and the raw fish actually was not gross. The snapper was excellent, and I got to try cioppino. The main event was the snow crab. The legs were huge, and it tasted a lot like Maine lobster. We probably ate almost 2 crabs.

I had been looking forward to trying the Hawaiian lobster. It was not that great. The taste was a little weird, and the texture was all wrong. Definitely crunchy. The clam chowder was also wrong. The snow crab was much better.

For desert they had a chocolate fountain, so I dipped some strawberries and bananas. After this, we were so stuffed we could barely walk back to the car. DH got accosted by a timeshare salesman, and I literally had to drag him away by the arm, which he appreciated.

Oahu Day 4 - HPV, Dole, Turtle Beach

We visited the Hawaiian Plantation Villages. Unfortunately, it was a rather long, boring tour (it was supposed to be 1 hour and turned into two, with the end very rushed due to way too much repetition at the beginning).

We sampled various Hawaiian fruits, including mountain apple, pomelo, guava, some kind of grape, breadfruit, and a couple others. It was interesting to see the fruit and then the trees.

Next we toured the villages. The buildings are in chronological order of when nationalities arrived. The Asians that came first meant to return to their home countries with the money they made, however later immigrants came with their families and meant to stay. For example, Puerto Ricans experienced a devastating hurricane so moved to Hawaii completely. Plantation managers began to encourage families as well, in order to rein in bachelor behavior. Japanese picture brides were common.

Each nationality brought food/sustenance plants. They also contributed musical instruments, games, and other bits of culture. Plantation managers wanted to keep nationalities separate, but once HI became part of the U.S. and schools were required, mixing became common. U.S. labor laws also eventually caused the sugar industry in HI to be priced out of the market (wages went from cents per day to $75 per day).

The buildings and plants were interesting, as was much of the historical information. However, this was probably our least favorite activity on the trip as it seemed endless due to the guide. I think it would be better either self-guided or faster paced (the place is really not that big).

Next we drove to the Dole Plantation. Gorgeous mountain views. We had lunch consisting of pineapple chili dogs and fries. We took the self-guided Garden tour and saw pineapple, ti, cacao, banana, bromeliads, many hibiscus varieties, and jasmine. There was also a nice waterfall and pond. After our walk, we had Dole Whip cones and I really enjoyed the pineapple flavor. I liked the gift shop and found several things.

From the Dole Plantation, we drove to Turtle Beach. It took us a few passes to find it as it was not well marked and people on the road were not fond of the speed limit. Eventually we figured out where it was, and we were very fortunate in that we saw 7 green sea turtles basking!!! The volunteer said that the most she had ever seen before that was 4 at a time.

We had an awesome time looking at the turtles. There were 2 older ones that weighed around 250 lbs. The volunteers were a great source of information, and we found out that one of the smaller turtles had a transmitter on her as they thought she might be swimming out to lay eggs soon. The transmitter had recorded her diving up to 400 feet deep, most likely running away from a shark.

It was amazing to be that close to the turtles. Every so often, one would lift up its head or flipper. Some had buried themselves. Right at sunset, one turtle crawled out of the water and swam away just as the sun sank past the horizon.

Oahu Day 5 - Haleiwa, Waimea Bay

We returned to the North Shore, and stopped in Haleiwa. We spent a few hours shopping, and found several fun items. Haleiwa reminded me of San Francisco.

We ate lunch at Killer Tacos (yum), and later we stopped at Matsumoto’s for shave ice. We got coconut, mango, and passionfruit for flavors. We tried the beans, which we thought were rather yucky. But I was glad to try them once.

We visited Turtle Beach again, and saw 4 turtles this time. A couple were the same as we had seen the previous day, and a couple were different. We spent a half hour or so with them, and then we went to Waimea Bay for sunset.

We saw some people diving off the big rock, and I climbed it. We wanted to walk to the end of the beach, but a woman was having a photo shoot and we were not sure how many of her clothes were on so we waited until she left.

We saw the sunset, and drove home. We stopped at the L and L Drive Inn for a Hawaiian dinner. I got Chicken Katsu, which turned out to be fried chicken strips. So much for that. But I did get the famous macaroni salad.

Oahu Day 6 - Snorkeling, Waikiki

It was a bright and sunny day, so we went to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling. This was DH’s first time snorkeling. We had to wait to watch a video, but the view of the Bay was gorgeous from above. After the video, we walked down and rented our equipment.

The water is very shallow and the reef is very close to the shore. It was very easy for DH to learn, and he really enjoyed it. We saw many different fish, some very colorful and big. It was frustrating to use the digital camera, so I gave up on that after a while. The left side of the Bay (as looking at the water) had the best fish variety. It was really fun to float around and see all the different fish!

We would have stayed in the water all day, except for that we got quite chilled after an hour or so. So we warmed up on the beach, and then went snorkeling again. It is a good thing we wore shirts, or our sunburn would have been worse. It was mainly our foreheads that burned.

After 4 hours, we decided to leave as we were cold, tired, and hungry. Also, as it got later the water became murkier due to increasing amounts of people in the water kicking up sand. It is true what they say – get there early. We took the tram up to the top for $2. We took in some East Shore views as we drove back to our vacation rental, where we ate lunch and took a nap.

That evening, we decided to go to Waikiki in hopes of seeing the fireworks. We rushed to get there, and then found out that they were starting later due to the level of darkness. We sat where I thought we were supposed to, but we ended up not being able to see them. The fireworks lasted all of 5 seconds, so even though we ran up the beach we were not successful in seeing them. We had a fun time joking about the 5 fireworks that they fired :).

We decided to go to the House Without a Key for dinner and listen to the music. We were worried we would not be dressed well enough, but they let us in. However, the music stopped 5 minutes after we got there. We still enjoyed our dinner, as it was a very romantic setting. It was nice to eat outside, although a little breezy. It was a very relaxed, happy end to an amazing day.

Oahu Day 7 - Swap Meet, Round Top Drive

We went to the Aloha Swap Meet. I had only planned to spend a couple hours but got sucked in and stayed until it closed. There were vendors as far as the eye could see, and lots of inexpensive souvenirs. The quality was sometimes second rate, but it was possible to find many things. I managed to get presents for all the upcoming birthdays and holidays, and some for Christmas.

After the Swap Meet, we were starving and went to the Hard Rock Café for lunch. We both had burgers. It was okay but I probably would not go back.

Next we went on the Round Top Drive above Honolulu. This turned out to be a great choice. It was relaxing to sit after a long day of shopping, and there were many lookouts where you could see Diamond Head and the city. The road itself had many curves, and lots of jungle plants on either side. I loved the huge trees and all the hanging vines. We also saw a peacock. On the way down, we saw the sunset over the city.

Oahu Day 8 - East Shore, Waikiki Beach

We drove along the East Shore, stopping at all the lookouts. We saw Rabbit Island and Pele’s Chair. We also stopped at Sandy Beach. I was very excited to see a Monk Seal lying on the beach. A few times, a wave hit him and he lifted up his head a repositioned himself.

We stopped at the Halona Blowhole, which was spitting fairly well that day. We saw a cove down below, where a man was swimming with turtles but scaring them by grabbing on and trying to ride. It started pouring, so we ran for the car and also saw that the man left the cove.

Due to the rain, there was an accident so we had to take a detour. We went to see the stratified shoreline and the Portlock Spitting Cave. It was a great place to hang out, but we left ahead of the rain as the path was steep and slippery.

We drove to Waikiki and had tacos in the International Marketplace for lunch. I got a lei for $10, with white and pink plumerias and orchids. It was very pretty, smelled fantastic, and wearing the lei was one of my favorite Hawaii activities. I’d like to wear a lei every day!

We walked east along Waikiki Beach, and we saw the Duke surfer statue and the wizard stones. We waded a bit and watched some kids having a great time jumping off a rock wall into the water.

Oahu Day 9 – North Shore, PCC

We visited some North Shore sights enroute to the Polynesian Cultural Center. First, we stopped at the Byodo Inn Temple. It was a very pretty setting, and we enjoyed feeding the koi. There was also a turtle and a black swan.

Next, we stopped at a few lookouts to see Chinaman’s hat. We really enjoyed all of the North Shore beaches we stopped at, very nice weather and beautiful scenery. Also, there is just a very happy relaxed vibe up there and just the right amount of people around.

We had a shrimp plate at Giovanni’s. We got to sign the white truck. The shrimp was tasty, although not my favorite to have to peel it. The rice was also very good and lemon flavored.

We stopped at Laie Point, which was incredibly beautiful. The main sight is a large, long rock that has a hole in the middle of it due to a storm. We could have stayed there all day.

All the sightseeing and lingering left us arriving at the PCC about an hour before it closed. We did a quick run through. The landscaping was nicely done, and we looked at a few villages. Many of the activities were interactive. We then went to the luau. I now had 2 leis to wear, and DH looked very cute in his lei. The food was not the greatest, I only considered the chicken to be good and I ate that at the end. I did get to try poi, which tasted like glue. The entertainment was fun however.

After the luau, we went into the gift shop and then walked over to the amphitheater for the Horizons show. We had upgraded to 2nd row seats for $10 each, so we could see really well. The show was excellent! It seemed that there were nearly 100 dancers, and they performed several different dances from the various islands of Polynesia. The stage was beautiful, and the costumes were colorful and intricate. The music was well done, as was the lighting. There was a lot of humor, and not one boring moment. The end involved fire dancing that was dramatic. As soon as the show was over, I wanted to see it again! It was an incredible production.

Oahu Day 10 - Last Day - Surfing

I had decided that the perfect last day in Waikiki would be spent learning to surf. Waikiki Beach has the reputation for being the best place in the world to learn to surf, and the weather was beautiful.

It took us awhile to find Waikiki Beach Services (not as close to the Duke Statue as they say). We signed up for an outrigger canoe ride. DH got to be in the front, and I was second. We paddled out towards Diamond Head, and then had to wait a while to catch a wave as the surf was rather calm that day. It was pretty fun.

I had a short swim, and then it was time to go surfing. I was a little worried, as it was pretty calm and the break was crowded. However, our instructor, Uncle Billy, was very skilled. He showed us the steps on land. We were the only people in the group which was nice.

I actually got up on my first try, and it was a rush. I got up the majority of the times. It was a little crowded, which caused me to wipe out a couple times. But I got used to it and surfed right by, and over, people. The instructor and the cameraman were great because they would yell for people to get out of the way. The instructor had great timing for the waves, and he pushed you which allowed you to get up. He was instrumental for our success, and was so helpful that the conditions didn’t even matter. He has been teaching surfing for over 35 years. He was very positive, and told us we were doing a great job. I was exhausted, but I would be willing to work out and get more upper body strength if I could surf regularly. We had an awesome time, and it was a perfect last day.

It was also fun watching DH, he did a great job as well and I was very proud to see him getting up. We bought the pictures, and then tried to get the sand out of our bathing suits as we had to go to the airport. We saw a colorful sunset, and were sad to leave Oahu.

Kauai tomorrow...

Great trip report. Thanks.

2008? And I thought I procrastinated!

I thoroughly enjoyed your trip report! Thank you for posting. I'm taking lots of notes for my May trip to Oahu.

Sadie

Kauai Day 1 -- Lounge Day

We needed to rest up from all the fun we were having on our vacation, so we decided to relax around our rental at the Islander on the Beach. The grounds were beautiful with blooming plumerias and hibiscus. The beach was scenic for walking.

However, beware of cockroaches! I could have handled one or two. I stopped counting at 30. We kept killing them, and they kept coming. Including the one that I killed in my sleep and woke up next to... management did come and spray for them again which resolved the problem after a couple days. Would not refund the cleaning fee though.

Anyway, after the beach walk we went out for breakfast at Eggberts. I really liked the coconut syrup. Then we relaxed on the beach and I read a book. The weather was great, sunny and breezy. It was nice to look up and see the water and the palm trees.

A few hours later, we went to look around Kapaa and get groceries. We then went for dinner at Pizetta. We ordered Mai Tais, and these were the strongest drinks of the trip. I could not taste anything except alcohol, and I’m pretty sure one of those was equivalent to 3 normal drinks. I barely made it home. The pizza was good, and the town of Kapaa is very cute with all the buildings painted different colors.

Kauai Day 2 - Waimea Canyon

We drove to the top of Waimea Canyon. It was a long drive, and probably took close to 2 hours. Resist temptation to stop at all the overlooks, and go to the top first to beat the clouds.

We arrived at the Kalalau Valley overlook at the top. It was rather chilly but no clouds. I loved looking over the Valley, it was so deep and it felt like you could just fly.

Ten minutes later the clouds were rolling in. I could not believe how fast it went from clear to completely foggy. So take pictures immediately when you get there just in case!

I kept remarking how lucky we were that we had gotten to the overlook when we did and not 10 minutes later. This proved to be true for the rest of the day, as we were constantly outrunning the clouds and rain.

We stopped at the Kokee Museum, which had a great gift shop with reasonably priced tapa cloths. The museum also had fun touchable exhibits. DH entertained himself by watching the numerous chickens outside.

After the museum, we stopped at a few overlooks where you could see a waterfall between the mountains. It was very grey and cloudy, but you could still see the reds and greens somewhat. Every time we started getting rained on, we went to the next overlook. We thought it was fun though. Eventually we gave up and decided to come back another day.

We stopped in Waimea to get shave ice at Jo-Jos. People rave about the shave ice here (we made sure to go to the right location), however we did not enjoy our snack. The shave ice flavors were pretty sour, the ice was clumpy rather than fine, and it was a real disappointment after Matsumotos.

DH enjoyed himself even less going to the Menehune Ditch. He does not see the appeal of looking at historical rock structures, and he thought that the area looked very shady. There were abandoned cars and it was rather out of the way, and a local squeezed by us on the road running us into the rock wall which scratched the car. Fortunately, the car came with myriad scratches when we rented it, so I wasn’t too worried about a fee.

After we go back, we went out for dinner to Kauai Pasta. We got an appetizer, Caprese Salad. The basil was Kauai grown and was the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. It was very fresh and flavorful, with a hint of pepper and other complex flavors. The aroma was also fantastic. It was the epitome of basil. The rest of the meal was excellent as well!

Kauai Day 3 - Helicopter Ride, Wailua Falls, Lihue

We went with Jack Harter to do the doorless flight, and our flight was at 8 a.m. We were seated in front. DH had the best seat in the helicopter, the front left. I was wedged in the middle, so I had to crane my head to see the unobstructed views. DH had the camera, and I poked him every 5 seconds to take a picture.

lthough it was cloudy, we flew mostly under the clouds and the visibility was quite good. The windshield got rained on, but I mostly looked over DH or the pilot or behind me. We went around the island clockwise, starting with the southern coast and the coffee plantations and then into Waimea Canyon.

The pilot flew very close to the canyon walls (at some points I was a little scared). However, it is absolutely incredible to be that high up and that close to the canyon with nothing in between you but air. DH was not afraid at all (he normally doesn’t like heights), he was just excited.

We saw so many waterfalls, and most had multiple tiers. I remember one in particular that was rocky and went into pools at each tier. It was very tall. Other waterfalls had the beautiful veiled effect.

After looking at the interior, we flew out towards the coast. This was my favorite part. We saw caves, waterfalls, and the amazing colors of the cliffs against the blue of the ocean. We then flew around the North Shore towns and beaches.

Next we went back towards the middle of the island and saw Mt. Waialeale, the wettest spot on the earth. We flew into its walls, and we saw a weeping wall and several waterfalls including one very long one. We then flew out and past Wailua Falls on our way back to the airport.

By the time we got back, it was raining heavily and we got drenched. I was glad that I had not scheduled the later flight! We rode in the van back to the office, picked up our car, and went back to our rental so we could change. We were really glad we had done the helicopter tour and it was totally worth the expense.

After we changed, we went to Wailua Falls to see it from the ground. It was pretty, but there was a lot of vegetation obscuring it. There was a rainbow with a light double rainbow in the mist at the bottom of the falls.

We were quite hungry by this point, so we went into Lihue and visited Hamura’s Saimin for lunch. We were a little confused about how to order, but it turns out that you sit down and are waited on. The table was long and curved, so that you were across from other customers. It was torture watching them eat as we waited for ours :). We were served, and the food was excellent! It was a little difficult to eat with the chop sticks and large spoon, but we managed.

After lunch, we stopped by the Kauai Museum for an hour or so. The exhibits were fairly interesting, especially the time line showing the history of the people, the art show, some of the furniture, and the monarchy clothing/accessories.

Next we drove from Lihue to the Menehune Fishpond and Nawilili Harbor where we saw the Kukui and Ninini lighthouses. We took a trail to the lighthouse. It was a beautiful area although I got an eye headache from the brightness (even with sunglasses).

Kauai Day 4 - South Shore, Dukes

In the morning, I took a long walk along the shore outside our vacation rental. We then drove to Poipu and had lunch at Puka Dog. I really enjoyed the lilikoi mustard and mango relish.

Next we visited the Spouting Horn. This was similar to the Halana Blowhole in Oahu, but you could get closer. Also, there was a distinct moaning sound when the ocean came into the hole.

We visited Shipwreck Beach and hiked the Mahaulepu Lithified Cliffs. This was my husband's favorite hike of the trip, and the scenery was great for little effort.

The hike went through ironwood trees that resembled little cedar trees on the cliffs. The terrain was very interesting, with stratified rock and various sandstone formations. I managed to hit my head on one. In the distance were red cliffs topped with palm trees. When you got to the cliffs, you could look down quite far at the ocean through holes in the rock formations.

When we got back to Shipwreck Beach, we saw people having campfires. It looked so fun and I was jealous that we never got to have a beach campfire. We were not sure of the regulations and also the local attitude.

We ate dinner at Dukes. While waiting, we took a walk along the Kalapaki Beach. It was quite nice, as it was on hotel grounds and they had all the tiki torches lit. After 45 minutes, we were seated upstairs fairly close to the railing looking outside. The restaurant was all open air, and had a waterfall in the middle.

I ordered a lava flow and DH got a frozen mai tai; both were very tasty. We got salads from the salad bar, and then we were serenaded by a ukulele trio who sang Blue Hawaii. We had baked ono with basil sauce and mahi mahi with a macademia nut topping. These were good, although I have prepared better fish at home. However, we really enjoyed the meal and the atmosphere and had an awesome time.

Kauai Day 5 - Opaekaa Falls, Allerton Garden, Hanapepe, Waimea Canyon

We visited the Opaekaa Falls. Then we went across the street and looked over the Wailua River. I dragged DH down a red dirt path to look at some historical stones that mark the solstices. I should have learned my lesson from the Menehune Ditch; it is just not that fun to go look at all these out of the way rocks.

Next, we took the Allerton Gardens tour. We met our guide and about 20 other people, and took a tram down into the valley. We stopped to overlook Lawai Bay, which is gorgeous. The guide was interesting but seemed to be in quite the rush. We would have liked to stay longer in the garden.

We went to Hanapepe, but everything was closed since it was Sunday. However, we went out on the swinging bridge which was fun. Especially as other people were swinging it. The Hanapepe Valley overlook was one of the most beautiful views on Kauai. The colors of the mountains were vivid, and it felt very peaceful and tranquil.

We ate dinner at the Shrimp Station in Waimea, shrimp tacos and coconut shrimp. The fries were super tasty, but the shrimp was a little dry and did not live up to the hype. However, the man operating the store was extremely friendly.

We went up into Waimea Canyon to see some of the views we had missed the previous time due to the rain. Gorgeous! I finally got to see a Nene, as I almost ran over one. There was a small waterfall on the side of the road leading into a marshy area, and two or three more Nenes flew out and over the canyon.

The view from the Canyon Overlook was amazing, so much to look at and color everywhere. We were very chilled from the wind, but we were very happy we had come back. On the way down, we saw Niihau from an overlook. It was rather hazy and almost looked like a big cloud. The sun was setting, but we were too cold to wait and enjoyed the views on the rest of the way down instead.

Kauai Day 6 - Tubing

We went to Kauai Backcountry Adventures for our tubing excursion. The tubing site is 6 miles from Mt. Waialeale. We saw a nice mountain overlook and the guides told us some interesting facts about the area (could have used slightly less sarcasm…).

The water was chilly, but we got used to it. It was fun going through the tunnels. I did hit the walls a few times and ended up with a small bruise, so it was good we had the safety helmets. The tunnels had lichen on the top that glowed in the dark and looked like gold flecks. There were 5 tunnels total, with the middle one being the longest at around a mile. The 5th tunnel was headlamps off, and it was very dark.

We had lunch at a swimming hole. I went for a quick swim, but it was freezing and I could have done without the whole lunch part as I was cold and just wanted to get back. The Maui onion potato chips are pretty good though. The texture is somewhat like a Cape Cod potato chip and the flavor is tasty and unique.

Kauai Day 7 - Snorkeling, Hot Tub

We gathered the rental’s snorkeling equipment and headed to Lydgate State Park. This is a safe area for snorkeling as it has 2 pools made out of black rocks to calm the water, as well as lifeguards.

Even with the protective rock wall, I was still getting pushed and pulled with each wave. Some waves obscured visibility with white bubbles and went inside my snorkel. We had a great time though. There were many fish along the rocks. We saw various wrasses and butterfly fish, some with great colors.

We went back to our rental to do laundry and pack. We also enjoyed the hot tub. The conversation with the other people there was great, as were the drinks from the bar. The tiki torches were burning, and the moon was almost full and was framed by palm trees. All my Hawaiian hot tub fantasies were fulfilled, and we wished we would have done this earlier than our last night there.

Kauai Day 8 - Ziplining

We drove up to the North Shore for the last part of our vacation. Along the road, we drove through a tunnel of trees that was lush and set the tone for the beauty of the North Shore.

We arrived at the Princeville Ranch for our ziplining tour. We were outfitted in harnesses and helmets, and met our guides (again a little obnoxious). The mountain views were beautiful, and I enjoyed looking around while I waited to zipline.

There were 8 ziplines total, increasing in length and height as the tour progressed. It was not quite the rush I thought it would be, as I did not find it the least bit scary, but it was still fun. On the hike we saw a plant that retreats as a defense mechanism when you touch it: tap it and it looks like it wilts.

We stopped for lunch at their swimming hole. There was a cliff to jump off and a waterfall to swim under. They also provided inner tubes. I really enjoyed swimming and jumping and would have liked more time. I was the only person who went in before and after lunch (well it was cold). There were some huge prawns that were by the exit of the pool, so I was glad I did not get my toe pinched.

On our way to check into our final vacation rental, we stopped at Wishing Well Shave Ice. It was excellent! We got a strawberry coconut over mac-nut ice cream, and it came with real coconut in the middle. I only wish we had had bigger spoons :).

Kauai Day 9 - Dry Cave, Haena Beach, Kilauea Lighthouse, Farmers Market, Hideaways

We had breakfast in Hanalei and then explored some shops. Behind the shops were dramatic mountains with waterfalls. The weather was sunny and gorgeous.

Next, we drove to Haena Beach Park. We crossed the street to go into the Dry Cave. The Cave was much deeper than it appeared when first entering it. It was a little scary to be under such a massive amount of rock, but it was also neat.

We headed to the Kilauea Lighthouse. The hillside was dotted with white specks that looked like flowers but were seabirds. We saw various albatross, red-footed boobies, and frigate birds. The birds flew fairly close overhead, and it was amazing to look at their wingspans. The signage regarding the birds was very well done – colorful, easy to read, and captivating.

We went to the lighthouse and enjoyed the views of Mokuaeae Island, the mountains, and the ocean hitting the rocks at the base of the cliff. We also saw a pair of nene, and I believe they were looking for a place to build a nest in one of the bushes.

On our way back from the lighthouse, we saw a pair of wedge-tailed shearwaters in the bushes next to the path. These were the birds making the horrible noises we had to listen to every night in Oahu. We had not been able to see the birds then, so we were glad we finally got to see our arch nemesis :). They were sitting calmly together, and they were gray and very cute/innocent looking.

We went to the Kilauea farmer’s market. There were many interesting fruits there, including a soccer-ball sized jackfruit (that apparently was on the small size for jackfruit) and a brown fruit called chico that was supposed to taste like brown sugar and cinnamon. We bought tangerines, broccoli, basil, and a pineapple. There is nothing like a Hawaii pineapple!

I had my eye on some flowers, but they were taken before I could buy them. People arrived at the farmer’s market 10 minutes before, lined up at the stalls selling products they wanted, and it was a madhouse as soon as the market started. Not for the meek!

We also bought a coconut, and I drank the water. I then wanted to eat the coconut, but it was slimy. I think that the Hawaiians consider this fresh and enjoy it, but I prefer the old/dried coconut. I tried drying this coconut out, but it remained slimy.

After the farmer’s market, we picked up some fish from Hanalei Dolphin. We bought swordfish (Shutome) and monchong which we grilled for dinner. The monchong was excellent, with the sweet taste as advertised and very flaky.

Before dinner, we walked down to Hideaways beach to see the sunset. The stairs going down to Hideaways were treacherous and would have been impossible to navigate without the railing and the rope. The beach was beautiful, and we were the only ones there for the pretty sunset next to the mountain. It was a romantic and fun experience.

Sounds like a fantastic trip, thanks for the report.

Kauai Day 10 - Wet Cave, Kalalau Trail, Tunnels, Hanalei Bay

We drove to Kee Beach, saw the wet cave, and then went to the beginning of the Kalalau Trail. The trail was fairly steep and the footing very uneven. However, there were beautiful views of Kee Beach and the mountains. It was a little hazy out, possibly due to VOG.

We were getting pretty tired by the time we made it to the one half mile point where the first view is of the Na Pali Cliffs. However, after this point there was a more gradual steepness and eventually the trail started going down towards Hanakapiai Beach.

Also, there were many people on the trail and we were encouraged by all the people in worse shape than us that had made it.

After about 2 hours we reached the beach. There was a stream to cross before reaching the beach, and of course I fell in. I blame it on the people behind me that were obviously impatient and rushing me. After I fell in, they finally got the clue to cross at any of the many other points across the stream. My mood was not improved by a trip to the disgusting outhouse.

On the beach, there were many rock statues. One was composed of a piece of driftwood with a rock on top, a striking sculpture.

We were tempted to hike up the stream to the waterfall, which is supposed to be wonderful. However, I knew that we would be too tired/take too long. On our way back to Kee Beach, we met people who were just starting and were planning to go to the falls.

The way back was very muggy, and we did not get a breeze until we had hiked up to the viewpoint. We were glad for all the water we had brought, although we were still out by the time we finished the hike.

The last half mile was the worst, as the footing was very uneven through the steep downhill portion. My knees were cracking with every step, and DH twisted his and had to go very slow. It did not help that the narrow trail was very crowded. It was not so much that we were tired, but that the footing was so treacherous and was hard on the joints.

The hike was interesting and beautiful, but I am not sure I would do it again. The views of the cliffs did not change like I thought they would, rather the same mountain kept getting closer. The Napali cruise might have been a better choice for scenery.

We made it back to the car and then went to Tunnels. We got lucky and found a parking spot because someone was just leaving. We put on our swimsuits and headed to the beach. We managed to find some shade under a tree, and laid down for a few minutes admiring the amazing mountain backdrop.

We had an incredible swim. The water was warm and buoyant. There was what is considered to be a weak rip current pulling us to the right (I’d hate to feel a strong rip current). We had a lot of fun in the water, but were too tired to bother getting our snorkeling equipment.

After our swim, we drove to Hanalei Bay for sunset. This turned out to be my favorite beach on the North Shore, as the mountain backdrop was so gorgeous. It was long and curved around the bay. There were several palm trees, and someone had constructed a shelter of them on the beach.

The sunset was a beautiful shade of pink, and we walked along the beach to the pier. We watched some people fishing and surfing as we enjoyed the sunset. Some of the locals were having a campfire on the beach. As we headed back to the car, we saw the moon rise in the palm trees. The sand was extremely fine underfoot. It was a magical evening on the beach.

Kauai Day 11 - Last Day - Hanalei Overlook, Shops, Hanalei Bay, Lumahai Beach, Kauai Products Fair, Kalapaki Beach

We drove to the Hanalei Overlook to take some pictures. It was a little cloudy, so we should have stopped on our first day at the North Shore when everything was so clear. However, we still enjoyed the view.

We ate breakfast at the Hanalei Wakeup Café. There were signed pictures of famous surfers all over the walls. We had eggs, homefries, and Portuguese sausage. The homefries in Hawaii are made from shredded potatoes.

For our last day, I decided we should go to Lumahai Beach. We had a hard time finding it. The path down to the beach was through a jungle with lots of hala and palm trees. The beach itself had ironwood trees and lots of black lava rocks. The sand was extremely hot.

We wandered over to the left side of the beach and through a little section of forest to find our own rock to sit on. This part of the beach stretched a good way and was completely deserted.

After few hours, we began our drive to the airport. We stopped in Kapaa and ate at Bubba Burgers. The burgers were as delicious as advertised: they tasted like a more authentic version of a McDonalds burger (which I crave but refuse to eat because of unethical company practices). The relish had visible chunks of pickle. The fries were also tasty.

After lunch, we visited the Kauai Products Fair in Kapaa. I really enjoyed shopping here, as it was like a smaller version of the Aloha Swap Meet in Oahu and everything was made by hand by Kauaians.

After driving to Lihue and gassing up the car, we still had a little time so we went to Kalapaki Beach as it was the closest to the airport. One last look at palm trees, sand, and water while enjoying the balmy weather and lamenting the fact that we had to leave Hawaii.

Navigating the airport with all our luggage was not any more fun than when we came (next time we are packing LIGHT). The airport was open air, which was nice, and had a mural of Hanalei Bay.

We waited at the gate shown on the screen, only to find out at the last minute that the display was wrong. I was glad another lady had asked. We made it to our gate just as they were calling our row to board.

The lady told the attendant of the wrong display. Her response was, “It’s Saturday, that happens”. I found this kind of funny (it would have been extremely less so if we had missed our flight, but DH said he was planning on asking anyway). It was a typical attitude that summed up Kauai.

Thanks to those who made it thus far! I appreciate the kind words from those who responded.

Again, nice trip report.

We're leaving in 3 weeks for Oahu and are also renting a house at Kailua. How's the beach there? Are the waves big enough for boogie boarding?

Your report was great - thanks for posting.

Hints for places to boogie board in Kailua:

http://www.kailuasailboards.com/bodyboarding.html

Kailua area beach map:

http://www.kailuavacationrentals.net/BeachTips/

Kailua maps. A couple that you can download free:

http://www.kailuavacationrentals.net/kailuamap.html

Also click on: dining, shopping & activities

Thanks for the report!!

Getting excited about our upcoming trip to Kauai this July. Our 4th visit. We don't get tired of this beautiful place. Loved reading your report. Do you have photos you could share?