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?