There is no place in the world quite like the Hawaiian Islands. Each tropical island has it’s own personality and beautiful gems to be discovered. Kauai, also known as the Garden Isle, is the northernmost island in the Hawaiian chain. It’s coastline is speckled with golden beaches and crystal clear emerald water. And of course, Kauai is famous for it’s jagged mountain peaks on the Nāpali Coast. With great hiking, beaches, waterfalls and incredible views, Kauai is one of the best adventure destinations in the world. We spent 9 days on the island in June and never wanted to leave. Below is a breakdown of where we stayed, our favorite things we did and some of the delicious food we discovered on this beautiful tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Where We Stayed:
Hanalei Bay Resort
We loved staying at the Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville. It’s a short drive to the adorable surf town on Hanalei on the North Shore which we think is the best area on the whole island! This resort has amazing views of the green mountains behind Hanalei and the ocean in the distance. We loved the beautifully designed tropical pool at the resort that had a sandy bottom and a swim up bar. There are actually two pools on the property, tennis courts and perfectly green golf courses nearby. It also is only a short walk to a stunning white sand beach which has snorkeling and water sports available. There is so much to do and the condos are different sizes which are great for couples or families.
The pool at Hanalei Bay Resort
The view from our condo balcony.
To Do:
Tunnels Beach
One of the most beautiful beaches on the island! This beach is a must-visit when visiting Kauai. This beautiful golden sand beach is fringed with palm trees and has the towering luscious mountains of the Nāpali Coast in the background. It is picture perfect and a great place to go snorkeling with turtles. If you walk down to the right of the beach you will see a patch of coral and turtles cruising by in the shallow water. Plan on spending at day relaxing on this gorgeous beach, this is what Hawaii is all about! It doesn’t get much better than Tunnels Beach.
Photo of Tunnels Beach by Brad Dawber from Hawaii Gaga
Hike the Kalalau Trail through the Nāpali Coast
There are a few different options if you plan to hike the Nāpali Coast. To officially backpack the Nāpali Coast you need to get a permit to hike the Kalalau Trail. This famous hike takes you through 5 valleys and to a beach where you can camp overnight that is only accessible by hikers or by the water. Jeff did this hike with his brother a few years ago and loved it! It’s definitely for advanced hikers and backpackers. Also the permits that are required are hard to get so make sure to plan ahead.
Photo of the Kalalau Trail by Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi
Hike the Kalepa Ridge Trail with epic views of the Nāpali Coast
If you want to go on an epic day hike with epic views of the Nāpali Coast then we cannot recommend the Kalepa Ridge Trail enough. One of the most incredible hikes we’ve ever done in our lives!
This hike is not for kids/toddlers, the feint of heart or for those who are scared of heights. This is an unofficial trail that starts at the Kalalau Lookout. There is no sign so just tuck behind the fence on the left side of the lookout and start climbing down. The trail is not maintained so hike at your own risk! The trail is basically a small dirt path takes you along a ridge line between two valleys with incredible views of the jagged Nāpali Coast. It takes about 2-3 hours and can be quite steep in some areas, make sure to go on a clear day so the clouds don’t cover the view and on a dry day without mud that may make the trail slippery. If you make it to the end you will be rewarded with insane views of the ocean, mountain peaks and beaches along the Nāpali Coast. A once in a lifetime experience!
Another great hike in the area with views of the Nāpali Coast is the Awa'awapuhi Trailhead. And if you want to skip the hiking part and just check out a couple viewpoints the Pu’u o Kila Lookout & Kalalau Lookout will give you a view of the stunning Nāpali Coastline.
Sunset Cruise Along the Nāpali Coast
One of the best things we did during our time in Kauai was book a sunset boat cruise along the Nāpali Coast with Captain Andy’s. We booked the Dinner Sunset Cruise which was a 4 hour tour on a 55 foot catamaran. It included a wonderful dinner, unlimited drinks including beer and rum punches. We set sail from Port Allen and when we arrived at the Nāpali Coast we were blown away by the breathtaking views from the water. It was a bucket list experience for us to view these jagged mountain peaks from this vantage point. We were also escorted by a pod of spinner dolphins which made the experience that much more magical. After getting our fill of the views we headed back and got to watch the sun set over the ocean as our sailboat pulled back into port. We cannot recommend this tour enough!
Surf in Hanalei Bay
If you are a surfing beginner like us and want to spend an afternoon catching small waves then you need to try surfing at Hanalei Bay Beach. This is the perfect place for beginners with small wave breaks and a sandy bottom. We rented small foam boards from a surf shop in downtown Hanalei and spent 2 of our afternoons surfing. We had a blast! One of the days was a little rainy and the view of the mountains behind Hanalei was breathtaking with dozens of waterfalls coming down the peaks. Such a fun experience.
Go Scuba Diving
Whenever we visit somewhere tropical we always book a day of scuba diving! We booked a 2 tank day of diving with Kauai Down Under. It was a little overcast which is always a bummer when diving, the underwater life is always much brighter when the sun is shining. Both dives were not far off shore and our first dive wasn’t great but our second dive made up for it. For our second dive we dove at a popular Kauai dive site called The Caverns. This dive site is made up of collapsed lava tubes that are an incredible sea turtle sanctuary! We saw dozens of large green sea turtles up close as we swam through the lava tube caverns. Being able to view that many turtles only inches away from you was something special! A superb dive site in Kauai!
See the Double Waterfall at Wailua Falls
Wailua Falls is a beautiful double waterfall just north of Lihue. The hike down to this waterfall is pretty sketchy so we don’t really reccomend going swimming here like we did. The steep trail down is basically like rock climbing down a cliff with mangled trees to hold on to. There are sections where you need to pull yourself up, basically doing a pull up and the fall could be really dangerous. It can also get very buggy and muddy which makes everything worse. But the waterfall is still worth checking out from the view point above.
To Eat:
The Dolphin Restaurant & Fish Market
5-5016 Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei, HI 96714
Our favorite restaurant in Hanalei. The Dolphin is great for lunch or dinner. This laid-back restaurant is a favorite with locals and visitors. The dolphin has a cute indoor space and also outdoor seating by the river. For dinner they serve unique sushi rolls with freshly caught fish and other Hawaiian dishes. We loved this place and came here many times during our stay in Hanalei.
Tip: The Dolphin is also a fish market! Behind the restaurnt find the door that leads to a little counter that serves delcious freshly caught poke which is great for lunch at the beach. We came here and tried a lot of their hand rolls and poke! When we were there we saw a local fisherman bringing in fresh fish which was filleted right there and used in their poke. This is as fresh as it gets! Obsessed with everything at the Dolphin!
AMA
5-5161 Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei, HI 96714
Ama is an Asian-inspired restaurant in the heart of Hanalei with the most incredible views! They have freshly prepared noodles which they use in their ramen. All the dishes are made with the freshest, locally sourced ingredients, or from their greenhouse & garden found behind the restaurant. We loved the cocktails, green curry & brussel sprouts. Make sure to make a reservation.
Tahiti Nui
5-5134 Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei, HI 96714
One of the best Mai Tais in Hanalei! Tahiti Nui is right on the main street of downtown Hanalei. This no-frills restaurant serves up a delicuous Mai Tai, traditional Hawaiian food, pizzas and has live music nightly from 6:30-9:00pm. And every Wednesday they have a Luau with a buffet & wonderful dinner show!
Hanalei Bread Co.
5-5161 Kuhio Hwy Hanalei, HI 96714
A super cute bakery in Hanalei. This popular breakfast spot serves organic pastries, breakfast sandwiches, fancy toasts, and more delicious morning delights. It brews great coffee and is the perfect first stop to start your day in Hanalei.
Tiki Iniki
5-4280 Kuhio Hwy, Princeville, HI 96722
A fun tiki inspired restaurant in Princeville. We loved the unique cocktails and the Hawaiian dishes on the menu. We sat at the bar and watched a local surf competition while we sipped on our rum based tiki cocktails. We ordered the deep fried spam musubi which was awesome, we love spam musubi’s and this deep fried version is a must for musubi lovers. We also ordered the Sticky Sweet Rib & the Kahlua Pork plate which were both flavorful and perfectly cooked. We loved this whole experience, the food, the cocktails and the all around vibe!
Wishing Well Shave Ice
5-5080 Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei, HI 96714
Wishing Well is a cute food truck that serves organic and traditional shave ice, acai, smoothies, coffee and more. It is parked in downtown Hanalei and has been serving the town of Hanalei since 1983. We loved the coconut pineapple shaved ice with macadamia nut ice cream underneath. Such a great treat on a hot day in HawaiI!
Pono Market
4-1300 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaʻa, HI 96746
If you are passing through Kapa’a or staying in the area you have to check out Pono market for lunch. This place is super local and serves traditional Hawaiian lunch plates for cheap. They have fried chicken, Hawaiian mac salad, lots of different poke variations, Kahlua pork and more. You can pick what you’d like and mix and match. The perfect place for lunch in Kapa’a.
Dukes
4 Chome-8-5 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
With a stunning beach setting and views out to crystal blue waters with surfers in the distance Dukes is a Kauai institution. Dedicated to legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku, this restaurant has a beautiful open-air design and there is a 30 foot waterfall that plunges into a koi pond below that meanders through the tables. It’s like being inside a jungle. The food here is amazing and they are famous for their delicious Hula Pie which is a giant slice of pie with a chocolate cookie crust, macadamia nut ice cream, hot fudge, toasted mac nuts, & whipped cream.
Tip: Most flights leaving Kauai to go back to the mainland are overnight flights leaving in the evening. This is always kinda of tough when you have to check out of your hotel at 11:00 which means you need to spend the entire day without a place to stay before your flight. We decided to come down to Poipu Beach for a couple hours and spent the last few hours having dinner and our last tropical cocktails at Duke’s. It’s close to the airport and is a great place to spend a couple hours watching the surfers in the bay while your time in Hawaii comes to an end.
We had an absolute blast in Kauai! There is so much to do and it really is a tropical paradise. We cannot wait to visit again one day! We hope this list helps inspire you to visit the Garden Isle of Hawaii and you find yourself there one day.
