kauai

We honeymooned here in the Summer of 2012 and re-visited in 2022 for our ten-year anniversary. This is a special place to us, which is why it is our favorite Hawaiian island! Most of the island is privately owned and cannot be accessed, except by air. It is a lush island with a lot to explore and we have found it is a bit quieter than the other Hawaiian Islands.

Hawaii, USA

SEE/ DO

South Shore

The Jack Harter Helicopter Tour without doors is a must-do if it is your first time to the island. It will allow you to experience the full beauty and see what you won't be able to by land. It is the best flight tour we have taken in our travels so far - you will see where Jurassic Park was filmed, the open ocean cave, a valley full of waterfalls, and more!
Kalalau Valley Lookout/ Pu'u o Kill Lookout (The best view of the island, in our opinion. The Rim Hike is amazing...and a little dangerous. When we went, it was raining and muddy and a bit of climbing, but was a cool adventure with great views!)
Waimea Canyon
Beaches we like: Poipu, Brennecke, Polihale

North Shore

Napali Coastline Sea Caves - can see via boat or Kayak tour
Kayak in the Hanalei River + Bay
Queen's Bath
Beaches we like: Ke'e, Tunnels, Hideaways
Snorkel at Ke'e Beach
Hike a portion of the Kalalau Trail, the most beautiful hike we've ever done (or get a permit to backpack and to do the full thing)

EAT

South Shore

Red Salt
Keoki's Paradise (fun atmosphere)
Tidepools at the Hiatt
Lappert's Ice Cream
Jojo's Shaved Ice in Waimea

North Shore

Bar Acuda (need reservations)
Tahiti Nui
Aloha Juice Bar
Farmer's Market in Hanalei (eat some of the best fruit of your life here!)
Hanalei Bread Co

Luau in Wailua

Smith's Tropical Paradise (very pretty garden setting with a show. Don't remember the food very well other than good Mai Tai's, but a fun event!)

STAY

We recommend splitting up the trip into two parts to limit driving time (driving is slow on the island)

South Shore - We recommend staying in Poipu. We love the Ko'a Kea Hotel + Resort, which is a small boutique-style resort with excellent food. It is quiet, so great for couples!
North Shore - We like Hanalei. Our last Airbnb experience in Hanalei didn't have A/C - Yikes! Next time, we'd like to check out the Hanalei Colony Resort.

Tips

We love Andrew Doughty's blue Hawaii guidebooks for visiting the Hawaiian Islands.
The South Shore is warmer and drier, whereas the North Shore is more wet. From our experience, it gets quick spurts of rain that can come out of nowhere. This is why it is so lush on this side!
Snorkel Bob's is an inexpensive place to rent snorkel gear.
When planning your day at Ke'e Beach and/or Kalalau Trail: Pre-purchase tickets to use the shuttle, as the parking lot is tiny. We recommend packing beach gear and setting up a good spot at Ke'e in the morning, hike 2 miles on the Kalalau Trail to the first beach on the trail, eat lunch there, then hike back to swim and snorkel at Ke'e for the rest of the afternoon.
Bring Black or Brownish clothing and shoes that won't stain for hiking. The infamous Kauai Red Dirt will stain your clothing.