Hawaiian Honeymoon, part 2: Kauai

Hawaii - Hanalei

Hawaii - Tree tunnel

Hawaii - Kapaa

Hawaii - Beach

Hawaii - NaPali 1_edited

Hawaii - Napali

Hawaii - NaPali 5

Hawaii - NaPali 6_edited

Hawaii - NaPali 3_edited

TES_1073_edited

Hawaii - Blue water

Hawaii - Anini_edited

Hawaii - Hanalei 1_edited

Hawaii - Hanelei 3_edited

Hawaii - Hanelei pier

Hawaii - Hanalei pier

Hawaii - Waimea Canyon

Hawaii - Waimea Canyon 2

Hawaii - Waimea Canyon 3

Hawaii - Waimea sea

Hawaii - Waimea Canyon 4

Hawaii - Wailua

It only took us 40 minutes to 'hop' by plane from Oahu to the Garden Isle of Kauai, the most northern of the Hawaiian islands.

Smaller and with only 1 road around the island (no roundtrip possible), this is the complete opposite of Oahu. There is more rain, and so more green. The lush green surroundings reminded me of Brazilian rainforests and sometimes even of Southeast Asia. Also called 'Jurassic Park Island', because of the movie scenes shot here, you really wonder when the dinosaurs will show while you drive through a spectacular tropical paradise.

We stayed at the East (Coconut) coast, touristy but full of beautiful beaches, nice shops and restaurants and home to the sacred Wailua river. It's banks were once home to royalty and the high chiefs and the remains of many ancient temples can still be found near the mouth of the river. The source of it all is Mt. Wai'Ale'Ale, the wettest place on earth with up to 500 inches of rain a year!

Since the water is calm it is the only navigable river across the Hawaiian islands, and just ideal for kayaking! We booked a guided tour to a (not so) secret waterfall with Kauai Kayak. Most tours go a couple of miles up the river and take the rivers north fork which leads to a mile long hike to the Uluwehi Falls. And that is exactly what we did. Though the hike was relatively easy, the mosquitos in the dense forrest did make it a bit of a nightmare... But the waterfall was beautiful and the hike absolutely worth it!

Besides the must-do Kayak excursions up Wailua river, another absolute highlight of Kauai is the NaPali Coast hike, along the rim of the cliffs. We did a 4 mile roundtrip through the most beautiful tropical forrest. Muddy, steep and slippery but with a magnificent view of the NaPali cliffs and the blue water below. The first stop is a rocky 'beach' after 2 miles. Too dangerous for swimming and without a view, so the most rewarding part is the hike itself. The more experienced hikers continue another steep 2 miles to a viewpoint higher up and some even do the whole 12 mile hike to the other side of the NaPali Coast at Kalalau. For us, 2 miles up and 2 miles back was more than enough, so we went looking for a nice beach to cool our tired feet.

The beach with the bluest water I have ever seen lies right next to the start of the NaPali trail, at the end of the road: Haena Beach. Right across a dry cave, this beach doesn't look like much from the parking lot. But after reaching the bright yellow sand, the contrast with the bright blue water is one of the most beautiful things ever. Unfortunately it is not ideal for swimming but the views are stunning.

To actually get your feet in the water without being smashed by waves, drive a few miles back east until you reach Hanalei Bay, Kauai's most famous beach. It might not have bright blue water, but it does have a picture perfect backdrop. Hanalei Pier offers sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and distant waterfalls. The town of Hanalei breaths hippy-surf and besides food trucks has some good eateries and shops.

When you look for a good spot to snorkel, you should go to the south shore beach of Poipu. This is a relatively boring (for Hawaiian standards) and crowded beach, but it has the best snorkeling in Hawaii. Right after getting into the water, the tropical fish, from bright orange to yellow striped, are everywhere and it is relatively easy swimming. On the way there from the Coconut Coast you will pass the 'historic' town of Koloa. Which is basically one street with older looking buildings with shops and a couple of restaurants. The nearby Kilohana Plantation has a Koloa Rum shop and complementary tasting sessions. At these sessions you get to taste 4 different sorts of Koloa rum, from Coffee liqueur to Coconut Rum. They also give great advice on which bottles you are allowed to take on your plane back home...

Another great spot to test your snorkel gear is Anini Beach, although I must say that this is snorkeling for the patient. There didn't seem to be much there but when you swim a little longer you will find tropical fish and...sea turtles! We were already out of the water, a little disappointed because we didn't see anything, when we noticed other snorkelers all together in one spot. The husband wanted to take a look and we agreed upon a hand signal for turtles. Only took him a minute to waive it at me, and of course I did not believe him. But to not regret anything I did go into the water again to be able to see with my own eyes what the fuss was really about. He wasn't kidding, there was a sea turtle under water leaning on a rock. Such a magnificent site! And a little scary too, since they seem so much bigger under water and I suddenly felt so vulnerable. But the turtle made our day and we forgot all about our first failed attempt!

To end our Hawaiian Honeymoon we visited the little brother of the famous Grand Canyon: the Waimea Canyon. Named after 'Waimea' or 'reddish water', a reference to the Canyon's red soil. From the town of Waimea the 19-mile long Waimea Drive leads you to sweeping views of the ocean and the canyon. The most scenic of the lookout points is Waimea Canyon Lookout, where you can both see the ocean and the Waimea river from the Canyon's rim. Maybe it is not as impressive as it's big brother, but definitely worth a visit (and again, where are those dinosaurs!!!).

After these astonishing sites we ended our stay on the island with a good Mai Tai and our toes in the sand. Preparing ourselves for our return to the dry and (by now very hot) desert...