Kauai — The Garden Isle of Hawaii (P.2)

Aloha, friends! As you know, we love Hawaii, and the Island of Kauai has a very special place in our hearts. So, after enjoying a spectacular sunset at Polihale beach in the foothills of Na Pali Coast in Part 1 of this article, our journey continues north and around the other side of the Island.

Starting at Na Pali, we’ll travel to Princeville, then explore The Royal Coconut Coast down the eastern side of Kauai, and come back to the Poipu area in the south. Hopefully, this post will inspire you to visit Kauai for the first time, or come back to Kauai again!

Na Pali Coast

The magnificent Na Pali Coast along Kauai’s northwestern shore is one of the Island’s most well-known locations. Does it look familiar? Over 60 movies and TV shows have been filmed in Kauai, many of them in Na Pali. Yes, we are talking Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar, Indiana Jones, Tropic Thunder, King Kong, Lost, and that’s just to name a few.

By the way, Na Pali means “the cliffs” or “many cliffs” in the Hawaiian language. We’ve also seen the name of the coast written in three different ways – Na Pali, Nā Pali and Napali.

Even though there are no roads leading into the area, there are other ways to get up close and personal. Several tour companies offer helicopter, boat, kayak, and snorkeling tours which is a great way to get some pretty awesome photos. If that’s not close enough, and you are feeling daring, you can hike in on foot! This method is probably best for experienced hikers.

On our recent visit, we chose the 5-hour Napali Snorkel Sail tour with Holo-Holo Charters. The journey to our snorkel location was aboard a 50’ catamaran, named “Leila”. That was an adventure in itself, with breathtaking views of Na Pali’s towering cliffs, pirate caves, waterfalls that flow into the ocean, and the stories shared by the captain and crew. The package even included a lunch and adult beverages (for the adults), water and soft drinks!

We were also greeted by a pod of bottlenose dolphins, swimming alongside our boat. Wish we took a better photo to share! (Should have been at the front of the boat. 😊)

TIP: If you don’t like being rained on, bring layered clothing and/or rain gear. The weather on Na Pali coast is very unpredictable, and can turn in a matter of minutes. We began our boat trip under calm sunny skies, but on the way back, it quickly became cold and windy, with rough waters and heavy rain.  

If you choose to hike in, you can start your trek from the Kalalau trail at Ke’e beach on the northern side of Na Pali. Ke’e Beach is the farthest point one can drive on Highway 560 to the northern shore. The water there is crystal clear and great for snorkeling (when calm). However, it may also be a bit shallow in spots, with patches of coral and rocks to scrape your knees on. By the way, Ke’e beach is one of Kauai’s more popular beaches, so parking can be a challenge.

Princeville

Continuing our tour around the island, we must mention Princeville. It is said, this is one of the best spots on Kauai for watching sunsets (weather permitting). The northern part of the island is the rainiest and most cloudy. This can make for some incredible sunsets. And the northern part of Kauai has plenty of gorgeous beaches (actually, this statement is true for the whole island!), so wherever you pull over, you’re sure to have a great view.

After an afternoon at a beach, Princeville is the perfect place to stop for a bite to eat, and do a little casual exploration around town.

One of our favorite discoveries there was Queen’s Bath. This is essentially a sinkhole created by a collapsed lava tube. Although snorkeling off the beach or from a boat is much better, Queen’s Bath is a good spot to see a variety of small fish, or just take a relaxing dip. During high tide or rough waves, it can be very treacherous, so keep that in mind.

We wouldn’t recommend making a special trip just to visit Queen’s Bath, but if you are already in the Princeville area, and the path is open, check it out! PLEASE BE ADVISED, if you see the gates are closed to the path, DO NOT attempt to enter the area. It’s simply NOT safe.

Turtle Cove and the Botanical Gardens are also great points of interest worth checking out.

Royal Coconut Coast

Now we are heading down the East Coast of Kauai, also known as the Royal Coconut Coast. This area was originally reserved for royalty of the Hawaiian Kingdom to enjoy for themselves. And yes, coconut trees are everywhere, and so are falling coconuts, so watch out! 😊 Along this stretch of highway, there are many parks and places to pull over for a little poking-around.

Here you’ll find the famous Smith Family Garden Luau. In our opinion, this is the best Luau we’ve been to so far! The word Luau means “feast” or “party” in the Hawaiian language. This Hawaiian feast was fantastic, and the show after was incredible! Your experience starts with a stroll along lush tropical gardens (or take a tram if you wish) to the Luau area.

At 6:00 pm sharp, guests are invited to join the Imu Ceremony. The pig wrapped in ti leaves that has been cooking in an earthen imu oven for many hours is finally unearthed. At last, the famous Hawaiian Kalua pork is getting ready to be served, and so the Luau begins!

Soon everyone finds a seat, and digs in! The pork was simply mouth-watering! If you’ve never tried Kalua pork before, you are missing out! Beef, chicken and fish are also on the menu, together with traditional side dishes, and yummy deserts. And, of course, poi (yes, we’ve tried it 😊).

After the luau with fabulous food, lively conversations, cocktails and traditional Hawaiian music, the guests are directed to the open-air Pele Amphitheater.

An extraordinary show with performances from Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Philippines, New Zealand and Japan is about to start. It even includes fire twirling and an erupting volcano!

For the outdoor enthusiasts, like we are, there is so much to do on this side of the island! We definitely recommend the ziplining and the tubing tours by Kauai Backcountry Adventures in Lihue.

Do not forget to bring your camera, there are plenty of excellent vistas to see, that might not normally be accessible.

It was fun to scream aloud on their 7-line zipline course, taking us over the lush canopy of trees and bamboo groves below. One might wonder, what would happen if you get stuck in the middle of the line 😊. Thankfully, we didn’t get a chance to find out.

The tubing adventure will take you through the pitch-black tunnels of an old plantation irrigation system, and down a lazy river, shaded by the trees. At times, the water becomes more rapid with a few small waterfalls to ride down! A perfect casual adventure for a hot summer day in Kauai. At the end of both tours, you get to enjoy a sandwich lunch (provided) in the heart of the island jungle, and learn some interesting history from the friendly tour guides.

On our next visit we plan to do a kayaking tour of the Wailua River, that somehow escaped us on the last couple of visits.

If you continue driving out of town back to the South Shore, and know where you are going, Kipu Falls is a local hangout and swimming hole worth checking out. There is no official parking, and finding the path to the falls isn’t always easy, even if you’ve been there before. It is everything you’d imagine a tropical jungle pool to be. Warm waters, palm trees, green vegetation, and a waterfall to jump off! (We believe Kipu Falls might be closed to the public these days.)

Stop by the picturesque Shipwreck beach, then continue down back to Poipu for a Mai Tai and another splendid opportunity for sunset photos.

Is Kauai on your travel bucket list? If not, we strongly recommend you adding it!😊 Whether you decide to visit Kauai for amazing outdoor activities, great food, fabulous people, or leisure strolls on the beaches — Kauai has so much to offer!

We know, we hope to visit Kauai soon again! If you’ve missed Part 1 of this article, here is the link to check Kauai — the Garden Isle of Hawaii (Part 1). And, to get an overview of some of the other Hawaiian islands, check this post.

We always love hearing from you, so leave a comment below, and don’t forget to subscribe to our blog! And our special thanks go to our family and friends for their contributions to this 2-part article on Kauai!