#had a lot of fun palying around with this one hehe

[layalu]

Managed to squeeze in some last revenges xd This one's for arsonlovesfire!

[wearsdani]

#WEARSDANI: Kauai, HI

7-Day Itinerary 

*DISCLAIMER: This is my first blog post in a year and I’m a little rusty - the photos I took were (to me) mediocre (I COULD TOTALLY DO BETTER THAN THIS) and I tried my best to condense a week’s worth of activities into a short-attention-span-worthy-read (if such a thing existed). Alright, let’s do this.

Oh Kauai, you stole my heart from day one. Known as the “adventurous” and “lush” island, Kauai differentiates itself from the neighboring Oahu by staying true to its Hawaiian roots - untouched and slowly developed. If you’re planning a trip out here, I’d recommend staying in Kapaa or the south side of the island. My family and I were in Princeville (which is on the northern part of the island) and found ourselves having to drive far for most of the activities and attractions on our list. TBH there was a lot more to our trip than what I’ve mentioned below, but these are what I found most significant. I hope you find this post helpful and enticing enough to have you visit the island yourself!

MONDAY

Arrive at Lihue Airport

To get from airport to timeshare, we booked our ride with GO! Airport Shuttle - the total was $98.70 for four passengers. Overall, the drive from Lihue to Princeville is about 45 minutes and on our way to the timeshare, our driver gave us a little history about Kauai, recommendations on where to go and fun facts about the island.

Wyndham Bali Hai Villas in Princeville  

This was one of my favorite timeshares I’ve stayed at. The villas are beautiful, the pool is relaxing and the staff is so welcoming/helpful. I’d say the only downfall is that there wasn’t any air conditioning #firstworldproblems - we had the fans on full blast and left the windows/doors open to feel a breeze.

Foodland

Luckily the Bali Hai Villas offers a full kitchen including all appliances - this means homemade cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner (Banana Macadamia Pancakes ALL DAY NAMSAYIN?!). Our go-to market is Foodland a.k.a. the Ralph’s or Vons of Hawaii!

TUESDAY

Hanalei

Check out Hanalei for boutique shops and local places to eat like the Village Snack Shop & Bakery at Chung Young Village (Order the chili pepper chicken or combo plate - you won’t regret!) or Jojo’s Shave Ice (Their serving sizes are HUGE and you get a little ice cream treat at the bottom of the cone).

Hanalei Bay

If it weren’t for Google Maps, my family and I would have missed the neighborhood entrance to this beach! We spent the 4th of July here, basking in the liveliness of the area - house music blasting in the background, family and friends chillen beneath the trees and cute grandma’s chattin it up while they tan their leathered skin (lol wait is that mean?)

WEDNESDAY

Poipu Beach

Of all the beaches we visited in Kauai, I’d say that Poipu Beach was the most crowded - but for good reason! This beach is family-friendly and has relatively calm waters. I noticed families snorkeling along the shore and swimming off toward a mini island where you can encounter sunbathing seals.

Lappert’s Ice Cream

I’m a sucker for good ice cream, and Lappert’s satisfied all my creamy needs. I ordered a scoop of Banana Fudge hehe (Ya ya ya, I could have gotten something waaaay more “Hawaiian,” but that’s what my body wanted at the time).

The Shops at Kukui’ula

Various events occur on a weekly basis at the The Shops at Kukui’ula, however we found ourselves in the middle of their culinary market, which happens every Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Here, you’ll find live music, fresh produce and product from all over the island! The shopping center itself is a great place for tourists to eat, shop and catch Happy Hour (This is where you can find Lappert’s Ice Cream too!).

THURSDAY

Queen’s Bath

Little did I know there was a small trail behind our timeshare that lead to Queen’s Bath. Queen’s Bath is a series of tide pools located along the coast. To get to the bath itself requires a ten-minute hike past a waterfall. The hike was relatively easy and the path down to the bath isn’t very complicated, however I’d suggest wearing water shoes or a sturdy pair of sandals (I wore pair of Havaianas and the strap popped out lol oops – don’t be me). You’ll notice that there are multiple tide pools that you pass, but in order to get to the *actual* Queen’s Bath, you walk about 5 minutes past the lava rocks (You’ll feel like you’re in the middle of a Jurassic Park scene. It’s. So. Dope.). Click this link to get more information on how to explore this area safely.

Koloa Zipline

My sister and I ziplined through the jungle at sunset with Koloa Zipline. There are a total of eight lines that you can fly across, one of them being half a mile long! This was such a fun experience because we got to fly in different positions (upside-down, backwards, “flying Kawaiian”). However, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND wearing bug spray and pants (yoga pants will suffice) because holy shit I got bit like crazy. Literally 12 bug bites on one leg, no joke. Also, our travel lady recommended the sunset tour because it would be “pretty and not-as-hot,” but the tour took at least 4 hours and by the time we were halfway through the course, it was completely dark and we couldn’t enjoy the view! Other than that, our experience was A1 and I would totally do it again.

FRIDAY

Kayak Wailua River to Secret Falls

Our vacation was jam packed with adventure (Shout out to my family for keeping up!) We booked a kayak tour with Ali’i Kayaks and spent the whole morning exploring and learning about the Wailua River and hiked to the “Secret Falls.” (Rumor has it, we didn’t go to the *real* Secret Falls - I feel gypped… jk). The distance from the dock to the hike was about two miles and the hike to the waterfall was about one mile. It sounds waaay worse than what it actually is, so just dooo ehhht. Also, shout out to Kai for being such an amazing tour guide! The kid knows his stuff!

Dinner at The Bistro in Kilauea

This was probably the fanciest restaurant we ate at during the whole trip, mainly because our trip consisted of Hawaiian BBQ and homemade meals. Our server was so kind and the food and drinks were delicious!

SATURDAY

Na Pali Coast Tour

This was by-far my favorite activity in Kauai. The Na Pali Coast morning tour was so much fun! We booked our tour with Go Blue Adventure and hung out with our tour guide, Madz all morning! This tour is like no other because you are in a completely open pontoon boat, going hella fast across the ocean (If you have any serious medical/physical issues or can’t handle the waves, maaaybe this tour isn’t for you?) We spotted dolphins (There were sooo many. Fun fact: Dolphins are my spirit animal), swam with the turtles, snorkeled with the fishes, explored sea caves, learned about the history of Kauai and even jumped off the boat with the valleys and mountains as our backdrop. If you find yourself in Kauai, I would definitely mark this tour at the top of your list!

Kauai Coffee Company

In a world full of coffee addicts, I find myself on the other side of the spectrum, but that didn’t stop me from stopping by Kauai Coffee Company. They offer tastings, a roasting demonstration and a walking tour of their estate. While my family enjoyed the variety of coffee flavors, I was in line for another ice cream cone lol, but it was coffee flavored ice cream, so that counts for something, right?

SUNDAY  

Anini Beach

One reason why Kauai is so great is because there are so many beaches to choose from. We started off our Sunday morning at Anini Beach. Although there is a only small strip of sand to lay out, this beach offers plenty of shade under the trees and calm waters for everyone to swim safely. My family rolled out our mats and rested beneath the trees and watched locals fishing around the shore.

Kalalau Trail

There are multiple stops on this trail, but my family and I hiked up to the Kalalau Lookout - it took just about 12 minutes to get there. Again, I hiked this trail in my Havaiana’s #rebel, but I recommend closed toe shoes. Just picture a never ending staircase, and that’s exactly what this trail is. The view is totally worth it!

Ke’e Beach

Ahh, I wish my family and I spent more time at this beach. Found at the end of the road, Ke’e Beach is the perfect spot for snorkeling (I realize that all of the beaches I mentioned were great for snorkeling, but this is the “perfect” spot, so go here). On the way to the beach we passed by a massive cave and the trailhead to the Kalalau Lookout! I’d have to say this beach was picturesque and the definition of a tropical oasis.

Kilauea Lighthouse

The Kilauea Lighthouse is also a wildlife refuge that is open from Tuesday to Saturday and requires a $5 entry fee. Unfortunately, we did not know this prior to driving out to the landmark, so we were only able to admire from afar *sigh* but you can view the Lighthouse from afar in my photo diary below :)